2014 FORD FLEX airbag

CRASH SENSORS AND AIRBAG INDICATOR
WARNING:Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of
your vehicle (including frame, bumper, front end body structure
and tow hooks) may affect the performance of the airbag system,
increasing the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of your
vehicle.
Your vehicle has a collection of crash and occupant sensors which
provide information to the restraints control module which deploys
(activates) the front safety belt pretensioners, rear inflatable safety belts,
driver airbag, passenger airbag, passenger knee airbag, seat mounted side
airbags, and the Safety Canopy. Based on the type of accident (frontal
impact, side impact or rollover) the restraints control module will deploy
the appropriate safety devices.
The restraints control module also monitors the readiness of the above
safety devices plus the crash and occupant sensors. The readiness of the
safety system is indicated by a warning indicator light in the instrument
cluster or by a backup tone if the warning light is not working. See the
Instrument Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the airbag is not
required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness light will either flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after the
ignition is turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem or light is repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the supplemental
restraint system serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a crash.
The safety belt pretensioners, rear inflatable safety belts and the airbag
supplemental restraint system are designed to activate when the vehicle
sustains frontal or sideways deceleration sufficient to cause the restraints
control module to deploy a safety device or when a certain likelihood of
a rollover event is detected by the rollover sensor.
Supplementary Restraints System61
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

The fact that the safety belt pretensioners or airbags did not activate for
both front seat occupants in a crash does not mean that something is
wrong with the system. Rather, it means the restraints control module
determined the accident conditions (such as crash severity, belt usage)
were not appropriate to activate these safety devices.
•The design of the front airbags is to activate only in frontal and
near-frontal crashes (not rollovers, side impacts or rear impacts)
unless the crash causes sufficient frontal deceleration.
•The design of the safety belt pretensioners and rear inflatable safety
belts is to activate in frontal, near-frontal and side crashes, and in
rollovers.
•The design of the side airbags is to inflate in certain side impact
crashes. Side airbags may activate in other types of crashes if the
vehicle experiences sufficient sideways motion or deformation.
•The design of the Safety Canopy is to inflate in certain side impact
crashes or rollover events. The Safety Canopy may activate in other
types of crashes if the vehicle experiences sufficient sideways motion
or deformation, or a certain likelihood of rollover.
AIRBAG DISPOSAL
Contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible. Airbags must be
disposed of by qualified personnel.
62Supplementary Restraints System
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

•Engaged (green light): Illuminates when the adaptive cruise control
system is engaged. Turns off when the speed control system is
disengaged.
Stability Control System
Displays when the AdvanceTrac®/Traction control is active. If
the light remains on, have the system serviced immediately.
Stability Control System Off
Illuminates when AdvanceTrac®/Traction control has been
disabled by the driver.
Airbag readiness
If this light fails to illuminate when the ignition is turned on,
continues to flash or remains on, contact your authorized dealer
as soon as possible. A chime will sound when there is a
malfunction in the indicator light.
Anti-lock brake system
If the ABS light stays illuminated or continues to flash, a
malfunction has been detected. Contact your authorized dealer
as soon as possible. Normal braking is still functional unless the
brake warning light also is illuminated.
Brake system warning light
To confirm the brake system warning light is functional, it will
momentarily illuminate when the ignition is turned to the on
position when the engine is not running, or in a position
between on and start, or by applying the parking brake when the ignition
is turned to the on position.
If it illuminates when you are driving, check that the parking brake is not
engaged. If the parking brake is not engaged, this indicates low brake
fluid level or a brake system malfunction. Have the system checked
immediately by your authorized dealer.
11 2Instrument Cluster
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

