tow FORD EXPLORER 2023 Owners Manual

Creating a MyKey..........................................65
Clearing All MyKeys......................................66
Checking MyKey System Status.............66
Using MyKey With Remote StartSystems........................................................67
MyKey – Troubleshooting..........................67
Doors and Locks
Locking and Unlocking...............................68
Keyless Entry....................................................71
Liftgate
Power Liftgate.................................................73
Security
Passive Anti-Theft System.........................77
Anti-Theft Alarm............................................77
Steering Wheel
Adjusting the Steering Wheel - VehiclesWith: Manual Adjustable SteeringColumn..........................................................79
Adjusting the Steering Wheel - VehiclesWith: Power Adjustable SteeringColumn..........................................................79
Audio Control...................................................81
Voice Control...................................................81
Cruise Control - Vehicles With: CruiseControl...........................................................81
Cruise Control - Vehicles With: Stop andGo....................................................................82
Information Display Control......................82
Heated Steering Wheel...............................82
Horn....................................................................82
Wipers and Washers
Windshield Wipers.......................................83
Autowipers......................................................83
Windshield Washers....................................84
Rear Window Wiper and Washers..........85
Lighting
General Information....................................86
Lighting Control.............................................86
Autolamps.......................................................87
Instrument Lighting Dimmer.....................87
Headlamp Exit Delay...................................87
Daytime Running Lamps - Vehicles With:Configurable Daytime Running Lamps..........................................................................88
Daytime Running Lamps - Vehicles With:Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).........88
Front Fog Lamps...........................................88
Adaptive Headlamps..................................89
Direction Indicators......................................89
Interior Lamps................................................90
Ambient Lighting - Vehicles With: 8 InchCenter Display Screen............................90
Ambient Lighting - Vehicles With: 10.1Inch Center Display Screen....................91
Automatic High Beam Control
What Is Automatic High Beam Control..........................................................................92
Switching Automatic High Beam ControlOn and Off...................................................92
Automatic High Beam Control Indicators..........................................................................93
Overriding Automatic High Beam Control..........................................................................93
Windows and Mirrors
Power Windows............................................94
Global Opening..............................................95
Exterior Mirrors - Excluding: ST................95
Exterior Mirrors - ST.....................................96
Interior Mirror..................................................98
Sun Visors........................................................98
Sun Shades.....................................................99
Moonroof.........................................................99
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingTable of Contents

Drive Mode Control
What Is Drive Mode Control....................273
How Does Drive Mode Control Work.........................................................................273
Selecting a Drive Mode.............................273
Drive Modes...................................................273
Load Carrying
General Information...................................275
Rear Under Floor Storage........................275
Cargo Nets.....................................................276
Roof Racks and Load Carriers................276
Load Limit.......................................................277
Towing
Towing a Trailer...........................................283
Trailer Sway Control..................................284
Recommended Towing Weights..........284
Essential Towing Checks.........................285
Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels.....287
Driving Hints
Reduced Engine Performance..............288
Cold Weather Precautions......................288
Breaking-In...................................................288
Driving Economically................................288
Driving Through Shallow Water............289
Floor Mats.....................................................289
Roadside Emergencies
Roadside Assistance..................................291
Hazard Flashers...........................................292
Fuel Shutoff..................................................292
Jump Starting the Vehicle.......................293
Collision, Damage or Fire Event............295
Post-Crash Alert System.........................296
Transporting the Vehicle.........................296
Customer Assistance
Getting the Services You Need.............298
In California (U.S. Only)...........................299
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) AutoLine Program (U.S. Only)....................300
Utilizing the Mediation/ArbitrationProgram (Canada Only).......................301
Getting Assistance Outside the U.S. andCanada........................................................301
Ordering Additional Owner's Literature........................................................................303
Reporting Safety Defects (U.S. Only)........................................................................303
Reporting Safety Defects (Canada Only)........................................................................303
Fuses
Fuse Specification Chart.........................305
Changing a Fuse...........................................313
Maintenance
General Information...................................315
Opening and Closing the Hood..............315
Under Hood Overview - 2.3L EcoBoost™.........................................................................316
Under Hood Overview - 3.0L...................317
Under Hood Overview - 3.3L...................318
Engine Oil Dipstick - 2.3L EcoBoost™.........................................................................319
Engine Oil Dipstick - 3.0L.........................319
Engine Oil Dipstick - 3.3L..........................319
Engine Oil Check..........................................319
Oil Change Indicator Reset.....................320
Changing the Engine Air Filter - 2.3LEcoBoost™................................................321
Changing the Engine Air Filter - 3.0L........................................................................322
Changing the Engine Air Filter - 3.3L....323
Engine Coolant Check..............................324
Automatic Transmission Fluid Check........................................................................328
Brake Fluid Check.......................................328
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingTable of Contents

