ignition FORD EXPLORER 2023 Owners Manual

Auxiliary Power Points
Auxiliary Power Points...............................164
Wireless Accessory Charger
What Is the Wireless Accessory Charger........................................................................166
Wireless Accessory Charger Precautions........................................................................166
Locating the Wireless Accessory Charger........................................................................166
Charging a Wireless Device.....................166
Storage Compartments
Cup Holders...................................................167
Overhead Console.......................................167
Starting and Stopping theEngine
General Information...................................168
Ignition Switch..............................................168
Keyless Starting...........................................169
Starting a Gasoline Engine......................169
Starting a Hybrid Electric Vehicle System..........................................................................172
Engine Block Heater....................................174
Unique Driving Characteristics
Auto-Start-Stop...........................................176
Hybrid Vehicle Operation - HybridElectric Vehicle (HEV)...........................178
Hybrid Vehicle Frequently AskedQuestions - Hybrid Electric Vehicle(HEV)..........................................................180
Fuel and Refueling
Safety Precautions......................................181
Fuel Quality - E85........................................181
Fuel Quality - Gasoline..............................183
Fuel Filler Funnel Location.......................183
Running Out of Fuel...................................183
Refueling - Excluding: Hybrid ElectricVehicle (HEV)...........................................185
Refueling - Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)........................................................................188
Fuel Consumption........................................191
Engine Emission Control
Emission Law................................................192
Catalytic Converter.....................................193
High Voltage Battery
General Information - Hybrid ElectricVehicle (HEV)...........................................196
Transmission
Automatic Transmission...........................197
Four-Wheel Drive
Principle of Operation...............................203
Using Four-Wheel Drive...........................203
Rear Axle
Limited Slip Differential...........................209
Brakes
General Information...................................210
Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock Brakes..........................................................................211
Electric Parking Brake..................................211
Hill Start Assist.............................................213
Auto Hold........................................................214
Reverse Braking Assist
What Is Reverse Braking Assist..............216
Reverse Braking Assist Precautions......216
Switching Reverse Braking Assist On andOff..................................................................217
Overriding Reverse Braking Assist.........217
Reverse Braking Assist Indicators..........217
Reverse Braking Assist –Troubleshooting.......................................218
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingTable of Contents

INSTRUMENT PANEL
Air vents.A
Direction indicator. See Direction Indicators (page 89).B
Cruise control. See Cruise Control (page 81). Audio control. See AudioControl (page 81).C
Information display. See General Information (page 115).D
Information display control. See Information Display Control (page 82).E
Wiper lever. See Windshield Wipers (page 83).F
Ignition switch. See Keyless Starting (page 169).G
Information and Entertainment display.H
Hazard flasher switch. See Hazard Flashers (page 292).I
Climate control. See Automatic Climate Control (page 137).J
Horn.K
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingAt a GlanceE282065A

How to Disengage the AutomaticLocking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap andshoulder belt and allow it to retractcompletely to disengage the automaticlocking mode and turn on the vehiclesensitive (emergency) locking mode.
SEATBELT HEIGHT
ADJUSTMENT
WARNING: Position the seatbeltheight adjuster so that the seatbelt restsacross the middle of your shoulder.Failure to adjust the seatbelt correctlycould reduce its effectiveness andincrease the risk of injury in a crash.
1.Adjust the height of the shoulder beltso the belt rests across the middle ofyour shoulder.
2.Slide the adjuster up to raise the belt.Press the button and slide it down tolower the belt.
SEATBELT WARNING LAMP
AND INDICATOR CHIME
This lamp illuminates and anindicator chime will sound if thedriver seatbelt has not beenfastened when the vehicle's ignition isturned on.
Conditions of operation
ThenIf
The seatbelt warning lamp illuminates andthe indicator chime sounds for a fewseconds.
The driver seatbelt is not buckled beforethe ignition switch is turned to the on posi-tion...
The seatbelt warning lamp and indicatorchime turn off.The driver seatbelt is buckled while thewarning lamp is illuminated and the indic-ator chime is sounding...
The seatbelt warning lamp and indicatorchime remain off.The driver seatbelt is buckled before theignition switch is turned to the on position...
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingSeatbeltsE201573 E71880

