Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing up
to get the feel of your vehicle-trailer
combination before starting on a trip.
When turning, make wider turns so the
trailer wheels clear curbs and other
obstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
•
Do not drive faster than 70 mph
(113 km/h) during the first 500 mi
(800 km).
• Do not make full-throttle starts.
• Check your hitch, electrical connections
and trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly
after you have traveled 50 mi (80 km).
• When stopped in congested or heavy
traffic during hot weather, place the
gearshift in park (P) to aid engine and
transmission cooling and to help A/C
performance.
• Turn off the speed control with heavy
loads or in hilly terrain. The speed
control may turn off automatically
when you are towing on long, steep
grades.
• Shift to a lower gear when driving down
a long or steep hill. Do not apply the
brakes continuously, as they may
overheat and become less effective.
• If your transmission is equipped with a
Grade Assist or Tow/Haul feature, use
this feature when towing. This provides
engine braking and helps eliminate
excessive transmission shifting for
optimum fuel economy and
transmission cooling.
• Allow more distance for stopping with
a trailer attached. Anticipate stops and
brake gradually.
• Avoid parking on a grade. However, if
you must park on a grade:
1. Turn the steering wheel to point your vehicle tires away from traffic flow. 2. Set your vehicle parking brake.
3. Place the automatic transmission in
park (P).
4. Place wheel chocks in front and back of the trailer wheels. (Chocks not
included with vehicle.)
Launching or Retrieving a Boat or
Personal Watercraft (PWC)
Note: Disconnect the wiring to the trailer
before backing the trailer into the water.
Note: Reconnect the wiring to the trailer
after
removing the trailer from the water.
When backing down a ramp during boat
launching or retrieval:
• Do not allow the static water level to
rise above the bottom edge of the rear
bumper.
• Do not allow waves to break higher
than
6 in (15 cm) above the bottom
edge of the rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow water to
enter vehicle components:
• Causing internal damage to the
components.
• Affecting driveability, emissions, and
reliability.
Replace the rear axle lubricant anytime
the rear axle has been submerged in water.
Water may have contaminated the rear
axle lubricant, which is not normally
checked or changed unless a leak is
suspected or other axle repair is required.
189
Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Towing
When driving through standing water, drive
very slowly and do not stop your vehicle.
Your brake performance and traction may
be limited. After driving through water and
as soon as it is safe to do so:
•
Lightly press the brake pedal to dry the
brakes and to check that they work.
• Check that the horn works.
• Check that the exterior lights work.
• Turn the steering wheel to check that
the steering power assist works.
FLOOR MATS WARNING: Use a floor mat
designed to fit the footwell of your
vehicle that does not obstruct the pedal
area. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in the loss of control of your
vehicle, personal injury or death. WARNING:
Pedals that cannot
move freely can cause loss of vehicle
control and increase the risk of serious
personal injury. WARNING:
Secure the floor mat
to both retention devices so that it
cannot slip out of position and interfere
with the pedals. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in the loss of
control of your vehicle, personal injury or
death. WARNING:
Do not place
additional floor mats or any other
covering on top of the original floor mats.
This could result in the floor mat
interfering with the operation of the
pedals. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in the loss of control of your
vehicle, personal injury or death. WARNING: Always make sure that
objects cannot fall into the driver foot
well while your vehicle is moving. Objects
that are loose can become trapped
under the pedals causing a loss of
vehicle control. To install the floor mats, position the floor
mat eyelet over the retention post and
press down to lock in position.
To remove the floor mat, reverse the
installation procedure.
Note:
Regularly check the floor mats to
make sure they are secure.
193
Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Driving HintsE259345 E142666
Disconnecting Your 12 Volt Battery
•
Check and recharge as necessary. Keep
connections clean.
• If storing your vehicle for more than 30
days without recharging the battery,
we recommend that you disconnect
the battery cables to maintain battery
charge for quick starting.
Note: It is necessary to reset memory
features if you disconnect the battery
cables.
Plugging in Your HYBRID
We recommend the following options for
your plug-in vehicle (PHEV) :
• Leave your vehicle plugged in. The 12
volt battery maintains power if left
plugged in. However, this periodically
uses electricity from the household
outlet.
