2023 FORD EXPLORER air conditioning

ABOUT THIS MANUAL
Thank you for choosing Ford. Werecommend that you take some time toget to know your vehicle by reading thismanual. The more that you know aboutyour vehicle, the greater the safety andpleasure you will get from driving it.
WARNING: Driving whiledistracted can result in loss of vehiclecontrol, crash and injury. We stronglyrecommend that you use extremecaution when using any device that maytake your focus off the road. Yourprimary responsibility is the safeoperation of your vehicle. Werecommend against the use of anyhand-held device while driving andencourage the use of voice-operatedsystems when possible. Make sure youare aware of all applicable local lawsthat may affect the use of electronicdevices while driving.
Note: This manual describes productfeatures and options available throughoutthe range of available models, sometimeseven before they are generally available. Itmay describe options not fitted to thevehicle you have purchased.
Note: Some of the illustrations in thismanual may show features as used indifferent models, so may appear differentto you on your vehicle.
Note: Always use and operate your vehiclein line with all applicable laws andregulations.
Note: Pass on this manual when sellingyour vehicle. It is an integral part of yourvehicle.
This manual may qualify the location of acomponent as left-hand side or right-handside. The side is determined when facingforward in the seat.
Right-hand side.A
Left-hand side.B
SYMBOLS GLOSSARY
These are some of the symbols you maysee on your vehicle.
Airbag
Air conditioning system
Air conditioning system lubricanttype
Anti-lock braking system
Avoid smoking, flames or sparks
Battery
Battery acid
Blower motor
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AUTOMATIC CLIMATE
CONTROL
Note:Depending on your vehicle optionpackage, the controls may look differentfrom what you see here.
Note:You can switch temperature unitsbetween Fahrenheit and Celsius.
Note:You can control some of the climatefeatures through the touchscreen.
Note:For Hybrid Electric Vehicles andPlug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, the airconditioning compressor may run, and youmay feel airflow when the climate controlis off to provide cooling to the battery.
Accessing the Air DistributionControls
Press and release the button toactivate the selection screen.
From the screen, switch directed air fromthe windshield, instrument panel orfootwell vents on or off. You can direct airthrough any combination of these vents.See Climate (page 445).
Accessing the Menu
Press and release the button toaccess different climatefeatures.
Smart Zone - Hybrid Electric Vehicle(HEV), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle(PHEV)
If there is not an occupant in the frontpassenger seat, the climate control systemmay default to single zone to improve fueleconomy, if you were previously in dualzone operation. When this occurs, dualzone turns off and the passenger set pointchanges to match the driver set point.
Press the dual zone button on thetouchscreen or adjust the passenger setpoint to use dual zone operation withouta passenger present. The system remainsin dual zone operation until you switch thevehicle off.
You can disable or re-enable the SmartZone feature by pressing and holding thedual zone button on the touchscreen. Bothset point displays begin flashing to signifywhen the feature disables. The systemreturns to previous state after you releasethe dual zone button.
Accessing Rear Climate Controls
Press and release the button toaccess additional controls forthe rear climate system.
Setting the Blower Motor Speed
Press and release + or - to adjustthe volume of air circulated inthe vehicle.
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Setting the Temperature
Press the toggle button on the left-handside of the climate control upward ordownward to set the left-handtemperature.
Note:This control also adjusts theright-hand side temperature when youswitch off dual zone mode.
Press the toggle button on the right-handside of the climate control upward ordownward to set the right-handtemperature.
Switching Auto Mode On and Off
Press and release the button toswitch on automatic operation.Repeatedly press the button toadjust auto mode.
The system adjusts the blower motorspeed, air distribution, air conditioningoperation, and outside or recirculated airto reach and maintain the temperature youhave set.
Under high humidity conditions, the systemadjusts the blower motor speed, airdistribution and air conditioning operationto reduce window fogging.
Note:The system starts at the previoussetting when you switch on AUTO mode.
Note:You can also switch off dual zonemode by pressing and holding the buttonfor more than two seconds.
Auto Mode Indicator Status
DescriptionAuto Mode IndicatorStatus
One indicator illumin-ated.•The blower motor speed is reduced.
•Use this setting to minimize the amount of noise fromthe blower motor.
•This setting increases the time taken to cool theinterior.
Two indicators illumin-ated.•The blower motor speed is moderate.
Three indicators illumin-ated.•The blower motor speed is increased.
•Use this setting to reduce the time taken to cool theinterior.
•This setting increases the amount of noise from theblower motor.
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Switching the Air Conditioning Onand Off
Press and release the button.
Use air conditioning with recirculated airto improve cooling performance andefficiency.
Note:In certain conditions, for example,maximum defrost, the air conditioningcompressor may continue to operate eventhough you switch off the air conditioning.
