2018 FORD FLEX steering

Steering Wheel
Adjusting the Steering Wheel - Vehicles
With: Power Adjustable Steering
Column ..........................................................75
Adjusting the Steering Wheel - Vehicles With: Manual Adjustable Steering
Column ..........................................................
76
Audio Control ..................................................
76
Voice Control ...................................................
77
Cruise Control ..................................................
77
Information Display Control .......................
77
Heated Steering Wheel ...............................
77
Pedals
Adjusting the Pedals ....................................
79
Wipers and Washers
Windshield Wipers .......................................
80
Autowipers ......................................................
80
Windshield Washers .....................................
81
Rear Window Wiper and Washers ...........
81
Lighting
General Information .....................................
82
Lighting Control .............................................
82
Autolamps .......................................................
83
Instrument Lighting Dimmer ....................
84
Headlamp Exit Delay ...................................
84
Daytime Running Lamps ...........................
84
Front Fog Lamps ...........................................
85
Direction Indicators ......................................
85
Interior Lamps ................................................
85
Ambient Lighting ..........................................
86
Windows and Mirrors
Power Windows .............................................
87
Exterior Mirrors ...............................................
88
Interior Mirror ..................................................
90
Sun Visors ........................................................
90
Moonroof .........................................................
90Instrument Cluster
Gauges
..............................................................
92
Warning Lamps and Indicators ................
93
Audible Warnings and Indicators ............
96
Information Displays
General Information .....................................
97
Information Messages ...............................
105
Climate Control
Manual Climate Control .............................
114
Automatic Climate Control - Vehicles With: Premium AM/FM/CD ..................
115
Automatic Climate Control - Vehicles With: Sony Audio System ......................
116
Hints on Controlling the Interior Climate ........................................................................\
..
118
Rear Passenger Climate Controls .........
120
Heated Windows and Mirrors ...................
121
Cabin Air Filter ...............................................
122
Remote Start .................................................
122
Seats
Sitting in the Correct Position .................
123
Head Restraints ............................................
123
Manual Seats ................................................
126
Power Seats ...................................................
126
Memory Function ........................................
128
Rear Seats ......................................................
129
Heated Seats ................................................
136
Climate Controlled Seats ..........................
137
Universal Garage Door Opener
Universal Garage Door Opener ..............
138
Auxiliary Power Points
Auxiliary Power Points ...............................
143
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Storage Compartments
Center Console
.............................................145
Overhead Console ......................................
146
Starting and Stopping the Engine
General Information ...................................
147
Ignition Switch ..............................................
147
Keyless Starting ............................................
147
Starting a Gasoline Engine ......................
148
Engine Block Heater ....................................
151
Fuel and Refueling
Safety Precautions ......................................
153
Fuel Quality ....................................................
153
Fuel Filler Funnel Location .......................
154
Running Out of Fuel ...................................
154
Refueling .........................................................
156
Fuel Consumption ......................................
158
Engine Emission Control
Emission Law ................................................
160
Catalytic Converter ......................................
161
Transmission
Automatic Transmission ..........................
164
All-Wheel Drive
Using All-Wheel Drive ...............................
168
Brakes
General Information ....................................
175
Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock Brakes ........................................................................\
.
176
Parking Brake .................................................
176
Traction Control
Principle of Operation .................................
177
Using Traction Control ................................
177Stability Control
Principle of Operation
................................
178
Using Stability Control ...............................
179
Parking Aids
Principle of Operation ...............................
180
Rear Parking Aid ..........................................
180
Active Park Assist .........................................
181
Rear View Camera ......................................
185
Cruise Control
Principle of Operation ...............................
189
Using Cruise Control ..................................
189
Using Adaptive Cruise Control ...............
190
Driving Aids
Blind Spot Information System .............
196
Cross Traffic Alert ........................................
198
Steering ...........................................................
201
Collision Warning System ........................
201
Load Carrying
Cargo Nets ....................................................
204
Roof Racks and Load Carriers ...............
