2023 FORD EXPLORER towing

WARNING: If the parking brake isfully released, but the brake warninglamp remains illuminated, the brakesmay not be working properly. Have yourvehicle checked as soon as possible.
WARNING: Do not drive yourvehicle until you verify that thestoplamps are working.
Use the manual park release to move yourtransmission from the park (P) position inthe event of an electrical malfunction oremergency.
Activating the Manual Park ReleaseCable
1.Apply the parking brake. See ElectricParking Brake (page 211).
Note:If the vehicle battery is dead, forexample, no electrical power is available,you require an external power to apply theparking brake.
2.Using a flat head screwdriver,maximum length 5 in (120 mm), asshown in the picture, carefully open theaccess cover under the arm restconsole.
3.Switch the vehicle ignition on withoutstarting the vehicle by pressing theignition push to start without pressingthe brake.
4.Once in the driver seat, fully apply thebrake pedal and hold. Do not release.
Note:A: 2.0 in (50 mm) B: 0.1 in (3.3 mm)
5.Insert a screwdriver type tool into theManual Park Release (MPR) lever slot.Pull the manual park release levertoward the rear until the detent in theslot pops up, against the tool. Allowfull upward travel of detent,approximately 0.28 in (7 mm) in thepark override mode (Click). You canremove the tool. If done correctly, amessage on the instrument clusterdisplays Park Not Available,Transmission Not in Park, or ShiftSystem Fault.
6.With your foot still fully applied on thebrake pedal, disengage the parkingbrake. See Electric Parking Brake(page 211).
7.Your vehicle remains in neutral (N) foremergency towing purposes.
8.Switch off the ignition.
9.Once safe, and there is no risk of yourvehicle rolling, disconnect the negative(black) battery cable from the battery.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Note: Occasional brake noise is normal. Ifa metal-to-metal, continuous grinding orcontinuous squeal sound is present, thebrake linings may be worn. Have your vehiclechecked. If the vehicle has continuousvibration or shudder in the steering wheelwhile braking, have your vehicle checked.
Note: Brake dust may accumulate on thewheels, even under normal drivingconditions. Some dust is inevitable as thebrakes wear and does not contribute tobrake noise. Wet brakes result in reducedbraking efficiency. Gently press the brakepedal a few times when driving from a carwash or standing water to dry the brakes.
See Cleaning the Wheels (page 344).
Brake Over Accelerator
In the event the accelerator pedalbecomes stuck or entrapped, apply steadyand firm pressure to the brake pedal toslow the vehicle and reduce engine power.If you experience this condition, apply thebrakes and bring your vehicle to a safestop. Switch the engine off, move thetransmission to park (P) and apply theparking brake. Inspect the acceleratorpedal and the area around it for any itemsor debris that may be obstructing itsmovement. If none are found and thecondition persists, have your vehiclechecked. If your vehicle has to be towed,we recommend that you contact aprofessional towing service.
Emergency Brake Assist
Emergency brake assist detects when youbrake heavily by measuring the rate atwhich you press the brake pedal. Itprovides maximum braking efficiency aslong as you press the pedal. Emergencybrake assist can reduce stopping distancesin critical situations.
Anti-lock Brake System
This system helps you maintain steeringcontrol during emergency stops by keepingthe brakes from locking.
This lamp illuminatesmomentarily when you switchthe ignition on to confirm thelamp is functional.
If the warning lamp does not illuminateduring start up, remains on or flashes, thesystem may be disabled. Have the systemchecked. If the anti-lock brake system isdisabled, normal braking is still operational.
See Warning Lamps and Indicators(page 105).
Note:Indicators vary depending on region.
This lamp illuminatesmomentarily when you switchthe ignition on to confirm thelamp is functional. If it does notilluminate when you switch theignition on, or if it begins to flashat any time except the time during applyingor releasing the parking brake, have thesystem checked.
