traction control FORD EXPLORER 2016 5.G User Guide

Once through water, always try the brakes.
Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle as
effectively as dry brakes. Drying can be
improved by moving your vehicle slowly
while applying light pressure on the brake
pedal.
Be cautious of sudden changes in vehicle
speed or direction when you are driving in
mud. Even 4WD vehicles can lose traction
in slick mud. As when you are driving over
sand, apply the accelerator slowly and
avoid spinning your wheels. If the vehicle
does slide, steer in the direction of the slide
until you regain control of the vehicle.
After driving through mud, clean off residue
stuck to rotating driveshafts and tires.
Excess mud stuck on tires and rotating
driveshafts causes an imbalance that
could damage drive components.
“Tread Lightly
” is an educational program
designed to increase public awareness of
land-use regulations and responsibilities
in our nations wilderness areas. Ford Motor
Company joins the U.S. Forest Service and
the Bureau of Land Management in
encouraging you to help preserve our
national forest and other public and private
lands by “treading lightly. ”
Driving on Hilly or Sloping Terrain
Note: Avoid driving crosswise or turning on
steep slopes or hills. A danger lies in losing
traction, slipping sideways and possibly
rolling over. Whenever driving on a hill,
determine beforehand the route you will
use. Do not drive over the crest of a hill
without seeing what conditions are on the
other side. Do not drive in reverse over a hill
without the aid of an observer. Although natural obstacles may make it
necessary to travel diagonally up or down
a hill or steep incline, you should always
try to drive straight up or straight down.
When climbing a steep slope or hill, start
in a lower gear rather than downshifting to
a lower gear from a higher gear once the
ascent has started. This reduces strain on
the engine and the possibility of stalling.
If you do stall out, do not try to turn around
because you might roll over. It is better to
back down to a safe location.
Apply just enough power to the wheels to
climb the hill. Too much power will cause
the tires to slip, spin or lose traction,
resulting in loss of vehicle control.
Descend a hill in the same gear you would
use to climb up the hill to avoid excessive
brake application and brake overheating.
Do not descend in neutral; instead,
disengage overdrive or manually shift to a
lower gear. When descending a steep hill,
avoid sudden hard braking as you could
lose control. The front wheels have to be
turning in order to steer the vehicle.
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, therefore
apply the brakes steadily. Do not
“pump”
the brakes.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The traction control system helps avoid
drive wheel spin and loss of traction.
If your vehicle begins to slide, the system
applies the brakes to individual wheels
and, when needed, reduces engine power
at the same time. If the wheels spin when
accelerating on slippery or loose surfaces,
the system reduces engine power in order
to increase traction.
USING TRACTION CONTROL
WARNING
The stability and traction control
light illuminates steadily if the
system detects a failure. Make sure
you did not manually disable the traction
control system using the information
display controls or the switch. If the
stability control and traction control light
is still illuminating steadily, have the
system serviced by an authorized dealer
immediately. Operating your vehicle with
the traction control disabled could lead to
an increased risk of loss of vehicle control,
vehicle rollover, personal injury and death. The system automatically turns on each
time you switch the ignition on.
If your vehicle is stuck in mud or snow,
switching traction control off may be
beneficial as this allows the wheels to spin.
Note:
When you switch traction control off,
stability control remains fully active.
Switching the System Off
When you switch the system off or on, a
message appears in the information
display showing system status.
You can switch the system off by either
using the information display controls or
the switch. Using the Information Display
Controls
You can switch this feature off or on in the
information display. See General
Information (page 101).
Using a Switch
(If Equipped)
The switch for the stability control system
and traction control system is on the
instrument panel.
Use the switch to turn the system off or
on.
System Indicator Lights and
Messages The stability and traction control
light temporarily illuminates on
engine start-up and flashes
when a driving condition activates either
of the systems. The stability and traction control
off light temporarily illuminates
on engine start-up and stays on:
• When you switch the traction control
system off.
