2011 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID light

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 toWarning lights and
chimesin theInstrument Cluster
chapter for information on the brake
system warning light.
Under normal operating conditions, brake dust may accumulate on the
wheels. Some brake dust is inevitable as brakes wear and does not
contribute to brake noise. The use of modern friction materials with
emphasis on improved performance and environmental considerations
can lead to more dust than in the past. Brake dust can be cleaned by
weekly washing with soapy water and a soft sponge. Heavier deposits can
be removed with MotorcraftWheel and Tire Cleaner (ZC-37–A).
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
P!
BRAKE
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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.
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 may be disabled and may need 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 by an authorized dealer.
Regenerative Braking System (RBS)
Your vehicle uses a feature known as regenerative braking. This is used
to simulate the engine braking of an internal combustion engine and
assist the standard brake system while recovering some of the energy of
motion and storing it in the battery to improve fuel economy. The
standard brake system is designed to fully stop the car if regenerative
braking is not available. During regenerative braking, the motor is spun
as a generator to create electrical current. This recharges the high
voltage battery and slows the vehicle. In effect, once the accelerator
pedal is released, the motor changes from an energy user to an energy
producer.
When the accelerator pedal is released or the brake pedal is applied, the
brake controller automatically detects the amount of deceleration
requested and optimizes how much of the deceleration will be produced
by regenerative braking. The remaining portion is generated by standard
friction braking. When the battery is almost fully charged, the amount of
regenerative braking is limited to avoid overcharging, and the requested
deceleration is produced by standard friction braking alone.
Regenerative braking does not take the place of the standard friction
brakes; it only assists them. Regenerative braking has also been designed
to interact with the anti-lock brake system (ABS). Regenerative braking
is disabled when the ABS is activated or the battery is fully charged.
ABS
P!
BRAKE
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WARNING:Remember that even advanced technology cannot
defy the laws of physics. It’s always possible to lose control of a
vehicle due to inappropriate driver input for the conditions. Aggressive
driving on any road condition can cause you to lose control of your
vehicle increasing the risk of personal injury or property damage.
Activation of the AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem is an indication that
at least some of the tires have exceeded their ability to grip the road;
this could reduce the operator’s ability to control the vehicle,
potentially resulting in a loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,
personal injury and death. If your AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem
activates, SLOW DOWN.
WARNING:If a failure has been detected within the
AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem, the stability control light will
illuminate steadily. Have the system serviced by an authorized dealer
immediately. Operating your vehicle with AdvanceTracwith RSC
disabled could lead to an increased risk of loss of vehicle control,
vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
The AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem automatically enables each time
the engine is started. All features of the AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem
(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 AdvanceTracwith RSC
system includes a traction control
off button on the instrument panel
below the climate control, a stability
control “OFF” light and a stability control light in the instrument cluster.
The stability control light and stability control “OFF” light in 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 AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem to operate. The stability control off
light will illuminate if traction control or trailer sway control are disabled
after pressing the TCS OFF switch. If the stability control light remains
steadily illuminated, have the system serviced by an authorized dealer
immediately.
Note:If the system cannot be turned off, refer toMyKey™in theLocks
and Securitychapter for more information.
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When AdvanceTracwith RSCperforms 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.
When an event occurs that activates AdvanceTracwith RSC, you may
experience the following:
•A slight deceleration of the vehicle
•The stability control light will flash.
•A vibration in the pedal when your foot is on the brake pedal
•If the driving condition is severe and your foot is not on the brake, the
brake pedal may move as the systems applies higher brake forces. You
may also hear a whoosh of air from under the instrument panel during
this severe condition.
•The brake pedal may feel stiffer than usual.
Traction control (TCS)
Traction control is a driver aid feature that helps your vehicle maintain
traction of the wheels, typically when driving on slippery and/or hilly
road surfaces, by detecting and controlling wheel spin.
Excessive wheel spin is controlled in two ways, which may work
separately or in tandem: engine traction control and brake traction
control. Engine traction control works to limit drive-wheel spin by
momentarily reducing engine power. Brake traction control works to limit
wheel spin by momentarily applying the brakes to the wheel that is
slipping. Traction control is most active at low speeds.
During traction control events, the stability control light in the
instrument cluster will flash.
If the traction control system is activated excessively in a short period of
time, the braking portion of the system may become temporarily disabled
to allow the brakes to cool down. In this situation, traction control will
use only engine power reduction or transfer to help control the wheels
from over-spinning. When the brakes have cooled down, the system will
regain all features. Anti-lock braking, RSC, and ESC are not affected by
this condition and will continue to function during the cool-down period.
The engine traction control and brake traction control system may be
deactivated in certain situations. See theSwitching off traction control
section below.
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Electronic stability control (ESC) may enhance your vehicle’s directional
stability during adverse maneuvers, for example when cornering severely
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or avoiding objects in the roadway. ESC operates by applying brakes to
one or more of the wheels individually and, if necessary, reducing engine
power if the system detects that the vehicle is about to skid or slide
laterally.
During electronic stability control events, the stability control light in the
instrument cluster will flash.
Certain adverse driving maneuvers may activate the electronic stability
control system, which include but are not limited to:
•Taking a turn too fast
•Maneuvering quickly to avoid an accident, pedestrian or obstacle
•Driving over a patch of ice or other slippery surfaces
•Changing lanes on a snow-rutted road
•Entering a snow-free road from a snow-covered side street, or vice
versa
•Entering a paved road from a gravel road, or vice versa
•Cornering while towing a heavily loaded trailer (refer toTrailer
towingin theTires, Wheels and Loadingchapter).
