
•
Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel
economy as compared to driving on hilly
terrain.
• 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.
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MKC (TME), enUSA, First Printing Driving HintsE176360

GENERAL INFORMATION
Notice to utility vehicle and truck
owners
WARNINGS
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious injury
or death from a rollover or other crash you
must avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers, drive at safe speeds for the
conditions, keep tires properly inflated, never
overload or improperly load your vehicle,
and make sure every passenger is properly
restrained. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than
a person wearing a seat belt. All occupants
must wear seat belts, and children and
infants must use appropriate restraints to
minimize the risk of injury or ejection. Utility vehicles and trucks handle differently
than passenger cars in the various driving
conditions that are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility vehicles and
trucks 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.
Study your owner's manual and any
supplements for specific information about
equipment features, instructions for safe
driving and additional precautions to reduce
the risk of an accident or serious injury.All-wheel drive system (if equipped) WARNING
Do not become overconfident in the
ability of all-wheel-drive vehicles.
Although an all-wheel-drive vehicle may
accelerate better than a two-wheel drive
vehicle in low traction situations, it will not
stop any faster than two-wheel drive
vehicles. Always drive at a safe speed. A vehicle equipped with all-wheel drive has
the ability to use all four wheels to power
itself. This increases traction which may
enable you to safely drive over terrain and
road conditions that a conventional
two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.
For all-wheel-drive vehicles, a spare tire of
a different size other than the tire provided
should never be used. A dissimilar spare tire
size (other than the spare tire provided) or
major dissimilar tire sized between the front
and rear axles could cause the
all-wheel-drive system to stop functioning
and default to front-wheel drive.
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Tire and Wheel Alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole
can cause the front end of your vehicle
to become misaligned or cause damage
to your tires. If your vehicle seems to
pull to one side when you are driving,
the wheels may be out of alignment.
Have an authorized dealer check the
wheel alignment periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or the
rear can cause uneven and rapid
treadwear of your tires and should be
corrected by an authorized dealer.
Front-wheel drive vehicles and those
with an independent rear suspension (if
equipped) may require alignment of all
four wheels.
The tires should also be balanced
periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular
tire wear.
Tire Rotation
Note:
If your tires show uneven wear,
ask an authorized dealer to check for
and correct any wheel misalignment,
tire imbalance or mechanical problem
involved before tire rotation.
Note: Your vehicle may be equipped
with a dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly. A dissimilar spare wheel and
tire assembly is defined as a spare
wheel and tire assembly that is different
in brand, size or appearance from the
road tires and wheels. If you have a
dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly, it is intended for temporary
use only and should not be used in a
tire rotation.
Note: After having your tires rotated,
inflation pressure must be checked and
adjusted to the vehicle requirements. Rotating your tires at the recommended
interval (as indicated in the Scheduled
Maintenance chapter) will help your tires
wear more evenly, providing better tire
performance and longer tire life.
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be
corrected by rotating the tires.
Non-directional tires
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MKC (TME), enUSA, First Printing Wheels and TiresE142547

Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels........247
Emergency Towing.............................................247
Recreational Towing..........................................248
Towing.............................................................240
Traction Control.............................................188
Principle of Operation........................................188
Trailer Sway Control.....................................241
Transmission Code Designation
..............345
Transmission...................................................172
Transmission See: Transmission................................................172
Transporting the Vehicle.............................247
U
Under Hood Overview - 2.0L EcoBoost™....................................................284
Under Hood Overview - 2.3L EcoBoost™...................................................286
Universal Garage Door Opener................150 HomeLink Wireless Control System...............150 Using Adaptive Cruise Control.................204
Automatic Cancellation....................................208
Blocked Sensor...................................................210
Canceling the Set Speed.................................208
Changing the Set Speed..................................208
Detection Issues.................................................209
Disengaging the System..................................207
Following a Vehicle...........................................205
Hilly Condition Usage.......................................208
Overriding the System......................................207
Resuming the Set Speed.................................208
Setting a Speed..................................................205
Setting the Gap Distance.................................206
Switching the System Off.................................208
Switching the System On.................................204
Switching to Normal Cruise Control................211
System Not Available.........................................210
Using All-Wheel Drive
..................................178
Driving in Special Conditions With All-Wheel
Drive...................................................................178
Using Cruise Control...................................203 Switching Cruise Control Off...........................204
Switching Cruise Control On...........................203
Using MyKey With Remote Start Systems..........................................................62
Using Snow Chains......................................329 Using Stability Control..................................191
AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™
(RSC®)..................................................................191
Using Traction Control.................................188 Switching the System Off..................................188
System Indicator Lights and Messages.........188
Using a Switch.....................................................188
Using the Information Display Controls........
188
Utilizing the Mediation/Arbitration Program (Canada Only)
..............................................261
V
Vehicle Care
..................................................304
General Information...........................................304
Vehicle Certification Label.........................344
Vehicle Identification Number...................344
Vehicle Storage
...............................................311
Battery....................................................................312
Body........................................................................\
.311
Brakes....................................................................312
Cooling system....................................................312
Engine.....................................................................311
Fuel system............................................................311
General....................................................................311
Miscellaneous......................................................312
Removing Vehicle From Storage.....................312
Tires........................................................................\
312
428
MKC (TME), enUSA, First Printing Index