
Zone coverage decreases when parking at
shallow angles. Here, the left sensor is
mostly obstructed; zone coverage on that
side is severely limited.
System Lights, Messages and
Audible Alerts Cross traffic alert illuminates an amber
alert indicator in the outside mirror on the
side of your vehicle the approaching
vehicle is coming from. Cross traffic alert
also sounds an audible alert and a
message appears in the information
display indicating a vehicle is coming from
the right or left. Cross traffic alert works
with the reverse sensing system that
sounds its own series of tones. See
Principle of Operation (page 198).
System Sensors
The system uses radar sensors that are
located behind the bumper fascia on each
side of your vehicle. Do not allow mud,
snow or bumper stickers to obstruct these
areas, as this can cause degraded system
performance.
System Limitations
Cross traffic alert has its own limitations;
situations such as severe weather
conditions or debris build-up on the sensor
area may limit vehicle detection.
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Explorer (TUB), enUSA, First Printing Driving AidsE142441 E142442

Safety Chains
Note:
Never attach safety chains to the
bumper.
Always connect the safety chains to the
hook retainers of your vehicle hitch.
To connect the trailer ’s safety chains, cross
them under the trailer tongue and allow
enough slack for turning tight corners. Do
not allow the chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes WARNING
Do not connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to your
vehicle's brake system. Your vehicle
may not have enough braking power and
your chances of having a collision greatly
increase. Electric brakes and manual, automatic or
surge-type trailer brakes are safe if you
install them properly and adjust them to
the manufacturer's specifications. The
trailer brakes must meet local and federal
regulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's braking
system operation is at the gross vehicle
weight rating, not the gross combined
weight rating.
Separate functioning brake systems
are required for safe control of towed
vehicles and trailers weighing more
than 1500 pounds (680 kilograms)
when loaded. Trailer Lamps WARNING
Never connect any trailer lamp wiring
to the vehicle's tail lamp wiring; this
may damage the electrical system
resulting in fire. Contact your authorized
dealer as soon as possible for assistance
in proper trailer tow wiring installation.
Additional electrical equipment may be
required. Trailer lamps are required on most towed
vehicles. Make sure all running lights, brake
lights, turn signals and hazard lights are
working.
Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing up
to get the feel of your vehicle-trailer
combination before starting on a trip.
When turning, make wider turns so the
trailer wheels clear curbs and other
obstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
•
Do not drive faster than 70 mph (113
km/h) during the first 500 miles (800
kilometers).
• Do not make full-throttle starts.
• Check your hitch, electrical connections
and trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly
after you have traveled 50 miles (80
kilometers).
• When stopped in congested or heavy
traffic during hot weather, place the
gearshift in position P to aid engine and
transmission cooling and to help A/C
performance.
• Turn off the speed control with heavy
loads or in hilly terrain. The speed
control may turn off automatically
when you are towing on long, steep
grades.
247
Explorer (TUB), enUSA, First Printing Towing

•
Transmissions give their best fuel
economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure
on the gas pedal.
• Four-wheel-drive operation (if
equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
• Close the windows for high-speed
driving.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deep
water as you may lose control of your
vehicle.
Note:
Driving through standing water can
cause vehicle damage.
Note: Engine damage can occur if water
enters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water,
check the depth. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the front
rocker area of your vehicle. When driving through standing water, drive
very slowly and do not stop your vehicle.
Your brake performance and traction may
be limited. After driving through water and
as soon as it is safe to do so: •
Lightly press the brake pedal to dry the
brakes and to check that they work.
• Check that the horn works.
• Check that the exterior lights work.
• Turn the steering wheel to check that
the steering power assist works.
FLOOR MATS WARNINGS
Always use floor mats that are
designed to fit the foot well of your
vehicle. Only use floor mats that
leave the pedal area unobstructed. Only
use floor mats that are firmly secured to
retention posts so that they cannot slip out
of position and interfere with the pedals
or impair safe operation of your vehicle in
other ways. Pedals that cannot move freely can
cause loss of vehicle control and
increase the risk of serious personal
injury. Always make sure that the floor
mats are properly attached to the
retention posts in the carpet that are
supplied with your vehicle. Floor mats must
be properly secured to both retention posts
to make sure mats do not shift out of
position. Never place floor mats or any other
covering in the vehicle foot well that
cannot be properly secured to
prevent them from moving and interfering
with the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle. Never place floor mats or any other
covering on top of already installed
floor mats. Floor mats should always
rest on top of vehicle carpeting surface and
not another floor mat or other covering.
Additional floor mats or any other covering
will reduce the pedal clearance and
potentially interfere with pedal operation.
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Explorer (TUB), enUSA, First Printing Driving HintsE176360

