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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
WARNINGS
Do not overfill the fuel tank. The
pressure in an overfilled tank may
cause leakage and lead to fuel spray
and fire. The fuel system may be under
pressure. If you hear a hissing sound
near the fuel filler door (Easy Fuel
capless fuel system), do not refuel until
the sound stops. Otherwise, fuel may spray
out, which could cause serious personal
injury. Automotive fuels can cause serious
injury or death if misused or
mishandled.
The flow of fuel through a fuel pump
nozzle can produce static electricity,
which can cause a fire if fuel is
pumped into an ungrounded fuel container. Fuel ethanol and gasoline may
contain benzene, which is a
cancer-causing agent.
When refueling always shut the
engine off and never allow sparks or
open flames near the filler neck.
Never smoke or use a cell phone while
refueling. Fuel vapor is extremely
hazardous under certain conditions. Avoid
inhaling excess fumes. Observe the following guidelines when
handling automotive fuel:
•
Extinguish all smoking materials and
any open flames before refueling your
vehicle.
• Always turn off the vehicle before
refueling. •
Automotive fuels can be harmful or
fatal if swallowed. Fuel such as
gasoline is highly toxic and if
swallowed can cause death or
permanent injury. If fuel is swallowed,
call a physician immediately, even if no
symptoms are immediately apparent.
The toxic effects of fuel may not be
visible for hours.
• Avoid inhaling fuel vapors. Inhaling too
much fuel vapor of any kind can lead
to eye and respiratory tract irritation.
In severe cases, excessive or prolonged
breathing of fuel vapor can cause
serious illness and permanent injury.
• Avoid getting fuel liquid in your eyes. If
fuel is splashed in the eyes, remove
contact lenses (if worn), flush with
water for 15 minutes and seek medical
attention. Failure to seek proper
medical attention could lead to
permanent injury.
• Fuels can also be harmful if absorbed
through the skin. If fuel is splashed on
the skin, clothing or both, promptly
remove contaminated clothing and
wash skin thoroughly with soap and
water. Repeated or prolonged skin
contact with fuel liquid or vapor causes
skin irritation.
• Be particularly careful if you are taking
“Antabuse ” or other forms of disulfiram
for the treatment of alcoholism.
Breathing gasoline vapors, or skin
contact could cause an adverse
reaction. In sensitive individuals, serious
personal injury or sickness may result.
If fuel is splashed on the skin, promptly
wash skin thoroughly with soap and
water. Consult a physician immediately
if you experience an adverse reaction.
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FUEL QUALITY
Note:
Use of any fuel other than those
recommended may cause powertrain
damage, a loss of vehicle performance and
repairs may not be covered under warranty.
Choosing the Right Fuel
Use only UNLEADED gasoline or
UNLEADED gasoline blended with a
maximum of 15% ethanol in your gasoline
vehicle. If your vehicle is a Flex Fuel Vehicle
(FFV), it will have a yellow bezel placed
over the fuel fill inlet.
Do not use:
• fuels containing more than 15%
ethanol or E-85 fuel
• fuels containing methanol
• fuels containing metallic based
additives, including manganese-based
compounds
• fuels containing the octane booster
additive, methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl (MMT)
• leaded-fuel (The use of leaded fuel is
prohibited by law)
Note: Use of any fuel other than the
recommended fuel can cause powertrain
damage, impair the emission control system
or cause loss of vehicle performance. Any
damage to the vehicle that is caused by the
use of fuel not recommended will not be
covered under warranty.
Octane Recommendations
Regular unleaded gasoline with a pump
(R+M)/2 octane rating of 87 is
recommended. Some fuel stations offer
fuels posted as regular with an octane
rating below 87, particularly in high altitude
areas. Fuels with octane levels below 87
are not recommended. Do not be concerned if your engine
sometimes knocks lightly. However, if it
knocks heavily while you are using fuel with
the recommended octane rating, see your
authorized dealer to prevent any engine
damage.
