2021 FORD EXPLORER service indicator

Introduction
About This Manual
..........................................9
Symbols Glossary ............................................
9
Perchlorate ........................................................
11
Ford Credit .........................................................
11
Replacement Parts Recommendation ........................................................................\
....
12
Special Notices ...............................................
12
Mobile Communications Equipment ........................................................................\
....
13
Export Unique Options ................................
14
Data Privacy
Data Privacy .....................................................
15
Service Data .....................................................
16
Event Data ........................................................
16
Settings Data ...................................................
17
Connected Vehicle Data ..............................
17
Mobile Device Data .......................................
18
Emergency Call System Data ....................
18
Environment
Protecting the Environment .......................
19
At a Glance
At a Glance - ST ............................................
20
Instrument Panel ............................................
21
Child Safety
General Information .....................................
23
Installing Child Restraints ..........................
25
Booster Seats .................................................
33
Child Restraint Positioning ........................
35
Child Safety Locks ........................................
36
Seatbelts
Principle of Operation .................................
38
Fastening the Seatbelts .............................
39
Seatbelt Height Adjustment ......................
41Seatbelt Warning Lamp and Indicator
Chime .............................................................
41
Seatbelt Reminder ........................................
42
Child Restraint and Seatbelt Maintenance ...............................................
43
Seatbelt Extensions .....................................
44
Personal Safety System ™
Personal Safety System ™.........................
45
Supplementary Restraints System
Principle of Operation .................................
46
Driver and Passenger Airbags ...................
47
Front Passenger Sensing System ...........
48
Side Airbags ....................................................
50
Driver and Passenger Knee Airbags ........
51
Safety Canopy ™.............................................
51
Crash Sensors and Airbag Indicator .......
52
Airbag Disposal ..............................................
53
Pedestrian Protection - Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
Pedestrian Alert System ............................
54
911 Assist
What Is 911 Assist ..........................................
55
Emergency Call Requirements ................
55
Emergency Call Limitations ......................
56
Keys and Remote Controls
General Information on Radio Frequencies .................................................
57
Remote Control ..............................................
57
Replacing a Lost Key or Remote Control ........................................................................\
..
63
MyKey ™
Principle of Operation .................................
64
Creating a MyKey ..........................................
65
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Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Table of Contents

Essential Towing Checks
.........................292
Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels .....
294
Driving Hints
Reduced Engine Performance ...............
295
Economical Driving ....................................
295
Cold Weather Precautions ......................
296
Breaking-In ...................................................
296
Driving Through Water .............................
296
Floor Mats ......................................................
297
Roadside Emergencies
Roadside Assistance .................................
298
Hazard Flashers ..........................................
299
Fuel Shutoff .................................................
299
Jump Starting the Vehicle ......................
300
Collision, Damage or Fire Event ............
302
Post-Crash Alert System .........................
303
Transporting the Vehicle .........................
303
Customer Assistance
Getting the Services You Need .............
305
In California (U.S. Only) ...........................
306
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Auto Line Program (U.S. Only) .....................
307
Utilizing the Mediation/Arbitration Program (Canada Only) .....................
308
Getting Assistance Outside the U.S. and Canada ......................................................
308
Ordering Additional Owner's Literature ........................................................................\
.
310
Reporting Safety Defects (U.S. Only) ........................................................................\
.
310
Reporting Safety Defects (Canada Only) ........................................................................\
.
310
Fuses
Fuse Specification Chart ...........................
312
Changing a Fuse .........................................
320Maintenance
General Information
...................................
322
Opening and Closing the Hood .............
322
Under Hood Overview - 2.3L EcoBoost™ ........................................................................\
323
Under Hood Overview - 3.0L ..................
324
Under Hood Overview - 3.3L ..................
325
Engine Oil Dipstick - 2.3L EcoBoost™ ........................................................................\
326
Engine Oil Dipstick - 3.0L ........................
326
Engine Oil Dipstick - 3.3L .........................
326
Engine Oil Check .........................................
326
Oil Change Indicator Reset ......................
327
Changing the Engine Air Filter - 2.3L EcoBoost™ ...............................................
328
Changing the Engine Air Filter - 3.0L ........................................................................\
329
Changing the Engine Air Filter - 3.3L ....
330
Engine Coolant Check ................................
331
Automatic Transmission Fluid Check ........................................................................\
335
Brake Fluid Check .......................................
335
Power Steering Fluid Check ....................
336
Changing the 12V Battery ........................
336
Adjusting the Headlamps .......................
338
Washer Fluid Check ...................................
340
Fuel Filter .......................................................
340
Checking the Wiper Blades ....................
340
Changing the Front Wiper Blades ........
340
Changing the Rear Wiper Blades ...........
341
Changing a Bulb ...........................................
341
Vehicle Care
General Information ..................................
343
Cleaning Products ......................................
343
Cleaning the Exterior .................................
344
Waxing ............................................................
345
Cleaning the Engine ...................................
345
Cleaning the Windows and Wiper Blades ........................................................................\
346
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Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Table of Contents