SEATBELT REMINDER
WARNING: The system will onlyprovide protection when you use theseatbelt correctly.
This system monitors all seating positionsand provides audio and graphic feedback.
This lamp illuminates and awarning tone sounds if you donot fasten your seatbelt whenyou switch the ignition on. The lamp andtone switch off when you fasten yourseatbelt or about one minute has elapsed.
When the initial warning expires for thedriver, more warnings are provided for thedriver and front outermost passenger. Thislamp illuminates and a warning tonesounds if you or your front passenger donot fasten the seatbelt buckle and thevehicle speed exceeds 6 mph (9.7 km/h).To deactivate the warning, seeDeactivating and Activating theBelt-Minder Feature.
Note:To avoid inadvertent warnings, donot place large objects on the frontpassenger seat.
This lamp illuminates when youswitch the ignition on, identifyingthe number of seating positionswith fastened buckles. It illuminates againwhen a seating position changes fromunfastened to fastened.
This warning displays and a tone soundsif an occupant unfastens the rear seatbeltbuckle or it becomes unfastened.
Note:If a rear seat is unoccupied, or anoccupant never fastens the seatbelt buckleto begin with, the warning will not display.
Note:Front seating positions appear in thiswarning display. Warnings for unfastenedfront seatbelt buckles appear in the initialwarning lamp.
Seatbelt Status
To view the seatbelt status, use theinformation display controls on thesteering wheel. See General Information(page 115).
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingSeatbeltsE71880 E206718 E274569 E274570

Seatbelt fastened.A
Seatbelt not fastened.B
Seatbelt recently unfastened.C
FaultD
Deactivating and Activating theBelt-Minder Feature - Front outermostseats only
WARNING: While the systemallows you to deactivate it, this systemis designed to improve your chances ofbeing safely belted and surviving anaccident. We recommend you leave thesystem activated for yourself and otherswho may use the vehicle.
Note:The driver and front passengerwarnings switch on and off independently.When you perform this procedure for oneseating position, do not buckle the otherposition as this terminates the process.
Read Steps 1 - 4 before starting theprocedure.
Make sure that:
•You set the parking brake.
•The transmission is in park (P).
•The ignition is off.
•You close all vehicle doors.
•You unbuckle the driver and frontpassenger seatbelts.
1.Switch the ignition on. Do not start theengine.
2.Wait until the seatbelt warning lampturns off (about one minute). AfterStep 2, wait an additional five secondsbefore proceeding with Step 3. Onceyou start Step 3, you must completethe procedure within 60 seconds.
3.For the seating position you areswitching off, buckle then unbuckle theseatbelt three times at a moderatespeed, ending in the unbuckled state.After Step 3, the seatbelt warning lampturns on.
4.When the seatbelt warning lamp is on,buckle then unbuckle the seatbelt.After Step 4, the seatbelt warning lampflashes for confirmation.
•This switches the feature off if it iscurrently on.
•This switches the feature on if it iscurrently off.
CHILD RESTRAINT AND
SEATBELT MAINTENANCE
Inspect the vehicle seatbelts and childsafety seat systems periodically to makesure they work properly and are notdamaged. Inspect the vehicle and childrestraint seatbelts to make sure there areno nicks, tears or cuts. Replace ifnecessary. All vehicle seatbelt assemblies,including retractors, buckles, front seatbeltbuckle assemblies, buckle supportassemblies (slide bar-if equipped),shoulder belt height adjusters (ifequipped), shoulder belt guide on seatbackrest (if equipped), child safety seatLATCH and tether anchors, and attachinghardware, should be inspected after acrash. Read the child restraintmanufacturer's instructions for additionalinspection and maintenance informationspecific to the child restraint.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingSeatbeltsE274703