Note:The A/C LED light may turn on andoff based on the temperature setting or thecurrent conditions.
Switching the Climate Control Onand Off
Press and release the button.
Switching Maximum AirConditioning On and Off
Press and release the button formaximum cooling.
The driver and passenger temperaturesare set to LO, recirculated air flows throughthe instrument panel air vents, airconditioning turns on and the blower motoradjusts to the highest speed.
Switching Maximum Defrost Onand Off
Press and release the button formaximum defrosting.
The driver and passenger temperaturesare set to HI, air flows through thewindshield air vents, and the blower motoradjusts to the highest speed.
Note:Depending on your region, airconditioning turns on.
You can also use this setting to defog andclear the windshield of a thin covering ofice.
Note:To prevent window fogging, youcannot select recirculated air whenmaximum defrost is on.
Note:The heated rear window also turnson when you select maximum defrost.
Switching Recirculated Air On andOff
Press and release the button toswitch between outside air andrecirculated air.
The air currently in the passengercompartment recirculates. This mayreduce the time needed to cool the interior,when used with A/C, and reduce unwantedodors from entering your vehicle.
Note:Recirculated air may turn offautomatically, or prevent you from switchingon in all air flow modes except MAX A/C toreduce the risk of fogging. Recirculation mayalso turn on and off automatically in variousair distribution control combinations toimprove heating or cooling efficiency.
HINTS ON CONTROLLING THE
INTERIOR CLIMATE
General Hints
Note:Prolonged use of recirculated air maycause the windows to fog up.
Note:You may feel a small amount of airfrom the footwell air vents regardless of theair distribution setting.
Note:To reduce humidity build-up insideyour vehicle, do not drive with the systemswitched off or with recirculated air alwaysswitched on.
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Press the heated seat symbol to cyclethrough the various heat settings and off.More indicator lights indicate warmersettings.
Note:The heated seats switch on during aremote start if they are enabled.
Note:The heated seats may switch onwhen you start your vehicle if they were onwhen you previously switched your vehicleoff.
Automatic Climate ControlledSeats (If Equipped)
When you switch on the auto setting, theseats switch between the heated seatsand ventilated seats to match your climatecontrol setting.
Second Row Heated Seats
The heated seat controls are on the rearof the center console.
VENTILATED SEATS (IF EQUIPPED)
Do not do the following:
•Spill liquid on the front seats. This maycause the air vent holes to becomeblocked and not work properly.
•Place cargo or objects under the seats.They may block the air intake causingthe air vents to not work properly.
The engine must be running to use thisfeature.
Press this symbol to cycle through thevarious ventilation settings and off. Moreindicator lights indicate higher fan speeds.
Note:The ventilated seats switch on duringa remote start if they are enabled.
Note:The ventilated seats may switch onwhen you start your vehicle if they were onwhen you previously switched your vehicleoff.
If the engine falls below 350 RPM whenthe ventilated seats are on, the systemturns off. You need to switch it back on.
Note:To improve comfort, use theventilated seats along with the vehicle’s airconditioning system.
Automatic Climate ControlledSeats (If Equipped)
When you switch on the auto setting, theseats switch between the heated seatsand ventilated seats to match your climatecontrol setting.
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Note:Note when in Sport mode it can beenabled by pressing the Auto-Start-Stopbutton.
The green Auto-Start-Stopindicator light on the instrumentcluster will illuminate to indicatewhen the automatic engine stop occurs.
If the instrument cluster isequipped with a greyAuto-Start-Stop indicator light,it illuminates when automatic engine stopis not available due to one of the abovenoted conditions not being met.
Automatic Engine Restart
Any of the following conditions will resultin an automatic restart of the engine:
•You have removed your foot from thebrake pedal.
•You press the accelerator pedal.
•You press the accelerator and thebrake pedal at the same time.
•The driver safety belt becomesunfastened or the driver door is ajar.
•Your vehicle is moving.
•The interior compartment does notmeet customer comfort when airconditioning or heat is on.
•Fogging of the windows could occurand the air conditioning is on.
•The battery is not within optimaloperating conditions.
•You have exceeded the maximumengine off time.
•When you press the Auto-Start-Stopbutton with the engine automaticallystopped.
•The front defroster is turned to the Maxsetting.
•When you shift into park (P), the enginewill restart.
Any of the following conditions may resultin an automatic restart of the engine:
•You have increased the blower fanspeed or changed the climate controltemperature.
•You have an electrical accessoryturned on or plugged in.
Note:You may notice that the climate seatfan fluctuates during an automatic restart.
Disabling Auto-Start-Stop
Press the Auto-Start-Stop button on thecenter console to switch the system off.The button will illuminate. Deactivatingusing the button lasts only 1 key cycle.Press the button again to restoreAuto-Start-Stop function.
