2015 FORD EXPLORER steering

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 (25 centimeters) between your
breastbone and the airbag cover.
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•Hold the steering wheel with your arms slightly bent.
•Bend your legs slightly so that you can press the pedals fully.
•Position the shoulder strap of the safety belt over the center of your
shoulder and position the lap strap tightly across your hips.
Make sure that your driving position is comfortable and that you can
maintain full control of your vehicle.
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 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.
WARNING:The adjustable head restraint is a safety device.
Whenever possible it should be installed and properly adjusted
when the seat is occupied. An improperly adjusted head restraint may
provide reduced protection to an occupant during certain rear impacts.
WARNING:Install the head restraint properly to minimize the
risk of neck injury in the event of a crash.
Note:Before adjusting any head restraint, adjust the seat back to an
upright driving or riding position. Properly adjust the head restraint so
that the top of the head restraint is even with the top of your head and
positioned as close as possible to the back of your head. For occupants
of extremely tall stature, adjust the head restraint to its full up position.
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MEMORY FUNCTION (IF EQUIPPED)
This memory control, located on the
driver door, allows automatic
positioning of the driver seat and
power mirrors to three
programmable positions. You may
also have this feature for the
steering column and power
adjustable foot pedals.
Programming a memory position
1. Switch the ignition on.
2. Adjust the memory features to your desired positions using the
associated controls.
3. Press and hold the desired pre-set button for about two seconds until
you hear a single tone.
Note:You can save up to three pre-set memory positions.
Recalling a memory position
Press and release the desired memory pre-set button to recall a saved
memory position.
Note:A pre-set memory position can only be recalled when the ignition
is off, or when the transmission is in park (P) or neutral (N) if the
ignition is on.
A pre-set memory position can also be recalled by:
•Pressing the unlock button on your intelligent access key fob if it is
linked to a pre-set position.
•Unlocking the intelligent driver door handle if a linked key fob is
present.
•Entering a personal entry code on the Securicode keypad. SeeLocks.
Note:Using a linked key fob to recall your memory position when the
ignition is off will move the seat and steering column to the Easy Entry
position (if the feature is enabled).
Note:Pressing any seat or mirror adjustment control (or any memory
button) during a memory recall cancels the operation.
Recalling memory positions with the remote control
To program the memory feature to a remote control, see theKeys and
Remote Controlchapter.
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Easy Entry and Exit Feature
This feature can move the seat rearward and the optional power steering
column up and forward to allow extra room to exit the vehicle.
This occurs when:
•You place the transmission in neutral (N) or park (P).
•You turn the ignition off.
The seat and steering wheel will move to their original positions when:
•You turn the ignition on.
Turn the Easy Entry/Exit feature on or off through the information
display settings menu. See theInformation Displayschapter.
HEATED SEATS (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING:Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes, spinal cord
injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaustion, or other physical conditions,
must exercise care when using the seat heater. The seat heater may
cause burns even at low temperatures, especially if used for long
periods of time. Do not place anything on the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket or cushion, because this may cause the seat
heater to overheat. Do not puncture the seat with pins, needles, or
other pointed objects because this may damage the heating element
which may cause the seat heater to overheat. An overheated seat may
cause serious personal injury.
The heated seats will only function when the ignition is in the on
position.
Note:Do not do the following:
•Place heavy objects on the seat
•Operate the seat heater if water or any other liquid is spilled on the
seat. Allow the seat to dry thoroughly.
To operate the heated seats:
Press the heated seat symbol to cycle through the various
heat settings and off. Warmer settings are indicated by
more indicator lights.
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Fast Restart (Vehicles with Keyless Start)
The fast restart feature allows you to restart the engine within
20 seconds of switching it off, even if a valid key is not present.
Within 20 seconds of switching the engine off, press the brake pedal and
press the button. After 20 seconds have expired, you can no longer start
the engine without the key present inside your vehicle.
Once the engine has started, it remains running until you press the
button, even if the system does not detect a valid key. If you open and
close a door while the engine is running, the system searches for a valid
key. You cannot start the engine if the system does not detect a valid key
within 20 seconds.
Failure to Start
If you cannot start the engine after three attempts, wait 10 seconds and
follow this procedure:
1. Fully press the brake pedal.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal and hold it there.
3. Start the engine.
Stopping the Engine When Your Vehicle is Stationary
1. Move the transmission selector lever to positionP.
2. If your vehicle has an ignition key, turn the key to the off position. If
your vehicle has a keyless start system, press the button once.
3. Apply the parking brake.
Note:This switches off the ignition, all electrical circuits, warning lamps
and indicators.