After all occupants have adjusted their
seats and put on seatbelts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
properly. A properly seated occupant sits
upright, leaning against the seat backrest,
and centered on the seat cushion, with
their feet comfortably extended on the
floor. Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury in a crash event. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies
down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans
forward or sideways, or puts one or both
feet up, the chance of injury during a crash
greatly increases.
Make sure the front passenger
sensing system is operating
properly. See Crash Sensors
and Airbag Indicator (page 52).
Do not attempt to repair or service the
system. Take your vehicle immediately to
an authorized dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced
front airbag system to accommodate a
person with disabilities, contact our
Customer Relationship Center. See
Getting the Services You Need
(page
305).
SIDE AIRBAGS WARNING:
Do not place objects
or mount equipment on or near the
airbag cover, on the side of the front or
rear seatbacks, or in areas that may
come into contact with a deploying
airbag. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk of
personal injury in the event of a crash. WARNING:
Accessory seat covers
not released by Ford Motor Company
could prevent the deployment of the
airbags and increase the risk of injuries
in a crash. WARNING:
Do not lean your head
on the door. The side airbag could injure
you as it deploys from the side of the
seatback. 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. 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.
The side airbags are on the outermost side
of the front seat backrests. In certain
sideways crashes or rollover events, the
side airbags will be inflated. The airbag
was designed to inflate between the door
panel and occupant to further enhance the
protection provided to occupants in side
impact crashes. 50
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Supplementary Restraints SystemE67017 E152533

The system consists of the following:
•
A label or embossed side panel
indicating that your vehicle has side
airbags.
• Side airbags inside the driver and front
passenger seat backrests. Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
See Crash Sensors and Airbag
Indicator (page 52).
The design and development of the side
airbag system included recommended
testing procedures that were developed
by a group of automotive safety experts
known as the Side Airbag Technical
Working Group. These recommended
testing procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of side
airbags.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER
KNEE AIRBAGS
Driver and passenger knee airbags are
located under or within the instrument
panel. During a crash, the restraints control
module may activate the driver and
passenger knee airbags (individually or
both) based on crash severity and
respective occupant conditions. Under
certain crash and occupant conditions, the
driver and passenger knee airbags may
deploy (individually or both) but the
corresponding front airbag may not
activate. As with front and side airbags, it
is important to be properly seated and
restrained to reduce the risk of death or
serious injury. Make sure the knee airbags are
operating properly. See
Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator
(page
52). SAFETY CANOPY™ WARNING:
Do not place objects
or mount equipment on or near the
headliner at the siderail that may come
into contact with a deploying curtain
airbag. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk of
personal injury in the event of a crash. WARNING:
Do not lean your head
on the door. The curtain airbag could
injure you as it deploys from the
headliner. 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. 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:
To reduce risk of injury,
do not obstruct or place objects in the
deployment path of the airbag. 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.
51
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Supplementary Restraints SystemE67017 E67017

The restraints control module also
monitors the readiness of the above safety
devices plus the crash and occupant
sensors. The readiness of the safety
system is indicated by a warning indicator
light in the instrument cluster or by a
backup tone if the warning light is not
working. Routine maintenance of the
airbag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by
one or more of the following:
•
The readiness light will not illuminate
immediately after you switch the
ignition on.
• The readiness light either flashes or
stays lit.
• A series of five beeps is heard. The tone
pattern repeats periodically until the
problem, the light or both are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even
intermittently, have the supplemental
restraint system serviced at an authorized
dealer immediately. Unless serviced, the
system may not function properly in the
event of a crash.
The restraint system is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
conditions sufficient to cause the restraint
control module to deploy a safety device. The fact that not all the safety devices
activate for all occupants in a crash does
not mean something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the restraints
control module determined the accident
conditions (crash severity, type of crash,
belt usage) were not appropriate to
activate these safety devices.
•
The front airbags are designed to
activate only in frontal and near-frontal
crashes (not rollovers, side impacts or
rear impacts) unless the crash causes
sufficient frontal deceleration.
• The seatbelt pretensioners are
designed to activate in frontal,
near-frontal and side crashes, and in
rollovers.
• The knee airbag(s) may deploy based
on crash severity and occupant
conditions.
• The side airbags are designed to inflate
in certain side impact crashes or
rollover events. Side airbags may
activate in other types of crashes if your
vehicle experiences sufficient sideways
motion or deformation, or a certain
likelihood of rollover.
• The Safety Canopy is designed to
inflate in certain side impact crashes
or rollover events. The Safety Canopy
may activate in other types of crashes
if your vehicle experiences sufficient
sideways motion or deformation, or a
certain likelihood of rollover.
AIRBAG DISPOSAL
Contact your authorized dealer as soon as
possible. Airbags must be disposed of by
qualified personnel.
53
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Supplementary Restraints SystemE67017

