Note:Do not remove ice from the mirrorswith a scraper or adjust the mirror glasswhen it is frozen in place.
Note:Do not clean the mirror housing orglass with harsh abrasives, fuel or otherpetroleum-based cleaning products.
Windshield Wiper De-icer (If Equipped)
When you switch the heated rear windowon, the windshield wiper de-icer turns on.
CABIN AIR FILTER
Your vehicle is equipped with a cabin airfilter, which gives you and your passengersthe following benefits:
•It improves your driving comfort byreducing particle and odor concentration.
•It improves the interior compartmentcleanliness.
•It protects the climate controlcomponents from particle deposits.
You can locate the cabin air filter behind theglove box.
Note:Make sure you have a cabin air filterinstalled at all times. This prevents foreignobjects from entering the system. Runningthe system without a filter in place couldresult in degradation or damage to thesystem.
Replace the filter at regular intervals.
For additional cabin air filter information, orto replace the filter, see a qualifiedtechnician.
REMOTE START
The system adjusts the interior temperaturedepending on your chosen settings duringremote start.
You cannot adjust the climate control settingduring remote start operation. When youswitch the ignition on, the climate controlsystem returns to the previous settings. Youcan now make adjustments.
Some features may remain on if they turn onduring remote start:
•Driver heated seat.
•Driver ventilated seat.
•Heated steering wheel.
•Heated mirrors.
•Heated rear window.
•Windshield wiper de-icer.
Note:If the passenger heated or ventilatedseats are on when you switch the vehicleoff, they default to the driver setting whenyou switch the vehicle on.
You can adjust the default remote startsettings using the information displaycontrols. See Information Displays (page111).
Automatic Settings
In hot weather, the system sets to 72°F(22°C). The ventilated seats set to high (ifavailable, and if you select AUTO in theinformation display).
In moderate weather, the system heats orcools (based on pre-selected settings). Therear defroster, heated mirrors and heated orventilated seats do not turn on.
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Climate Control
In cold weather, the system sets to 72°F(22°C). The heated seats and heated steeringwheel set to high (if available, and if youselect AUTO in the information display). Therear defroster and heated mirrors turn on.
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SITTING IN THE CORRECT
POSITION
WARNINGS
Sitting improperly, out of position orwith the seatback reclined too far cantake weight off the seat cushion and affectthe decision of the passenger sensingsystem, resulting in serious injury or deathin the event of a crash. Always sit uprightagainst your seat back, with your feet on thefloor.
Do not recline the seatback as this cancause the occupant to slide under thesafety belt, resulting in serious injury in theevent of a crash.
Do not place objects higher than theseatback to reduce the risk of seriousinjury in the event of a crash or during heavybraking.
When you use them properly, the seat, headrestraint, safety belt and airbags will provideoptimum protection in the event of a crash.
We recommend that you follow theseguidelines:
•Sit in an upright position with the base ofyour spine as far back as possible.
•Do not recline the seatback more than30 degrees.
•Adjust the head restraint so that the topof it is level with the top of your head andas far forward as possible. Make sure thatyou remain comfortable.
•Keep sufficient distance betweenyourself and the steering wheel. Werecommend a minimum of 10 in (25 cm)between your breastbone and the airbagcover.
•Hold the steering wheel with your armsslightly bent.
•Bend your legs slightly so that you canpress the pedals fully.
•Position the shoulder strap of the safetybelt over the center of your shoulder andposition the lap strap tightly across yourhips.
Make sure that your driving position iscomfortable and that you can maintain fullcontrol of your vehicle.
HEAD RESTRAINTS
WARNINGS
Fully adjust the head restraint beforeyou sit in or operate your vehicle. Thiswill help minimize the risk of neck injury inthe event of a crash. Do not adjust the headrestraint when your vehicle is moving.
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2. A message will appear in yourinformation display screen prompting youto press the neutral (N) button.
3. Press the neutral (N) button again toenter Stay in Neutral mode.
A message will appear in your informationdisplay screen when your vehicle hasentered Stay in Neutral mode.
Note:During this mode the neutral (N) buttonwill flash continuously and your instrumentcluster will display N as the selected gear.
Exiting Stay in Neutral mode
To disable Stay in Neutral mode selectanother gear. See the Putting the Vehiclein Gear for instructions on how to do this.
Entering a Carwash
Note:Always put your vehicle in Stay inNeutral mode when entering an automaticcar wash. Failure to do this could result invehicle damage not covered by warranty.