Fuel Freshness Mode (Energi
Vehicles Only)
This feature helps keeps the fuel system
functional and the fuel fresh.
If you operate your vehicle mainly in plug-in
power mode using electricity from plugging
in without refueling, the gasoline in your
tank eventually becomes old. Old fuel can
damage the engine and fuel system.
To prevent the fuel from becoming old,
your vehicle will automatically enter fuel
freshness mode. In fuel freshness mode
operates, your vehicle will operate in hybrid
mode causing the gasoline engine to run
in order to consume the fuel in the fuel
tank.
Note:
If new fuel is not added during an 18
month period, fuel freshness mode will
consume fuel until about 1 gallon (3.8 liters)
is left in the tank.
During fuel freshness mode:
• The information display screen will
indicate that fuel freshness mode is
active.
• The vehicle will only run in hybrid mode.
EV Now will not be available.
• Most of the plug-in power will be
stored until fuel freshness mode is
completed.
Note: EV Now can resume if less than 1
gallon (3.8 liters) of fuel is left in the tank.
Note: In most cases, when the fuel level is
below 1/4 tank, refueling the vehicle will end
fuel freshness mode and EV Now will now
become available. Refueling after
consuming a full tank in fuel freshness mode
will end the mode.
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Note:
It is recommended to use a fuel
stabilizer if you consume less than a full
tank of fuel during an 18 month period.
RUNNING OUT OF FUEL
Avoid running out of fuel because this
situation may have an adverse effect on
powertrain components.
If you have run out of fuel:
• You may need to cycle the ignition from
off to on several times after refueling
to allow the fuel system to pump the
fuel from the tank to the engine. On
restarting, cranking time will take a few
seconds longer than normal. With
keyless ignition, just start the engine.
Crank time will be longer than usual.
• Normally, adding 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of
fuel is enough to restart the engine. If
the vehicle is out of fuel and on a steep
grade, more than 1 gallon (3.8 liters)
may be required.
• The service engine soon indicator may
come on. For more information on the
service engine soon indicator, See
Symbols Glossary (page 7).
Refilling With a Portable Fuel
Container WARNINGS
Do not insert the nozzle of portable
fuel containers or aftermarket
funnels into the capless fuel system.
This could damage the fuel system and its
seal, and may cause fuel to run onto the
ground instead of filling the tank, which
could result in serious personal injury. Do not try to pry open or push open
the capless fuel system with foreign
objects. This could damage the fuel
system and its seal and cause injury to you
or others. Note:
Do not use aftermarket funnels; they
will not work with the capless fuel system
and can damage it. The included funnel has
been specially designed to work safely with
your vehicle.
When filling the vehicle ’s fuel tank from a
portable fuel container, use the funnel
included with the vehicle. In C-MAX vehicles, the funnel is located in
the rear of the vehicle inside the load
compartment.
In C-MAX Energi vehicles the funnel is
located in the rear of the vehicle, inside
storage compartment
1.
Locate the portable funnel that comes
with your vehicle.
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2. Slowly insert the funnel into the
capless fuel system. 3. Fill the vehicle with fuel from the
portable fuel container.
Note: For C-MAX Energi vehicles, press the
fuel button located on the instrument panel
before performing step 3.
4. When done, clean the funnel or properly dispose of it. Extra funnels can
be purchased from your authorized
dealer if you choose to dispose of the
funnel.
REFUELING WARNINGS
Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel
fire can cause severe injuries.
Read and follow all the instructions
on the pump island. WARNINGS
Switch off your vehicle when you are
refueling.
Do not smoke if you are near fuel or
refueling your vehicle.
Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from fuel.
Stay outside your vehicle and do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling your vehicle. This is
against the law in some places. Keep children away from the fuel
pump and never let children pump
fuel.
Do not use personal electronic
devices while refueling.
Use the following guidelines to avoid
electrostatic charge build-up when filling
an ungrounded fuel container:
•
Place an approved fuel container on
the ground.
• Do not fill a fuel container while it is in
the vehicle (including the cargo area).