Note:Event data recorder data is recordedby your vehicle only if a non-trivial crashsituation occurs; no data is recorded by theevent data recorder under normal drivingconditions and no personal data orinformation (for example name, gender,age, and crash location) is recorded.However, parties, such as law enforcement,could combine the event data recorder datawith the type of personally identifying dataroutinely acquired during a crashinvestigation.
To read data recorded by an event datarecorder, special equipment is required,and access to the vehicle or the event datarecorder is needed. In addition to thevehicle manufacturer, other parties, suchas law enforcement, that have such specialequipment, can read the information if theyhave access to the vehicle or the eventdata recorder.
SETTINGS DATA
Your vehicle has electronic control unitsthat have the ability to store data basedon your personalized settings. The data isstored locally in the vehicle or on devicesthat you connect to it, for example, a USBdrive or digital music player. You can deletesome of this data and also choose whetherto share it through the services to whichyou subscribe. See Settings (page 458).
Comfort and Convenience Data
Data recorded includes, for example:
•Seat and steering wheel position.
•Climate control settings.
•Radio presets.
Entertainment Data
Data recorded includes, for example:
•Music, videos or album art.
•Contacts and corresponding addressbook entries.
•Navigation destinations.
CONNECTED VEHICLE DATA
The modem has a SIM. Themodem was enabled when yourvehicle was built and periodicallysends messages to stay connected to thecell phone network, receive automaticsoftware updates and send vehicle-relatedinformation to us, for example diagnosticinformation. These messages couldinclude information that identifies yourvehicle, the SIM and the electronic serialnumber of the modem. Cell phone networkservice providers could have access toadditional information, for example cellphone network tower identification. Foradditional information about our privacypolicy, visit www.FordConnected.com orrefer to your local Ford website.
Note:The modem continues to send thisinformation unless you disable the modemor stop the modem from sharing vehicledata by changing the modem settings. SeeConnected Vehicle (page 414).
Note:The service can be unavailable orinterrupted for a number of reasons, forexample environmental or topographicalconditions and data plan coverage.
Note:To find out if your vehicle has amodem, visit www.FordConnected.com.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingData Privacy

PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
You can take significant steps towardprotecting the environment with correctvehicle usage and the authorized disposalof waste, cleaning and lubricationmaterials.
For additional information about oursustainability progress and initiatives, visitwww.sustainability.ford.com.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingEnvironment

AT A GLANCE - ST
Exterior
•Front and rear fascias feature uniqueST grille and unique finish.
•ST badging in front grille and on rearliftgate.
•Trim features unique ST gloss blackfinish.
•E-X-P-L-O-R-E-R lettering acrosshood.
•Blackout treatment on headlight andtaillight lenses.
Interior
•Unique ST interior trim.
•Ford Performance sill plates.
•ST flat-bottom steering wheel withintegrated transmission shift paddlecontrols.
•Selectable Drive Mode controller with7 settings (Normal, Eco, Sport, Trail,Slippery, Deep Snow/Sand andTow/Haul).
•Unique electronic sound enhancementin Sport Selectable Drive Mode.
Chassis
•Unique ST-tuned suspension featuring32 N/mm front coil springs and a 34mm hollow front stabilizer bar and 106N/mm rear coil springs and a 21.7 mmhollow rear stabilizer bar.
•Standard ST brake system consists of345 mm diameter vented front rotorswith two piston calipers and low-dustlinings; 326 mm solid rear rotors withsingle-piston brake calipers andelectric integrated park brake with lowdust linings.
•Optional ST braking system includes363 mm diameter vented front rotorswith heavy duty two-piston calipersand low-dust linings; 350 mm diametervented rear rotors with heavy-dutysingle-piston brake calipers andelectric integrated park brake withlow-dust linings; system requires 21 x9-inch wheels and P275/45R21all-season tires.
•Optional low-metallic brake linings areincluded with optional P275/45R21summer tire (late availability).
•ST-tuned electric power assist steeringrack and pinion.
•AdvanceTrac with stabilityenhancement system with four modes:Default, Traction Control Off, Sport andDisabled.
•Aluminum ST 20 in (50.8 cm) x 8.5 in(21.6 cm) wheels standard; 21 in(53.3 cm) x 9 in (22.9 cm) wheelsoptional.
•P255/55R20 all-season tires oroptional P275/45R21 all-season tires.
Powertrain
•3.0L V6 DOHC GTDI engine, 400horsepower, 415 lb-ft.
•10R60 10-speed automatictransmission with SelectShift manualshift mode.
•3.58 axle ratios.
•Unique transmission calibration inSport Selectable Drive Mode.
•Dual exhaust with quad-tip outlets.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingAt a Glance