SITTING IN THE CORRECT POSITION
WARNING:Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat
back reclined too far can take off weight from the seat cushion
and affect the decision of the passenger sensing system, resulting in
serious injury or death in a crash. Always sit upright against your seat
back, with your feet on the floor.
WARNING:Do not recline the seat back as this can cause the
occupant to slide under the seat’s safety belt, resulting in severe
personal injury in the event of a crash.
WARNING:Do not place objects higher than the seat backs to
reduce the risk of injury in a crash or during heavy braking or
when stopping suddenly.
When you use them properly, the
seat, head restraint, safety belt and
airbags will provide optimum
protection in the event of a crash.
We recommend that you follow these guidelines:
•Do not recline the seat back more than 30 degrees from vertical.
•Sit in an upright position with the base of your spine as far back as
possible.
•Adjust the head restraint so that the top of it is level with the top of
your head and as far forward as possible, remaining comfortable.
•Keep sufficient distance between yourself and the steering wheel. We
recommend a minimum of 10 inches (250 millimeters) between your
breastbone and the airbag cover.
•Hold the steering wheel with your arms slightly bent.
Seats145
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

CLEANING THE INTERIOR
WARNING:Do not use cleaning solvents, bleach or dye on the
vehicle’s safety belts, as these actions may weaken the belt
webbing.
WARNING:On vehicles equipped with seat-mounted airbags, do
not use chemical solvents or strong detergents. Such products
could contaminate the side airbag system and affect performance of the
side airbag in a collision.
For fabric, carpets, cloth seats, safety belts and seats equipped with side
airbags:
•Remove dust and loose dirt with a vacuum cleaner.
•Remove light stains and soil with Motorcraft Professional Strength
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner.
•If grease or tar is present on the material, spot-clean the area first
with Motorcraft Spot and Stain Remover. In Canada, use Motorcraft
Multi-Purpose Cleaner.
•If a ring forms on the fabric after spot cleaning, clean the entire area
immediately (but do not oversaturate) or the ring will set.
•Do not use household cleaning products or glass cleaners, which can
stain and discolor the fabric and affect the flame retardant abilities of
the seat materials.
CLEANING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND INSTRUMENT
CLUSTER LENS
WARNING:Do not use chemical solvents or strong detergents
when cleaning the steering wheel or instrument panel to avoid
contamination of the airbag system.
Clean the instrument panel and cluster lens with a clean, damp, white,
cotton cloth, then use a clean and dry, white, cotton cloth to dry these
areas.
•Avoid cleaners or polishes that increase the gloss of the upper portion
of the instrument panel. The dull finish in this area helps protect the
driver from undesirable windshield reflection.
Vehicle Care319
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

WARNING:Do not wait for 911 Assist to make an emergency
call if you can do it yourself. Dial emergency services
immediately to avoid delayed response time which could increase the
risk of serious injury or death after a crash. If you do not hear 911
Assist within five seconds of the crash, the system or phone may be
damaged or non-functional.
WARNING:Always place your phone in a secure location in the
vehicle so it does not become a projectile or get damaged in a
crash. Failure to do so may cause serious injury to someone or damage
the phone which could prevent 911 Assist from working properly.
Note:SYNC 911 Assist feature must be set on prior to the incident.
Note:Before setting this feature on, ensure that you read the 911 Assist
privacy notice later in this section for important information.
Note:If 911 Assist is turned on or off by any user, that setting applies
for all paired phones. If 911 Assist is turned off, a voice message plays
and/or a display message/icon comes on when the vehicle is started after
a previously paired phone connects.
Note:Every phone operates differently. While SYNC 911 Assist works
with most cellular phones, some may have trouble using this feature.
If a crash deploys an airbag (excludes knee airbags and rear inflatable
safety belts [if equipped]) or activates the fuel pump shut-off, your SYNC
equipped vehicle may be able to contact emergency services by dialing
911 through a paired and connected Bluetooth-enabled phone. For more
information about 911 Assist, visit www.SYNCMyRide.com,
www.SYNCMyRide.ca or www.syncmaroute.ca.
•For information on airbag deployment, see theSupplementary
Restraints Systemchapter.
•For information on the fuel pump shut-off, see theRoadside
Emergencieschapter.
Setting 911 Assist On
Perform the following:
1. Press the phone button to enter the Phone Menu.
2. Scroll until 911 Assist is selected.
3. Press OK to confirm and enter the 911 Assist menu.
4. Scroll to select between On and Off selections.
5. Press OK when the desired option appears in the radio display. Set
On or Set Off appears in the display as confirmation.
406SYNC®
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

