seats FORD FLEX 2015 1.G Owners Manual

Introduction 10
Child Safety 18
Installing child seats....................................20
Booster seats.........................................32
Child seat positioning...................................35
Child safety locks......................................37
Safety Belts 38
Fastening the safety belts................................40
Safety belt height adjustment.............................43
Safetybeltwarninglightandindicatorchime..................44
Safety belt-minder.....................................44
Rear inflatable safety belt................................46
Child restraint and safety belt maintenance...................48
Personal Safety System 49
Supplementary Restraints System 50
Driver and passenger airbags.............................52
Front passenger sensing system...........................54
Side airbags..........................................57
Safety canopy curtain airbags.............................59
Crash sensors and airbag indicator.........................61
Airbag disposal........................................62
Keys and Remote Control 63
General information on radio frequencies.....................63
Remote control.......................................64
Keys...............................................64
Replacing a lost key or remote control.......................69
Table of Contents1
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

Climate Control 138
Manual heating and air conditioning........................138
Dual automatic temperature control........................140
Auxiliary passenger climate control........................143
Rear window defroster.................................147
Cabin air filter.......................................147
Remote Start........................................148
Seats 149
Sitting in the correct position............................149
Head restraints.......................................150
Manual seats........................................153
Power seats.........................................154
Memory function.....................................156
Heated seats........................................157
Heated and ventilated seats..............................159
Rear seats..........................................161
Universal Garage Door Opener (If Equipped) 170
HomeLink® wireless control system.......................171
Auxiliary Power Points 175
Storage Compartments 178
Center console.......................................178
Overhead console.....................................180
Starting and Stopping the Engine 181
Ignition switch.......................................182
Engine block heater...................................187
4Table of Contents
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

Maintenance 293
General information...................................293
Opening and closing the hood............................294
Under hood overview..................................295
Engine oil dipstick....................................297
Engine oil check......................................297
Engine coolant check..................................298
Automatic transmission fluid check........................304
Brake fluid check.....................................308
Fuel filter...........................................308
Washer fluid check....................................309
Battery ............................................309
Checking the wiper blades..............................311
Changing the wiper blades..............................311
Air filter(s).........................................312
Adjusting the headlamps................................314
Changing a bulb......................................315
Vehicle Care 320
Cleaning products.....................................320
Cleaning the exterior..................................320
Waxing.............................................322
Repairing minor paint damage............................322
Cleaning the engine...................................322
Cleaning the windows and wiper blades.....................323
Cleaning the interior...................................324
Cleaning the instrument panel and instrument cluster lens.......324
Cleaning leather seats..................................325
Cleaning the alloy wheels...............................326
Vehiclestorage.......................................327
Table of Contents7
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

SPECIAL NOTICES
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
For a detailed description of what is covered and what is not covered by
your vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty, see the warranty
information that is provided to you along with your owner’s manual.
Special Instructions
For your added safety, your vehicle is fitted with sophisticated electronic
controls.
WARNING:Please read theSupplementary Restraints System
chapter. Failure to follow the specific warnings and instructions
could result in personal injury.
WARNING:Front seat mounted rear-facing child or infant seats
shouldNEVERbe placed in front of an active passenger airbag.
MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT
Using mobile communications equipment is becoming increasingly
important in the conduct of business and personal affairs. However, you
must not compromise your own or others’ safety when using such
equipment. Mobile communications can enhance personal safety and
security when appropriately used, particularly in emergency situations.
Safety must be paramount when using mobile communications
equipment to avoid negating these benefits.
Mobile communication equipment includes, but is not limited to, cellular
phones, pagers, portable email devices, text messaging devices and
portable two-way radios.
WARNING:Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehicle
control, crash and injury. We strongly recommend that you use
extreme caution when using any device that may take your focus off
the road. Your primary responsibility is the safe operation of your
vehicle. We recommend against the use of any handheld device while
driving and encourage the use of voice-operated systems when possible.
Make sure you are aware of all applicable local laws that may affect the
use of electronic devices while driving.
16Introduction
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

GENERAL INFORMATION
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children.
WARNING:Always make sure your child is secured properly in a
device that is appropriate for their height, age and weight. Child
safety restraints must be bought separately from your vehicle. Failure
to follow these instructions and guidelines may result in an increased
risk of serious injury or death to your child.
WARNING:All children are shaped differently. The
recommendations for safety restraints are based on probable
child height, age and weight thresholds from NHTSA and other safety
organizations, or are the minimum requirements of law. Ford
recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician (CPST) and consulting your pediatrician to make sure your
child seat is appropriate for your child, and is compatible with and
properly installed in your vehicle. To locate a child seat fitting station
and CPST, contact the NHTSA toll free at 1-888-327-4236 or on the
internet at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, check with your local
St. John Ambulance office for referral to a CPST or for further
information, contact your provincial ministry of transportation, or locate
your local St. John Ambulance office by searching for St. John
Ambulance on the internet, or Transport Canada at 1–800–333–0371
(http://www.tc.gc.ca). Failure to properly restrain children in safety
seats made especially for their height, age, and weight may result in an
increased risk of serious injury or death to your child.
WARNING:Do not leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. On hot days, the temperature in the trunk or vehicle
interior can rise very quickly. Exposure of people or animals to these
high temperatures for even a short time can cause death or serious
heat-related injuries, including brain damage. Small children are
particularly at risk.
18Child Safety
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