• Connect a battery charger to your 12
volt battery and leave it on a
continuous, slow charge.
• Disconnect the 12 volt battery. If your
12 volt battery is located in the luggage
compartment, do not fully shut the
luggage compartment after
disconnecting the 12 volt battery. Only
leave the luggage compartment open
if your vehicle is stored in a locked
location.
Brakes
• Make sure the brakes and parking brake
release fully.
Tires
• Maintain recommended air pressure. Miscellaneous
•
Make sure all linkages, cables, levers
and pins under your vehicle are covered
with grease to prevent rust.
• Move vehicles at least 25 ft (7.5 m)
every 15 days to lubricate working parts
and prevent corrosion.
Removing Vehicle From Storage
When your vehicle is ready to come out of
storage, do the following:
• Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt
or grease film build-up on window
surfaces.
• Check windshield wipers for any
deterioration.
• Check under the hood for any foreign
material that may have collected
during storage such as mice or squirrel
nests.
• Check the exhaust for any foreign
material that may have collected
during storage.
• Check tire pressures and set tire
inflation per the Tire Label.
• Check brake pedal operation. Drive
your vehicle
15 ft (4.5 m) back and
forth to remove rust build-up.
• Check fluid levels (including coolant,
oil and gas) to make sure there are no
leaks, and fluids are at recommended
levels.
• If you remove the battery, clean the
battery cable ends and check for
damage.
Contact an authorized dealer if you have
any concerns or issues.
246
Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Vehicle Care
A
A/C
See: Climate Control......................................... 102
About Cruise Control..................................166
About Drive Mode Control.........................179
About the Cabin Air Filter..........................107
About This Manual...........................................7
ABS See: Brakes............................................................ 152
ABS driving hints See: Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock
Brakes................................................................. 153
Accessories See: Replacement Parts
Recommendation............................................ 13
Adjusting the Headlamps.........................234 Vertical Aim Adjustment................................. 234
Adjusting the Steering Wheel...................66
Airbag Disposal...............................................54
Air Conditioning See: Climate Control......................................... 102
Air Filter See: Changing the Engine Air Filter -
3.0L..................................................................... 237
See: Changing the Engine Air Filter - 3.3L..................................................................... 238
Alarm See: Anti-Theft Alarm........................................ 64
All-Wheel Drive
.............................................145
Anti-Theft Alarm............................................64
Alarm System........................................................ 64
Arming the Alarm................................................. 64
Disarming the Alarm........................................... 64
Object Detection.................................................. 65
Police Perimeter Alert Settings....................... 65
Police Perimeter Alert System........................ 64
Switching the Police Perimeter Alert On and Off................................................................ 64
System Configuration......................................... 65
System Error........................................................... 65
Triggering the Alarm........................................... 64
Appendices.....................................................351
At a Glance........................................................18
Audible Warnings and Indicators.............83 Automatic Transmission Warning
Chime.................................................................. 84
Headlamps On Warning Chime...................... 83Key in Ignition Warning Chime........................