• If a problem occurs in either of the
systems.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Vehicle modifications involving
braking system, aftermarket roof
racks, suspension, steering system,
tire construction and wheel and tire size
may change the handling characteristics
of your vehicle and may adversely affect
the performance of the electronic stability
control system. In addition, installing any
stereo loudspeakers may interfere with
and adversely affect the electronic stability
control system. Install any aftermarket
stereo loudspeaker as far as possible from
the front center console, the tunnel, and
the front seats in order to minimize the risk
of interfering with the electronic stability
control sensors. Reducing the
effectiveness of the electronic stability
control system could lead to an increased
risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle
rollover, personal injury and death. Remember that even advanced
technology cannot defy the laws of
physics. It’
s always possible to lose
control of a vehicle due to inappropriate
driver input for the conditions. Aggressive
driving on any road condition can cause
you to lose control of your vehicle
increasing the risk of personal injury or
property damage. Activation of the
electronic stability control system is an
indication that at least some of the tires
have exceeded their ability to grip the road;
this could reduce the operator ’s ability to
control the vehicle potentially resulting in
a loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,
personal injury and death. If your electronic
stability control system activates, SLOW
DOWN. The system automatically turns on each
time you switch the ignition on. If a driving condition activates either the
stability control or the traction control
system you may experience the following
conditions:
•
The stability and traction control light
flashes.
• Your vehicle slows down.
• Reduced engine power.
• A vibration in the brake pedal.
• The brake pedal is stiffer than usual.
• If the driving condition is severe and
your foot is not on the brake, the brake
pedal may move as the systems
applies higher brake forces.
The stability control system has several
features built into it to help you maintain
control of your vehicle:
Electronic Stability Control
The system enhances your vehicle ’s ability
to prevent skids or lateral slides by
applying brakes to one or more of the
wheels individually and, if necessary,
reducing engine power.
Roll Stability Control
The system enhances your vehicle ’s ability
to prevent rollovers by detecting your
vehicle ’s roll motion and the rate at which
it changes by applying the brakes to one
or more wheels individually.
Curve Control
The system enhances your vehicle ’s ability
to follow the road when cornering severely
or avoiding objects in the roadway. Curve
Control operates by reducing engine power
and, if necessary, applying brakes to one
or more of the wheels individually.
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Traction Control
The system enhances your vehicle
’s ability
to maintain traction of the wheels by
detecting and controlling wheel spin. See
Using Traction Control (page 192). Vehicle without stability control
skidding off its intended route.
A
Vehicle with stability control
maintaining control on a slippery
surface.
B USING STABILITY CONTROL
AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability
Control
™ (RSC®)
The system automatically activates when
you start your vehicle. The AdvanceTrac
with RSC system cannot be completely
turned off, but the electronic stability
control and roll stability control portions
of the system are disabled when the
transmission is in position R.
You can turn
off the traction control portion of the
system independently. See
Using
Traction Control (page 192).
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AA
B
BB
B

USING TERRAIN RESPONSE
The terrain management system optimizes
drivability and comfort as well as
maximizing traction while operating on
different types of terrain.
Turn the control located on the center
console to choose between the following
modes:
Grass/Gravel/Snow mode
should be selected where a firm
surface is covered with loose or
slippery material such as packed
snow, ice, water, grass, or a thin
layer of gravel or sand. For deep
1
gravel or sand, select Sand
mode. If the vehicle cannot gain
traction in deep snow, switching
off the traction control system
may help (switch traction
control back on when you regain
traction). See
Using Traction
Control (page 192).
Sand
mode should be selected
in soft dry sand or deep gravel. If
crossing wet sand that may be
sufficiently deep enough for the
wheels to sink into the surface,
select Mud/Ruts mode.
2 Mud/Ruts
mode should be
selected for muddy, rutted, soft
or uneven terrain.
3
Normal
mode is for on-road
conditions and should be
selected before driving on
surfaces which are similar to a
hard road surface or once the
need for a special mode has
passed. Select Normal mode
when towing a trailer.
4
Note: The Sand and Mud/Ruts modes are
for off-road use only.
Note: The curve control portion of the
AdvanceTrac® system is unavailable when
you select Sand or Mud/Ruts.
If the system becomes inoperable,
selecting some modes may not be possible
and a message displays. If it becomes
inoperable due to a system malfunction,
all of the mode indicators on the control
turn off and one of the following messages
appears in the information display:
TERRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
FAULT:
Cycling the key may clear the
fault. If key cycling does not work, have the
system serviced by an authorized dealer.
MODE CHANGE NOT ACCEPTED,
RETRY:
A mode change cannot be made
at the time of driver request. Try the mode
change again.