The indicators are on the overheadconsole.
Note:The indicators illuminate briefly whenyou first switch the ignition on to confirmthey are functional.
The front passenger sensing system isdesigned to disable (will not inflate) thefront passenger frontal airbag when thefront passenger seat is unoccupied, or arear facing infant seat, a forward-facingchild restraint, or a booster seat isdetected. Even with this technology,parents are strongly encouraged toalways properly restrain children in the rearseat.
•When the front passenger sensingsystem disables (will not inflate) thefront passenger frontal airbag, theairbag off indicator illuminates andstays lit to remind you that the frontpassenger frontal airbag is disabled.
•If you have installed the child restraintand the airbag on indicator illuminates,switch the vehicle off, remove the childrestraint from the vehicle and reinstallthe restraint according to the childrestraint manufacturer's instructions.
The front passenger sensing system isdesigned to enable (may inflate) the frontpassenger frontal airbag anytime thesystem senses that a person of adult sizeis sitting properly in the front passengerseat.
•When the front passenger sensingsystem enables the front passengerfrontal airbag (may inflate), the airbagon indicator illuminates and remainsilluminated.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the frontpassenger seat, but the airbag off indicatoris lit, it is possible that the person is notsitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
•Switch the vehicle off and ask theperson to place the seat backrest in anupright position.
•Have the person sit upright in the seat,centered on the seat cushion, with theperson’s legs comfortably extended.
•Restart the vehicle and have the personremain in this position for about twominutes. This allows the system todetect that person and enables thepassenger frontal airbag.
•If the airbag off indicator remains liteven after this, advise the person toride in the rear seat.
Passenger AirbagPassenger Airbag StatusIndicatorOccupant
DisabledOFF: LitEmpty
ON: Unlit
DisabledOFF: LitChild
ON: Unlit
EnabledOFF: UnlitAdult
ON: Lit
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingSupplementary Restraints System

The restraints control module alsomonitors the readiness of the above safetydevices plus the crash and occupantsensors. The readiness of the safetysystem is indicated by a warning indicatorlight in the instrument cluster or by abackup tone if the warning light is notworking. Routine maintenance of theairbag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated byone or more of the following:
•The readiness light will not illuminateimmediately after you switch theignition on.
•The readiness light either flashes orstays lit.
•A series of five beeps is heard. The tonepattern repeats periodically until theproblem, the light or both are repaired.
If any of these things happen, evenintermittently, have the supplementalrestraint system serviced at an authorizeddealer immediately. Unless serviced, thesystem may not function properly in theevent of a crash.
The restraint system is designed toactivate when the vehicle sustainsconditions sufficient to cause the restraintcontrol module to deploy a safety device.
The fact that not all the safety devicesactivate for all occupants in a crash doesnot mean something is wrong with thesystem. Rather, it means the restraintscontrol module determined the accidentconditions (crash severity, type of crash,belt usage) were not appropriate toactivate these safety devices.
•The front airbags are designed toactivate only in frontal and near-frontalcrashes (not rollovers, side impacts orrear impacts) unless the crash causessufficient frontal deceleration.
•The seatbelt pretensioners aredesigned to activate in frontal,near-frontal and side crashes, and inrollovers.
•The knee airbag(s) may deploy basedon crash severity and occupantconditions.
•The side airbags are designed to inflatein certain side impact crashes orrollover events. Side airbags mayactivate in other types of crashes if yourvehicle experiences sufficient sidewaysmotion or deformation, or a certainlikelihood of rollover.
•The Safety Canopy is designed toinflate in certain side impact crashesor rollover events. The Safety Canopymay activate in other types of crashesif your vehicle experiences sufficientsideways motion or deformation, or acertain likelihood of rollover.
AIRBAG DISPOSAL
Contact your authorized dealer as soon aspossible. Airbags must be disposed of byqualified personnel.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingSupplementary Restraints SystemE67017

