acceleration or braking which could result
in an increased risk of loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and/or personal
injury. Use all available road surface to
return the vehicle to a safe direction of
travel.
• In the event of an emergency stop, avoid
skidding the tires and do not attempt any
sharp steering wheel movements.
• If the vehicle goes from one type of
surface to another (that is, from concrete
to gravel) there will be a change in the
way the vehicle responds to a maneuver
(steering, acceleration or braking). Again,
avoid these abrupt inputs.
Sand
Most of the time traction control improves
tire traction by managing wheel slip through
Brake, Engine, and AWD calibrations.
However, during low speed driving, disabling
traction control in deep sand can help keep
the wheels moving to maintain vehicle
momentum. When driving over sand, try to keep all four
wheels on the most solid area of the trail.
Avoid reducing the tire pressures but shift
to a lower gear and drive steadily through
the terrain. Apply the accelerator slowly and
avoid spinning the wheels.
Do not drive your vehicle in deep sand for
an extended period of time. This could cause
the AWD system to overheat and default to
front-wheel drive. If this occurs, an AWD OFF
message displays in the information display.
To resume normal AWD function as soon as
possible, stop the vehicle in a safe location
and stop the engine for at least 10 minutes.
After the engine has been restarted and the
AWD system has adequately cooled, the
AWD OFF message turns off and normal
AWD function returns. In the event the
engine is not stopped, the
AWD OFF
message turns off when the system cools
and normal AWD function returns.
When driving at slow speeds in deep sand
under high outside temperatures, use L (Low)
gear when possible. L (Low) gear operation
will maximize the engine and transmission
cooling capability. Under severe operating conditions, the A/C
may cycle on and off to protect overheating
of the engine.
Avoid excessive speed because vehicle
momentum can work against you and cause
the vehicle to become stuck to the point that
assistance may be required from another
vehicle. Remember, you may be able to back
out the way you came if you proceed with
caution.
Mud and Water
If you must drive through high water, drive
slowly. Traction or brake capability may be
limited.
When driving through water, determine the
depth; avoid water higher than the bottom
of the wheel rims (for cars) or the bottom of
the hubs (for trucks) (if possible) and proceed
slowly. If the ignition system gets wet, the
vehicle may stall.
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(If Equipped)
Once through water, always try the brakes.
Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle as
effectively as dry brakes. Drying can be
improved by moving your vehicle slowly
while applying light pressure on the brake
pedal.
Be cautious of sudden changes in vehicle
speed or direction when you are driving in
mud. Even AWD vehicles can lose traction
in slick mud. As when you are driving over
sand, apply the accelerator slowly and avoid
spinning your wheels. If the vehicle does
slide, steer in the direction of the slide until
you regain control of the vehicle.
After driving through mud, clean off residue
stuck to rotating driveshafts and tires. Excess
mud stuck on tires and rotating driveshafts
causes an imbalance that could damage
drive components.
Note:
Driving through deep water may
damage the transmission.
If the front or rear axle is submerged in water,
have the power transfer unit (PTU) or rear
axle serviced by an authorized dealer. “Tread Lightly” is an educational program
designed to increase public awareness of
land-use regulations and responsibilities in
our nations wilderness areas. Ford Motor
Company joins the U.S. Forest Service and
the Bureau of Land Management in
encouraging you to help preserve our
national forest and other public and private
lands by “treading lightly.
”
Driving on Hilly or Sloping Terrain
Note: Avoid driving crosswise or turning on
steep slopes or hills. A danger lies in losing
traction, slipping sideways and possibly
rolling over. Whenever driving on a hill,
determine beforehand the route you will use.
Do not drive over the crest of a hill without
seeing what conditions are on the other side.
Do not drive in reverse over a hill without
the aid of an observer. Although natural obstacles may make it
necessary to travel diagonally up or down a
hill or steep incline, you should always try to
drive straight up or straight down.
When climbing a steep slope or hill, start in
a lower gear rather than downshifting to a
lower gear from a higher gear once the
ascent has started. This reduces strain on
the engine and the possibility of stalling.
If you do stall out, do not try to turnaround
because you might roll over. It is better to
back down to a safe location.
