towing FORD FLEX 2014 1.G Owners Manual

Hints on driving with anti-lock brakes......................208
Parking brake........................................208
Traction Control 209
TractionControl™ ....................................209
Stability Control 210
AdvanceTrac®.......................................211
Parking Aids 212
Sensing system.......................................212
Active park assist.....................................213
Rear-view camera system...............................218
Cruise Control 223
Using cruise control...................................223
Using Adaptive Cruise Control............................224
Driving Aids 232
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert
(CTA) .............................................232
Collision warning system................................237
Steering............................................240
Load Carrying 242
Cargo net...........................................242
Roof racks and load carriers.............................242
Vehicle loading.......................................243
Towing 251
Trailertowing........................................251
Wrecker towing......................................258
Recreational towing...................................259
Driving Hints 261
Economical driving....................................261
Driving through water..................................262
Floormats..........................................263
Table of Contents5
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

•The fully inflated belt’s increased diameter more
effectively holds the occupant in the appropriate
seating position, and spreads crash forces over more
area of the body than regular safety belts. This
helps reduce pressure on the chest and helps
control head and neck motion for passengers.
Stowing the Rear Inflatable Safety Belt
The rear inflatable safety belt has a snap retainer for stowing the safety
belt against the quarter trim panel when it is not in use. This will
prevent the safety belt tongue from rattling against the side of the seat
and keep it out of the way when folding or tumbling the second row
seats.
Press the retainer on the safety
belt onto the mating snap to stow.
To use the safety belt, pull it away
from the quarter trim panel.
Safety Belts47
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

Settings
Display Language Select your applicable language
Units Distance Miles and Gallons or km/L
or L/100km
Temperature Fahrenheit (°F) or Celsius
(°C)
Convenience Autolamp
DelayOff or number of seconds
Compass Display
Calibrate (if
equipped)Hold OK to Calibrate
Zone (1–15)
DTE
CalculationNormal or Towing
Easy Entry/Exit — check enabled / uncheck disabled
Locks Autolock
Autounlock
Remote
UnlockAll Doors or Driver First
Oil life Reset Set XXX%
Power
LiftgateSwitch Enabled or Disabled
Remote Start Climate
ControlSeats and
Wheel or
Seats onlyAuto or Last
Setting
Duration (5, 10 or 15 minutes)
System
Windows Remote Open
Wipers Courtesy Wipe
Rain Sensing
Reverse Wiper
Information Displays11 9
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

Settings
Vehicle DTE Calculation Normal / Towing
Easy Entry/Exit — check enabled / uncheck
disabled
Lighting Autolamp Delay Off or number
of seconds
Locks Autolock On / Off
Autounlock On / Off
Remote
UnlockingAll doors /
Driver’s door
Oil Life Reset Set to XXX %
Power Liftgate Enable / Disable
Remote StartClimate Control
(using this
feature allows
you to select
different climate
control modes
when the
vehicle is
started using
the remote start
feature)Auto / Last
Settings
Seats and Wheel
or Seats onlyAuto / Off
Duration 5 / 10
/15 minutes
System Enable /
Disable
Windows Remote Open or Remote Close
WipersCourtesy Wipe On / Off
Rain Sensing On / Off
Information Displays125
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

Stowing the Third Row Seat
1. Remove all objects from the seat and stowage tub. Objects in the seat
or stowage tub may cause serious damage to the seat upholstery and
cause improper seat function.
2. From the rear of the vehicle,
stow the head restraints by pulling
the strap located on the middle of
the seat back just below the head
restraint. Then fold the seat back by
pulling and holding the number 1
strap while pushing the seat back
forward. Release the strap once the
seat back starts rotating forward.
3. Release the cushion latches by
pulling the number 2 strap while
pulling on the strap located at the
top of the seat back. This will
tumble the seat all the way into the
floor tub.
Note:Do not use the seat anchors as cargo tie downs.
Note:Do not use the third row seat
back as a load floor when the seat
back is folded. Sharp objects may
result in damage to seat upholstery.
Note:In order to allow the seat to latch in the stowed position, do not
stow objects under the seat before stowing.
2
Seats163
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

Unstowing the Third Row Seat
WARNING:Make sure the seat is latched to vehicle floor by
pushing and pulling on the seat. If not latched, the seat may
cause injury during a sudden stop.
Note:Make sure that there are no objects such as books, purses or brief
cases on the load floor before unstowing the seat. Failure to remove all
objects from the top of the load floor prior to unstowing it may cause
damage to the seat.
Note:Make sure the area under the forward portion of the load floor is
free of objects before unstowing the third row seat.
1. Unlatch and lift the seat out of
the floor tub by squeezing and
pulling up on the handle. Once the
seat is at a vertical position, push
the seat over, letting it fall onto the
latches.
2. To return the seat back to the
upright position, pull the number 1
strap. Then, while holding the
number 1 strap, pull the long strap
located on the seat back to raise the
seat back.
3. Pull the head restraints up to
their normal adjusted positions.
PowerFold® Third-row Seat (If Equipped)
The third row seat features a power one-touch operation that allows you
to adjust the left, right, or both seats into a NORMAL, STOW, FOLD, or
TAILGATE position with just one touch of a button. The third row seat
also includes obstacle detection that allows the seat to stop and reverse
direction if it hits an obstacle so that the obstacle can be removed.
1
164Seats
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