Recommendations for Safety Restraints for Children
Child size, height, weight, or
ageRecommended
restraint type
Infants
or
toddlersChildren weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or
less (generally age four or
younger).Use a child safety seat
(sometimes called an
infant carrier,
convertible seat, or
toddler seat).
Small
childrenChildren who have outgrown or no
longer properly fit in a child safety
seat (generally children who are
less than 4 ft. 9 in. (1.45 m) tall,
are greater than age four (4) and
less than age twelve (12), and
between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb
(36 kg) and upward to 100 lb
(45 kg) if recommended by your
child restraint manufacturer).Use a belt-positioning
booster seat.
Larger
childrenChildren who have outgrown or no
longer properly fit in a
belt-positioning booster seat
(generally children who are at
least 4 ft. 9 in. (1.45 m) tall or
greater than 80 lb (36 kg) or
100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by
child restraint manufacturer).Use a vehicle safety
belt having the lap belt
snug and low across the
hips, shoulder belt
centered across the
shoulder and chest, and
seat back upright.
•You are required by law to properly use safety seats for infants and
toddlers in the United States and Canada.
•Many states and provinces require that small children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 4 feet 9 inches
(1.45 meters) tall, or 80 pounds (36 kilograms). Check your local and
state or provincial laws for specific requirements about the safety of
children in your vehicle.
•When possible, always properly restrain children twelve (12) years of
age and under in a rear seating position of your vehicle. Accident
statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seating positions than in a front seating position. SeeFront
Passenger Sensing Systemin theSupplementary Restraints System
chapter for more information.
Child Safety19
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

INSTALLING CHILD SEATS
Child Seats
Use a child safety seat (sometimes
called an infant carrier, convertible
seat, or toddler seat) for infants,
toddlers or children weighing
40 pounds (18 kilograms) or less
(generally age four or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag. If
you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the
seat upon which the child seat is installed all the way back.
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear
seat whenever possible.
WARNING:Depending on where you secure a child restraint,
and depending on the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain safety belt buckle assemblies or LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are able
to be properly restrained.
When installing a child safety seat with combination lap and shoulder
belts:
•Use the correct safety belt buckle for that seating position.
•Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap
and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the
buckle.
20Child Safety
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

•Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the safety
seat, with the tongue between the child seat and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.
•Place the vehicle seat upon which the child seat will be installed in
the upright position.
•For second-row seating positions, the recliner may be adjusted slightly
to improve child seat fit. If needed, the head restraints may be
removed.
•For third-row seating positions, the head restraints may be stowed to
improve child seat fit. See theSeatschapter for information on folding
the head restraints.
•Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. See Step 5 below.
This vehicle does not require the use of a locking clip.
Perform the following steps when installing the child seat with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
Note:Although the child seat illustrated is a forward-facing child seat,
the steps are the same for installing a rear-facing child seat.
Note:The lock-off device on some child restraints may not
accommodate the shoulder portion of the inflatable safety belt. Follow all
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child restraint
regarding the necessary and proper use of the lock-off device. In some
instances these devices have been provided only for use in vehicles with
safety belt systems that would otherwise require a locking clip.
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
Child Safety21
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

Using Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH)
WARNING:Never attach two child safety seats to the same
anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold
two child safety seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury
or death.
WARNING:Depending on where you secure a child restraint,
and depending on the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain safety belt buckle assemblies or LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are able
to be properly restrained.
The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two
lower anchors located where seat back and seat cushion meet (called the
seat bight) and one top tether anchor located behind that seating
position.
LATCH compatible child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted
attachments that connect to the two lower anchors at the LATCH
equipped seating positions in your vehicle. This type of attachment
method eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach the child seat,
however the safety belt can still be used to attach the child seat. For
forward-facing child seats, the top tether strap must also be attached to
the proper top tether anchor, if a top tether strap has been provided
with your child seat.
Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child seat installation at the
seating positions marked with the child seat symbol.
•Second-row bucket seats and
third-row passenger side
26Child Safety
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)

•Second-row bench seats and
third-row passenger side
The LATCH anchors are located at
the rear section of the rear seat
between the cushion and seat back
below the symbols as shown. Follow
the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions to properly install a
child seat with LATCH attachments.
Follow the instructions on attaching child safety seats with tether straps.
SeeUsing Tether Strapslater in this chapter.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child seat only to the anchors
shown.
Using Inboard Lower Anchors From the Outboard Seating
Positions (Center Seating Use)
WARNING:The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors
is 11 inches (280 millimeters) center to center. Do not use
LATCH lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions permit and specify using anchors
spaced at least as far apart as those in this vehicle.
The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced
20.5 inches (520 millimeters apart). The standardized spacing for LATCH
lower anchors is 11 inches (280 millimeters) center to center. A child
seat with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center
seating position. LATCH compatible child seats (with attachments on belt
webbing) can only be used at this seating position provided that the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions permit use with the anchor spacing
stated. Do not attach a child seat to any lower anchor if an adjacent
child seat is attached to that anchor.
Child Safety27
2015 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2014
USA(fus)