83
Parking Brake On Warning Chime.................84
Audio Control
..................................................66
Auxiliary Steering Wheel Controls.................67
You can operate the following functions
with the control:.............................................. 66
Audio System
................................................307
General Information......................................... 307
Audio Unit
.......................................................307
Accessing the Sound Settings...................... 307
Accessing the System Settings................... 308
Adjusting the Volume...................................... 308
Changing Radio Stations............................... 308
Pausing or Playing Media............................... 308
Returning to the Previous Screen...............308
Scrolling Through the Menu Options........308
Selecting a Menu Option............................... 309
Selecting Media................................................. 308
Selecting the Radio.......................................... 309
Switching the Audio Unit On and Off........309
Switching the Display On and Off..............309
Using a Cell Phone........................................... 309
Using Seek, Fast Forward and Reverse............................................................. 309
Autolamps..........................................................71 Windshield Wiper Activated
Headlamps.......................................................... 71
Automatic Climate Control......................102 Directing the Airflow.......................................... 102
Setting the Blower Motor Speed.................. 102
Setting the Temperature................................. 102
Switching Auto Mode On and Off................102
Switching Maximum Air Conditioning On and Off.............................................................. 104
Switching Maximum Defrost On and Off....................................................................... 104
Switching Recirculated Air On and Off....................................................................... 104
Switching the Air Conditioning On and Off....................................................................... 103
Switching the Climate Control On and Off....................................................................... 103
Automatic Transmission............................143 If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck in Mud or
Snow................................................................... 143
Understanding the Positions of Your Automatic Transmission............................. 143
381
Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Index
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Check.............................................................229
Auxiliary Power Points.................................115 110 Volt AC Power Point.................................... 115
12 Volt DC Power Point...................................... 115
USB Port and Power Point Locations..........115
AWD See: All-Wheel Drive......................................... 145
B
Battery See: Changing the 12V Battery....................... 231
Blind Spot Information System..............168 Blind Spot Information System with Trailer
Tow..................................................................... 169
Switching the System On and Off.................171
System Errors......................................................... 171
Using the Blind Spot Information System.............................................................. 168
BLIS See: Blind Spot Information System..........168
Bonnet Lock See: Opening and Closing the Hood...........219
Booster Seats..................................................28 Types of Booster Seats...................................... 28
Brake Fluid Check........................................229 Brake Fluid Service Interval........................... 230
Brakes................................................................152 General Information.......................................... 152
Breaking-In.......................................................191
Bulb Specification Chart
..........................305
C
Canceling the Set Speed...........................167
Capacities and Specifications - 3.0L................................................................283
Air Conditioning System................................. 283
Alternative Engine Oil for Extremely Cold Climates........................................................... 286
Automatic Transmission................................. 283
Engine Coolant................................................... 284
Engine Oil.............................................................. 285
Front Axle............................................................. 288
Fuel Tank.............................................................. 286
Grease.................................................................... 286
Hydraulic Brake System.................................. 287Locks.......................................................................
287
Rear Axle............................................................... 289
Transfer Case...................................................... 288
Washer Reservoir............................................... 289
Capacities and Specifications - 3.3L, Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)..............297
Air Conditioning System................................. 298
Alternative Engine Oil for Extremely Cold Climates............................................................ 301
Automatic Transmission................................ 298
Engine Coolant................................................... 299
Engine Oil............................................................. 300
Front Axle............................................................. 303
Fuel Tank............................................................... 301
Grease..................................................................... 301
Hydraulic Brake System.................................. 302
Locks...................................................................... 302
Rear Axle.............................................................. 304
Transfer Case...................................................... 303
Washer Reservoir.............................................. 304
Capacities and Specifications - 3.3L................................................................290
Air Conditioning System................................. 290
Alternative Engine Oil for Extremely Cold Climates........................................................... 293
Automatic Transmission.................................. 291
Engine Coolant................................................... 292
Engine Oil.............................................................. 292
Front Axle............................................................. 296
Fuel Tank.............................................................. 294
Grease.................................................................... 294
Hydraulic Brake System.................................. 294
Locks...................................................................... 295
Rear Axle............................................................... 296
Transfer Case...................................................... 295
Washer Reservoir............................................... 297
Capacities and Specifications
.................277
Car Wash See: Cleaning the Exterior.............................. 240
Catalytic Converter......................................139 On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II)................... 140
Readiness for Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Testing................................................... 140
Center Console
................................................117
Console Mounting Plates.................................. 117
Universal Top Tray................................................ 117
Changing a Bulb...........................................235 LED Lamps........................................................... 236
382
Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Index
Police Perimeter Alert......................................
