2018 FORD FLEX hood open

Roadside Emergencies
Roadside Assistance
..................................221
Hazard Flashers ...........................................
222
Fuel Shutoff ..................................................
222
Jump Starting the Vehicle ........................
223
Post-Crash Alert System .........................
225
Transporting the Vehicle ..........................
225
Customer Assistance
Getting the Services You Need ..............
227
In California (U.S. Only) ............................
228
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Auto Line Program (U.S. Only) .....................
229
Utilizing the Mediation/Arbitration Program (Canada Only) ......................
230
Getting Assistance Outside the U.S. and Canada .......................................................
230
Ordering Additional Owner's Literature ........................................................................\
232
Reporting Safety Defects (U.S. Only) ........................................................................\
232
Reporting Safety Defects (Canada Only) ........................................................................\
232
Fuses
Fuse Specification Chart .........................
234
Changing a Fuse ..........................................
243
Maintenance
General Information ..................................
245
Opening and Closing the Hood .............
245
Under Hood Overview - 3.5L Duratec ........................................................................\
246
Under Hood Overview - 3.5L Ecoboost™ ........................................................................\
247
Engine Oil Dipstick .....................................
249
Engine Oil Check .........................................
249
Oil Change Indicator Reset .....................
250
Engine Coolant Check ..............................
250
Automatic Transmission Fluid Check ........................................................................\
254 Brake Fluid Check
.......................................
256
Power Steering Fluid Check ....................
257
Washer Fluid Check ....................................
257
Changing the 12V Battery .........................
257
Checking the Wiper Blades ....................
259
Changing the Wiper Blades ....................
259
Adjusting the Headlamps .......................
260
Removing a Headlamp ..............................
261
Changing a Bulb ...........................................
261
Bulb Specification Chart .........................
265
Changing the Engine Air Filter ................
267
Vehicle Care
General Information ..................................
268
Cleaning Products ......................................
268
Cleaning the Exterior .................................
268
Waxing ............................................................
270
Cleaning the Engine ...................................
270
Cleaning the Windows and Wiper Blades ........................................................................\
270
Cleaning the Interior ....................................
271
Cleaning the Instrument Panel and Instrument Cluster Lens ........................
271
Cleaning Leather Seats .............................
272
Repairing Minor Paint Damage ..............
273
Cleaning the Wheels ..................................
273
Vehicle Storage ............................................
273
Body Styling Kits .........................................
275
Wheels and Tires
General Information ..................................
276
Tire Care .........................................................
278
Using Snow Chains ....................................
292
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ..........
293
Changing a Road Wheel ..........................
296
Technical Specifications .........................
300
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Table of Contents

Cruise control switches. See
Using Cruise Control (page
189).
P
Hood release. See Opening and
Closing the Hood
(page 245).
Q
Instrument panel dimmer
control. See
Instrument
Lighting Dimmer (page 84).
R
Lighting control.
See Lighting
Control (page 82).
S
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing At a Glance

WARNINGS
manufacturer. A safety seat that is
improperly installed or utilized, is
inappropriate for your child's height, age,
or weight or does not properly fit the child
may increase the risk of serious injury or
death. Never let a passenger hold a child on
his or her lap while your vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a crash,
which may result in serious injury or death. Never use pillows, books, or towels
to boost a child. They can slide
around and increase the likelihood
of injury or death in a crash. WARNINGS
Always restrain an unoccupied child
seat or booster seat. These objects
may become projectiles in a crash or
sudden stop, which may increase the risk
of serious injury. Never place, or allow a child to place,
the shoulder belt under a child's arm
or behind the back because it
reduces the protection for the upper part
of the body and may increase the risk of
injury or death in a crash. To avoid risk of injury, do not leave
children or pets unattended in your
vehicle.
Recommendations for attaching child safety restraints for children
Use any attachment method as indicated below by X
Combined weight ofchild and
child seat
Restraint
Type Safety belt
only
Safety belt
and LATCH
(lower
anchors and top tether
anchor)
Safety belt
and toptether
anchor
LATCH
(lower
anchors only)
LATCH
(lower
anchors and top tether
anchor)
X
X
Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child seat
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child seat
X
X
X
Up to
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facing
child seat
X
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facing
child seat
Note: The child seat must rest tightly
against the vehicle seat upon which it is
installed. It may be necessary to lift or
remove the head restraint. See Seats (page
123
). CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
When these locks are set, the rear doors
cannot be opened from the inside.
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Child Safety