Apply just enough power to the wheels to
climb the hill. Too much power will cause the
tires to slip, spin or lose traction, resulting in
loss of vehicle control.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Vehicle modifications involving braking
system, aftermarket roof racks,
suspension, steering system, tire
construction and wheel and tire size may
change the handling characteristics of your
vehicle and may adversely affect the
performance of the electronic stability control
system. In addition, installing any stereo
loudspeakers may interfere with and
adversely affect the electronic stability
control system. Install any aftermarket stereo
loudspeaker as far as possible from the front
center console, the tunnel, and the front
seats in order to minimize the risk of
interfering with the electronic stability control
sensors. Reducing the effectiveness of the
electronic stability control system could lead
to an increased risk of loss of vehicle control,
vehicle rollover, personal injury and death. WARNINGS
Remember that even advanced
technology cannot defy the laws of
physics. It’ s always possible to lose control
of a vehicle due to inappropriate driver input
for the conditions. Aggressive driving on any
road condition can cause you to lose control
of your vehicle increasing the risk of personal
injury or property damage. Activation of the
electronic stability control system is an
indication that at least some of the tires have
exceeded their ability to grip the road; this
could reduce the operator’ s ability to control
the vehicle potentially resulting in a loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal
injury and death. If your electronic stability
control system activates, SLOW DOWN. The system automatically turns on each time
you switch the ignition on.
If a driving condition activates either the
stability control or the traction control system
you may experience the following conditions:
•
The stability and traction control light
flashes.
• Your vehicle slows down. •
Reduced engine power.
• A vibration in the brake pedal.
• The brake pedal is stiffer than usual.
• If the driving condition is severe and your
foot is not on the brake, the brake pedal
may move as the systems applies higher
brake forces.
The stability control system has several
features built into it to help you maintain
control of your vehicle:
Electronic Stability Control
The system enhances your vehicle ’s ability
to prevent skids or lateral slides by applying
brakes to one or more of the wheels
individually and, if necessary, reducing
engine power.
Roll Stability Control
The system enhances your vehicle ’s ability
to prevent rollovers by detecting your
vehicle ’s roll motion and the rate at which it
changes by applying the brakes to one or
more wheels individually.
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Note:
The sensors may not detect objects
with surfaces that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Active Park Assist is an electric parking aid
that uses ultrasonic sensors. The system
detects an available parallel parking space
and automatically steers your vehicle into
the space (hands-free) while you control the
accelerator, gearshift and brakes. The system
visually and audibly instructs you to park your
vehicle.
The system may not function correctly if
something passes between the front bumper
and the parking space (a pedestrian or
cyclist) or if the edge of the neighboring
parked vehicle is high off the ground (for
example, a bus, tow truck or flatbed truck).
If you are uncomfortable with the proximity
to any vehicle or object, you may choose to
override the system. The system may not operate correctly in any
of the following conditions:
•
You use a spare tire or a tire significantly
worn more than the other tires.
• One or more tires are improperly inflated.
• You try to park on a tight curve.
Do not use the system if:
• You have attached a bike rack, trailer or
similar object to the front or rear of your
vehicle, close to the sensors.
• You have attached an overhanging
object (surfboard) to the roof.
• The front bumper or side sensors are
damaged or obstructed (front bumper
cover).
• The correct tire size is not in use on your
vehicle (for example, a mini-spare tire). Using Active Park Assist Press the button to turn the system
on or off.
When driving at a speed less than 22 mph
(35 km/h), the system automatically scans
both sides of your vehicle for an available
parking space. A message and a
corresponding graphic appears in the display
screen to indicate it is searching for a parking
space. Use the direction indicator to indicate
which side of your vehicle you want the
system to search.
Note: If the direction indicator is not on, the
system automatically searches on your
vehicle's passenger side.
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The system does not position your vehicle where I want in the space
Your vehicle is rolling in the opposite direction of the transmission (r\
olling forward when reverse [R] is selected).
An irregular curb along the parking space prevents the system from align\
ing your vehicle properly.
Vehicles or objects bordering the space may not be positioned correctly.
Your vehicle was pulled too far past the parking space. The system performs best when you drive the same distance past the par\
king space.
The tires may not be installed or maintained correctly (not inflated co\
rrectly, improper size, or of different sizes).
A repair or alteration has changed detection capabilities.
A parked vehicle has a high attachment (salt sprayer, snowplow, moving truck bed, etc).
The parking space length or position of parked objects changed after your vehicle passed.