Note:If the Shift to park (P), Restart Enginemessage appears and the amberAuto-Start-Stop indicator light flashes, thisindicates automatic restart is unavailable.You must restart the vehicle manually. SeeInformation Displays (page 110).
If your vehicle is in engine offAuto-Start-Stop, shifting from drive (D) toreverse (R) will not cause a restart if youdo not press the brake pedal. The messageAuto-Start-Stop Press Brake to StartEngine appears. You must press the brakepedal within 60 seconds or the systemrequires you to shift into park (P) andmanually restart your vehicle.
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HYBRID VEHICLE OPERATION
- HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE
(HEV)
This hybrid vehicle combines electric andgasoline propulsion to providebreakthrough performance and improvedefficiency. Familiarizing yourself with theseunique characteristics provides an optimaldriving experience from your vehicle.
Starting
When you start your vehicle, agreen READY indicator lightappears in the instrument clusterletting you know that your vehicle is readyfor driving.
The engine may not start because yourvehicle has a silent key start feature. Thisfuel saving feature allows your vehicle tobe ready to drive without requiring the gasengine to be running. The indicator remainson when your vehicle is on, whether theengine is running or not, to indicate yourvehicle is capable of movement using theelectric motor, gas engine or both.Typically, the engine does not start unlessthe vehicle is cold, a climate controlchange is requested or you press theaccelerator pedal.
Driving
The gas engine automatically starts andstops to provide power when needed andto save fuel when not needed. Whencoasting at low speeds, coming to a stop,or standing, the gas engine normally shutsdown and your vehicle operates inelectric-only mode.
Conditions that may cause the engine tostart up or remain running include:
•Considerable vehicle acceleration.
•Climbing a hill.
•Charge level of high voltage battery islow.
•High or low outside temperatures inorder to provide system heating orcooling.
•Engine not warm enough to providepassenger requested cabintemperature.
•Towing a trailer.
•Selectable drive modes: Certainselectable drive modes may cause theengine to run. See What Is Drive ModeControl (page 273).
•Live in Drive: Use of the paddle shifterswhile in drive (D) may cause the engineto run. See Automatic Transmission(page 197).
Stopping
The gas engine may shut off to conservefuel as you come to a stop. Restarting yourvehicle is not required. Simply step on theaccelerator when you are ready to drive.
Transmission Operation
The engine and electric motor togetherpropel the vehicle through the automatictransmission. This is normal hybridoperating and helps deliver fuel efficiencyand performance.
Battery
Your hybrid is equipped with a high voltagebattery. A cool battery maintains batterylife and provides the best possibleperformance. The high voltage battery iscooled by the vehicle's air conditioningsystem. When the air conditioning systemis on, you may notice a slight increase inair temperature coming from the climatecontrol vents while the battery is cooling.You may also notice cool air flowing fromthe vents when the air conditioning orblower is off.
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REDUCED ENGINE
PERFORMANCE
WARNING: If you continue to driveyour vehicle when the engine isoverheating, the engine could stopwithout warning. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in the loss ofcontrol of your vehicle.
If the engine coolant temperature gaugeneedle moves to the upper limit position,the engine is overheating. See Gauges(page 104).
You must only drive your vehicle for a shortdistance if the engine overheats. Thedistance you can travel depends onambient temperature, vehicle load andterrain. The engine continues to operatewith limited power for a short period oftime.
If the engine temperature continues to rise,the fuel supply to the engine reduces. Theair conditioning switches off and the enginecooling fan operates continually.
1.Gradually reduce your speed and stopyour vehicle as soon as it is safe to doso.
2.Immediately switch the engine off toprevent severe engine damage.
3.Wait for the engine to cool down.
4.Check the coolant level. See EngineCoolant Check (page 324).
5.Have your vehicle checked as soon aspossible.
COLD WEATHER
PRECAUTIONS
The functional operation of somecomponents and systems can be affectedat temperatures below approximately-13°F (-25°C).
BREAKING-IN
Your vehicle requires a break-in period. Forthe first 1,000 mi (1,600 km), avoid drivingat high speeds, heavy braking, aggressiveshifting or using your vehicle to tow. Duringthis time, your vehicle may exhibit someunusual driving characteristics.
DRIVING ECONOMICALLY
The following helps to improve fuelconsumption:
•Drive smoothly, accelerate gently andanticipate the road ahead to avoidheavy braking.
•Regularly check your tire pressures andmake sure that they are inflated to thecorrect pressure.
•Follow the recommended maintenanceschedule and carry out therecommended checks.
•Plan your journey and check the trafficbefore you set off. It is more efficientto combine errands into a single tripwhenever possible.
•Avoid idling the engine in cold weatheror for extended periods. Start theengine only when you are ready to setoff.
•Do not carry unnecessary weight in yourvehicle as extra weight wastes fuel.
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