Stopping the Engine When Your Vehicle is Moving
WARNING:Switching off the engine when the vehicle is still
moving will result in a loss of brake and steering assistance. The
steering will not lock, but higher effort will be required. When the
ignition is switched off, some electrical circuits, including air bags,
warning lamps and indicators may also be off. If the ignition was turned
off accidentally, you can shift into Neutral and restart the engine.
1.If your vehicle has an ignition key,move the transmission
selector lever to positionNand use the brakes to bring your vehicle
to a safe stop. When your vehicle has stopped, move the transmission
selector lever to positionPand turn the key to the off position.
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SelectShift Automatic® Transmission
Your SelectShift automatic transmission gives you the ability to manually
change gears if you’d like. To use SelectShift, move the gearshift lever
intoM(Manual). Now you can use select shift to manually change gears.
If your vehicle is equipped with (+)/(–) buttons on the side of your
gearshift lever:
•Press (–) on the gearshift lever
button to manually downshift the
transmission.
•Press (+) on the gearshift lever
button to manually upshift the
transmission.
Paddle Shifters (If Equipped)
The paddle shifters allow you to shift gears quickly, without taking your
hands off the steering wheel. Temporary manual control is provided
when pulling the paddles with the gearshift in theD(Drive) position.
The system will determine when temporary manual control is no longer
desired and reverts back to automatic control. Extensive manual control
can be achieved by moving the shifter to theM(Manual) position. The
system will stay in manual control until the shifter is moved out of the
manual position.
If your vehicle is equipped with paddles on the steering wheel:
•Pull the left paddle (–) to
downshift the transmission.
•Pull the right paddle (+) to upshift
the transmission.
PRNDM
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How Utility Vehicles Differ from Other Vehicles
Truck and utility vehicles can differ from some other vehicles. Your
vehicle may be higher to allow it to travel over rough terrain without
getting hung up or damaging underbody components.
The differences that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle
differently than an ordinary passenger car.
Maintain steering wheel control at all times, especially in rough terrain.
Since sudden changes in terrain can result in abrupt steering wheel
motion, make sure you grip the steering wheel from the outside. Do not
grip the spokes.
Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from concealed objects such as
rocks and stumps.
You should either know the terrain or examine maps of the area before
driving. Map out your route before driving in the area. To maintain
steering and braking control of your vehicle, you must have all four
wheels on the ground and they must be rolling, not sliding or spinning.
Driving In Special Conditions With Four-Wheel Drive (4WD)
Note:4WD vehicles are specially equipped for driving on sand, snow,
mud and rough terrain and have operating characteristics that are
somewhat different from conventional vehicles, both on and off the road.
Truck and utility vehicles can differ from some other vehicles. Your
vehicle may be higher to allow it to travel over rough terrain without
getting hung up or damaging underbody components. The differences
that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle differently than
an ordinary passenger car. Maintain steering wheel control at all times,
especially in rough terrain. Since sudden changes in terrain can result in
abrupt steering wheel motion, make sure you grip the steering wheel
from the outside. Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from
concealed objects such as rocks and stumps. You should either know the
terrain or examine maps of the area before driving. Map out your route
before driving in the area. To maintain steering and braking control of
your vehicle, you must have all four wheels on the ground and they must
be rolling, not sliding or spinning.
Basic Operating Principles in Special Conditions
•Drive slower in strong crosswinds which can affect the normal steering
characteristics of your vehicle.
•Be extremely careful when driving on pavement made slippery by
loose sand, water, gravel, snow or ice.
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If your vehicle goes off the edge of the pavement
WARNING:Vehicles with a higher center of gravity such as
utility and four-wheel drive vehicles handle differently than
vehicles with a lower center of gravity. Utility and four-wheel drive
vehicles 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. Avoid sharp turns, excessive
speed and abrupt maneuvers in these vehicles. Failure to drive
cautiously could result in an increased risk of loss of vehicle control,
vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
•If your vehicle goes off the edge of the pavement, slow down, but
avoid severe brake application, ease the vehicle back onto the
pavement only after reducing your speed. Do not turn the steering
wheel too sharply while returning to the road surface.
•It may be safer to stay on the apron or shoulder of the road and slow
down gradually before returning to the pavement. You may lose
control if you do not slow down or if you turn the steering wheel too
sharply or abruptly.
•It often may be less risky to strike small objects, such as highway
reflectors, with minor damage to your vehicle rather than attempt a
sudden return to the pavement which could cause the vehicle to slide
sideways out of control or roll over. Remember, your safety and the
safety of others should be your primary concern.
If your vehicle gets stuck
WARNING:Always set the parking brake fully and make sure
the gearshift is latched in P (Park). Turn the ignition to the off
position and remove the key whenever you leave your vehicle.
WARNING:If the parking brake is fully released, but the brake
warning lamp remains illuminated, the brakes may not be
working properly. See your authorized dealer.
WARNING:Do not spin the wheels at over 35 mph (56 km/h).
The tires may fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
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