Possible causes and actions for the blocked sensor message displaying:
ActionCause
Clean the grille surface in front of the radaror remove the object causing the obstruc-tion.
The surface of the radar is dirty orobstructed
Wait a short time. It may take severalminutes for the radar to detect that it is freefrom obstruction.
The surface of the radar is clean but themessage remains in the display.
Do not use the system in these conditionsbecause it may not detect any vehiclesahead.
Heavy rain or snow is interfering with theradar signals
Do not use the system in these conditionsbecause it may not detect any vehiclesahead.
Water, snow or ice on the surface of theroad may interfere with the radar signals.
Wait a short time or switch to normal cruisecontrol.You are in a desert or remote area with noother vehicles and no roadside objects.
Due to the nature of radar technology, it is possible to get a blockage warning with noactual block. A false blocked condition either self-clears, or clears after you restart yourvehicle.
Switching to Normal CruiseControl
WARNING: Normal cruise controlwill not brake when your vehicle isapproaching slower vehicles. Always beaware of which mode you have selectedand apply the brakes when necessary.
The cruise control indicator lightreplaces the adaptive cruisecontrol indicator light if youselect normal cruise control. The gapsetting does not display, and the systemdoes not respond to lead vehicles.Automatic braking remains active tomaintain set speed.
You can change from adaptive cruisecontrol to normal cruise control throughthe information display.
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Note:A high crown in the road or highcrosswinds may also make the steeringseem to wander or pull.
PRE-COLLISION ASSIST (IF
EQUIPPED)
WARNING: You are responsible forcontrolling your vehicle at all times. Thesystem is designed to be an aid and doesnot relieve you of your responsibility todrive with due care and attention. Failureto follow this instruction could result inthe loss of control of your vehicle,personal injury or death.
WARNING: The system does notdetect vehicles that are driving in adifferent direction, pedestrians at night,cyclists or animals. Apply the brakeswhen necessary. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in the loss ofcontrol of your vehicle, personal injury ordeath.
WARNING: The system does notoperate during hard acceleration orsteering. Failure to take care may leadto a crash or personal injury.
WARNING: The system may fail oroperate with reduced function duringcold and severe weather conditions.Snow, ice, rain, spray and fog canadversely affect the system. Keep thefront camera and radar free of snow andice. Failure to take care may result in theloss of control of your vehicle, seriouspersonal injury or death.
WARNING: Some situations andobjects prevent hazard detection. Forexample low or direct sunlight, inclementweather, unconventional vehicle types,and pedestrians. Apply the brakes whennecessary. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in the loss ofcontrol of your vehicle, personal injury ordeath.
WARNING: Take additional care ifyour vehicle is heavily loaded or you aretowing a trailer. These conditions couldresult in reduced performance of thissystem. Failure to follow this instructioncould result in the loss of control of yourvehicle, personal injury or death.
WARNING: The system cannothelp prevent all crashes. Do not rely onthis system to replace driver judgmentand the need to maintain a safe distanceand speed.
Using the Pre-Collision AssistSystem
The pre-collision assist system is active atspeeds above approximately 3 mph(5 km/h)
Note:The system is not designed to detectanimals.
Note:The system is not designed to detectvehicles or cyclists that are traveling in adifferent direction.
If your vehicle is rapidly approachinganother stationary vehicle or a vehicletraveling in the same direction as yours,the system provides three levels offunctionality:
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•Alert.
•Brake support.
•Active braking.
Alert: When active, a flashing visualwarning appears and an audible warningtone sounds.
Brake support: The system is designedto help reduce the impact speed bypreparing the brakes for rapid braking. Thesystem does not automatically apply thebrakes. If you press the brake pedal, thesystem could apply additional braking upto maximum braking force, even if youlightly press the brake pedal.
Active braking: Active braking mayactivate if the system determines that acollision is imminent. The system may helpthe driver reduce impact damage or avoidthe crash completely.
Note:If you perceive pre-collision assistalerts as being too frequent or disturbing,then you can reduce the alert sensitivity,though the manufacturer recommendsusing the highest sensitivity setting wherepossible. Setting lower sensitivity wouldlead to fewer and later system warnings.
Distance Indication and Alert
Distance indication and alert is a functionthat provides the driver with a graphicalindication of the time gap to otherpreceding vehicles traveling in the samedirection. The distance indication and alertscreen in the display screen shows one ofthe graphics that follow.
If the time gap to a preceding vehicle issmall, a red visual indication displays.
Note:Distance indication and alertdeactivates and the graphics do not displaywhen adaptive cruise control is active.