Drive (D)
The normal driving position for the best fueleconomy.
Sport (S)
Putting the vehicle in sport (S):
•Provides additional engine braking andextends lower gear operation to enhanceperformance for uphill climbs, hilly terrainor mountainous areas. This will increaseengine RPM during engine braking
•Provides additional lower gear operationthrough the automatic transmission shiftstrategy
•Provides gear selection more quickly andat higher engine speeds
SelectShift Automatic™ Transmission
Your SelectShift Automatic transmissiongives you the ability to change gearsmanually.
Paddle Shifters
With your vehicle in drive (D), the paddleshifters provide temporary manual control.They allow you the ability to shift gearsquickly, without taking your hands off thesteering wheel.
You can achieve extensive manual controlby pressing the sport (S) button.
•Pull the right paddle (+) to upshift.
•Pull the left paddle (–) to downshift.
Upshift to the recommended shift speedsaccording to the following chart:
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Operating AWD Vehicles With Spareor Mismatched Tires
WARNING
Only use replacement tires and wheelsthat are the same size, load index,speed rating and type (such as P-metricversus LT-metric or all-season versusall-terrain) as those originally provided byFord. The recommended tire and wheel sizemay be found on either the SafetyCompliance Certification Label (affixed toeither the door hinge pillar, door-latch post,or the door edge that meets the door-latchpost, next to the driver’s seating position), orthe Tire Label which is located on the B-Pillaror edge of the driver’s door. If thisinformation is not found on these labels, thenyou should contact your authorized dealeras soon as possible. Use of any tire or wheelnot recommended by Ford can affect thesafety and performance of your vehicle,which could result in an increased risk of lossof vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personalinjury and death.
A spare tire of a different size other than thetire provided should never be used. TheAWD system may disable automatically andenter front-wheel drive only mode to protectdriveline components if a non-full sized tireis installed. This condition may display anAWD OFF message in the informationdisplay. If there is an AWD OFF message inthe information display from using a non-fullsized spare tire, this indicator should turn offafter reinstalling the repaired or replacednormal road tire and cycling the ignition offand on. It is recommended to reinstall therepaired or replaced road tire as soon aspossible.
Major dissimilar tire sizes between the frontand rear axles (for example, 17 inch lowprofile tires on the front axle and 22 inch highprofile tires on the rear axle) could cause theAWD system to stop functioning and defaultto front-wheel drive or damage the AWDsystem. However, the AWD system iscapable of tolerating any combination of newand worn tires of the same original tire size.For example, using 3 worn tread tires and 1new tread tire all of the same original tiresize, can be tolerated by the AWD system.
Driving In Special Conditions With All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
AWD vehicles are equipped for driving onsand, snow, mud and rough roads and haveoperating characteristics that are somewhatdifferent from conventional vehicles, both onand off the highway.
When driving at slow speeds in deep sandunder high outside temperatures, use a lowgear when possible. Lower gear operationwill maximize the engine and transmissioncooling capability.
Under severe operating conditions, the A/Cmay cycle on and off to protect overheatingof the engine.
Basic operating principles in specialconditions
•Drive slower in strong crosswinds whichcan affect the normal steeringcharacteristics of your vehicle.
•Be extremely careful when driving onpavement made slippery by loose sand,water, gravel, snow or ice.
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If Your Vehicle Goes Off the Edge of thePavement
•If your vehicle goes off the edge of thepavement, slow down, but avoid severebrake application, ease the vehicle backonto the pavement only after reducingyour speed. Do not turn the steeringwheel too sharply while returning to theroad surface.
•It may be safer to stay on the apron orshoulder of the road and slow downgradually before returning to thepavement. You may lose control if youdo not slow down or if you turn thesteering wheel too sharply or abruptly.
•It often may be less risky to strike smallobjects, such as highway reflectors, withminor damage to your vehicle rather thanattempt a sudden return to the pavementwhich could cause the vehicle to slidesideways out of control or rollover.Remember, your safety and the safety ofothers should be your primary concern.
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
WARNINGS
Always set the parking brake fully andmake sure you shift the gearshift leverto park (P). Switch the ignition off and removethe key whenever you leave your vehicle.
If the parking brake is fully released,but the brake warning lamp remainsilluminated, the brakes may not be workingproperly. Have your vehicle checked as soonas possible.