Off selections include: Off with reminder and Off without reminder. Off
with reminder provides a display and voice reminder at phone
connection at vehicle start. Off without reminder provides a display
reminder only without a voice reminder at phone connection.
To make sure that 911 Assist works properly:
•SYNC must be powered and working properly at the time of the
incident and throughout feature activation and use.
•SYNC 911 Assist feature must be set on prior to the incident.
•A Bluetooth-enabled and compatible phone has to be paired and
connected to SYNC.
•A connected Bluetooth-enabled phone must have the ability to make
and maintain an outgoing call at the time of the incident.
•A connected Bluetooth-enabled phone must have adequate network
coverage, battery power and signal strength.
•
The vehicle must have battery power and be located in the United
States, Canada or in a territory in which 911 is the emergency number.
In the Event of a Crash
Not all crashes deploy an airbag or activate the fuel pump shut-off (which
would activate 911 Assist); however, if 911 Assist is triggered, SYNC tries
to contact emergency services. If a connected phone is damaged or loses
connection to SYNC, SYNC searches for, and tries to connect to, any
available previously paired phone and tries to make the call to 911.
Before making the call:
•SYNC provides a short window of time (about 10 seconds) to cancel the
call. Failure to cancel the call results in SYNC attempting to dial 911.
•SYNC says the following, or a similar message: “SYNC will attempt to
call 911, to cancel the call, press Cancel on your screen or press and
hold the phone button on your steering wheel.”
If the call is not cancelled and a successful call is made, a pre-recorded
message is played for the 911 operator, then the occupant(s) in the
vehicle is able to talk with the operator. Be prepared to provide your
name, phone number and location immediately, because not all 911
systems are capable of receiving this information electronically.
911 Assist May Not Work If
•Your cellular phone or 911 Assist hardware was damaged in a crash.
•The vehicle’s battery or SYNC system has no power.
•The phone(s) paired and connected to the system was thrown from
the vehicle.
SYNC®407
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

911 Assist Privacy Notice
Once 911 Assist is set on, it may disclose to emergency services that the
vehicle has been in a crash involving the deployment of an airbag or
activation of the fuel pump shut-off. Certain versions or updates to 911
Assist may also be capable of electronically or verbally disclosing to 911
operators the vehicle location, and/or other details about the vehicle or
crash to assist 911 operators to provide the most appropriate emergency
services. If you do not want to disclose this information, do not turn the
feature on.
Vehicle Health Report
WARNING:Always follow scheduled maintenance instructions,
regularly inspect your vehicle, and seek repair for any damage or
problem you suspect. Vehicle Health Report supplements, but cannot
replace normal maintenance and vehicle inspection. Vehicle Health
Report only monitors certain systems that are electronically monitored
by the vehicle and will not monitor or report the status of any other
system, (i.e., brake lining wear). Failure to perform scheduled
maintenance and regularly inspect your vehicle may result in vehicle
damage and serious injury.
Note:Your Vehicle Health Report feature requires activation prior to
use. Visit www.SYNCMyRide.com to register. There is no fee or
subscription associated with Vehicle Health Report, but you must register
to use this feature.
Note:This feature may not function properly if you have enabled caller
ID blocking on your mobile phone. Before running a report, review the
Vehicle Health Report privacy notice.
Note:In order to allow a break-in period for your vehicle, you may not
be able to create a Vehicle Health Report until your vehicle odometer has
reached 200 miles.
Register for Vehicle Health Report and set your report preferences at
www.SYNCMyRide.com. After registering, you can request a Vehicle
Health Report (inside your vehicle). Return to your account at
www.SYNCMyRide.com to view your report. You can also choose for
SYNC to automatically remind you to run reports at specific mileage
intervals. Cellular phone airtime usage may apply when reporting.
408SYNC®
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)