Regenerative Braking System
This feature simulates the engine brakingof an internal combustion engine andassist the standard brake system whilerecovering some of the energy of motionand storing it in the battery to improve fueleconomy. The standard brake system isdesigned to fully stop the car ifregenerative braking is not available.During regenerative braking, the motor isspun as a generator to create electricalcurrent. This recharges the battery andslows the vehicle. Once the acceleratorpedal is released, the motor changes froman energy user to an energy producer.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingBrakesE67020 E270480 E67024

Note:If you shift your vehicle into park (P)on a slope and the transmission cannotsecurely hold the vehicle, the electric parkingbrake automatically applies. SeeTransmission (page 197).
Applying the Electric Parking Brake inan Emergency
Note:Do not apply the electric parkingbrake when your vehicle is moving, exceptin an emergency. If you repeatedly use theelectric parking brake to slow or stop yourvehicle, you could cause damage to thebrake system.
You can use the electric parking brake toslow or stop your vehicle in an emergency.
Pull the switch up and hold it.
The red warning lampilluminates, a tone sounds andthe stoplamps turn on.
The electric parking brake continues toslow your vehicle down unless you releasethe switch.
Manually Releasing the ElectricParking Brake
Switch the ignition on.
Press and hold the brake pedal.
Push the switch down.
The red warning lamp turns off.
If it remains illuminated or flashes, thesystem has malfunctioned. Have yourvehicle checked as soon as possible.
Pulling Away on a Hill When Towing aTrailer
Press and hold the brake pedal.
Pull the switch up and hold it.
Shift into gear.
Press the accelerator pedal until the enginehas developed sufficient torque to preventyour vehicle from rolling down the hill.
Release the switch and pullaway in a normal manner.
Automatically Releasing theElectric Parking Brake
Close the driver door.
Shift into gear.
Press the accelerator pedal and pull awayin a normal manner.
The red warning lamp turns off.
If it remains illuminated or flashes, theelectric parking brake has not released.Manually release the parking brake.
Releasing the Electric ParkingBrake if the Vehicle Battery isRunning Out of Charge
Connect a booster battery to the vehiclebattery to release the electric parking brakeif the vehicle battery is running out ofcharge. See Jump Starting the Vehicle(page 293).
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AUTO HOLD
WARNING: The system does notreplace the parking brake. When youleave your vehicle, always apply theparking brake.
WARNING: You must remain inyour vehicle when the system turns on.At all times, you are responsible forcontrolling your vehicle, supervising thesystem and intervening, if required.Failure to take care may result in the lossof control of your vehicle, seriouspersonal injury or death.
WARNING: The system turns off ifthere is a malfunction.
The system is designed to apply the brakesto hold your vehicle at a standstill after youstop your vehicle and release the brakepedal. This could be beneficial in certainsituations, for example when waiting on ahill or in traffic.
Switching Auto Hold On and Off
Press the button on the centerconsole. The button illuminateswhen you switch the system on.
Note:You can only switch the system onafter you close the driver door, and start theengine.
Note:The system remembers the lastsetting when you start your vehicle.
Make sure you switch the system off beforetowing with your vehicle or before using anautomatic car wash.
Using Auto Hold
1.Use the brakes to bring your vehicle toa complete stop. The auto hold activeindicator illuminates in the informationdisplay.
2.Release the brake pedal. The systemholds your vehicle at a standstill. Theauto hold active indicator remainsilluminated in the information display.
Note:The system only activates if youapply enough brake pressure. If your vehicleis on a steep slope, you might need to pressthe brake pedal harder before the systemactivates.
Note:Under certain conditions, the systemcould apply the electric parking brake. Thebrake system warning lamp illuminates. Theelectric parking brake releases when youpress the accelerator pedal. See ElectricParking Brake (page 211).
Note:If auto-start-stop turns off theengine, auto hold remains active.
Note:The system deactivates if you shiftinto reverse (R) and press the brake pedal.
3.Pull away in the normal manner. Thesystem releases the brakes and theauto hold active indicator turns off.