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(If Equipped)E193313
3
2
1
4

Obstacle Distance Indicator (If
Equipped) The system provides obstacle distance
indication through the information display.
As the distance to the obstacle decreases,
the indicator blocks illuminate and move
toward the vehicle icon. If there is no
obstacle detected, the distance indicator
blocks show greyed out.
When you shift to reverse (R), the side
sensing system provides audible and visual
distance indication when your vehicle is
moving and obstacles are detected within
12 in (30 cm)
, or when obstacles are
detected within 12 –24 in (30–60 cm) and
are inside the driving path of your vehicle.
When you stop your vehicle the audible
warning stops after two seconds.
Note: Visual distance indication remains
on when the transmission is in reverse (R). When you shift to drive (D) or any other
forward gear, for example, low (L), sport
(S) or any forward gear in manual
transmission, the side sensing system
provides audible and visual distance
indication when your vehicle is moving at
7 mph (12 km/h)
or below and obstacles
are detected within 12 in (30 cm), or when
obstacles are detected within
12 –24 in
(30–60 cm) and are inside the driving path
of your vehicle. When you stop your vehicle
the audible warning stops after 2 seconds
and the visual distance indication stops
after 4 seconds.
Note: If the obstacle remains within
12 in
(30 cm) visual distance indication remains
on.
If the transmission is in neutral (N), the side
sensing system only provides visual
distance indication when your vehicle is
moving at
7 mph (12 km/h) or below, for
example when moving on a slope, and
obstacles are detected within
12 in
(30 cm). When you stop your vehicle the
visual distance indication stops after 4
seconds.
If the side sensing system is not available,
the side distance indicator blocks will not
be present.
The side sensing system is not available
under the following condition:
• If you switch the traction control
system off.
The side sensing system may not be
available until you have driven
approximately the length of your vehicle
in order for the system to reinitialize if:
• You switch the ignition on, off and back
on.
• Your vehicle remains stationary for over
two minutes.
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•
The anti-lock brake system is
activated.
• The traction control system is
activated.
ACTIVE PARK ASSIST
Parallel Parking, Perpendicular
Parking, Park Out Assist WARNINGS
You must remain in your vehicle
when the system turns on. You are
responsible at all times for
controlling your vehicle, supervising the
system and intervening if required. Failure
to take care may result in the loss of
control of your vehicle, serious personal
injury or death. The sensors may not detect objects
in heavy rain or other conditions that
cause disruptive reflections.
Note:
The driver is always responsible for
controlling the vehicle, supervising the
system and intervening if required by
grabbing the steering wheel or pushing the
active park assist button.
The system detects an available parallel
or perpendicular parking space and
automatically steers your vehicle into the
space (hands-free) while you control the
accelerator, gearshift and brakes. The
system visually and audibly guides you to
park your vehicle.
If you are uncomfortable with the proximity
to any vehicle or object, you may choose
to override the system.
Park Out Assist automatically steers your
vehicle out of a parallel parking space
(hands-free) while you control the
accelerator, gearshift and brakes. The
system visually and audibly guides you to
enter traffic. Note:
The Blind Spot Information System
does not detect traffic alongside or behind
your vehicle during a park assist maneuver.
The system may not correctly operate in
any of the following conditions:
• You use a spare tire or a tire
significantly worn more than the other
tires.
• You use a unauthorized tire size.
• You try to park on a tight curve.
• Something passes between the front
bumper and the parking space (a
pedestrian or cyclist).
• The edge of the neighboring parked
vehicle is high off the ground (for
example, a bus, tow truck or flatbed
truck).
• The weather conditions are poor
(heavy rain, snow, fog, etc).
Note: Keep the sensors, located on the
bumper or fascia, free from snow, ice and
large accumulations of dirt. Covered sensors
can affect the system's accuracy. Do not
clean the sensors with sharp objects.
Note: The sensors may not detect objects
with surfaces that absorb ultrasonic waves
or cause ultrasonic interference (motorcycle
exhaust, truck air brakes or horns).
Do not use the system if:
• You have attached a foreign object
(bike rack or trailer) to the front or rear
of your vehicle or close to the sensors.
• You have attached an overhanging
object (surfboard) to the roof.
