2009 FORD FLEX warning light

When you believe your system is not operating properly
The main function of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System is to warn you
when your tires need air. It can also warn you in the event the system is no
longer capable of functioning as intended. Please refer to the following
chart for information concerning your Tire Pressure Monitoring System:
Low Tire Pressure
Warning LightPossible cause Customer Action Required
Solid Warning Light Tire(s)
under-inflated1. Check your tire pressure to
ensure tires are properly
inflated; refer toInflating your
tiresin this chapter.
2. After inflating your tires to
the manufacturer’s
recommended inflation pressure
as shown on the Tire Label
(located on the edge of driver’s
door or the B-Pillar), the
vehicle must be driven for at
least two minutes over 20 mph
(32 km/h) before the light will
turn OFF.
Spare tire in
useYour temporary spare tire is in
use. Repair the damaged road
wheel/tire and reinstall it on the
vehicle to restore system
functionality. For a description
on how the system functions,
refer toWhen your temporary
spare tire is installedin this
section.
TPMS
malfunctionIf your tires are properly
inflated and your spare tire is
not in use and the light remains
ON, have the system inspected
by your authorized dealer.
2009 Flex(471)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
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Low Tire Pressure
Warning LightPossible cause Customer Action Required
Flashing Warning
LightSpare tire in
useYour temporary spare tire is in
use. Repair the damaged road
wheel and re-mount it on the
vehicle to restore system
functionality. For a description
of how the system functions
under these conditions, refer to
When your temporary spare
tire is installedin this section.
TPMS
malfunctionIf your tires are properly
inflated and your spare tire is
not in use and the TPMS
warning light still flashes, have
the system inspected by your
authorized dealer.
When inflating your tires
When putting air into your tires (such as at a gas station or in your
garage), the Tire Pressure Monitoring System may not respond
immediately to the air added to your tires.
It may take up to two minutes of driving over 20 mph (32 km/h) for the
light to turn OFF after you have filled your tires to the recommended
inflation pressure.
How temperature affects your tire pressure
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) monitors tire pressure in
each pneumatic tire. While driving in a normal manner, a typical
passenger tire inflation pressure may increase approximately 2 to 4 psi
(14 to 28 kPa) from a cold start situation. If the vehicle is stationary
over night with the outside temperature significantly lower than the
daytime temperature, the tire pressure may decrease approximately 3 psi
(20.7 kPa) for a drop of 30° F (16.6°C) in ambient temperature. This
lower pressure value may be detected by the TPMS as being significantly
lower than the recommended inflation pressure and activate the TPMS
warning for low tire pressure. If the low tire pressure warning light is
ON, visually check each tire to verify that no tire is flat. (If one or more
tires are flat, repair as necessary.) Check air pressure in the road tires. If
any tire is under-inflated, carefully drive the vehicle to the nearest
location where air can be added to the tires. Inflate all the tires to the
recommended inflation pressure.
2009 Flex(471)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
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3. Attach the trailer to the vehicle and adjust the hitch equalizers so that
the front bumper height is within12” (13 mm) of the reference point.
After proper adjustment, the rear bumper should be no higher than in
Step 2.
WARNING:Do not adjust a weight distributing hitch to any
position where the rear bumper of the vehicle is higher than it
was before attaching the trailer. Doing so will defeat the function of
the weight distributing hitch, which may cause unpredictable handling,
and could result in serious personal injury.
Safety chains
Always connect the trailer’s safety chains to the frame or hook retainers
of the vehicle hitch. To connect the trailer’s safety chains, cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow slack for turning corners.
If you use a rental trailer, follow the instructions that the rental agency
gives to you.
Do not attach safety chains to the bumper.
Trailer brakes
Electric brakes and manual, automatic or surge-type trailer brakes are
safe if installed properly and adjusted to the manufacturer’s
specifications. The trailer brakes must meet local and Federal
regulations.
WARNING:Do not connect a trailer’s hydraulic brake system
directly to your vehicle’s brake system. Your vehicle may not
have enough braking power and your chances of having a collision
greatly increase.
The braking system of the tow vehicle is rated for operation at the
GVWR not GCWR.
Trailer lamps
Trailer lamps are required on most towed vehicles. Make sure all running
lights, brake lights, turn signals and hazard lights are working. Do not
connect trailer lamps directly to your vehicle’s tail lamps. This can cause
damage to your vehicle’s electrical system. See your authorized dealer or
trailer rental agency for proper instructions and equipment for hooking
up trailer lamps.
2009 Flex(471)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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STARTING
Positions of the ignition
1. Off— locks the automatic
transmission gearshift lever and
allows key removal. This position
also shuts the engine and all
electrical accessories off without
locking the steering wheel. To lock
the steering wheel, remove the key
then turn the steering wheel.
2. Accessory— allows the electrical accessories such as the radio to
operate while the engine is not running. This position also unlocks the
steering wheel.
3. On— all electrical circuits operational. Warning lights illuminated. Key
position when driving.
4. Start— cranks the engine. Release the key as soon as the engine
starts.
Starting your vehicle
Engine starting is controlled by the powertrain control system.
This system meets all Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment
standard requirements regulating the impulse electrical field strength of
radio noise.
When starting a fuel-injected engine, don’t press the accelerator before
or during starting. Only use the accelerator when you have difficulty
starting the engine. For more information on starting the vehicle, refer to
Starting the enginein this chapter.