Car Finder
Press the button twice within
three seconds. The horn sounds
and the direction indicators
flash. We recommend you use this method
to locate your vehicle, rather than using
the panic alarm.
Sounding the Panic Alarm
Note: The panic alarm only operates when
the ignition is off. Press the button to sound the
panic alarm. Press the button
again or switch the ignition on to
turn it off.
Remote Start (If Equipped) WARNING: Do not start the engine
in a closed garage or in other enclosed
areas. Exhaust fumes are toxic. Always
open the garage door before you start
the engine. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death.
Note: Do not use remote start if your fuel
level is low. The remote start button is on the
remote control.
This feature allows you to start your
vehicle from the outside. Your remote
control has an extended operating range.
If your vehicle has automatic climate
control, you can configure it to operate
when you remote start your vehicle.
See
Climate Control (page 139). A manual
climate control system runs at the setting
it was set to when you switched your
vehicle off. Many states and provinces have
restrictions for the use of remote start.
Check your local and state or provincial
laws for specific requirements regarding
remote start systems.
The system does not work if:
•
The ignition is on.
• The anti-theft alarm triggers.
• You disable the feature.
• The hood is open.
• The transmission is not in park (P).
• The battery voltage is below the
minimum operating voltage.
• The service engine soon light is on.
Remote Control Feedback (If
Equipped)
An LED on the remote control provides
status feedback of remote start or stop
commands. Status
LED
Remote startsuccessful
Solid green
Remote stopsuccessful
Solid red
Request failed or
status not received
Blinking red
Status incomplete
Blinking green
Remote Starting Your Vehicle
Note: You must press each button within
three seconds of each other. If you do not
follow this sequence, your vehicle does not
start remotely, the direction indicators do
not flash twice and the horn does not sound.
62
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Keys and Remote ControlsE138623 E138624 E138625

4WD
Action
Message
The four wheel drive system has automatically disabled itself due to the system overheating.
4WD Temporarily
Disabled
The four wheel drive system is locking up the torque transfer clutch to help reduce clutch temperature.
4WD Temporarily
Locked
Displays when the system automatically disables to protect itself.
This may be caused by operating the vehicle with a mini spare tire installed, if the system detects dissimilar size tires, or if there is an
issue with another vehicle system preventing 4WD operation. The system resumes normal operation and clears this message after
you cycle the ignition on and off and drive a short distance with the road tire re-installed or after the other vehicle system issues are resolved.
4WD Off
Displays after the system cools and the four wheel drive system resumes normal function.
4WD Restored
The four wheel drive system is not operating properly and the
powertrain fault indicator illuminates. If the warning stays illumin- ated or continues to illuminate, contact an authorized dealer as soon as possible.
4WD Fault Service
Required
Displayed when the transfer case fluid requires service.
Change 4WD
Power Transfer Unit Lube
Displayed when the transfer case fluid has been changed and reset to new.
4WD Power
Transfer Unit Lube Set to New
138
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Information Displays

AUTO-START-STOP (IF EQUIPPED)
The system helps reduce fuel consumption
by automatically stopping and restarting
the engine when your vehicle has stopped.
The engine restarts automatically when
you release the brake pedal.
In some situations, your vehicle may restart
automatically, for example:
• To maintain interior comfort.
• To recharge the battery.
Note: Power assist steering turns off when
the engine is off.
Note: If your vehicle is flex fuel capable,
Auto-Start-Stop will be inhibited for a short
time after a refuel event while the system
is verifying the fuel type being used. WARNING:
Apply the parking
brake, shift into park (P), switch the
ignition off and remove the key before
you leave your vehicle. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in personal
injury or death. WARNING:
Apply the parking
brake, shift into park (P), switch the
ignition off and remove the key before
you open the hood or have any service
or repair work completed. If you do not
switch the ignition off, the engine could
restart at any time. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death. WARNING:
The system may
require the engine to automatically
restart when the auto-start-stop
indicator illuminates green or flashes
amber. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury. The Auto-Start-Stop system status is
available at a glance within the information
display.
See Information Displays (page
112).
Enabling Auto-Start-Stop
The system automatically enables every
time you start your vehicle if:
• You do not press the Auto-Start-Stop
button (not illuminated).
• Your vehicle exceeds an initial speed
of
3 mph (5 km/h) after you have
initially started your vehicle.
• You have stopped your vehicle.
• Your foot is on the brake pedal.
• The driver door is closed.
• The interior compartment has cooled
or warmed to an acceptable level.
• The front windshield defroster is off.
• You have not turned the steering wheel
rapidly or you do not have it at a sharp
angle.
• The vehicle is not on a steep road
grade.
• The battery is within optimal operating
conditions (battery state of charge and
temperature in range).
• The engine coolant is near operating
temperature.
• Elevation is below about
12,000 ft
(3,650 m).
• Ambient temperature is moderate.
• The trailer is not connected.
• If you select Normal, Eco, Snow/Wet
or Grass/Gravel/Snow modes.
• You are not in 4H or 4L.
• You have not selected Manual shift
mode.
• Hill descent control is not active.
• You have not selected Tow haul, Sport,
Sand or Mud/Rut modes.
180
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Unique Driving Characteristics