• Keep the fuel pump nozzle in contact
with the fuel container while filling.
• Do not use a device that would hold
the fuel pump handle in the fill position.
Easy Fuel ™ Capless Fuel System
(Non-Energi Vehicles) WARNING
The fuel system may be under
pressure. If you hear a hissing sound
near the fuel filler door, do not refuel
until the sound stops. Otherwise, fuel may
spray out, which could cause serious
personal injury. When fueling your vehicle:
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1. Put the vehicle in park (P) and switch
the ignition off.
2. Open the fuel filler door. 3. Slowly insert the fuel filler nozzle fully
into the fuel system, and leave the
nozzle fully inserted to open both doors
until pumping is complete. Hold the
handle higher during insertion for easier
access. 4. Once pumping is complete, slowly
remove the fuel filler nozzle. Allow
approximately five to ten seconds after
pumping fuel before removing the fuel
filler nozzle. This allows residual fuel
to drain back into the fuel tank and not
spill onto the vehicle. Note:
A fuel spill concern may occur if
overfilling the fuel tank. Do not overfill the
tank to the point that the fuel is able to
bypass the fuel filler nozzle. The overfilled
fuel may run down the drain located below
and in front of the fuel filler door.
If you did not close the fuel fill inlet
properly, a Check Fuel Fill Inlet message
may appear in the information display.
At the next opportunity, do the following:
1. Safely pull off the road.
2. Put the vehicle in park (P) and switch the ignition off.
3. Open the fuel filler door and remove any visible debris from the fuel fill
opening.
4. Insert the fuel fill nozzle or the fuel fill funnel provided with the vehicle several
times to dislodge any debris and allow
the inlet to close properly.
If this action corrects the problem, the
message may not reset immediately. It
may take several driving cycles for the
message to turn off. A driving cycle
consists of an engine start-up (after four
or more hours with the engine off) followed
by city or highway driving. Continuing to
drive with the message on may cause the
service engine soon lamp to turn on as
well.
Easy Fuel ™ Capless System
(Energi Vehicles Only) WARNING
The fuel system may be under
pressure. If you hear a hissing sound
near the fuel filler door, do not refuel
until the sound stops. Otherwise, fuel may
spray out, which could cause serious
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Note:
Your vehicle features a locking fuel
door and an auto-sealing feature that locks
the fuel tank refueling valve. Before you can
refuel your vehicle, you must first press the
button located on the center console.
Pressing this button will unlock the fuel tank
refueling valve allowing the fuel filler door
to open so that you can insert the fuel filler
nozzle into the fuel inlet. This could take up
to fifteen seconds before the fuel filler door
pops open allowing the insertion of the fuel
filler nozzle.
When fueling your vehicle:
1. Put the vehicle in park (P) and switch the ignition off.
2. Press the fuel button located on the center console. 3. Wait up to fifteen seconds before
opening the fuel filler door. During this
time, a Fuel Door Opening message
will appear in the information display
screen.
4. When the door is open, a
Fuel Door
Open message will appear in the
information display en indicating that
your vehicle is ready to refuel. The
vehicle will remain ready to refuel for
approximately 20 minutes. If more than
20 minutes is required, you will need to
press the refueling button again. You
may experience the fuel pump turn off
if you do not press the refuel button
again. 5. Open the fuel filler door.
6. Slowly insert the fuel filler nozzle fully
into the fuel system and leave the
nozzle fully inserted to open both doors
until pumping is complete. Hold the
handle higher while inserting for easier
access. 7. After pumping fuel, slowly remove the
fuel filler nozzle. Allow approximately
five to ten seconds after pumping fuel
before removing the fuel filler nozzle.
This allows residual fuel to drain back
into the fuel tank and not spill onto the
vehicle.
Note: A fuel spill concern may occur if
overfilling the fuel tank. Do not overfill the
tank to the point that the fuel is able to
bypass the fuel filler nozzle. The overfilled
fuel may run down the drain located below
and in front of the fuel filler door.