204
Load Limit .....................................................
204
Towing
Towing a Trailer ............................................
210
Trailer Sway Control .....................................
211
Recommended Towing Weights .............
211
Essential Towing Checks ..........................
213
Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels ......
216
Driving Hints
Breaking-In .....................................................
218
Economical Driving .....................................
218
Driving Through Water ...............................
219
Floor Mats .......................................................
219
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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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Note operating instructions
Horn control
Panic alarm
Parking aid
Parking brake
Power steering fluid
Power windows front/rear
Power window lockout
Requires registered technician
Safety alert
See Owner's Manual
See Service Manual
Service engine soon
Passenger airbag activated
Passenger airbag deactivated Side airbag
Shield the eyes
Stability control
Windshield wiping system
Windshield wash and wipe
DATA RECORDING
Service Data Recording
Service data recorders in your vehicle are
capable of collecting and storing
diagnostic information about your vehicle.
This potentially includes information about
the performance or status of various
systems and modules in the vehicle, such
as engine, throttle, steering or brake
systems. In order to properly diagnose and
service your vehicle, Ford Motor Company
(Ford of Canada in Canada), and service
and repair facilities may access or share
among them vehicle diagnostic
information received through a direct
connection to your vehicle when
diagnosing or servicing your vehicle.
Additionally, Ford Motor Company (Ford
of Canada, in Canada) may, where
permitted by law, use vehicle diagnostic
information for vehicle improvement or
with other information we may have about
you, (for example, your contact
information), to offer you products or
services that may interest you. Data may
be provided to our service providers such
as part suppliers that may help diagnose
malfunctions, and who are similarly
obligated to protect data. We retain this
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data only as long as necessary to perform
these functions or to comply with law. We
may provide information where required
in response to official requests to law
enforcement or other government
authorities or third parties acting with
lawful authority or court order, and such
information may be used in legal
proceedings. For U.S. only (if equipped), if
you choose to use connected apps and
services, such as SYNC Vehicle Health
Report or MyFord Mobile App, you consent
that certain diagnostic information may
also be accessed electronically by Ford
Motor Company and Ford authorized
service facilities, and that the diagnostic
information may be used to provide
services to you, personalizing your
experience, troubleshoot, and to improve
products and services and offer you
products and services that may interest
you, where permitted by law. For Canada
only, for more information, please review
the Ford of Canada privacy policy at
www.ford.ca, including our U.S. data
storage and use of service providers in
other jurisdictions who may be subject to
legal requirements in Canada, the United
States and other countries applicable to
them, for example, lawful requirements to
disclose personal information to
governmental authorities in those
countries. See SYNC™ (page 326).
Event Data Recording
This vehicle is equipped with an event
data recorder. The main purpose of an
event data recorder is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an airbag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle;
this data will assist in understanding
how a vehicle ’s systems performed.
The event data recorder is designed to
record data related to vehicle dynamics
and safety systems for a short period
of time, typically 30 seconds or less. The event data recorder in this vehicle
is designed to record such data as:
•
How various systems in your vehicle
were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was
depressing the accelerator and/or
the brake pedal; and
• How fast the vehicle was traveling;
and
• Where the driver was positioning
the steering wheel.
This data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances in
which crashes and injuries occur.
Note: Event data recorder data is
recorded by your vehicle only if a
non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data
is recorded by the event data recorder
under normal driving conditions and no
personal data or information (e.g., name,
gender, age, and crash location) is
recorded (see limitations regarding 911
Assist and Traffic, directions and
Information privacy below). However,
parties, such as law enforcement, could
combine the event data recorder data
with the type of personally identifying
data routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an event data
recorder, special equipment is required,
and access to the vehicle or the event
data recorder is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other
parties, such as law enforcement, that
have such special equipment, can read
the information if they have access to
the vehicle or the event data recorder.
Ford Motor Company and Ford of
Canada do not access event data
recorder information without obtaining
consent, unless pursuant to court order
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Introduction

INSTRUMENT PANEL OVERVIEW
Air vent.