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WARNING: Exceeding theSafety Compliance Certificationlabel vehicle weight limits canadversely affect theperformance and handling ofyour vehicle, cause vehicledamage and can result in theloss of control of your vehicle,serious personal injury or death.
Maximum Loaded TrailerWeight
Maximum loaded trailer weight isthe highest possible weight of afully loaded trailer the vehicle cantow. Consult an authorized dealer(or the RV and Trailer TowingGuide available at an authorizeddealer) for more detailed
information.
GCWR (Gross CombinedWeight Rating)
GCWR is the maximum allowableweight of the vehicle and theloaded trailer, including all cargoand passengers, that the vehiclecan handle without riskingdamage. (Important: The towingvehicle’s braking system is ratedfor operation at Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating, not at GrossCombined Weight Rating.)Separate functional brakes should
be used for safe control of towedvehicles and for trailers where theGross Combined Weight of thetowing vehicle plus the trailerexceed the Gross Vehicle WeightRating of the towing vehicle.
The gross combined weight mustnever exceed the Gross CombinedWeight Rating.
Note: For trailer towinginformation refer to the RV andTrailer Towing Guide available atan authorized dealer.
WARNING: Do not exceedthe GVWR or the GAWRspecified on the certificationlabel.
WARNING: Do not usereplacement tires with lowerload carrying capacities than theoriginal tires because they maylower your vehicle's GVWR andGAWR limitations. Replacementtires with a higher limit than theoriginal tires do not increase theGVWR and GAWR limitations.
WARNING: Exceeding anyvehicle weight rating canadversely affect theperformance and handling ofyour vehicle, cause vehicledamage and can result in theloss of control of your vehicle,serious personal injury or death.
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TOWING A TRAILER
WARNING: Do not exceedthe GVWR or the GAWRspecified on the certificationlabel.
WARNING: Towing trailersbeyond the maximumrecommended gross trailerweight exceeds the limit of yourvehicle and could result in enginedamage, transmission damage,structural damage, loss ofvehicle control, vehicle rolloverand personal injury.
Your vehicle may have electricalitems, for example fuses or relays,related to towing. See Fuses(page 152).
Your vehicle's load capacitydesignation is by weight, not byvolume, so you cannot necessarilyuse all available space whenloading your vehicle.
Towing a trailer places an extraload on your vehicle's engine,transmission, axle, brakes, tiresand suspension. Inspect thesecomponents periodically during,and after, any towing operation.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailermovement affects your vehiclewhen driving:
•Load the heaviest items closestto the trailer floor.
•Load the heaviest itemscentered between the left andright side trailer tires.
•Load the heaviest items abovethe trailer axles or just slightlyforward toward the trailertongue. Do not allow the finaltrailer tongue weight to goabove or below 10-15% of theloaded trailer weight.
•Select a draw bar with thecorrect rise or drop. When boththe loaded vehicle and trailerare connected, the trailer frameshould be level, or slightlyangled down toward yourvehicle, when viewed from theside.
When driving with a trailer orpayload, a slight takeoff vibrationor shudder may be present due tothe increased payload weight.Additional information regardingcorrect trailer loading and settingyour vehicle up for towing islocated in another chapter of thisOwner's Manual. See Load Limit(page 124). You can also find theinformation in the RV & TrailerTowing Guide. See an authorizeddealer.
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ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
Follow these guidelines for safe towing:
•Do not tow a trailer until you drive yourvehicle at least 1,000 mi (1,600 km).
•Consult your local motor vehicle lawsfor towing a trailer.
•See the instructions included withtowing accessories for the properinstallation and adjustmentspecifications.
•Service your vehicle more frequently ifyou tow a trailer. See your scheduledmaintenance information. SeeScheduled Maintenance (page 247).
•If you use a rental trailer, follow theinstructions the rental agency givesyou.
See Load limits in the Load Carryingchapter for load specification terms foundon the tire label and Safety Compliancelabel and instructions on calculating yourvehicle's load.
Remember to account for the trailertongue weight as part of your vehicle loadwhen calculating the total vehicle weight.
Trailer Towing Connector
When attaching the trailer wiring connectorto your vehicle, only use a proper fittingconnector that works with the vehicle andtrailer functions. Some seven-positionconnectors may have the SAE J2863 logo,which confirms that it is the proper wiringconnector and works correctly with yourvehicle.
FunctionColor
Left turn signal and stop lampYellow
Ground (-)White
Electric brakesBlue
Right turn signal and stoplampGreen
Battery (+)Orange
Running lightsBrown
Reverse lightsGrey
Hitches
Do not use a hitch that either clamps ontothe bumper or attaches to the axle. Youmust distribute the load in your trailer sothat 10-15% of the total weight of thetrailer is on the tongue.
