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:
182
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First Printing
TransmissionE144821
Upshifts when accelerating (recommended for best fuel economy)
mph (km/h)Gear Upshift
ToFrom
15 mph (24 km/h)21
25 mph (40 km/h)32
40 mph (64 km/h)43
45 mph (72 km/h)54
50 mph (80 km/h)65
The instrument cluster will display yourcurrently selected gear.
The transmission will automatically upshift ifyour engine speed is too high or downshiftif your engine speed is too low.
Note:The system will stay in manual controluntil you make another shift button selection.For example, drive (D).
Brake-Shift Interlock Override
WARNINGS
Do not drive your vehicle until youverify that the stoplamps are working.
When doing this procedure, you needto take the transmission out of park (P)which means your vehicle can roll freely. Toavoid unwanted vehicle movement, alwaysfully apply the parking brake prior to doingthis procedure. Use wheels chocks ifappropriate.
WARNINGS
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.
Note:See your authorized dealer as soonas possible if this procedure is used.
Note:For some markets this feature isdisabled.
183
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First Printing
Transmission
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck In Mud orSnow
Note:Do not rock your vehicle if your engineis not at normal operating temperature ordamage to your transmission may occur.
Note:Do not rock your vehicle for more thana minute or damage to your transmissionand tires may occur, or your engine mayoverheat.
Note:If your vehicle is equipped withAdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, itmay be beneficial to disengage theAdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Controlsystem while attempting to rock the vehicle.
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow,you can help rock your vehicle out by shiftingbetween forward and reverse gears,stopping between shifts in a steady pattern.Press lightly on the accelerator in each gear.
185
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First Printing
Transmission
USING ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (If Equipped)
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) uses all four wheelsto power the vehicle. This increases traction,enabling you to drive over terrain and roadconditions that a conventional two-wheeldrive vehicle cannot. The AWD system isactive all the time and requires no input fromthe operator.
Note:Your vehicle may be equipped withDynamic Torque Vectoring. This feature usesall four wheels to power the vehicle andindependently controls the torque to eachrear wheel. In addition, the system has theability to over speed the outside rear wheelin a turn. This increases traction andhandling performance, allowing the vehicleto travel through road conditions and havepath following capability superior toconventional two-wheel drive and AWDvehicles. The Dynamic Torque Vectoringsystem is active all the time and requires noinput from the operator.
Note:Your AWD vehicle is not intended foroff-road use. The AWD feature gives yourvehicle some limited off-road capabilities inwhich driving surfaces are relatively level,obstruction-free and otherwise similar tonormal on-road driving conditions. Operatingyour vehicle under other than thoseconditions could subject the vehicle toexcessive stress which might result indamage which is not covered under yourwarranty.
Note:When an AWD system fault is present,the warning AWD Malfunction ServiceRequired displays in the information display.The AWD system is not functioning correctlyand defaulted to front-wheel drive. Whenthis warning displays, have your vehicleserviced at an authorized dealer.
Note: The AWD OFF message may alsoappear in the information display if the AWDsystem overheats and defaults to front-wheeldrive. This may occur if the vehicle isoperated in extreme conditions withexcessive wheel slip, such as deep sand. 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 will turn off and normalAWD function returns. If the engine is notstopped, the AWD OFF message turns offwhen the system cools and normal AWDfunction returns.
186
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First Printing
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
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.
188
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First Printing
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
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,
189
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First Printing
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
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.
190
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First Printing
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
Once through water, always try the brakes.Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle aseffectively as dry brakes. Drying can beimproved by moving your vehicle slowlywhile applying light pressure on the brakepedal.
Be cautious of sudden changes in vehiclespeed or direction when you are driving inmud. Even AWD vehicles can lose tractionin slick mud. As when you are driving oversand, apply the accelerator slowly and avoidspinning your wheels. If the vehicle doesslide, steer in the direction of the slide untilyou regain control of the vehicle.
After driving through mud, clean off residuestuck to rotating driveshafts and tires. Excessmud stuck on tires and rotating driveshaftscauses an imbalance that could damagedrive components.
Note:Driving through deep water maydamage the transmission.
If the front or rear axle is submerged in water,have the power transfer unit (PTU) or rearaxle serviced by an authorized dealer.
Driving on Hilly or Sloping Terrain
Note:Avoid driving crosswise or turning onsteep slopes or hills. A danger lies in losingtraction, slipping sideways and possiblyrolling over. Whenever driving on a hill,determine beforehand the route you will use.Do not drive over the crest of a hill withoutseeing what conditions are on the other side.Do not drive in reverse over a hill withoutthe aid of an observer.
Although natural obstacles may make itnecessary to travel diagonally up or down ahill or steep incline, you should always try todrive straight up or straight down.
When climbing a steep slope or hill, start ina lower gear rather than downshifting to alower gear from a higher gear once theascent has started. This reduces strain onthe engine and the possibility of stalling.
If you do stall out, do not try to turnaroundbecause you might roll over. It is better toback down to a safe location.
Apply just enough power to the wheels toclimb the hill. Too much power will cause thetires to slip, spin or lose traction, resulting inloss of vehicle control.
Descend a hill in the same gear you woulduse to climb up the hill to avoid excessivebrake application and brake overheating. Donot descend in neutral; instead, disengageoverdrive or manually shift to a lower gear.When descending a steep hill, avoid suddenhard braking as you could lose control. Thefront wheels have to be turning in order tosteer the vehicle.
191
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First Printing
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)E143949