A
Wiper lever. See Windshield
Wipers (page 80).
B
Direction Indicators. See
Direction Indicators (page
85).
C
Information display control. See
Information Display Control
(page
77).
D
Instrument cluster.
See Gauges
(page 92).
E
Information display control. See
Information Display Control
(page
77).
F
Audio system. See
Audio
System (page 317).
G Hazard flasher switch. See
Hazard Flashers
(page 222).
H
Information and entertainment
display.
I
Passenger airbag indicator light.
See
Front Passenger Sensing
System (page 46).
J
Climate controls. See
Climate
Control (page 114).
K
Keyless start button. See
Keyless Starting
(page 147).
L
Audio control.
See Audio
Control (page 76).
M
Horn.
N
Steering wheel adjustment. See
Adjusting the Steering Wheel
(page
76).
O
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Airbags do not inflate slowly or
gently, and the risk of injury from a
deploying airbag is the greatest close
to the trim covering the airbag module. All occupants of your vehicle,
including the driver, should always
properly wear their seatbelts, even
when an airbag supplemental restraint
system is provided. Failure to properly wear
your seatbelt could seriously increase the
risk of injury or death. Even with advanced restraints
systems, properly restrain children
12 and under in a rear seating
position. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death. Do not place your arms on the airbag
cover or through the steering wheel.
Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury. Keep the areas in front of the airbags
free from obstruction. Do not affix
anything to or over the airbag covers.
Objects could become projectiles during
airbag deployment or in a sudden stop.
Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death. Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child restraint. Never place a
rear-facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. If you must use a
forward-facing child restraint in the front
seat, move the seat upon which the child
restraint is installed all the way back. Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the supplementary restraint
system or associated components.
Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death. WARNINGS
Several airbag system components
get hot after inflation. To reduce the
risk of injury, do not touch them after
inflation. If a supplementary restraint system
component has deployed, it will not
function again. Have the system and
associated components inspected as soon
as possible. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death. The airbags are a supplemental restraint
system and are designed to work with the
seatbelts to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain upper
body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a deploying
airbag.
Note:
You will hear a loud bang and see a
cloud of harmless powdery residue if an
airbag deploys. This is normal.
The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly
upon activation. After airbag deployment,
it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery
residue or smell the burnt propellant. This
may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder
(to lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (for example, baking soda)
that result from the combustion process
that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of
sodium hydroxide may be present which
may irritate the skin and eyes, but none of
the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, contact with a
deploying airbag may also cause abrasions
or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also
a possibility as a result of the noise
associated with a deploying airbag.
Because airbags must inflate rapidly and
with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures,
facial and eye injuries or internal injuries,
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particularly to occupants who are not
properly restrained or are otherwise out of
position at the time of airbag deployment.
Thus, it is extremely important that
occupants be properly restrained as far
away from the airbag module as possible
while maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is not
required.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER
AIRBAGS
WARNINGS
Do not place your arms on the airbag
cover or through the steering wheel.
Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury. Keep the areas in front of the airbags
free from obstruction. Do not affix
anything to or over the airbag covers.
Objects could become projectiles during
airbag deployment or in a sudden stop.
Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death. Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child restraint. Never place a
rear-facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. If you must use a
forward-facing child restraint in the front
seat, move the seat upon which the child
restraint is installed all the way back. The driver and front passenger airbags will
deploy during significant frontal and near
frontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbag
system consists of:
•
Driver and passenger airbag modules.
• Front passenger sensing system. · Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
See Crash Sensors and Airbag
Indicator (page 50).
Proper Driver and Front Passenger
Seating Adjustment WARNING
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance
of at least
10 in (25 cm) between an
occupant's chest and the driver airbag
module. To properly position yourself away from
the airbag:
•
Move your seat to the rear as far as you
can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.
• Recline the seat slightly (one or two
degrees) from the upright position.
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