Do not spin the wheels at over 34 mph(55 km/h). The tires may fail and injurea passenger or bystander.
Note:Do not rock the vehicle if the engineis not at normal operating temperature ordamage to the transmission may occur.
Note:Do not rock the vehicle for more thana few minutes or damage to the transmissionand tires may occur or the engine mayoverheat.
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow itmay be rocked out by shifting betweenforward and reverse gears, stoppingbetween shifts, in a steady pattern. Presslightly on the accelerator in each gear.
If your vehicle is equipped withAdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™, itmay be beneficial to disengage theAdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™system while attempting to rock the vehicle.
Emergency Maneuvers
•In an unavoidable emergency situationwhere a sudden sharp turn must bemade, remember to avoid "over-driving"your vehicle (that is, turn the steeringwheel only as rapidly and as far asrequired to avoid the emergency).Excessive steering will result in lessvehicle control, not more. Additionally,smooth variations of the acceleratorand/or brake pedal pressure should beutilized if changes in vehicle speed arecalled for. Avoid abrupt steering,
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acceleration or braking which could resultin an increased risk of loss of vehiclecontrol, vehicle rollover and/or personalinjury. Use all available road surface toreturn the vehicle to a safe direction oftravel.
•In the event of an emergency stop, avoidskidding the tires and do not attempt anysharp steering wheel movements.
•If the vehicle goes from one type ofsurface to another (that is, from concreteto gravel) there will be a change in theway the vehicle responds to a maneuver(steering, acceleration or braking). Again,avoid these abrupt inputs.
Sand
Most of the time traction control improvestire traction by managing wheel slip throughBrake, Engine, and AWD calibrations.However, during low speed driving, disablingtraction control in deep sand can help keepthe wheels moving to maintain vehiclemomentum.
When driving over sand, try to keep all fourwheels on the most solid area of the trail.Avoid reducing the tire pressures but shiftto a lower gear and drive steadily throughthe terrain. Apply the accelerator slowly andavoid spinning the wheels.
Do not drive your vehicle in deep sand foran extended period of time. This could causethe AWD system to overheat and default tofront-wheel drive. If this occurs, an AWD OFFmessage displays in the information display.To resume normal AWD function as soon aspossible, stop the vehicle in a safe locationand stop the engine for at least 10 minutes.After the engine has been restarted and theAWD system has adequately cooled, theAWD OFF message turns off and normalAWD function returns. In the event theengine is not stopped, the AWD OFFmessage turns off when the system coolsand normal AWD function returns.
When driving at slow speeds in deep sandunder high outside temperatures, use L (Low)gear when possible. L (Low) gear operationwill maximize the engine and transmissioncooling capability.
Under severe operating conditions, the A/Cmay cycle on and off to protect overheatingof the engine.
Avoid excessive speed because vehiclemomentum can work against you and causethe vehicle to become stuck to the point thatassistance may be required from anothervehicle. Remember, you may be able to backout the way you came if you proceed withcaution.
Mud and Water
If you must drive through high water, driveslowly. Traction or brake capability may belimited.
When driving through water, determine thedepth; avoid water higher than the bottomof the wheel rims (for cars) or the bottom ofthe hubs (for trucks) (if possible) and proceedslowly. If the ignition system gets wet, thevehicle may stall.
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Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, thereforeapply the brakes steadily. Do not “pump” thebrakes.
Driving on Snow and Ice
WARNING
If you are driving in slippery conditionsthat require tire chains or cables, thenit is critical that you drive cautiously. Keepspeeds down, allow for longer stoppingdistances and avoid aggressive steering toreduce the chances of a loss of vehiclecontrol which can lead to serious injury ordeath. If the rear end of your vehicle slideswhile cornering, steer in the direction of theslide until you regain control of your vehicle.
Note:Your vehicle may have originalequipment tires designed to optimize theperformance of your vehicle in dry or wetsummer road conditions. If your vehicle isequipped with such tires, we recommendusing a dedicated set (all 4 tires) of wintertires in snow and ice conditions. Do not mixwinter tires and performance tires betweenaxles or degraded traction and handlingcharacteristics could result.
Note:Excessive tire slippage can causedriveline damage.
AWD vehicles have advantages overtwo-wheel drive (2WD) vehicles in snow andice but can skid like any other vehicle.
Should you start to slide while driving onsnowy or icy roads, turn the steering wheelin the direction of the slide until you regaincontrol.
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