2018 FORD FLEX tow

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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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Table of Contents

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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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Table of Contents

PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
You should play your part in protecting the
environment. Correct vehicle usage and
the authorized disposal of waste, cleaning
and lubrication materials are significant
steps toward this aim.
For details about Ford Motor
Company's sustainability progress and
initiatives visit:
Web Address
www.sustainability.ford.com
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Use a child safety seat (sometimes called
an infant carrier, convertible seat, or
toddler seat) for infants, toddlers or
children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less
(generally age four or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts WARNINGS
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. Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child restraint. Properly restrain
children 12 and under in the rear seat
whenever possible. Depending on where you secure a
child restraint, and depending on the
child restraint design, you may block
access to certain seatbelt buckle
assemblies and LATCH lower anchors,
rendering those features potentially
unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure
occupants only use seating positions
where they are able to be properly
restrained. When installing a child safety seat with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
•
Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that
seating position.
• Insert the belt tongue into the proper
buckle until you hear a snap and feel it
latch. Make sure the tongue is securely
fastened in the buckle.
• Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the safety
seat, with the tongue between the child
restraint and the release button, to
prevent accidental unbuckling. •
Place the vehicle seat upon which the
child restraint will be installed in the
upright position.
• For second-row seating positions,
adjust the recliner slightly to improve
child restraint fit. If needed, remove the
head restraints.
• For third-row seating positions, stow
the head restraints to improve child
restraint fit. See
Head Restraints
(page 123).
• Put the seatbelt in the automatic
locking mode. See Step 5. This vehicle
does not require the use of a locking
clip.
Perform the following steps when
installing the child restraint with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
Note: Although the child restraint
illustrated is a forward facing child restraint,
the steps are the same for installing a rear
facing child restraint.
Note: The lock-off device on some child
restraints may not accommodate the
shoulder portion of the inflatable seatbelt.
Follow all instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the child restraint regarding
the necessary and proper use of the lock-off
device. In some instances these devices
have been provided only for use in vehicles
with seatbelt systems that would otherwise
require a locking clip.
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201801, Second Printing Child Safety

5. To put the retractor in the automatic
locking mode, grasp the shoulder
portion of the belt and pull downward
until you pull all of the belt out.
Note: The automatic locking mode is
available on the front passenger and rear
seats.
6. Allow the belt to retract to remove slack. The belt clicks as it retracts to
indicate it is in the automatic locking
mode.
7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode (you should
not be able to pull more belt out). If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the
belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6. 8.
Remove remaining slack from the belt.
Force the seat down with extra weight,
for example, by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint while
pulling up on the shoulder belt in order
to force slack from the belt. This is
necessary to remove the remaining
slack that exists once the extra weight
of the child is added to the child
restraint. It also helps to achieve the
proper snugness of the child restraint
to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight
lean toward the buckle provides extra
help to remove remaining slack from
the belt.
9. Attach the tether strap (if the child restraint is equipped). 10. Before placing the child in the seat,
forcibly move the seat forward and
back to make sure the seat is securely
held in place. To check this, grab the
seat at the belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and forward and
back. There should be no more than
1 in (2.5 cm) of movement for proper
installation.
We recommend checking with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician to make certain the child
restraint is properly installed. In Canada,
check with Transport Canada for referral
to a Child Car Seat Clinic.
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5. To put the retractor in the automatic
locking mode, grasp the lap portion of
the inflatable seatbelt and pull upward
until you pull all of the belt out.
Note: The automatic locking mode is
available on the front passenger and rear
seats.
Note: Unlike the standard seatbelt, the
inflatable seatbelt's unique lap portion locks
the child restraint for installation. The ability
for the shoulder portion of the belt to move
freely is normal, even after the lap belt has
been put into the automatic locking mode.
Note: The lock-off device on some child
restraints may not accommodate the
shoulder portion of the inflatable seatbelt.
Follow all instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the child restraint regarding
the necessary and proper use of the lock-off
device. In some instances, these devices
have been provided only for use in vehicles
with seatbelt systems that would otherwise
require a locking clip.
6. Allow the belt to retract to remove slack. The belt clicks as it retracts to
indicate it is in the automatic locking
mode. 7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor
to make sure the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode (you should
not be able to pull more belt out). If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the
belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6. 8.
Remove remaining slack from the belt.
Force the seat down with extra weight,
for example, by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint while
pulling down on the lap belt in order to
force slack from the belt. This is
necessary to remove the remaining
slack that exists once the extra weight
of the child is added to the child
restraint. It also helps to achieve the
proper snugness of the child restraint
to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight
lean toward the buckle will additionally
help to remove remaining slack from
the belt.
9. Attach the tether strap (if the child restraint is equipped).
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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

Pregnant women should always wear their
seatbelt. Position the lap belt portion of a
combination lap and shoulder belt low
across the hips below the belly and worn
as tight as comfort allows. Position the
shoulder belt to cross the middle of the
shoulder and the center of the chest.
Seatbelt Locking Modes
WARNING
If your vehicle is involved in a crash,
have the seatbelts and associated
components inspected as soon as
possible. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death. All safety restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts. The
driver seatbelt has the vehicle sensitive
locking mode. The front outboard
passenger and rear seat belts have both
the vehicle sensitive locking mode and the
automatic locking mode.
Vehicle Sensitive Mode
This is the normal retractor mode, which
allows free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movements and
locking in response to vehicle movement.
For example, if the driver brakes suddenly
or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle
receives an impact of about 5 mph
(8 km/h) or more, the combination
seatbelts lock to help reduce forward
movement of the driver and passengers.
In addition, the retractor is designed to lock
if you pull the webbing out too quickly. If
the seatbelt retractor locks, slowly lower
the height adjuster to allow the seatbelt
to retract. If the retractor does not unlock,
pull the seatbelt out slowly then feed a small length of webbing back toward the
stowed position. For rear seatbelts, recline
the rear seat backrest or push the seat
backrest cushion away from the seatbelt.
Feed a small length of webbing back
toward the stowed position.
Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt
automatically pre-locks. The belt still
retracts to remove any slack in the
shoulder belt. The automatic locking mode
is not available on the driver seatbelt.
When to Use the Automatic Locking
Mode
Use this mode any time a child safety seat,
except a booster, is installed in passenger
front or rear seating positions. Properly
restrain children 12 years old and under in
a rear seating position whenever possible.
See
Child Safety (page 18).
How to Use the Automatic Locking
Mode
Non-inflatable seatbelts 1. Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
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