2012 FORD FLEX instrument cluster

Deactivating/activating autolock feature
Your vehicle comes with the autolock features activated; there are three
methods to enable/disable this feature:
•Through your authorized dealer,
•by using a power door unlock/lock procedure, or
•by using the instrument cluster message center. Refer toMessage
centerin theInstrument Clusterchapter.
Note:The autolock feature can be activated/deactivated independently
of the autounlock feature.
Power door lock switch autolock enable/disable procedure
Before starting, ensure the ignition is off and all vehicle doors are closed.
You must complete Steps 1–5 within 30 seconds or the procedure will
have to be repeated. If the procedure needs to be repeated, wait a
minimum of 30 seconds before beginning again.
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Press the power door unlock
control on the door panel three
times.
3. Turn the ignition off.
4. Press the power door unlock
control on the door panel three
times.
5. Turn the ignition back on. The horn will chirp one time to confirm
programming mode has been entered and is active.
6. To enable/disable the autolock feature, press the unlock control, then
press the lock control. The horn will chirp once if autolock was
deactivated or twice (one short and one long chirp) if autolock was
activated.
7. Turn the ignition off. The horn will chirp once to confirm the
procedure is complete.
Autounlock feature (if enabled)
The autounlock feature will unlock all the doors when:
•the ignition is on, all the doors are closed, and the vehicle has been in
motion at a speed greater than 12 mph (20 km/h);
•the vehicle has then come to a stop and the ignition is turned off or to
accessory; and
Locks and Security
126
2012 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

•the driver door is opened within 10 minutes of the ignition being
turned off or to accessory.
Note:The doors will not autounlock if the vehicle has been
electronically locked after the ignition is turned off and before the driver
door is opened.
Deactivating/activating autounlock feature
Your vehicle comes with the autounlock feature activated; there are three
methods to enable/disable this feature:
•Through your authorized dealer,
•by using a power door unlock/lock sequence, or
•by using the instrument cluster message center. Refer toMessage
centerin theInstrument Clusterchapter.
Note:The autounlock feature can be activated/deactivated
independently of the autolock feature.
Power door lock switch autounlock enable/disable procedure
Before starting, ensure the ignition is off and all vehicle doors are closed.
You must complete Steps 1–5 within 30 seconds or the procedure will
have to be repeated. If the procedure needs to be repeated, wait a
minimum of 30 seconds before beginning again.
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Press the power door unlock
control on the door panel three
times.
3. Turn the ignition off.
4. Press the power door unlock
control on the door panel three
times.
5. Turn the ignition back on. The horn will chirp one time to confirm
programming mode has been entered and is active.
6. To enable/disable the autounlock feature, press the lock control, then
press the unlock control. The horn will chirp once if autounlock was
deactivated or twice (one short and one long chirp) if autounlock was
activated.
7. Turn the ignition off. The horn will chirp once to confirm the
procedure is complete.
Locks and Security
127
2012 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Anti-theft indicator
The anti-theft indicator is located in the instrument panel cluster.
•When the ignition is in the off
position, the indicator will flash
once every two seconds to
indicate the SecuriLocksystem
is functioning as a theft
deterrent.
•When the ignition is in the on position, the indicator will glow for
three seconds to indicate normal system functionality.
If a problem occurs with the SecuriLocksystem, the indicator will flash
rapidly or glow steadily when the ignition is in the on position. If this
occurs, turn the ignition off then back to on to make sure there was no
electronic interference with the programmed key. If the vehicle doesn’t
start, try to start it with the 2nd programmed key and if successful
contact your authorized dealership for key replacement. If the indicator
still flashes rapidly or glows steadily, the vehicle will not start, contact
your authorized dealer as soon as possible for service.
Automatic arming
The vehicle is armed immediately after switching the ignition to the off
position.
The theft indicator will flash every
two seconds to act as a theft
deterrent when the vehicle is
armed.
Automatic disarming
The vehicle is disarmed immediately after the ignition is turned to the on
position.
The theft indicator will illuminate for three seconds and then go out. If
the theft indicator stays on for an extended period of time or flashes
rapidly, contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
Locks and Security
137
2012 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