GENERAL INFORMATION
See the following sections for directionson how to properly use safety restraintsfor children.
WARNING: Always make sure yourchild is secured properly in a device thatis appropriate for their height, age andweight. Child safety restraints must bebought separately from your vehicle.Failure to follow these instructions andguidelines may result in an increased riskof serious injury or death to your child.
WARNING: All children are shapeddifferently. The National Highway TrafficSafety Administration and other safetyorganizations, base theirrecommendations for child restraints onprobable child height, age and weightthresholds, or on the minimumrequirements of the law. We recommendthat you check with a NHTSA CertifiedChild Passenger Safety Technician
(CPST) to make sure that you properlyinstall the child restraint in your vehicleand that you consult your pediatrician tomake sure you have a child restraintappropriate for your child. To locate achild restraint fitting station and CPST,contact NHTSA toll free at1-888-327-4236 or go towww.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, contactTransport Canada toll free at1-800-333-0371 or go to www.tc.gc.cato find a Child Car Seat Clinic in yourarea. Failure to properly restrain childrenin child restraints made especially fortheir height, age and weight, may resultin an increased risk of serious injury ordeath to your child.
WARNING: On hot days, thetemperature inside the vehicle can risevery quickly. Exposure of people oranimals to these high temperatures foreven a short time can cause death orserious heat related injuries, includingbrain damage. Small children areparticularly at risk.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingChild Safety

INSTALLING CHILD
RESTRAINTS
Child Seats
Use a child restraint (sometimes called aninfant carrier, convertible seat, or toddlerseat) for Infants, toddlers and childrenweighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generallyfour-years-old or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts
WARNING: Do not place arearward facing child restraint in front ofan active airbag. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
WARNING: Properly securechildren 12 years old and under in a rearseating position whenever possible. Ifyou are unable to properly secure allchildren in a rear seating position,properly secure the largest child on thefront seat. If you must use a forwardfacing child restraint on the front seat,move the seat as far back as possible.Failure to follow these instructions couldresult in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Depending on whereyou secure a child restraint, anddepending on the child restraint design,you may block access to certain seatbeltbuckle assemblies and LATCH loweranchors, rendering those featurespotentially unusable. To avoid risk ofinjury, make sure occupants only useseating positions where they are able tobe properly restrained.
When installing a child restraint withcombination lap and shoulder belts:
•Use the correct seatbelt buckle for thatseating position.
•Insert the belt tongue into the properbuckle until you hear a snap and feel itlatch. Make sure the tongue is securelyfastened in the buckle.
•Keep the buckle release buttonpointing up and away from the childrestraint, with the tongue between thechild restraint and the release button,to prevent accidental unbuckling.
•Place the vehicle seat in the uprightposition before you install the childrestraint.
•For second row seating positions,adjust the recliner slightly to improvechild restraint fit. If needed, remove thehead restraints.
•For third row seating positions, stowthe head restraints to improve childrestraint fit. See Head Restraints(page 144).
•Put the seatbelt in the automaticlocking mode. See Step 5 in theprocedure that follows. This vehicledoes not require the use of a lockingclip.
Perform the following steps wheninstalling the child restraint withcombination lap and shoulder belts:
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingChild SafetyE142594

5.To put the retractor in the automaticlocking mode, grasp the shoulderportion of the belt and pull downwarduntil you pull all of the belt out.
Note:The automatic locking mode isavailable on the front passenger and rearseats.
6.Allow the belt to retract to removeslack. The belt clicks as it retracts toindicate it is in the automatic lockingmode.
7.Try to pull the belt out of the retractorto make sure the retractor is in theautomatic locking mode. You shouldnot be able to pull more belt out. If theretractor did not lock, unbuckle the beltand repeat Steps 5 and 6.
8.Remove remaining slack from the belt.Force the seat down with extra weight,for example, by pressing down orkneeling on the child restraint as youpull up on the shoulder belt to forceslack from the belt. This is necessaryto remove the remaining slack thatexists once you add the extra weightof the child to the child restraint. It alsohelps to achieve the proper snugnessof the child restraint to your vehicle.Sometimes, a slight lean toward thebuckle provides extra help to removeremaining slack from the belt.
9.If the child restraint has a tether strap,attach it now.
10.Before placing the child in the seat,forcibly move the seat forward andback to make sure you have the seatsecurely held in place. To check this,grab the seat at the belt path andattempt to move it side to side andforward and back. There should beno more than 1 in (2.5 cm) ofmovement for proper installation.
We recommend checking with a NHTSACertified Child Passenger SafetyTechnician to make sure you properlyinstalled the child restraint. In Canada,check with Transport Canada for referralto a Child Car Seat Clinic.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingChild SafetyE142875 E142533 E142534