Weight-distributing Hitches
WARNING: Do not adjust the springbars so that your vehicle's rear bumperis higher than before attaching the trailer.Doing so will defeat the function of theweight-distributing hitch, which maycause unpredictable handling, and couldresult in serious personal injury.
When connecting a trailer using aweight-distributing hitch, always use thefollowing procedure:
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1.Park the loaded vehicle, without thetrailer, on a level surface.
2.Measure the height to the top of yourvehicle's front wheel opening on thefender. This is H1.
3.Attach the loaded trailer to your vehiclewithout the weight-distributing barsconnected.
4.Measure the height to the top of yourvehicle's front wheel opening on thefender a second time. This is H2.
5.Install and adjust the tension in theweight-distributing bars so that theheight of your vehicle's front wheelopening on the fender is approximatelyhalfway down from H2, toward H1.
6.Check that the trailer is level or slightlynose down toward your vehicle. If not,adjust the ball height accordingly andrepeat Steps 2-6.
When the trailer is level or slightly nosedown toward the vehicle:
•Lock the bar tension adjuster in place.
•Check that the trailer tongue securelyattaches and locks onto the hitch.
•Install safety chains, lighting and trailerbrake controls as required by law or thetrailer manufacturer.
Safety Chains
Note:Do not attach safety chains to thebumper.
Always connect the safety chains to theframe or hook retainers of your vehiclehitch.
To connect the safety chains, cross thechains under the trailer tongue and allowenough slack for turning tight corners. Donot allow the chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
WARNING: Do not connect atrailer's hydraulic brake system directlyto your vehicle's brake system. Yourvehicle may not have enough brakingpower and your chances of having acollision greatly increase.
Electric brakes and manual, automatic orsurge-type trailer brakes are safe if youinstall them properly and adjust them tothe manufacturer's specifications. Thetrailer brakes must meet local and federalregulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's brakingsystem operation is at the gross vehicleweight rating, not the gross combinedweight rating.
Separate functioning brake systemsare required for safe control of towedvehicles and trailers weighing morethan 1500 lb (680 kg) when loaded.
Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (IfEquipped)
WARNING: Use the integratedtrailer brake controller to properly adjustthe trailer brakes and check allconnections before towing a trailer.Failure to follow this instruction couldresult in the loss of control of yourvehicle, personal injury or death.
Note:The Ford trailer brake controller hasbeen verified to be compatible with trailershaving electric-actuated drum brakes (oneto four axles) and electric-over-hydraulicbrakes. It will not activate hydraulicsurge-style trailer brakes. It is theresponsibility of the customer to ensure thatthe trailer brakes are adjusted appropriately,functioning normally and all electricconnections are properly made.
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When used properly, the trailer brakecontroller assists in smooth and effectivetrailer braking by powering the trailer’selectric or electric-over-hydraulic brakeswith a proportional output based on thetowing vehicle’s brake pressure.
The controller user interface consists ofthe following:
A: + and - (Gain adjustment buttons):Pressing these buttons adjusts thecontroller's power output to the trailerbrakes in 0.5 increments. You can increasethe gain setting to 10.0 (maximum trailerbraking) or decrease it to 0 (no trailerbraking). The gain setting displays in themessage center.
The controller shows gain setting, outputbar graph, and trailer connectivity statusin the information display. They appear inthe information display as follows:
•Trailer Brake Controller Gain (withouttrailer connected): Shows the currentgain setting during a given ignition cycleand when adjusting the gain. This alsodisplays if you use the manual controllever or make gain adjustments withno trailer connected.
•Trailer Brake Controller Gain Output:Displays when you push your vehicle'sbrake pedal, or upon use of the manualcontrol. Bar indicators illuminate in theinformation display to indicate theamount of power going to the trailerbrakes relative to the brake pedal ormanual control input. One bar indicatesthe least amount of output; six barsindicate maximum output.
•Trailer Connected: Displays when thesystem senses a correct trailer wiringconnection (a trailer with electric trailerbrakes) during a given ignition cycle.
•Trailer Disconnected: Displays,accompanied by a single audible tone,when the system senses a trailerconnection and then a disconnection,either intentional or unintentional,during a given ignition cycle. It alsodisplays if a truck or trailer-wiring faultoccurs causing the trailer to appeardisconnected. This message alsodisplays if you use the manual controllever without a trailer connected.
B: Manual control lever: Slide the controllever to the left to switch on the trailer'selectric brakes independent of the towvehicle's. See Procedure for AdjustingGain section for instructions on proper useof this feature. If you use the manualcontrol while the brake is also applied, thegreater of the two inputs determines thepower sent to the trailer brakes.
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