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If you did not close the fuel fill inlet
properly, a Check Fuel Fill Inlet message
may appear on the information display. At
the next opportunity, do the following:
1. Safely pull off the road.
2. Put the vehicle in park (P) and switch the ignition off.
3. Open the fuel filler door and remove any visible debris from the fuel fill
opening.
4. Insert the fuel fill nozzle or the fuel fill funnel, provided with the vehicle,
several times to dislodge any debris
and allow the inlet to close properly.
If this action corrects the problem, the
message may not reset immediately. It
may take several driving cycles for the
message to turn off. A driving cycle
consists of an engine start-up (after four
or more hours with the engine off) followed
by city or highway driving. Continuing to
drive with the message on may cause the
service engine soon lamp to turn on as
well.
Using the manual override lever WARNING
The fuel system may be under
pressure. Insert the fuel nozzle
slowly. If you hear a hissing sound
near the fuel filler door, do not refuel until
the sound stops. Otherwise, fuel may spray
out, which could cause serious personal
injury. Note:
The vehicle must be in park (P) when
using the manual override feature.
The manual override lever is located inside
of the luggage compartment on the right
rear side panel.
When using the fuel door manual override
to access the fuel fill inlet: 1.
Switch the ignition on prior to using the
manual override.
2. Remove the panel located in luggage compartment on the right rear area of
the vehicle hatch. 3. Locate the manual override
mechanism. 4. Pull the manual override mechanism.
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5. Key off and complete refueling within
20 minutes. If more than 20 minutes is
required, close fuel door and repeat the
procedure.
This will enable you to refuel without any
issue.
Note: A fuel spill concern may occur if
overfilling the fuel tank. Do not overfill the
tank to the point that the fuel is able to
bypass the fuel filler nozzle. The overfilled
fuel may run down the drain located below
and in front of the fuel filler door.
If you did not close the fuel fill inlet
properly, a Check Fuel Fill Inlet message
may appear in the information display. At
the next opportunity, do the following:
1. Safely pull off the road.
2. Put the vehicle in park (P) and turn the
ignition off.
3. Open the fuel filler door and remove any visible debris from the fuel fill
opening.
4. Insert either the fuel fill nozzle or the fuel fill funnel provided with the vehicle
several times to allow the inlet to close
properly. This will dislodge any debris
preventing the inlet from sealing.
If this action corrects the problem, the
message may not reset immediately. It
may take several driving cycles for the
message to turn off. A driving cycle
consists of an engine start-up (after four
or more hours with the engine off) followed
by city and highway driving. Continuing to
drive with the message on may cause the
service engine soon lamp to turn on as
well. FUEL CONSUMPTION
Note:
The amount of usable fuel in the
empty reserve varies and should not be
relied upon to increase driving range. When
refueling your vehicle after the fuel gauge
indicates empty, you might not be able to
refuel the full amount of the advertised
capacity of the fuel tank due to the empty
reserve still present in the tank.
Empty reserve is the amount of fuel
remaining in the tank after the fuel gauge
indicates empty. Do not rely on this fuel for
driving. The usable capacity of the fuel
tank is the amount of fuel that can be put
into the tank after the gauge indicates
empty. The advertised capacity is the total
fuel tank size – it is the combined usable
capacity plus the empty reserve.
Filling the Tank
For consistent results when filling the fuel
tank:
• Turn the ignition off before fueling; an
inaccurate reading results if the engine
is left running.
• Use the same fill rate
(low-medium-high) each time the tank
is filled.
• Allow no more than two automatic
click-offs when filling.
Results are most accurate when the filling
method is consistent.
Calculating Fuel Economy
Do not measure fuel economy during the
first 1000 miles (1600 kilometers) of
driving (this is your engine ’s break-in
period); a more accurate measurement is
obtained after 2000 miles - 3000 miles
(3200 kilometers - 4800 kilometers). Also,
fuel expense, frequency of fill ups or fuel
gauge readings are not accurate ways to
measure fuel economy.
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