If the booster seat slides on the vehicleseat upon which it is being used, placing arubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpetliner under the booster seat may improvethis condition. Do not introduce any itemthicker than this under the booster seat.Check with the booster seatmanufacturer's instructions.
CHILD RESTRAINT
POSITIONING
WARNING: Do not place arearward facing child restraint in front ofan active airbag. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
WARNING: Properly securechildren 12 years old and under in a rearseating position whenever possible. Ifyou are unable to properly secure allchildren in a rear seating position,properly secure the largest child on thefront seat. If you must use a forwardfacing child restraint on the front seat,move the seat as far back as possible.Failure to follow these instructions couldresult in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Always carefully followthe instructions and warnings providedby the manufacturer of any childrestraint to determine if the restraintdevice is appropriate for your child's size,height, weight, or age. Follow the childrestraint manufacturer's instructions andwarnings provided for installation anduse in conjunction with the instructions
and warnings provided by your vehiclemanufacturer. A safety seat that isimproperly installed or utilized, isinappropriate for your child's height, age,or weight or does not properly fit thechild may increase the risk of seriousinjury or death.
WARNING: Do not allow apassenger to hold a child on their lapwhen your vehicle is moving. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death in the event of asudden stop or crash.
WARNING: Do not use pillows,books or towels to boost your child'sheight. Failure to follow this instructioncould result in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Properly secure childrestraints or booster seats when they arenot in use. They could become projectilesin a sudden stop or crash. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death.
WARNING: Do not put the shouldersection of the seatbelt or allow the childto put the shoulder section of theseatbelt under their arm or behind theirback. Failure to follow this instructioncould reduce the effectiveness of theseatbelt and increase the risk of injury ordeath in a crash.
WARNING: Do not leave childrenor pets unattended in your vehicle.Failure to follow this instruction couldresult in personal injury or death.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingChild Safety

Pregnant women should always wear theirseatbelt. Position the lap belt portion of acombination lap and shoulder belt lowacross the hips below the belly and wornas tight as comfort allows. Position theshoulder belt to cross the middle of theshoulder and the center of the chest.
Seatbelt Locking Modes
WARNING: If your vehicle isinvolved in a crash, have the seatbeltsand associated components inspectedas soon as possible. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
All safety restraints in the vehicle arecombination lap and shoulder belts. Thedriver seatbelt has the first type of lockingmode, and the front outboard passengerand rear seat seatbelts have both types oflocking modes described as follows:
Vehicle Sensitive Mode
This is the normal retractor mode, whichallows free shoulder belt lengthadjustment to your movements andlocking in response to vehicle movement.For example, if the driver brakes suddenlyor turns a corner sharply, or the vehiclereceives an impact of about 5 mph(8 km/h) or more, the combinationseatbelts lock to help reduce forwardmovement of the driver and passengers.
In addition, the design of the retractor is tolock if you pull the webbing out too quickly.If the seatbelt retractor locks, slowly lowerthe height adjuster to allow the seatbeltto retract. If the retractor does not unlock,pull the seatbelt out slowly then feed a
small length of webbing back toward thestowed position. For rear seatbelts, reclinethe rear seat backrest or push the seatbackrest cushion away from the seatbelt.Feed a small length of webbing backtoward the stowed position.
Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder beltautomatically pre-locks. The belt retractsto remove any slack in the shoulder belt.The automatic locking mode is notavailable on the driver seatbelt.
When to Use the Automatic LockingMode
Use this mode any time you install a childsafety seat, except a booster, in passengerfront or rear seating positions. Properlyrestrain children 12 years old and under ina rear seating position whenever possible.See Child Safety (page 23).
How to Use the Automatic LockingMode
1.Buckle the combination lap andshoulder belt.
2.Grasp the shoulder portion and pulldownward until you pull the entire beltout. Allow the belt to retract. As thebelt retracts, you will hear a clickingsound. This indicates the seatbelt isnow in the automatic locking mode.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingSeatbeltsE142591