The temperature around your vehicle changes quickly (driving from a hea\
ted garage into the cold, or after leaving a car wash).
You didn't wait for the steering to complete its rotation after a gear change. The system performs best when the steering wheel is allowed
to finish rotating before accelerating.
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Why does the vehicle not come back toward the middle of the lane, as expected, in the Aid or Aid + Alert mode?
High cross winds
Large road crown
Rough roads, grooves, shoulder drop-offs
Heavy uneven loading of the vehicle or improper tire inflation pressure
If the tires have been exchanged (including snow tires), or the suspension has been modified
BLIND SPOT INFORMATION
SYSTEM (If Equipped) WARNING
To help avoid injuries, NEVER use the
Blind Spot Information System as a
replacement for using the interior and
exterior mirrors or looking over your shoulder
before changing lanes. The Blind Spot
Information System is not a replacement for
careful driving. The Blind Spot Information System is
designed to aid you in detecting vehicles
that may have entered the blind spot zone
(A). The detection area is on both sides of
your vehicle, extending rearward from the
exterior mirrors to approximately
13 ft (4 m)
beyond the bumper. The system is designed
to alert you if certain vehicles enter the blind
spot zone while driving.
Note: The Blind Spot Information System
does not prevent contact with other vehicles
or objects; nor detect parked vehicles,
people, animals or infrastructure (fences,
guardrails, trees). It’ s only designed to alert
you to vehicles in the blind spot zones.
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A
E124788
Examples: For a 5000 pound (2268
kilogram) conventional trailer, multiply
5000 by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper
tongue load range of 500 to 750 pounds
(227 to 340 kilograms). For an 11500
pound (5216 kilogram) fifth wheel trailer,
multiply by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a
proper king pin load range of 1725 to
2875 pounds (782 to 1304 kilograms). WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label. Do not use replacement tires with
lower load carrying capacities than
the original tires because they may
lower the vehicle ’s GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires with a
higher limit than the original tires do not
increase the GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Exceeding any vehicle weight
rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle and/or
personal injury. Steps for determining the correct load
limit:
1.
Locate the statement "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or XXX
lb." on your vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lb.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For example,
if the “XXX” amount equals 1,400 lb.
and there will be five 150 lb.
passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lb.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lb.). 5.
Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
The following gives you a few examples
on how to calculate the available amount
of cargo and luggage load capacity:
*Suppose your vehicle has a 1400-pound
(635-kilogram) cargo and luggage
capacity. You decide to go golfing. Is
there enough load capacity to carry you,
four of your friends and all the golf bags?
You and four friends average 220
pounds (99 kilograms) each and the golf
bags weigh approximately 30 pounds
(13.5 kilograms) each. The calculation
would be: 1400 - (5 x 220) - (5 x 30) =
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MKT (), enUSA, First Printing Load Carrying
TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the certification
label. Towing trailers beyond the
maximum recommended gross
trailer weight exceeds the limit of your
vehicle and could result in engine
damage, transmission damage,
structural damage, loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and personal
injury. Note:
Your vehicle may have electrical
items, such as fuses or relays, related
to towing. See Fuses (page 269). Your vehicle's load capacity designation
is by weight, not by volume, so you
cannot necessarily use all available
space when loading a vehicle or trailer.
Towing a trailer places an extra load on
your vehicle's engine, transmission, axle,
brakes, tires and suspension. Inspect
these components periodically during,
and after, any towing operation.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer movement
affects your vehicle when driving:
•
Load the heaviest items closest to
the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items centered
between the left and right side trailer
tires. •
Load the heaviest items above the
trailer axles or just slightly forward
toward the trailer tongue. Do not
allow the final trailer tongue weight
to go above or below 10-15% of the
loaded trailer weight.
• Select a ball mount with the correct
rise or drop. When both the loaded
vehicle and trailer are connected, the
trailer frame should be level, or
slightly angled down toward your
vehicle, when viewed from the side.
When driving with a trailer or payload, a
slight takeoff vibration or shudder may
be present due to the increased payload
weight. Additional information regarding
proper trailer loading and setting your
vehicle up for towing is located in the
Load Carrying chapter. See Load Limit
(page 235).
You can also find information in the
RV
& Trailer Towing Guide available at your
authorized dealer, or online.
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