350
Pre-Collision Assist Disable.......................... 350
Rear Camera On Demand.............................. 350
Vehicle Sealing of Aftermarket Equipment...................................................... 350
Decommissioning the Vehicle................350
Direction Indicators........................................73
Doors and Locks.............................................59
Drive Mode Control......................................179 Drive Modes.......................................................... 179
Drive Modes....................................................179 Deep Snow/Sand............................................... 179
Normal................................................................... 180
Driver and Passenger Airbags....................42 Children and Airbags........................................... 43
Proper Driver and Front Passenger Seating Adjustment........................................................ 42
Driver and Passenger Knee Airbags........46
Driving Aids.....................................................168
Driving Hints
....................................................191
Driving Through Water................................192
DRL See: Daytime Running Lamps - Vehicles With:
Configurable Daytime Running Lamps....72
See: Daytime Running Lamps - Vehicles With: Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).................72
E
Economical Driving
.......................................191
Electric Parking Brake.................................153 Applying the Electric Parking Brake.............153
Automatically Releasing the Electric
Parking Brake.................................................. 154
Manually Releasing the Electric Parking Brake................................................................... 154
Releasing the Electric Parking Brake if the Vehicle Battery is Running Out of
Charge................................................................ 155
Electromagnetic Compatibility
...............351
Emission Law.................................................138
Noise Emissions Warranty, Prohibited
Tampering Acts and Maintenance..........139
Tampering With a Noise Control System............................................................... 138
End User License Agreement..................353 VEHICLE SOFTWARE END USER LICENSE
AGREEMENT (EULA) ................................. 353Engine Block Heater
....................................120
Using the Engine Block Heater....................... 121
Engine Coolant Check................................225 Adding Coolant................................................... 225
Coolant Change.................................................. 227
Engine Coolant Temperature Management.................................................. 228
Fail-Safe Cooling................................................ 227
Recycled Coolant............................................... 226
Severe Climates.................................................. 227
Engine Emission Control............................138
Engine Oil Check..........................................223 Adding Engine Oil............................................... 223
Engine Oil Dipstick - 3.0L..........................223
Engine Oil Dipstick - 3.3L..........................223
Engine Specifications - 3.0L.....................277 Drivebelt Routing................................................ 277
Engine Specifications - 3.3L, Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV).............................278
Drivebelt Routing............................................... 278
Engine Specifications - 3.3L.....................277 Drivebelt Routing............................................... 278
Environment......................................................17
EPB See: Electric Parking Brake.............................. 153
Essential Towing Checks
...........................188
Before Towing a Trailer..................................... 189
Hitches................................................................... 188
Launching or Retrieving a Boat or Personal Watercraft (PWC)......................................... 189
Safety Chains....................................................... 188
Trailer Brakes....................................................... 188
Trailer Lamps....................................................... 188
When Towing a Trailer...................................... 189
Event Data Recording See: Data Recording.............................................. 9
Export Unique Options
.................................16
Exterior Mirrors................................................76
Blind Spot Information System....................... 77
Fold-Away Exterior Mirrors................................ 77
Heated Exterior Mirrors ...................................... 77
Integrated Blind Spot Mirror............................. 77
Power Exterior Mirrors......................................... 76
F
Fastening the Seatbelts..............................34 Seatbelt Locking Modes.................................... 35
384
Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Index
Quickly Cooling the Interior............................
105
Quickly Heating the Interior............................ 105
Recommended Settings for Cooling..........105
Recommended Settings for Heating..........105
Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock Brakes.............................................................153
Hood Lock See: Opening and Closing the Hood...........219
Horn.....................................................................67
Hybrid Vehicle Frequently Asked Questions......................................................124
Hybrid Vehicle Operation...........................122 Battery..................................................................... 122
Braking.................................................................... 123
Driving...................................................................... 122
Driving to Optimize Fuel Economy...............123
Starting................................................................... 122
Stopping................................................................. 122
Transmission Operation................................... 122
I
Ignition Switch................................................118
In California (U.S. Only)
............................203
Information Display Control.......................67
Information Displays.....................................85 General Information............................................ 85
Information Messages.................................88 AdvanceTrac ™ and Traction Control...........89
Alarm........................................................................\
89
AWD........................................................................\
.. 88
Battery and Charging System (12 volt)...................................................................... 90
Blind Spot Information and Cross Traffic Alert System..................................................... 90
Doors and Locks.................................................... 91
Fuel........................................................................\
.... 92
Hill Start Assist...................................................... 92
Keys and Intelligent Access.............................. 93
Lane Keeping System......................................... 94
Maintenance.......................................................... 94
Park Aid.................................................................... 95
Park Brake............................................................... 96
Police Engine Idle feature.................................. 97
Power Steering...................................................... 97
Pre-Collision Assist.............................................. 97
Seats........................................................................\
. 98
Starting System.................................................... 98Tire Pressure Monitoring System...................