4. Pull the strap located on the back of the seat to fold the front
passenger seatback.
5. Without releasing the pull strap, push the seatback forward.
WARNING:Cover sharp edges on the load and properly secure
the load to prevent injury to occupants from shifting load during
sudden stops.
WARNING:Before returning the seatback to its original
position, make sure that cargo or any objects are not trapped
behind the seatback. After returning the seatback to its original
position, pull on the seatback to ensure that it has fully latched. An
unlatched seat may become dangerous in the event of a sudden stop or
collision.
Easy entry/exit feature (if equipped)
This feature automatically moves the driver’s seat rearward 2 in (5 cm)
when:
•the transmission is in N (Neutral) or P (Park)
•the key is removed from the ignition
The seat will move to the original position when:
•the transmission is in N (Neutral) or P (Park)
•the key is placed in the ignition.
The easy entry feature can be turned off or on through the vehicle
message center. Refer toMessage centerin theInstrument Cluster
chapter.
REAR SEATS
Second and third row head restraints
WARNING:To minimize the risk of neck injury in the event of a
crash, the driver and passenger occupants should not sit in
and/or operate the vehicle, until the head restraint is placed in its
proper position. The driver should never adjust the head restraint
while the vehicle is in motion.
Seating and Safety Restraints
151
2012 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

The front passenger sensing system can automatically turn off the
passenger front airbag. The system is designed to help protect small
(child size) occupants from airbag deployments when they are
improperly seated or restrained in the front passenger seat contrary to
proper child-seating or restraint usage recommendations. Even with this
technology, parents areSTRONGLYencouraged to always properly
restrain children in the rear seat. The sensor also turns off the passenger
front airbag and seat-mounted side airbag when the passenger seat is
empty to prevent unnecessary replacement of airbag(s) after a collision.
Front safety belt usage sensors
The front safety belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger safety belts are fastened. This information
allows your Personal Safety System to tailor the airbag deployment and
safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Front safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the safety belts firmly against the occupant’s body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers. This helps
increase the effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal collisions, the
safety belt pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
Front safety belt energy management retractors
The front outboard safety belt energy management retractors allow
webbing to be pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled
manner in response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps
reduce the risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by
limiting the load on the occupant. Refer toEnergy management
feature- front outboardsection in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System is operational
The Personal Safety System uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to theWarning lights and chimessection in theInstrument Cluster
chapter. Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System is not
required.
The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, driver seat
position sensor, and front passenger sensing system. In addition, the
Seating and Safety Restraints
167
2012 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the instrument cluster.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following.
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
SAFETY BELT SYSTEM
WARNING:Always drive and ride with your seatback upright
and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING:To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.
WARNING:Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a collision.
WARNING:All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver,
should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an air
bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.
WARNING:It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in
these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
WARNING:In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
Seating and Safety Restraints
168
2012 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

WARNING:Do not use extensions to change the fit of the
shoulder belt across the torso.
Front safety belt height adjustment
Your vehicle has safety belt height
adjustments at the front outboard
seating positions. Adjust the height
of the shoulder belt so the belt rests
across the middle of your shoulder.
To adjust the shoulder belt height,
squeeze and hold the buttons on the
side and slide the height adjuster up
or down. Release the buttons and
pull down on the height adjuster to
make sure it is locked in place.
WARNING:Position the safety belt height adjusters so that the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Failure to adjust
the safety belt properly could reduce the effectiveness of the safety
belt and increase the risk of injury in a collision.
Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
Seating and Safety Restraints
173
2012 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
Belt-Minder
The Belt-Minderfeature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders by
intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning
light in the instrument cluster when the driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belt is unbuckled.
The Belt-Minderfeature uses information from the front passenger
sensing system to determine if a front seat passenger is present and
therefore potentially in need of a warning. To avoid activating the
Belt-Minderfeature for objects placed in the front passenger seat,
warnings will only be given to large front seat occupants as determined
by the front passenger sensing system.
Both the driver’s and passenger’s safety belt usages are monitored and
either may activate the Belt-Minderfeature. The warnings are the same
for the driver and the front passenger. If the Belt-Minderwarnings have
expired (warnings for approximately five minutes) for one occupant
(driver or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the
Belt-Minderfeature.
Note:If you are using MyKey, the Belt-Minderwarning will not
expire. Refer toMyKeyin theLocks and Securitychapter.
Seating and Safety Restraints
174
2012 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)