The third row power seat buttons are located behind the third row seats
on the left-hand quarter trim panel.
Note:The power fold seats work only when the transmission selector
lever is in positionPand the tailgate is open. If the ignition is off and
the feature is still running, the battery saver will turn it off after
10 minutes. You can reactivate the power seats by pressing the unlock
button on the remote entry key fob or by using the unlock procedure on
the keyless entry keypad. SeeSecuriCode keyless keypadin theLocks
chapter. Keep the key in the accessory or run position to prevent the
feature from timing out.
Press the seat selection button (D) to select either right-hand seat, the
left-hand seat or both. First, select the seat you would like to adjust,
then select one of the following:
•Press the NORMAL button (A) to return the seat to the normal
seating position.
•Press the STOW button (B) to stow the seat into the tub floor.
•Press the FOLD button (C) (the top portion of the button) to fold
down the seat back.
•Press the TAILGATE button (C) (the bottom portion of the button) to
put the seat into the tailgate position.
Note:Pressing a different button while the power seat feature is already
being performed may cause the first selected seat movement to be
cancelled. Allow the first seat movement to be completed before pressing
a button for another function.
Note:Make sure that there are no objects such as books, purses or brief
cases on the load floor before unstowing the seat. Failure to remove all
objects from the top of the load floor prior to unstowing it may cause
damage to the seat.
NORMAL
STOWRH
BOTH
LH
FOLD
TA I L G AT E
ABCD
Seats165
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

Note:In order to allow the seat to complete the stowed position, do not
place objects under the seat before stowing. Remove all objects from the
seat and stowage tub. Sharp objects may result in damage to the seat
upholstery and improper seat function.
Note:In the unlikely event that the third row power seat stops
prematurely, or travels to an unexpected position, press the FOLD
button (C) to reset the seat and return it to a normal position.
WARNING:Do not drive the vehicle when the third row seat is
rotated backwards. During a sudden stop, the safety belts are not
functional in this position and the third row seat can rapidly tip back to
the forward position, all of which may result in serious injury.
Closing the Liftgate
WARNING:To avoid injury to third row occupants when closing
the liftgate, make sure that the head of any occupant is not in
the path of the closing liftgate.
166Seats
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

Note:When towing, the camera only sees what is being towed behind
the vehicle. This might not provide adequate coverage as it usually
provides in normal operation and some objects might not be seen.
In some vehicles, the guidelines may disappear once the trailer tow
connector is engaged.
Note:The camera may not operate correctly under the following
conditions:
•Nighttime or dark areas if one or both reverse lamps are not
operating.
•The camera’s view is obstructed by mud, water or debris. Clean the
lens with a soft, lint-free cloth and non-abrasive cleaner.
•The rear of the vehicle is hit or damaged, causing the camera to
become misaligned.
Guidelines and the Centerline
Note:Fixed guidelines and active guidelines (if equipped) are only
available when the transmission is in R (Reverse).
Note:The centerline is only available if Fixed or Active (if equipped)
guidelines are on.
A. Active guidelines (if equipped)
B. Centerline
C. Fixed guideline: Green zone
D. Fixed guideline: Yellow zone
E. Fixed guideline: Red zone
F. Rear bumper
ABCD
F
E
220Parking Aids
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)

Adaptive Cruise Control Not Available
Several conditions exist which can cause the system to deactivate or
prevent the system from activating when requested. These conditions
include:
•a blocked sensor
•high brake temperature
•a failure in the system or a related system.
Blocked Sensor
WARNING:Do not use ACC when towing a trailer with brake
controls. Aftermarket trailer brakes will not function properly
when ACC is activated because the brakes are electronically controlled.
Failing to do so may result in loss of vehicle control, which could result
in serious injury.
WARNING:Do not use tires sizes other than those
recommended because this can affect the normal operation of
ACC. Failing to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control, which
could result in serious injury.
A message regarding a blocked
sensor is displayed if the radar
signals from the sensor have been
obstructed. The sensor is located
behind a fascia cover near the
driver side of the lower grille. A
vehicle ahead cannot be detected
and the system will not function
when the radar signals are obstructed. The following table lists possible
causes and actions for this message being displayed.
230Cruise Control
2014 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013
USA(fus)