Roll Stability Control™ (RSC)
Roll Stability Control (RSC) may help to maintain roll stability of the
vehicle during adverse maneuvers. RSCoperates by detecting the
vehicle’s roll motion and the rate at which it changes and by applying the
brakes to one or more wheels individually.
During an event that activates Roll Stability Control™ (RSC), the
stability control light in the instrument cluster will flash.
Certain adverse driving maneuvers may activate the RSCsystem, which
include:
•Emergency lane-change
•Taking a turn too fast
•Quick maneuvering to avoid an accident, pedestrian or obstacle
Switching off traction control
If the vehicle is stuck in snow, mud or sand, and seems to lose engine
power, switching off the traction control features of the AdvanceTrac
with RSCsystem may be beneficial because the wheels are allowed to
spin. This will restore full engine power and will enhance momentum
through the obstacle. To switch off the traction control, press the
traction control off button. Full features of the stability control system
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can be restored by pressing the traction control off button again, or by
turning off and restarting the engine.
If you switch off the traction control, the stability control “OFF” light will
illuminate steadily. Pressing the stability control off button again will turn
off the stability control “OFF” light.
In R (Reverse), ABS and the engine and brake traction control features
will continue to function; however, ESC and RSCare disabled.
AdvanceTracwith RSCFeatures
Button
functionsStability
control
light
RSC/
ESC/
Traction
controlStability
control
“OFF”Trailer
sway
Default at
start-upIlluminated
during bulb
checkEnabledIlluminated
during bulb
checkEnabled
Button pressed
momentarilyNot
IlluminatedEnabled
1Illuminated
solidEnabled
Button pressed
again after
deactivationNot
illuminatedEnabledNot
illuminatedEnabled
2
1
When the AdvanceTracbutton is pressed momentarily, traction
control is disabled.
2When the AdvanceTracbutton is pressed and held for more than five
seconds, trailer sway control is disabled.
Trailer sway control (if equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with trailer sway control (TSC). When
properly equipped, trailer sway control will use the sensors of the
vehicle’s AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem to detect and attempt to
mitigate trailer sway by applying brake force at individual wheels and, if
necessary, by reducing engine power. No driver action is required.
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WARNING:Trailer sway control does not prevent a trailer from
swaying, it mitigates the sway from increasing once it has
occurred. TSC cannot stop all trailers from swaying. If you are
experiencing trailer sway, it is likely that the trailer is improperly
loaded for the correct tongue weight or the speed of the vehicle and
trailer is too high. Pull the vehicle-trailer over to a safe location to
check the trailer weight distribution and tongue load and reduce speed
to a safe level while towing. If trailer sway is experienced, SLOW
DOWN. Always use caution when towing a trailer and follow the
tongue weight recommendations. Refer to theTrailer towingsection
in theTires Wheels and Loadingchapter of this owner’s guide for
more information on towing a trailer with your vehicle.
During trailer sway control events, the stability control light in the
instrument cluster will flash momentarily. In some cases, when trailer
sway is detected, the vehicle speed is too high and may be at or above a
speed at which trailer sway will grow continuously. This may cause the
system to activate multiple times, and you may experience a slight
deceleration of the vehicle.
Disabling trailer sway control
Trailer sway control can be disabled during any key cycle. Pressing and
holding the stability control button for more than five seconds will
disable the trailer sway control feature and the stability control light will
flash momentarily and then illuminate solid for that ignition cycle. Trailer
sway control can be re-enabled by momentarily pressing the stability
control button. Trailer sway control will also be re-enabled at each new
key cycle.
WARNING:Turning off trailer sway control increases the risk of
loss of vehicle control, serious injury, or death. Ford does not
recommend disabling this feature except in situations where speed
reduction may be detrimental (e.g., hill climbing), the driver has
significant trailer towing experience, and can control trailer sway and
maintain safe operation.
STEERING
Your vehicle is equipped with an electric power-assisted steering (EPAS)
system. There is no fluid reservoir to check or fill.
If your vehicle loses electrical power while you are driving (or if the
ignition is turned off), you can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes
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R (Reverse)
With the gearshift lever in R (Reverse), the vehicle will move backward.
Always come to a complete stop before shifting into and out of R
(Reverse).
N (Neutral)
With the gearshift lever in N (Neutral), the vehicle is free to roll; hold
the brake pedal down while in this position. Because of the unique
nature of the hybrid vehicle, the engine will not start in the N (Neutral)
position.
The vehicle does not charge the high voltage battery in the N (Neutral)
position. Do not idle the vehicle in N (Neutral) for extended periods as
this will discharge your high voltage battery.
D (Drive)
The normal driving position for the best fuel economy.
L (Low)
•Provides maximum engine braking.
•The transmission may be shifted into L (Low) at any vehicle speed.
WARNING:When parking, do not use the gearshift in place of
the parking brake. Always set the parking brake fully and make
sure that the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park). Turn off the
ignition whenever you leave your vehicle. Never leave your vehicle
unattended while it is running. If you do not take these precautions,
your vehicle may move unexpectedly and injure someone.
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow, it may be rocked out by
shifting between forward and reverse gears, stopping between shifts in a
steady pattern. Press lightly on the accelerator in each gear.
Do not rock the vehicle if the engine is not at normal operating
temperature or damage to the transmission may occur.
Do not rock the vehicle for more than a minute or damage to the
transmission and tires may occur, or the engine may overheat.
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