GENERAL INFORMATION ON
RADIO FREQUENCIES
This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC Rules and with Industry Canadalicense-exempt RSS standard(s).Operation is subject to the following twoconditions: (1) This device may not causeharmful interference, and (2) This devicemust accept any interference received,including interference that may causeundesired operation.
WARNING: Changes ormodifications not expressively approvedby the party responsible for compliancecould void the user's authority to operatethe equipment. The term "IC:" before theradio certification number only signifiesthat Industry Canada technicalspecifications were met.
The typical operating range for yourtransmitter is approximately 33 ft (10 m).Vehicles with the remote start feature willhave a greater range.
One of the following could cause adecrease in operating range:
•Weather conditions.
•Nearby radio towers.
•Structures around the vehicle.
•Other vehicles parked next to yourvehicle.
The radio frequency used by your remotecontrol can also be used by other radiotransmitters, for example amateur radios,medical equipment, wireless headphones,wireless remote controls, cell phones,battery chargers and alarm systems. If thefrequencies are jammed, you will not beable to use your remote control. You canlock and unlock the doors with the key.
Note:Make sure to lock your vehicle beforeleaving it unattended.
Note:If you are in range, the remote controlwill operate if you press any buttonunintentionally.
Note:The remote control contains sensitiveelectrical components. Exposure to moistureor impact may cause permanent damage.
Intelligent Access (If Equipped)
The system uses a radio frequency signalto communicate with your vehicle andauthorize your vehicle to unlock when oneof the following conditions are met:
•You activate the front exterior doorhandle switch.
•You press the luggage compartmentbutton.
•You press a button on the transmitter.
If excessive radio frequency interferenceis present in the area or if the transmitterbattery is low, you may need tomechanically unlock your door. You canuse the mechanical key blade in yourintelligent access key to open the driverdoor in this situation. See RemoteControl (page 57).
REMOTE CONTROL
Integrated Keyhead Transmitter
Use the key blade to start your vehicle andunlock or lock the driver door from outsideyour vehicle. The integrated keyheadtransmitter functions as a programmedignition key that operates all the locks andstarts your vehicle, as well as a remotecontrol.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingKeys and Remote Controls

2.Twist a thin coin under the tab hiddenbehind the key blade head to removethe battery cover.
3.Insert a suitable tool, for example ascrewdriver, in the position shown andcarefully remove the battery.
4.Install a new battery with the + facingupward.
5.Reinstall the battery housing coveronto the transmitter and install the keyblade.
Memory Feature (If Equipped)
You can use the remote control to recallmemory positions.
If programmed to a pre-set position, theremote control recalls memory positionswhen you unlock your vehicle. If you havethe easy entry and exit feature enabledand the ignition is off, the seat moves tothe easy entry position. The seat movesto the driver memory position when youswitch the ignition on.
Linking a Preset Position to YourRemote Control or Intelligent AccessKey
See Memory Function (page 150).
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingKeys and Remote ControlsE303824 E218402

Car Finder
Press the button twice withinthree seconds. The horn soundsand the direction indicatorsflash. We recommend you use this methodto locate your vehicle, rather than usingthe panic alarm.
Sounding the Panic Alarm
Press the button to sound thepanic alarm. Press the buttonagain or switch the ignition on toturn it off.
Note:The panic alarm only operates whenthe ignition is off.
Remote Start (If Equipped)
WARNING: Do not start the enginein a closed garage or in other enclosedareas. Exhaust fumes are toxic. Alwaysopen the garage door before you startthe engine. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
The remote start button is on theremote control.
This feature allows you to start yourvehicle from the outside. Your remotecontrol has an extended operating range.
If your vehicle has automatic climatecontrol, you can configure it to operatewhen you remote start your vehicle. SeeClimate Control (page 137).A manualclimate control system runs at the settingit was set to when you switched yourvehicle off.
Many states and provinces haverestrictions for the use of remote start.
Check your local and state or provinciallaws for specific requirements regardingremote start systems.
The system does not work if:
•The ignition is on.
•The anti-theft alarm triggers.
•You disable the feature.
•The hood is open.
•The transmission is not in park (P).
•The battery voltage is below theminimum operating voltage.
•The service engine soon light is on.
Note: Do not use remote start if your fuellevel is low.
Remote Control Feedback (IfEquipped)
An LED on the remote control providesstatus feedback of remote start or stopcommands.
StatusLED
Remote startsuccessfulSolid green
Remote stopsuccessfulSolid red
Request failed orstatus not receivedBlinking red
Status incompleteBlinking green
Remote Starting Your Vehicle
Note: You must press each button withinthree seconds of each other. If you do notfollow this sequence, your vehicle does notstart remotely, the direction indicators donot flash twice and the horn does not sound.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingKeys and Remote ControlsE138623 E138624 E138625