GENERAL MAINTENANCE INFORMATION
Why maintain your vehicle?
This section describes the scheduled maintenance required for your
vehicle. Carefully following this schedule helps protect against major
repair expenses resulting from neglect or inadequate maintenance and
may also help to increase the value of your vehicle when you sell or
trade it.
It is your responsibility to see that all scheduled maintenance is
performed and that the materials used meet Ford engineering
specifications as identified in theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter. Failure to perform scheduled maintenance specific in this guide
will invalidate warranty coverage on parts affected by the lack of
maintenance. Be sure receipts for completed maintenance are kept with
the vehicle and confirmation of the work performed is always recorded in
this guide.
Your dealer has factory-trained technicians who can perform the required
maintenance using genuine Ford parts. They are committed to meeting
your service needs and to assuring your continuing satisfaction.
Protecting your investment
Maintenance is an investment that will pay dividends in the form of
improved reliability, durability and resale value. To ensure the proper
performance of your vehicle and its emission control systems, it is
imperative that scheduled maintenance be completed at the designated
intervals.
Your vehicle is equipped with the Intelligent Oil Life Monitor™ (IOLM)
system which displays a message in the message center at the proper oil
change service interval; this interval may be up to one year or
10,000 miles (16,000 km). When ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or OIL
CHANGE REQUIRED appears in the message center display, it’s time for
an oil change; the oil change must be done within two weeks or
500 miles (800 km) of the ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or OIL CHANGE
REQUIRED message appearing. The Intelligent Oil Life Monitor™ must
be reset after each oil change; refer to theInstrument Clusterchapter.
If your message center is prematurely reset or becomes inoperative, you
should perform the oil change interval at six months or 5,000 miles
(8,000 km) from your last oil change.
Scheduled Maintenance
414
2012 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Normal Scheduled Maintenance
At every oil change
interval as indicated
by the message
centerChange engine oil and filter
Rotate tires, inspect tire wear and measure tread
depth
Perform multi-point inspection (recommended)
Inspect automatic transmission fluid level (if
equipped with dipstick); consult dealer for
requirements
Inspect brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums, brake
linings, hoses and parking brake
Inspect cabin air filter (if equipped)
Inspect engine cooling system strength and hoses
Inspect exhaust system and heat shields
Inspect rear axle and U-joints; lubricate if
equipped with grease fittings (AWD vehicles)
Inspect half-shaft boots (if equipped)
Inspect steering linkage, ball joints, suspension,
tie-rod ends, driveshaft and U-joints; lubricate if
equipped with grease fittings
Inspect wheels and related components for
abnormal noise, wear, looseness or drag
Reset your Intelligent Oil Life Monitor™ after each engine oil and filter
change; refer to theInstrument Clusterchapter
Do not exceed one year or 10,000 miles (16,000 km) between
service intervals
Scheduled Maintenance
421
2012 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
