Page 104 of 449

POWER ADJUSTABLE FOOT PEDALS (IF EQUIPPED)
The accelerator and brake pedal
should only be adjusted when the
vehicle is stopped and the gearshift
lever is in the P (Park) position.
The control is located on the left
side of the steering column. Press
and hold the rear of the control to
move the pedals toward you. Press
and hold the front of the control to
move the pedals away from you.
WARNING:Never adjust the accelerator and brake pedal with
feet on the pedals while the vehicle is moving.
The accelerator and brake pedal positions are saved when doing a
memory set function and can be recalled along with the vehicle
personality features when a memory position is selected. Refer to
Memory featurein theSeating and Safety Restraintschapter.
SPEED CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED)
With speed control set, you can maintain a set speed without keeping
your foot on the accelerator pedal.
WARNING:Do not use the speed control in heavy traffic or on
roads that are winding, slippery or unpaved.
Using speed control
The speed controls are located on the steering wheel. The following
buttons work with speed control:
SET:Press to set a speed or to
increase or decrease the set speed.
RES (Resume):Press to resume
the set speed.
CNCL (Cancel):Press to cancel
the set speed.
ON/OFF:Press to turn speed
control on or off.
Driver Controls
103
2011 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 106 of 449

Turning off speed control
To turn off the speed control, press OFF downward or turn off the ignition.
Note:When you turn off the speed control or the ignition, your speed
control set speed memory is erased.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC) (IF EQUIPPED)
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is much like speed control, only this
system is designed to automatically adjust your speed to maintain a
proper distance between you and the vehicle in front of you in the same
lane. The driver can select from one of four GAP settings, the controls
are located on the steering wheel.
At startup, the system sets the gap
to the last selected setting. Once
activated, the driver can deactivate
the system at any time by pressing
the brake pedal, pressing the
steering wheel ON/OFF control or pressing the RES/CNCL control. In
addition, the driver can temporarily increase the vehicle speed above the
current speed by manually pressing on the accelerator pedal.
WARNING:Always pay close attention to changing road
conditions, especially when using adaptive cruise control.
Adaptive cruise control cannot replace attentive driving. Failing to
follow any of the warnings below or failing to pay attention to the road
may result in a collision, serious injury or death.
WARNING:Adaptive cruise control is not a collision warning or
avoidance system. Additionally, adaptive cruise control will not
detect:
•Stationary or slow moving vehicles below 6 mph (10 km/h).
•Pedestrians or objects in the roadway.
•Oncoming vehicles in the same lane.
WARNING:Do not use the adaptive cruise control when
entering or leaving a highway, in heavy traffic or on roads that
are winding, slippery or unpaved.
WARNING:Do not use in poor visibility, specifically fog, rain,
spray or snow.
Driver Controls
105
2011 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 107 of 449

Using adaptive cruise control
Note:It is the drivers responsibility to stay alert, drive safely and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
The controls for using your cruise
control are located on the steering
wheel.
SET:Press to set a speed or to
change the set speed.
RES/CNCL (Resume/cancel):
Press to resume or cancel a set
speed.
ON/OFF:Press to turn the system
on or off.
GAP:Press to change the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you.
Setting adaptive cruise control
1. Press and release ON. The
message center will display the
gray
ACC indicator light, current
gap setting and SET.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed.
3. Press SET upward and release.
The vehicle speed will be stored in the memory and the message center
will display a green
ACC indicator light, current gap setting and
desired set speed.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
5. A lead vehicle graphic will
illuminate if there is a vehicle
detected in front of you.
SETRES
CNCL
ON
OFFGAP
Driver Controls
106
2011 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 114 of 449

STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS
Audio control features
SEEK:Press up or down to select
the next/previous radio station
preset, CD track or satellite radio (if
equipped) channel preset depending
on which media mode you are in.
MEDIA:Press repeatedly to scroll
through available audio modes.
MUTE:Press to silence the radio.
VOL (Volume):Press up or down
to increase or decrease the volume.
Navigation/SYNCsystem hands-free control features (if equipped)
Pressto active the voice
recognition feature. Refer toVoice
recognition featurein theMyFord
Touch™ / MyLincoln Touch™
supplement.
Press
to access phone features.
Refer toPhone featuresin the
MyFord Touch™ / MyLincoln
Touch™supplement.
Cluster display control features
If equipped with the MyFord™
system, this control functions the
same as the center control on the
faceplate. Refer toMyFord system
in theEntertainment Systems
chapter.
If equipped with the MyFord™
Touch system, use this control to
adjust the right side of the cluster display. Navigate through the screen
and press OK to select. The following features are available:
•Entertainment
•Change audio source
•Limited play list
S
E
E
K
M
E
D
IA
M
U
T
E
VOL
S
E
E
KVOL
Driver Controls
113
2011 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 233 of 449

NOTICE TO UTILITY VEHICLE AND TRUCK OWNERS
Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in
the various driving conditions that
are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility
vehicles and trucks are not designed
for cornering at speeds as high as
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions.
WARNING:Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death from a rollover or other crash you must:
•Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers;
•Drive at safe speeds for the conditions;
•Keep tires properly inflated;
•Never overload or improperly load your vehicle; and
•Make sure every passenger is properly restrained.
WARNING:In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
All occupants must wear seat belts and children/infants must use
appropriate restraints to minimize the risk of injury or ejection.
Study your owner’s guide and any supplements for specific information
about equipment features, instructions for safe driving and additional
precautions to reduce the risk of an accident or serious injury.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
232
2011 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 234 of 449

VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS
Four-wheel drive (4WD) system (if equipped)
A vehicle equipped with 4WD (when selected) has the ability to use all
four wheels to power itself. This increases traction which may enable you
to safely drive over terrain and road conditions that a conventional
two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.
Power is supplied to all four wheels through a transfer case or power
transfer unit. 4WD vehicles allow you to select different drive modes as
necessary. Information on transfer case operation and shifting procedures
can be found in theDrivingchapter. Information on transfer case
maintenance can be found in theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter. You should become thoroughly familiar with this information
before you operate your vehicle.
On some 4WD models, the initial shift from two-wheel drive to 4WD
while the vehicle is moving can cause a momentary clunk and ratcheting
sound. These sounds are normal as the front drivetrain comes up to
speed and is not cause for concern.
WARNING:Do not become overconfident in the ability of 4WD
vehicles. Although a 4WD vehicle may accelerate better than
two-wheel drive vehicle in low traction situations, it won’t stop any
faster than two-wheel drive vehicles. Always drive at a safe speed.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
233
2011 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 235 of 449

How your vehicle differs from other vehicles
SUVs and trucks can differ from
some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may
be:
•Higher – to allow higher load
carrying capacity and to allow it
to travel over rough terrain
without getting hung up or
damaging underbody components.
•Shorter – to give it the capability
to approach inclines and drive
over the crest of a hill without
getting hung up or damaging
underbody components. All other
things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs than a vehicle with a longer
wheelbase.
•Narrower – to provide greater
maneuverability in tight spaces,
particularly in off-road use.
As a result of the above dimensional
differences, SUVs and trucks often
will have a higher center of gravity
and a greater difference in center of
gravity between the loaded and
unloaded condition.
These differences that make your
vehicle so versatile also make it
handle differently than an ordinary
passenger car.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
234
2011 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 236 of 449

INFORMATION ABOUT UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires. The
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
•Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
These Tire Quality Grades are determined by standards that the United
States Department of Transportation has set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new pneumatic passenger car tires. They do
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or
temporary use spare tires, light truck or “LT” type tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches or limited production tires as
defined in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation-Tire quality grades:The U.S.
Department of Transportation requires Ford Motor Company to give you
the following information about tire grades exactly as the government
has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1 2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices, and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The
grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
235
2011 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)