Description and action
Menu
Item
Press the OK button to access, and then scroll
through a list of pre-defined messages to send.
Reply to
sender
Press the
OK button to call the sender of the
message.
Call sender
Press the
OK button to forward the message to
anyone in your phonebook or call history. You can
also choose to enter a number.
Forward
msg.
Sending, Downloading and Deleting
Your Text Messages
1. Press the
PHONE button. 2. Select the text messaging option, and
then press the
OK button.
Choose from the following options: Description and action
Menu
Item
Allows you to send a new text message based on a pre-defined set of 15
messages.
New
Allows you to read the full message and, in addition, provides the option to
have the system read the message to you. To go to the next message, select
the
More option. This allows you to reply to the sender, call the sender or
forward the message.
View
Allows you to delete current text messages from the system (not your cellular
phone). The audio display indicates when the system has deleted all your
text messages.
Delete
Allows you to delete all messages or manually trigger a download of all
unread messages from your cellular phone.
More...
Sending a Text Message
Note: You can only send a text message to
one recipient at a time.
1. Select the send option when the desired selection highlights in the audio
display.
2. Select the confirmation option when the contact appears. 3. Press the OK button again to confirm
when the system asks if you want to
send the message. A pre-defined
signature appears on each text
message.
Note: You can send text messages either
by choosing a contact from the phonebook
and selecting the text option from the audio
display or by replying to a received message
in the inbox.
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Explorer (TUB), enUSA, First Printing SYNC™
(If Equipped)

Check every month
Engine oil level.
Function of all interior and exterior lights.
Tires (including spare) for wear and proper pressure. Windshield washer fluid level. Check every six months
Battery connections. Clean if necessary.
Body and door drain holes for obstructions. Clean if necessary. Cooling system fluid level and coolant strength.
Door weatherstrips for wear. Lubricate if necessary.
Hinges, latches and outside locks for proper operation. Lubricate if necessary. Parking brake for proper operation.
Safety belts and seat latches for wear and function.
Safety warning lamps (brake, ABS, airbag and safety belt) for operation.
Washer spray and wiper operation. Clean or replace blades as necessary.
Multi-Point Inspection
In order to keep your vehicle running right,
it is important to have the systems on your
vehicle checked regularly. This can help
identify potential issues and prevent major
problems. We recommend having the
following multi-point inspection performed
at every scheduled maintenance interval
to help make sure your vehicle keeps
running great.
488
Explorer (TUB), enUSA, First Printing Scheduled Maintenance

Cleaning the Interior...................................302
Cleaning the Windows and Wiper
Blades...........................................................302
Clearing All MyKeys.......................................56
Climate............................................................462 Climate Control Voice Commands.............465
Climate Control.............................................129
Climate Controlled Seats..........................155 Cooled Seats........................................................ 156
Coolant Check See: Engine Coolant Check............................ 282
Crash Sensors and Airbag Indicator.......46
Creating a MyKey
............................................55
Programming/Changing Configurable
Settings............................................................... 55
Cross Traffic Alert.........................................227 False Alerts........................................................... 229
Switching the System Off and On..............229
System Errors...................................................... 229
System Lights, Messages and Audible Alerts................................................................. 228
System Limitations........................................... 228
System Sensors.................................................. 228
Using the System............................................... 227
Cruise Control
..................................................74
Principle of Operation....................................... 213
Type 1........................................................................\
. 74
Type 2........................................................................\
74
Cruise control See: Using Cruise Control................................ 213
Customer Assistance................................260
D
Data Recording
..................................................9
Event Data Recording........................................... 9
Service Data Recording........................................ 9
Daytime Running Lamps
.............................82
Type 1 - Conventional
(Non-Configurable)....................................... 83
Type 2 - Configurable......................................... 83
Digital Radio
..................................................362
HD Radio Reception and Station
Troubleshooting............................................ 363
Direction Indicators
.......................................85
Driver Alert.....................................................220
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION.......................... 220
USING DRIVER ALERT.................................... 220Driver and Passenger Airbags....................41
Children and Airbags............................................ 41
Proper Driver and Front Passenger Seating Adjustment......................................................... 41
Driving Aids
....................................................220
Driving Hints...................................................252
Driving Through Water...............................253
DRL See: Daytime Running Lamps......................... 82
E
Economical Driving
.....................................252
Emission Control System...........................177 On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II).................... 178
Readiness for Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) Testing.................................................... 178
End User License Agreement
.................505
SYNC End User License Agreement
(EULA)............................................................. 505
Engine Block Heater....................................169 Using the Engine Block Heater...................... 170
Engine Coolant Check...............................282 Adding Engine Coolant.................................... 283
Checking the Engine Coolant........................ 282
Recycled Engine Coolant................................ 284
Severe Climates................................................. 284
What You Should Know About Fail-Safe Cooling............................................................. 284
Engine Immobilizer See: Passive Anti-Theft System..................... 70
Engine Oil Check...........................................281 Adding Engine Oil............................................... 281
Engine Oil Dipstick - 2.3L EcoBoost™..................................................281
Engine Oil Dipstick - 3.5L Duratec/3.5L Ecoboost™..................................................281
Engine Specifications - 2.3L EcoBoost™.................................................334
Drivebelt Routing............................................... 334
Engine Specifications - 3.5L Duratec.........................................................335
Drivebelt Routing............................................... 335
Engine Specifications - 3.5L Ecoboost™.................................................335
Drivebelt Routing............................................... 336
529
Explorer (TUB), enUSA, First Printing Index