The Safety Canopy will deploy during
significant side crashes or when a certain
likelihood of a rollover event is detected
by the rollover sensor. The Safety Canopy
is mounted to the roof side-rail sheet
metal, behind the headliner, above each
row of seats. In certain sideways crashes
or rollover events, the Safety Canopy will
be activated, regardless of which seats are
occupied. The Safety Canopy is designed
to inflate between the side window area
and occupants to further enhance
protection provided in side impact crashes
and rollover events.
The system consists of the following:
•
Safety canopy curtain airbags above
the trim panels over the front and rear
side windows identified by a label or
wording on the headliner or roof-pillar
trim.
• A flexible headliner which opens above
the side doors to allow air curtain
deployment · Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
See Crash Sensors and Airbag
Indicator (page 50). Always properly restrain children 12 years
old and under in the rear seats. The Safety
Canopy will not interfere with children
restrained using a properly installed child
or booster seat because it is designed to
inflate downward from the headliner above
the doors along the side window opening.
The design and development of the Safety
Canopy included recommended testing
procedures that were developed by a
group of automotive safety experts known
as the Side Airbag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing
procedures help reduce the risk of injuries
related to the deployment of side airbags
(including the Safety Canopy).
CRASH SENSORS AND
AIRBAG INDICATOR
WARNING
Modifying or adding equipment to
the front end of the 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 the vehicle. Your vehicle has a collection of crash and
occupant sensors which provide
information to the restraints control
module. The restraints control module
deploys (activates) the front safety belt
pretensioners, driver airbag, passenger
airbag, seat mounted side airbags, the
Safety Canopy and rear inflatable safety
belts. Based on the type of crash, the
restraints control module will deploy the
appropriate safety devices.
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Supplementary Restraints SystemE75004 E67017

5. Reinstall the battery housing cover
onto the transmitter and install the key
blade.
Car Finder Press the button twice within
three seconds.
The horn sounds and the direction
indicators flash. We recommend you use
this method to locate your vehicle, rather
than using the panic alarm.
Note: If any door or the liftgate is open, or
if the hood is open on vehicles with an
anti-theft alarm or remote start, the horn
will sound twice and the direction indicators
will not flash.
Sounding the Panic Alarm Press the button to sound the
panic alarm. Press the button
again or switch the ignition on to
turn it off.
Note: The panic alarm only operates when
the ignition is off.
Remote Start (If Equipped) WARNING
To avoid exhaust fumes, do not use
remote start if your vehicle is parked
indoors or in areas that are not well
ventilated. Note:
Do not use remote start if your fuel
level is low. The remote start button is on the
transmitter.
This feature allows you to start your
vehicle from the outside. The transmitter
has an extended operating range. Vehicles with automatic climate control
can be configured to operate when the
vehicle is remote started. See Automatic
Climate Control
(page 115).
Many states and provinces have
restrictions for the use of remote start.
Check your local and state or provincial
laws for specific requirements regarding
remote start systems.
The remote start system does not work if
any of the following occur:
• The ignition is on.
• The anti-theft alarm triggers.
• You switch off the feature.
• The hood is open.
• The transmission is not in park (P).
• The battery voltage is below the
minimum operating voltage.
• The service engine soon indicator was
on the last time your vehicle was
driven.
Remote Starting Your Vehicle
Note: You must press each button within
three seconds of each other. If you do not
follow this sequence, your vehicle does not
start remotely, the direction indicators do
not flash twice and the horn does not sound. The label on your transmitter details the
starting procedure.
To start your vehicle remotely:
1. Press the lock button to lock all the
doors.
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Keys and Remote ControlsE138623 E138624 E138625 E138626

LOCKING AND UNLOCKING
You can use the power door lock control
or the remote control to lock and unlock
your vehicle.
Power Door Locks
The power door lock control is on the driver
and front passenger door panels.
Unlock.
A
Lock.
B
Remote Control
You can use the remote control at any
time.
Unlocking the Doors (Two-Stage
Unlock) Press the button to unlock the
driver door.
Press the button again within
three seconds to unlock all doors. The
direction indicators will flash. Press and hold both the lock and unlock
buttons on the remote control for three
seconds to change between driver door or
all doors unlock mode. The direction
indicators will flash twice to indicate a
change to the unlocking mode. Driver door
mode only unlocks the driver door when
you press the unlock button once. All door
mode unlocks all doors when you press
the unlock button once. The unlocking
mode applies to the remote control,
keyless entry keypad and intelligent
access.
Locking the Doors
Press the button to lock all
doors. The direction indicators
will flash.
Press the button again within three
seconds to confirm that all the doors are
closed. The doors will lock again, the horn
will sound and the direction indicators will
flash if all the doors and the liftgate are
closed.
Note: If any door or the liftgate is open, or
if the hood is open on vehicles with an
anti-theft alarm or remote start, the horn
will sound twice and the direction indicators
will not flash.
Locking and Unlocking the Doors
with the Key Blade
Locking with the Key
Turn the top of the key toward the front of
your vehicle.
Unlocking with the Key
Turn the top of the key toward the rear of
your vehicle.
Note: If the child safety locks are on and
you pull the interior handle, you will only
turn off the emergency locking, not the child
safety lock. You can only open the doors
using the external door handle.
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Doors and LocksE224861
A
B E138629 E138623