Auto Hold Indicator
The auto hold indicator illuminates in theinformation display when the system is onand is either active or unavailable.
Illuminates when the system isactive. Your vehicle remainsstationary after you release thebrake pedal.
Illuminates when the system ison but unavailable to hold yourvehicle at a standstill.
The system could be unavailable when anyof the following occur:
•During an active park assist maneuver.
•Your vehicle is in stay in neutral mode.
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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: Do not use the systemwith accessories that extend beyond thefront or rear of your vehicle, for examplea trailer hitch, bike rack or side mirrorextensions such as telescoping mirrorsor towing mirrors. The system is not ableto make corrections for the additionallength of the accessories.
The system assists parking into and out ofparking spaces. It uses sensors to detectparking spaces. The system then steers,accelerates, brakes and shifts gear asrequired to maneuver into or out of aparking space.
Using Active Park Assist
The active park assist button isnear the transmission selectoron the center console.
Press the active park assist button to bringup full screen notifications. Press either theactive park assist button or the soft keyson the display screen to switch betweenParallel Park In, Perpendicular Park In orParallel Park Out parking modes.
Driving into a Parking Space
Note:When parking perpendicularly, thesystem backs your vehicle into parkingspaces.
1.Press the active park assist button.
Note:The system does not recognizeparking space lines and centers your vehiclebetween objects.
Note:The system detects other vehiclesand curbs to find a parking space.
Note:The system searches for parallelparking spaces on the passenger side. Pressthe active park assist button again to makethe system search for perpendicular spaces.
2.Use the direction indicator lever tosearch for a parking space on the driveror passenger side of your vehicle.
3.Drive your vehicle approximately 3 ft(1 m) away from and parallel to theother parked vehicles when searchingfor a parking space.
Note: A tone sounds and a messageappears in the information display whenactive park assist finds a suitable parkingspace.
4.Press and hold the brake pedal.
5.Release the steering wheel and shiftinto neutral (N).
6.Press and hold the active park assistbutton.
7.Release the brake pedal to allow thevehicle to park.
Note:When parallel parking betweenobjects, the system parks closer to theobject in front of your vehicle to allow easieraccess to your luggage compartment.
Note:When perpendicular parking, thesystem aligns the front end of your vehiclewith the object next to it.
Note:When perpendicular parking, if thesystem detects only one object, it allowsenough distance to open the door on eitherside.
Note:You can slow down your vehicle atany time by pressing the brake pedal.
Note:When parking is complete the vehicleshifts into park (P).
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Note: When towing, the camera only seeswhat you are towing. This might not provideadequate coverage as it usually provides innormal operation and some objects mightnot be seen. In some vehicles, the guidelinesmay disappear when you connect the trailertow connector.
The camera may not operate correctlyunder the following conditions:
•Nighttime or dark areas if one or bothreverse lamps are not operating.
•Mud, water or debris obstructs thecamera's view. Clean the lens with asoft, lint-free cloth and non-abrasivecleaner. You can also use the rearwasher to clean the camera. See RearWindow Wiper and Washers (page85).
•The rear of your vehicle is hit ordamaged, causing the camera tobecome misaligned.
Camera System Settings
The rear view camera system settings canbe accessed through the touchscreen. SeeSettings (page 458).
Camera Guidelines
Note:Active guidelines are only availablewhen the transmission is in reverse (R).
Active guidelines (If equipped)A
CenterlineB
Fixed guideline: Green zoneC
Fixed guideline: Yellow zoneD
Fixed guideline: Red zoneE
Rear bumperF
Active guidelines are only shown with fixedguidelines. To use active guidelines, turnthe steering wheel to point the guidelinestoward an intended path. If you changethe steering wheel position while reversing,your vehicle might deviate from the originalintended path.