To avoid potential transmission damage at extremely cold temperatures
(below -20°F [-30°C]), it is recommended that the vehicle be warmed up
to normal operating temperature before driving at highway speeds above
50 mph (80 km/h). Normal operating temperature is normally reached
after 10 minutes of moderate driving or idling.
WARNING:Extended idling at high engine speeds can produce
very high temperatures in the engine and exhaust system,
creating the risk of fire or other damage.
2009 Flex(471)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
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•Make sure the gearshift lever is in
P (Park).
3. Turn the key to 3 (on) without
turning the key to 4 (start).
Some warning lights will briefly illuminate. SeeWarning lights and
chimesin theInstrument Clusterchapter for more information
regarding the warning lights.
Starting the engine
1. Turn the key to 3 (on) without
turning the key to 4 (start). If there
is difficulty in turning the key,
rotate the steering wheel until the
key turns freely. This condition may
occur when:
•the front wheels are turned
•a front wheel is against the curb
2. Turn the key to 4 (start), then release the key as soon as the engine
begins cranking. Your vehicle has a computer assisted cranking system
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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How to use the engine block heater
Ensure the receptacle terminals are clean and dry prior to use. To clean
them, use a dry cloth.
Depending on the type of factory installed equipment, your engine block
heater system may consume anywhere between 400 watts or 1000 watts
of energy per hour. Your factory installed block heater system does not
have a thermostat; however, maximum temperature is attained after
approximately three hours of operation. Block heater operation longer
than three hours will not improve system performance and will
unnecessarily use additional electricity.
Make sure system is unplugged and properly stowed before driving the
vehicle. While not in use, make sure the protective cover seals the
prongs of the engine block heater cord plug.
BRAKES
Occasional brake noise is normal. If a metal-to-metal, continuous grinding
or continuous squeal sound is present, the brake linings may be worn-out
and should be inspected by an authorized dealer. If the vehicle has
continuous vibration or shudder in the steering wheel while braking, the
vehicle should be inspected by an authorized dealer.
Refer toBrake system warning
lightin theInstrument Cluster
chapter for information on the brake
system warning light.
Four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS)
Your vehicle is equipped with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). This
system helps you maintain steering control during emergency stops by
keeping the brakes from locking. Noise from the ABS pump motor and
brake pedal pulsation may be observed during ABS braking and the
brake pedal may suddenly travel a little farther as soon as ABS braking is
done and normal brake operation resumes. These are normal
characteristics of the ABS and should be no reason for concern.
Using ABS
When hard braking is required, apply continuous force on the brake
pedal; do not pump the brake pedal since this will reduce the
effectiveness of the ABS and will increase your vehicle’s stopping
distance. The ABS will be activated immediately, allowing you to retain
steering control during hard braking and on slippery surfaces. However,
the ABS does not decrease stopping distance.
P!
BRAKE
2009 Flex(471)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
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ABS warning lamp
The ABS lamp in the instrument
cluster momentarily illuminates
when the ignition is turned on. If
the light does not illuminate during
start up, remains on or flashes, the
ABS is disabled due to a malfunction and needs to be serviced.
Even when the ABS is disabled,
normal braking is still effective. If
your BRAKE warning lamp
illuminates with the parking brake
released, have your brake system
serviced immediately.
Parking brake
Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, press the parking
brake pedal down until the pedal
stops.
The BRAKE warning lamp in the
instrument cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned on) until the
parking brake is released.
WARNING:Always set the parking brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park).
The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the
rear brakes, the vehicle’s stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
ABS
P!
BRAKE
P!
BRAKE
2009 Flex(471)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
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WARNING:If a failure has been detected within the
AdvanceTrac
with RSC system, thesliding caricon
will
illuminate steadily. Verify that the AdvanceTrac
with RSC system is
not manually disabled (push the AdvanceTrac
with RSC “Off “ button
located on the center of the instrument panel). If thesliding car
icon
still illuminates steadily, have the system service by an
authorized dealer immediately. Operating your vehicle with
AdvanceTrac
with RSC disabled could lead to an increased risk of loss
of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
The AdvanceTrac
with RSC system provides the following stability
enhancement features for certain driving situations:
•Traction Control (TCS), which functions to help avoid drive-wheel
spin and loss of traction.
•Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which functions to help avoid skids
or lateral slides
•Roll Stability Control™ (RSC), which functions to help avoid a vehicle
roll-over.
The AdvanceTrac
with RSC system automatically enables each time the
engine is started. All features of the AdvanceTrac
with RSC system (TCS,
ESC, and RSC are active and monitor the vehicle from start-up). However,
the system will only intervene if the driving situation requires it.
The AdvanceTrac
with RSC system
includes an AdvanceTrac
with RSC
Offbutton on the center of the
instrument panel, and a “sliding car”
icon
in the instrument cluster. The “sliding car” iconin the
instrument cluster will illuminate temporarily during start-up as part of a
normal system self-check, or during driving if a driving situation causes
the AdvanceTrac
with RSC system to operate. If the “sliding car”
icon
illuminates steadily, verify that the AdvanceTrac
with RSC
system is not manually disabled by pressing the AdvanceTrac
with RSC
Offbutton located on the center of the instrument panel. If the “sliding
car” icon
remains steadily illuminated, have the system serviced by
an authorized dealer immediately. The message center will also indicate a
failure with the AdvanceTrac
with RSC system.
When AdvanceTrac
with RSC performs a normal system self-check,
some drivers may notice a slight movement of the brake, and/or a
rumble, grunting, or grinding noise after startup and when driving off.
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
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