Using SYNC™ With Your Phone.............372
Accessing Features through the Phone
Menu................................................................... 377
Accessing Your Phone Settings................... 380
Bluetooth Devices.............................................. 381
Making Calls......................................................... 375
Pairing a Phone for the First Time...............372
Pairing Subsequent Phones........................... 373
Phone Options during an Active Call.........376
Phone Voice Commands................................ 374
Receiving Calls.................................................... 375
System Settings................................................. 382
Text Messaging................................................... 378
Using Terrain Response.............................195
Using Traction Control................................192
Switching the System Off............................... 192
System Indicator Lights and Messages.......................................................... 192
Using a Switch..................................................... 192
Using the Information Display Controls............................................................. 192
Using Voice Recognition...........................370 Initiating a Voice Session................................ 370
System Interaction and Feedback................371
Utilizing the Mediation/Arbitration Program (Canada Only)........................262
V
Vehicle Care
..................................................300
General Information........................................ 300
Vehicle Certification Label.......................340
Vehicle Identification Number
................339
Vehicle Storage............................................304
Battery................................................................... 305
Body....................................................................... 305
Brakes.................................................................... 305
Cooling system................................................... 305
Engine.................................................................... 305
Fuel system......................................................... 305
General.................................................................. 305
Miscellaneous.................................................... 306
Removing Vehicle From Storage.................306
Tires........................................................................\
305
Ventilation See: Climate Control......................................... 129
VIN See: Vehicle Identification Number............339 Voice Control
....................................................74
W
Warning Lamps and Indicators................96 Adaptive Cruise Control.................................... 96
Anti-Lock Braking System................................. 97
Automatic High Beam Control........................ 97
Battery...................................................................... 97
Blind Spot Monitor............................................... 97
Brake System......................................................... 97
Cruise Control........................................................ 97
Direction Indicator................................................ 97
Door Ajar.................................................................. 97
Engine Coolant Temperature........................... 97
Engine Oil................................................................ 98
Fasten Safety Belt............................................... 98
Front Airbag........................................................... 98
Front Fog Lamps.................................................. 98
Heads Up Display................................................ 98
High Beam.............................................................. 98
Hood Ajar................................................................ 98
Lane Keeping Aid................................................. 98
Liftgate Ajar............................................................ 98
Low Fuel Level...................................................... 98
Low Tire Pressure Warning.............................. 98
Low Washer Fluid................................................ 99
Parking Lamps...................................................... 99
Powertrain Fault................................................... 99
Service Engine Soon........................................... 99
Stability Control................................................... 99
Stability Control Off............................................ 99
Transmission Tow/Haul.................................... 99
Washer Fluid Check
....................................288
Washers See: Cleaning the Exterior............................. 300
See: Wipers and Washers.................................. 77
Waxing
..............................................................301
Wheel Nuts See: Changing a Road Wheel....................... 328
Wheels and Tires.........................................307 General Information......................................... 307
Technical Specifications................................. 332
Windows and Mirrors
....................................87
Windshield Washers.....................................78
Front Camera Washer........................................ 78
Windshield Wipers
.........................................77
Speed Dependent Wipers................................. 77
537
Explorer (TUB), enUSA, First Printing Index