You must have two previously
programmed coded keys and the new
unprogrammed key readily accessible. See
your authorized dealer to have the spare
key programmed if two previously
programmed coded keys are not available.
Read and understand the entire procedure
before you begin.
1.
Insert the first previously programmed
coded key into the ignition.
2. Switch the ignition from off to on. Keep
the ignition on for at least three
seconds, but no more than 10 seconds.
3. Switch the ignition off and remove the
first coded key from the ignition.
4. After three seconds but within 10 seconds of switching the ignition off,
insert the second previously coded key
into the ignition.
5. Switch the ignition from off to on. Keep
the ignition on for at least three
seconds, but no more than 10 seconds.
6. Switch the ignition off and remove the
second previously programmed coded
key from the ignition.
7. After three seconds but within 10 seconds of switching the ignition off
and removing the previously
programmed coded key, insert the new
unprogrammed key into the ignition.
8. Switch the ignition from off to on. Keep
the ignition on for at least six seconds.
9. Remove the newly programmed coded
key from the ignition.
If the key has been successfully
programmed it will start the engine and
operate the remote entry system (if the
new key is an integrated keyhead
transmitter).
If programming was not successful, wait
10 seconds and repeat Steps 1 through 8.
If you are still unsuccessful, take your
vehicle to your authorized dealer. Programming a Spare Intelligent
Access Key
See your authorized dealer to have
additional keys programmed to your
vehicle.
ANTI-THEFT ALARM
The system will warn you of an
unauthorized entry to your vehicle. It will
be triggered if any door, the luggage
compartment or the hood is opened
without using the key, remote control or
keyless entry keypad.
The direction indicators will flash and the
horn will sound if unauthorized entry is
attempted while the alarm is armed.
Take all remote controls to an authorized
dealer if there is any potential alarm
problem with your vehicle.
Arming the Alarm
The alarm is ready to arm when there is
not a key in your vehicle. Electronically lock
your vehicle to arm the alarm.
Disarming the Alarm
Disarm the alarm by any of the following
actions:
•
Unlock the doors or luggage
compartment with the remote control
or keyless entry keypad.
• Switch your vehicle on or start your
vehicle.
• Use a key in the driver door to unlock
your vehicle, then switch your vehicle
on within 12 seconds.
Note: Pressing the panic button on the
remote control will stop the horn and signal
indicators, but will not disarm the system.
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Security

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 (N) and re-start the engine. Vehicles with an Ignition Key
1.
Shift into neutral and use the brakes to
bring your vehicle to a safe stop.
2. When your vehicle has stopped, shift into park (P) and switch the ignition
off.
3. Apply the parking brake.
Vehicles with Keyless Start
1. Shift into neutral and use the brakes to
bring your vehicle to a safe stop.
2. When your vehicle has stopped, shift into park (P).
3. Press and hold the push button ignition
switch, or press it three times within
two seconds.
4. Apply the parking brake.
Guarding Against Exhaust Fumes WARNING
If you smell exhaust fumes inside
your vehicle, have your vehicle
checked by your authorized dealer
immediately. Do not drive your vehicle if
you smell exhaust fumes. Carbon
monoxide is present in exhaust fumes.
Take precautions to avoid its dangerous
effects. Important Ventilating Information
If you stop your vehicle and then leave the
engine idling for long periods, we
recommend that you do one of the
following:
•
Open the windows at least 1 in (3 cm).
• Set your climate control to outside air.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER (If
Equipped) WARNINGS
Failure to follow engine block heater
instructions could result in property
damage or serious personal injury.
Do not use your heater with
ungrounded electrical systems or
two-pronged adapters. There is a risk
of electrical shock. Do not fully close the hood, or allow
it to drop under its own weight when
using the engine block heater. This
could damage the power cable and may
cause an electrical short resulting in fire,
injury and property damage. Note:
The heater is most effective when
outdoor temperatures are below
0°F
(-18°C).
The heater acts as a starting aid by
warming the engine coolant. This allows
the climate control system to respond
quickly. The equipment includes a heater
element (installed in the engine block) and
a wire harness. You can connect the
system to a grounded 120-volt AC
electrical source.
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Starting and Stopping the Engine