• A foreign object damages or obstructs
the front or rear bumper or side
sensors.
• The correct tire size is not in use on your
vehicle (for example, a mini-spare tire).
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The system determines the clearance to
the front and rear of your vehicle and
automatically steers your vehicle out of a
parallel parking space (hands-free) while
you control the accelerator, gearshift and
brakes. The system visually and audibly
guides you to enter traffic.
After the system has directed your vehicle
past the adjacent vehicle or object, it
guides you to take control of the steering
to complete the exit from the parking spot.
The system may not function correctly if
something passes between the front
bumper and the parking space (a
pedestrian or cyclist) or if the edge of the
neighboring parked vehicle is high off the
ground (for example, a bus, tow truck or
flatbed truck).
Note:
If the clearance in front of your
vehicle allows easy departure, the Park Out
Assist feature might not be available.
Note: You are responsible for controlling
your vehicle and making sure the path is
clear prior to pulling into traffic.
Note: This system is not intended to assist
in exiting perpendicular parking spaces,
damages to your vehicle may occur.
Note: If your vehicle speed exceeds 6 mph
(9 km/h) or the maneuver is interrupted
(driver input), the system switches off and
you need to take full control of your vehicle. Deactivating the Active Park
Assist Feature
Manually deactivate the system by:
•
Pressing the active park assist button
twice.
• Grabbing the steering wheel during an
active maneuver.
• Driving above approximately
22 mph
(35 km/h) for 30 seconds during an
active park search.
• Driving above
6 mph (9 km/h) during
automatic steering.
• Switching off the traction control
system.
Certain vehicle conditions can also
deactivate the system, such as:
• Traction control has activated.
• There is an anti-lock brake system
activation or failure.
If a problem occurs with the system, a
warning message displays accompanied
by a tone. Occasional system messages
may occur in normal operation. For
recurring or frequent system faults, contact
an authorized dealer to have your vehicle
serviced.
Troubleshooting the System The system does not look for a space
The traction control system may be off.
The transmission is in reverse ( R). Your vehicle must be moving forward to be able to
detect a parking space.
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•
Transmissions give their best fuel
economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure
on the gas pedal.
• Four-wheel-drive operation (if
equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
• Close the windows for high-speed
driving.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deep
water as you may lose control of your
vehicle.
Note:
Driving through standing water can
cause vehicle damage.
Note: Engine damage can occur if water
enters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water,
check the depth. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the front
rocker area of your vehicle. When driving through standing water, drive
very slowly and do not stop your vehicle.
Your brake performance and traction may
be limited. After driving through water and
as soon as it is safe to do so: •
Lightly press the brake pedal to dry the
brakes and to check that they work.
• Check that the horn works.
• Check that the exterior lights work.
• Turn the steering wheel to check that
the steering power assist works.
FLOOR MATS WARNINGS
Always use floor mats that are
designed to fit the foot well of your
vehicle. Only use floor mats that
leave the pedal area unobstructed. Only
use floor mats that are firmly secured to
retention posts so that they cannot slip out
of position and interfere with the pedals
or impair safe operation of your vehicle in
other ways. Pedals that cannot move freely can
cause loss of vehicle control and
increase the risk of serious personal
injury. Always make sure that the floor
mats are properly attached to the
retention posts in the carpet that are
supplied with your vehicle. Floor mats must
be properly secured to both retention posts
to make sure mats do not shift out of
position. Never place floor mats or any other
covering in the vehicle foot well that
cannot be properly secured to
prevent them from moving and interfering
with the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle. Never place floor mats or any other
covering on top of already installed
floor mats. Floor mats should always
rest on top of vehicle carpeting surface and
not another floor mat or other covering.
Additional floor mats or any other covering
will reduce the pedal clearance and
potentially interfere with pedal operation.
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TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform
Tire Quality Grading
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires.
The Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example: Treadwear 200
Traction AA Temperature A.
These Tire Quality Grades are
determined by standards that the
United States Department of
Transportation has set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires.
They do not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, light truck or LT type
tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or
limited production tires as defined
in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 575.104 (c)(2). U.S. Department of
Transportation Tire quality
grades:
The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires Ford
Motor Company to give you the
following information about tire
grades exactly as the government
has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear 1½ times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their
use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C WARNING
The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics. 310
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