2019 FORD FLEX ECO mode

ABOUT THIS MANUAL
Thank you for choosing Ford. We
recommend that you take some time to
get to know your vehicle by reading this
manual. The more that you know about
your vehicle, the greater the safety and
pleasure you will get from driving it.
WARNING: Driving while distracted
can result in loss of vehicle control, crash
and injury. We strongly recommend that
you use extreme caution when using any
device that may take your focus off the
road. Your primary responsibility is the safe
operation of your vehicle. We recommend
against the use of any hand-held device
while driving and encourage the use of
voice-operated systems when possible.
Make sure you are aware of all applicable
local laws that may affect the use of
electronic devices while driving.
Note: This manual describes product
features and options available throughout
the range of available models, sometimes
even before they are generally available. It
may describe options not fitted to the
vehicle you have purchased.
Note: Some of the illustrations in this
manual may show features as used in
different models, so may appear different
to you on your vehicle.
Note: Always use and operate your vehicle
in line with all applicable laws and
regulations.
Note: Pass on this manual when selling
your vehicle. It is an integral part of your
vehicle.
This manual may qualify the location of a
component as left-hand side or right-hand
side. The side is determined when facing
forward in the seat. Right-hand side.
A
Left-hand side.
B
SYMBOLS GLOSSARY
These are some of the symbols you may
see on your vehicle. Air conditioning system
Air conditioning system lubricant
type
Anti-lock braking system
Avoid smoking, flames or sparks
Battery
Battery acid
Brake fluid - non petroleum
based
Brake system
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Use a child restraint (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 WARNING:
Do not place a rearward
facing child restraint in front of an active
airbag. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death. WARNING:
Properly secure children
12 years old and under in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If you are
unable to properly secure all children in a
rear seating position, properly secure the
largest child on the front seat. If you must
use a forward facing child restraint on the
front seat, move the seat as far back as
possible. Failure to follow these
instructions could result in personal injury
or death. WARNING: 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 restraint 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 121).
• 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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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 you add the extra
weight of the child 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 you add the extra
weight of the child 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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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNING: Always drive and ride
with your seatback upright and the lap belt
snug and low across the hips. WARNING:
Children must always
be properly restrained. WARNING:
Never let a passenger
hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a crash. WARNING:
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. WARNING: It is extremely dangerous
to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of
a vehicle. In a crash, people riding in these
areas are more likely to be seriously injured
or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any
area of your vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and seatbelts. Make sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
properly using a seatbelt. Failure to follow
this warning could result in serious
personal injury or death. WARNING:
In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a seatbelt. WARNING:
Each seating position in
your vehicle has a specific seatbelt
assembly made up of one buckle and one
tongue designed to be used as a pair. Use
the shoulder belt on the outside shoulder
only. Never wear the shoulder belt under
the arm. Never use a single seatbelt for
more than one person. WARNING:
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. WARNING: Seatbelts and seats may
be hot in a vehicle that is in the sunshine.
The hot seatbelts or seats may burn a
small child. Check seat covers and buckles
before you place a child anywhere near
them.
All seating positions in your vehicle have
lap and shoulder seatbelts. All occupants
of the vehicle should always properly wear
their seatbelts, even when an airbag
supplemental restraint system is provided.
The seatbelt system consists of:
• Lap and shoulder seatbelts.
• Shoulder seatbelt with automatic
locking mode, (except driver seatbelt
and rear inflatable seatbelt).
• Height adjuster at the front outboard
seating positions.
• Seatbelt pretensioner at the front
outboard seating positions.
• Belt tension sensor at the front
outboard passenger seating position. •
Seatbelt warning light and chime.
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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 17).
How to Use the Automatic Locking
Mode
Non-inflatable seatbelts 1. Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
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2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull
downward until you pull the entire belt
out. As the belt retracts, you will hear
a clicking sound. This indicates the
seatbelt is now in the automatic
locking mode.
Rear outboard inflatable seatbelts (second
row only –if equipped)1. Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the lap portion of the belt and pull upward until you pull the entire
belt out.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound.
This indicates the seatbelt is now in the
automatic locking mode.
How to Disengage the Automatic
Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt and allow it to retract
completely to disengage the automatic
locking mode and activate the vehicle
sensitive (emergency) locking mode. Rear Inflatable Seatbelt (If Equipped) WARNING:
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.
Note: The rear inflatable seatbelts are
compatible with most infant and child
safety car seats and belt positioning booster
seats when properly installed. This is
because they are designed to fill with a
cooled gas at a lower pressure and at a
slower rate than traditional airbags. After
inflation, the shoulder portion of the
seatbelt remains cool to the touch.
The rear inflatable seatbelts are in the
shoulder portion of the seatbelts of the
second-row outboard seating positions.
The rear inflatable seatbelt consists of the
following:
• An inflatable bag in the shoulder
seatbelt webbing.
• Lap seatbelt webbing with automatic
locking mode.
• Crash sensors and monitoring system
with readiness indicator. See
Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator (page
50
).
How does the rear inflatable seatbelt
system work? WARNING:
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.
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3. For the seating position you are
switching off, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt three times at a moderate
speed, ending in the unbuckled state.
After Step 3, the safety belt warning
light turns on.
4. While the safety belt warning light is on, buckle and then unbuckle the
safety belt. After Step 4, the safety belt
warning light flashes for confirmation.
• This will switch the feature off for that
seating position if it is currently on.
• This will switch the feature on for that
seating position if it is currently off.
CHILD RESTRAINT AND
SEATBELT MAINTENANCE
Inspect the vehicle seatbelts and child
safety seat systems periodically to make
sure they work properly and are not
damaged. Inspect the vehicle and child
restraint seatbelts to make sure there are
no nicks, tears or cuts. Replace if
necessary. All vehicle seatbelt assemblies,
including retractors, buckles, front seatbelt
buckle assemblies, buckle support
assemblies (slide bar-if equipped),
shoulder belt height adjusters (if
equipped), shoulder belt guide on seat
backrest (if equipped), child safety seat
LATCH and tether anchors, and attaching
hardware, should be inspected after a
crash. Read the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions for additional
inspection and maintenance information
specific to the child restraint. We recommend that all seatbelt
assemblies in use in vehicles involved in a
crash be replaced. However, if the crash
was minor and an authorized dealer finds
that the belts do not show damage and
continue to operate properly, they do not
need to be replaced. Seatbelt assemblies
not in use during a crash should also be
inspected and replaced if either damage
or improper operation is noted.
Properly care for seatbelts. See Vehicle
Care (page 265).
SEATBELT EXTENSION WARNING:
Persons who fit into the
vehicle's seatbelt should not use an
extension. Unnecessary use could result in
serious personal injury in the event of a
crash. WARNING:
Only use extensions
provided free of charge by Ford Motor
Company dealers. The dealer will provide
an extension designed specifically for this
vehicle, model year and seating position.
The use of an extension intended for
another vehicle, model year or seating
position may not offer you the full
protection of your vehicle ’s seatbelt
restraint system. WARNING:
Never use seatbelt
extensions to install child restraints. WARNING:
Do not use a seatbelt
extension with an inflatable seatbelt. WARNING:
Do not use extensions
to change the fit of the belt across the
torso, over the lap or to make the seatbelt
buckle easier to reach.
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