98
Trailer........................................................................\
99
Transmission......................................................... 99
Installing Child Restraints...........................22 Child Seats.............................................................. 22
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts......................... 22
Using Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH)............................................ 25
Using Tether Straps............................................. 26
Instrument Cluster
.........................................79
Instrument Lighting Dimmer......................72
Instrument Panel
............................................18
Interior Air Quality.........................................107
Interior Lamps..................................................73
Dome Task Lamp.................................................. 74
Front Interior Lamp.............................................. 73
Rear Interior Lamps............................................. 74
Interior Mirror
....................................................78
Automatic Dimming Mirror............................... 78
Manual Dimming Mirror..................................... 78
Introduction.........................................................7
J
Jump Starting the Vehicle.........................196 Connecting the Jumper Cables..................... 196
Jump Starting....................................................... 197
Locating the Jump Starting Connection Points................................................................. 196
Preparing Your Vehicle..................................... 196
Removing the Jumper Cables........................ 197
K
Keys and Remote Controls.........................56
L
Liftgate...............................................................62
Lighting Control..............................................70 Flashing High Beam Headlamps..................... 71
Lighting Control Selections.............................. 70
Switching High Beam Headlamps On and Off........................................................................\
... 71
Lighting..............................................................70 General Information............................................ 70
Load Carrying
..................................................181
386
Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Index
Towing Points...............................................200
Attaching the Towing Eye.............................. 200
Front Towing Point........................................... 200
Rear Towing Point............................................. 200
Towing Eye Location......................................... 201
Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels..........................................................190
Emergency Towing............................................ 190
Recreational Towing......................................... 190
Towing..............................................................186
Traction Control.............................................157 Principle of Operation....................................... 157
Transmission Code Designation............282
Transmission..................................................143
Transporting the Vehicle...........................199
U
Under Hood Overview - 3.0L....................221
Under Hood Overview - 3.3L...................222
Unique Driving Characteristics................122
USB Port.........................................................309 Locating the USB Ports.................................... 310
Using All-Wheel Drive.................................145 Driving In Special Conditions With
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)................................ 147
How Utility Vehicles Differ from Other Vehicles.............................................................. 147
Operating AWD Vehicles With Mismatched Tires..................................................................... 147
Using Snow Chains.....................................262
Using Stability Control...............................159
Using SYNC™ With Your Media Player
.............................................................319
Audio Voice Commands.................................. 319
Media Sources..................................................... 319
Using SYNC™ With Your Phone.............314 Accessing Features through the Phone
Menu................................................................... 315
Pairing a Phone................................................... 314
Phone Controls.................................................... 315
Phone Voice Commands................................. 315
Using Traction Control................................157 Switching the System Off................................ 157
System Indicator Lights and Messages........................................................... 157
Using a Switch...................................................... 157Using the Information Display
Controls............................................................. 157
Using Voice Recognition.............................312 Initiating a Voice Session................................. 312
System Interaction and Feedback...............313
Utilizing the Mediation/Arbitration Program (Canada Only)........................205
V
Vehicle Care
...................................................240
General Information......................................... 240
Vehicle Certification Label........................281
Vehicle Identification Number.................281
Vehicle Storage
.............................................245
Body........................................................................\
245
Brakes.................................................................... 246
Cooling system................................................... 245
Disconnecting Your 12 Volt Battery.............246
Engine.................................................................... 245
Fuel system.......................................................... 245
General.................................................................. 245
Miscellaneous..................................................... 246
Plugging in Your HYBRID................................ 246
Removing Vehicle From Storage.................246
Tires........................................................................\
246
Ventilation See: Climate Control......................................... 102
VIN See: Vehicle Identification Number.............281
Voice Control
....................................................67
W
Warning Lamps and Indicators................80 Anti-Lock Braking System................................ 80
Battery..................................................................... 80
Blind Spot Monitor.............................................. 80
Brake System Warning Lamp......................... 80
Cruise Control......................................................... 81
Deep Snow and Sand......................................... 81
Direction Indicator................................................ 81
Door Ajar................................................................... 81
Electric Park Brake................................................ 81
Engine Oil................................................................. 81
Engine or Motor Coolant Temperature.........81
Fasten Seatbelt..................................................... 81
Front Airbag............................................................. 81
390
Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Index