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HOW DOES ADAPTIVE CRUISE
CONTROL WITH STOP AND GO
WORK
Adaptive cruise control with stop and gouses radar and camera sensors to adjustthe speed of your vehicle to maintain a setgap from the vehicle in front of you in thesame lane while following it to a completestop. You can also engage the system tofollow a vehicle in front of you and adjustset speed while stopped.
WHAT IS ADAPTIVE CRUISE
CONTROL WITH LANE
CENTERING
Adaptive cruise control with lane centeringuses radar and camera sensors to helpkeep your vehicle in the lane by applyingcontinuous assistance steering torqueinput toward the lane center on highways.
Note:The adaptive cruise control gapsetting operates normally.
WHAT IS INTELLIGENT
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Intelligent adaptive cruise controlcombines speed sign recognition withadaptive cruise control to adjust the cruiseset speed to the speed limit detected bythe speed sign recognition system. Forexample, if the speed sign recognitionsystem detects a 50 mph (80 km/h)speed limit, the cruise set speed is updatedto 50 mph (80 km/h) +/- the driver'sselected speed offset.
Note:The adaptive cruise control gapsetting operates normally.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
PRECAUTIONS - VEHICLES
WITH: LANE CENTERING
Adaptive cruise control precautions applyto lane centering unless stated otherwiseor contradicted by a lane centeringprecaution. See Adaptive Cruise ControlPrecautions (page 241).
WARNING: Do not use the systemwhen towing a trailer. Failure to followthis instruction could result in the loss ofcontrol of your vehicle, personal injury ordeath.
WARNING: Do not use the systemif any changes or modifications to thesteering wheel have been made. Anychanges or modifications to the steeringwheel could affect the functionality orperformance of the system. Failure tofollow this instruction could result in theloss of control of your vehicle, personalinjury or death.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
PRECAUTIONS - VEHICLES
WITH: STOP AND GO
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.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingAdaptive Cruise Control (If Equipped)

WARNING: Pay close attention tochanging road conditions such asentering or leaving a highway, on roadswith intersections or roundabouts, roadswithout visible lanes of travel, roads thatare winding, slippery, unpaved, or steepslopes.
WARNING: The system does notcontrol speed in low traction conditionsor extremely steep slopes. The systemis designed to be an aid and does notrelieve you of your responsibility to drivewith due care and attention. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury.
WARNING: The system is not acrash warning or avoidance system.
WARNING: Do not use the systemwhen towing a trailer that hasaftermarket electronic trailer brakecontrols. Failure to follow this instructioncould result in the loss of control of yourvehicle, personal injury or death.
WARNING: Do not use tire sizesother than those recommended becausethis can affect the normal operation ofthe system. Failure to do so may resultin a loss of vehicle control, which couldresult in serious injury.
WARNING: Do not use the systemwith a snow plow blade installed.
WARNING: Do not use the systemin poor visibility, for example fog, heavyrain, spray or snow.
When Following a Vehicle
WARNING: When following avehicle that is braking, your vehicle doesnot always decelerate quickly enough toavoid a crash without driver intervention.Apply the brakes when necessary. Failureto follow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death.
Hilly Condition Usage
You should select a lower gear when thesystem is active in situations such asprolonged downhill driving on steepgrades, for example in mountainous areas.The system needs additional enginebraking in these situations to reduce theload on the vehicle’s regular brake systemto prevent it from overheating.
Note:An audible alarm sounds and thesystem shuts down if it applies brakes foran extended period of time. This allows thebrakes to cool. The system functionsnormally again after the brakes cool.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
LIMITATIONS - VEHICLES
WITH: LANE CENTERING
Adaptive cruise control limitations applyto lane centering unless stated otherwiseor contradicted by a lane centeringlimitation. See Adaptive Cruise ControlLimitations (page 243).
The system may not correctly operate inany of the following conditions:
•The lane is too narrow or wide.
•The system does not detect at leastone lane marking or when lanes mergeor split.
•Limited steering torque input is applied.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingAdaptive Cruise Control (If Equipped)