2019 FORD FLEX brake

Storage Compartments
Center Console
.............................................143
Overhead Console ......................................
144
Starting and Stopping the Engine
General Information ...................................
145
Ignition Switch ..............................................
145
Keyless Starting ...........................................
146
Starting a Gasoline Engine ......................
146
Engine Block Heater ...................................
149
Fuel and Refueling
Safety Precautions .......................................
151
Fuel Quality .....................................................
151
Fuel Filler Funnel Location .......................
152
Running Out of Fuel ....................................
152
Refueling .........................................................
154
Fuel Consumption ......................................
156
Engine Emission Control
Emission Law ................................................
158
Catalytic Converter .....................................
159
Transmission
Automatic Transmission ...........................
162
All-Wheel Drive
Using All-Wheel Drive ...............................
166
Brakes
General Information ....................................
173
Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock Brakes ........................................................................\
.
174
Parking Brake .................................................
174
Traction Control
Principle of Operation ................................
175
Using Traction Control ...............................
175Stability Control
Principle of Operation
................................
176
Using Stability Control ...............................
177
Parking Aids
Principle of Operation ................................
178
Rear Parking Aid ...........................................
178
Active Park Assist ........................................
179
Rear View Camera ......................................
183
Cruise Control
Principle of Operation ................................
187
Using Cruise Control ...................................
187
Using Adaptive Cruise Control ...............
188
Driving Aids
Blind Spot Information System .............
194
Cross Traffic Alert ........................................
196
Steering ...........................................................
199
Collision Warning System ........................
199
Load Carrying
Cargo Nets ....................................................
202
Roof Racks and Load Carriers ...............
202
Load Limit ......................................................
202
Towing
Towing a Trailer ...........................................
208
Trailer Sway Control ..................................
209
Recommended Towing Weights ..........
209
Essential Towing Checks ...........................
211
Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels ......
214
Driving Hints
Breaking-In .....................................................
216
Economical Driving .....................................
216
Driving Through Water ...............................
217
Floor Mats .......................................................
217
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Roadside Emergencies
Roadside Assistance
..................................219
Hazard Flashers ..........................................
220
Fuel Shutoff ..................................................
220
Jump Starting the Vehicle .........................
221
Post-Crash Alert System ..........................
223
Transporting the Vehicle ..........................
223
Customer Assistance
Getting the Services You Need ..............
225
In California (U.S. Only) ............................
226
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Auto Line Program (U.S. Only) .....................
227
Utilizing the Mediation/Arbitration Program (Canada Only) ......................
228
Getting Assistance Outside the U.S. and Canada .......................................................
228
Ordering Additional Owner's Literature ........................................................................\
230
Reporting Safety Defects (U.S. Only) ........................................................................\
230
Reporting Safety Defects (Canada Only) ........................................................................\
230
Fuses
Fuse Specification Chart ..........................
232
Changing a Fuse ...........................................
241
Maintenance
General Information ..................................
243
Opening and Closing the Hood .............
243
Under Hood Overview - 3.5L Duratec ........................................................................\
244
Under Hood Overview - 3.5L Ecoboost™ ........................................................................\
245
Engine Oil Dipstick ......................................
247
Engine Oil Check .........................................
247
Oil Change Indicator Reset .....................
248
Engine Coolant Check ..............................
249
Automatic Transmission Fluid Check ........................................................................\
253 Brake Fluid Check
.......................................
255
Power Steering Fluid Check ....................
255
Washer Fluid Check ...................................
255
Changing the 12V Battery ........................
256
Checking the Wiper Blades .....................
257
Changing the Wiper Blades ....................
258
Adjusting the Headlamps .......................
259
Removing a Headlamp ............................
260
Changing a Bulb .........................................
260
Changing the Engine Air Filter ...............
263
Vehicle Care
General Information ..................................
265
Cleaning Products ......................................
265
Cleaning the Exterior .................................
265
Waxing ............................................................
267
Cleaning the Engine ...................................
267
Cleaning the Windows and Wiper Blades ........................................................................\
267
Cleaning the Interior ..................................
268
Cleaning the Instrument Panel and Instrument Cluster Lens ......................
268
Cleaning Leather Seats ............................
269
Repairing Minor Paint Damage ..............
270
Cleaning the Wheels .................................
270
Vehicle Storage ............................................
270
Body Styling Kits ..........................................
272
Wheels and Tires
General Information ...................................
273
Tire Care .........................................................
275
Using Snow Chains ....................................
288
Tire Pressure Monitoring System .........
289
Changing a Road Wheel ..........................
293
Technical Specifications .........................
298
Capacities and Specifications
Engine Specifications - 3.5L Duratec ........................................................................\
299
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing Table of Contents

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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Brake system
Cabin air filter
Check fuel cap
Child safety door lock or unlock
Child seat lower anchor
Child seat tether anchor
Cruise control
Do not open when hot
Engine air filter
Engine coolant
Engine coolant temperature
Engine oil
Explosive gas
Fan warning
Fasten seatbelt Flammable
Front airbag
Front fog lamps
Fuel pump reset
Fuse compartment
Hazard flashers
Heated rear window
Windshield defrosting system
Interior luggage compartment
release
Jack
Keep out of reach of children
Lighting control
Low tire pressure warning
Maintain correct fluid level
Note operating instructions
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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
Hill descent control
Trail 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
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as part suppliers that may help diagnose
malfunctions, and who are similarly
obligated to protect data. We retain this
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 324).
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
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing Introduction

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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Then...
If...
The Belt-Minder feature will not activate.
You and the front seat passenger buckle
your safety belts before you switch the
ignition on or less than 1– 2 minutes elapse
after you switch the ignition on...
The Belt-Minder feature activates, the
safety belt warning light illuminates and a
warning tone sounds for 6 seconds every
25 seconds, repeating for about 5 minutes
or until you and the front seat passenger
buckle your safety belts.
You or the front seat passenger do not
buckle your safety belts before your vehicle
reaches at least 6 mph (9.7 km/h) and 1–
2
minutes elapse after you switch the ignition
on...
The Belt-Minder feature activates, the
safety belt warning light illuminates and a
warning tone sounds for 6 seconds every
25 seconds, repeating for about 5 minutes
or until you and the front seat passenger
buckle your safety belts.
The safety belt for the driver or front
passenger is unbuckled for about 1 minute
while the vehicle is traveling at least 6 mph
(9.7 km/h) and more than 1–
2 minutes
elapse after you switch the ignition on...
Deactivating and Activating the
Belt-Minder Feature WARNING: While the system allows
you to switch this feature off, the intent of
the system is to remind you to wear your
safety belt to improve your chance to
survive an accident. We recommend you
leave the system switched on for yourself
and others who may use the vehicle.
Note: The driver and front passenger
warnings switch on and off independently.
When you perform this procedure for one
seating position, do not buckle the other
position as this will terminate the process.
Note: If you are using MyKey, you cannot
disable the Belt-Minder. Also, if you have
previously disabled the Belt-Minder, it will
be re-enabled during the use of MyKey. See
MyKey ™
(page 57). . Read Steps 1–4 thoroughly before
proceeding with the programming
procedure.
Before following the procedure, make sure
that:
•
The parking brake is set.
• The transmission is in park (P).
• The ignition is off.
• The driver and front passenger safety
belts are unbuckled.
1. Switch the ignition on. Do not start the
vehicle.
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off (about 1 minute). After Step
2, wait an additional 5 seconds before
proceeding with Step 3. Once you start
Step 3, you must complete the
procedure within 20 seconds.
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing Seatbelts