warning light FORD EXPLORER 2023 Owners Manual

Keep out of reach of children
Lighting control
Low fuel level
Low tire pressure warning
Maintain correct fluid level
Malfunction Indicator Lamp(MIL)
Note operating instructions
Panic alarm
Parking aid
Parking lamps
Passenger airbag activated
Passenger airbag deactivated
Power steering fluid
Power windows front/rear
Power window lockout
Requires registered technician
Safety alert
See Owner's Manual
See Service Manual
Side airbag
Shield the eyes
Stability control
Stability control off
Trail control
Turn Signal
Windshield defrosting system
Windshield wiping system
Windshield wash and wipe
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingIntroductionE161353 E139232 E139229 E67028 E72343 E139213 E71341 E270849 E270850 E139216 E139225 E231159 E65963 E72021 E231158 E167012 E138639 E130458 E332910 E67018 E73953 E270969 E270967

SPECIAL NOTICES
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
For a detailed description of what iscovered by your New Vehicle LimitedWarranty, see your warranty guide that isavailable online. For more information,refer to our website and download yourcopy of the warranty guide.
Special Instructions
For your added safety, your vehicle is fittedwith sophisticated electronic controls.
WARNING: You risk death orserious injury to yourself and others if youdo not follow the instruction highlightedby the warning symbol. Failure to followthe specific warnings and instructionscould result in personal injury.
WARNING: NEVER use a rearwardfacing child restraint on a seat protectedby an ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of it,DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the CHILDcan occur.
On Board Diagnostics Data LinkConnector
WARNING: Do not connectwireless plug-in devices to the data linkconnector. Unauthorized third partiescould gain access to vehicle data andimpair the performance of safety relatedsystems. Only allow repair facilities thatfollow our service and repair instructionsto connect their equipment to the datalink connector.
Your vehicle has an OBD Data LinkConnector (DLC) that is used inconjunction with a diagnostic scan tool forvehicle diagnostics, repairs andreprogramming services. Installing anaftermarket device that uses the DLCduring normal driving for purposes such asremote insurance company monitoring,transmission of vehicle data to otherdevices or entities, or altering theperformance of the vehicle, may causeinterference with or even damage tovehicle systems. We do not recommendor endorse the use of unapprovedaftermarket plug-in devices. The vehicleWarranty will not cover damage causedby an aftermarket plug-in device.
Notice to Owners of Pickup Trucksand Utility Type Vehicles
WARNING: Utility vehicles have asignificantly higher rollover rate thanother types of vehicles.
Before you drive your vehicle, please readthis Owner’s Guide carefully. Your vehicleis not a passenger car. As with othervehicles of this type, failure to operate thisvehicle correctly may result in loss ofvehicle control, vehicle rollover, personalinjury or death.
Using Your Vehicle With aSnowplow
Do not use this vehicle forsnowplowing.
Your vehicle does not have a snowplowingpackage.
Using Your Vehicle as anAmbulance
Do not use this vehicle as anambulance.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingIntroduction

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

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNING: Always drive and ridewith your seatback upright and the lapbelt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING: Children must alwaysbe properly restrained.
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: All occupants of yourvehicle, including the driver, shouldalways properly wear their seatbelts,even when an airbag supplementalrestraint system is provided. Failure toproperly wear your seatbelt couldseriously increase the risk of injury ordeath.
WARNING: It is extremelydangerous to ride in a cargo area, insideor outside of a vehicle. In a crash, peopleriding in these areas are more likely to beseriously injured or killed. Do not allowpeople to ride in any area of your vehiclethat is not equipped with seats andseatbelts. Make sure everyone in yourvehicle is in a seat and properly using aseatbelt. Failure to follow this warningcould result in serious personal injury ordeath.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, anunbelted person is significantly morelikely to die than a person wearing aseatbelt.
WARNING: Each seating positionin your vehicle has a specific seatbeltassembly made up of one buckle andone tongue designed to be used as a pair.Use the shoulder belt on the outsideshoulder only. Never wear the shoulderbelt under the arm. Never use a singleseatbelt for more than one person.
WARNING: Even with advancedrestraints systems, properly restrainchildren 12 and under in a rear seatingposition. Failure to follow this couldseriously increase the risk of injury ordeath.
WARNING: Seatbelts and seatsmay be hot in a vehicle that is in thesunshine. The hot seatbelts or seats mayburn a small child. Check seat covers andbuckles before you place a childanywhere near them.
All seating positions in your vehicle havelap and shoulder seatbelts. All occupantsof the vehicle should always properly weartheir seatbelts, even when an airbagsupplemental restraint system is provided.
The seatbelt system consists of:
•Lap and shoulder seatbelts.
•Shoulder seatbelt with automaticlocking mode, (except driver seatbelt).
•Height adjuster at the front outermostseating positions.
•Seatbelt pretensioners at the frontoutermost and second row outermostseating positions.
•Belt tension sensor at the frontoutermost passenger seating position.
•Seatbelt warning light and chime.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingSeatbeltsE71880

This system provides an improved overalllevel of frontal crash protection to frontseat occupants and is designed to helpfurther reduce the risk of airbag-relatedinjuries. The system analyzes differentoccupant conditions and crash severitybefore activating the appropriate safetydevices to help better protect occupantsin a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle's Personal Safety Systemconsists of:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage airbagsupplemental restraints.
•Front seat outermost seatbelts withpretensioners, energy managementretractors and seatbelt usage sensors.
•Front passenger sensing system.
•Passenger airbag off and on indicators.
•Front crash severity sensors.
•Restraints control module with impactand safing sensors.
•Restraint system warning light andtone.
•The electrical wiring for the airbags,crash sensors, seatbelt pretensioners,front seatbelt usage sensors, frontpassenger sensing system andindicator lights.
How Does the Personal SafetySystem Work?
The Personal Safety System can adapt thedeployment strategy of the safety devicesaccording to crash severity and occupantconditions. A collection of crash andoccupant sensors provides information tothe restraints control module. During acrash, the restraints control module maydeploy the seatbelt pretensioners, one orboth stages of the dual-stage airbagsbased on crash severity and occupantconditions.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingPersonal Safety System™

While the system is designed to helpreduce serious injuries, contact with adeploying airbag may also cause abrasionsor swelling. Temporary hearing loss is alsoa possibility as a result of the noiseassociated with a deploying airbag.Because airbags must inflate rapidly andwith considerable force, there is the risk ofdeath or serious injuries such as fractures,facial and eye injuries or internal injuries,particularly to occupants who are notproperly restrained or are otherwise out ofposition at the time of airbag deployment.Thus, it is extremely important thatoccupants be properly restrained as faraway from the airbag module as possiblewhile maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is notrequired.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER
AIRBAGS
WARNING: Do not place your armson the airbag cover or through thesteering wheel. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injury.
WARNING: Keep the areas in frontof the airbags free from obstruction. Donot affix anything to or over the airbagcovers. Objects could become projectilesduring airbag deployment or in a suddenstop. Failure to follow this instructioncould result in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Airbags can kill or injurea child in a child restraint. Never place arear-facing child restraint in front of anactive airbag. If you must use aforward-facing child restraint in the frontseat, move the seat upon which the childrestraint is installed all the way back.
The driver and front passenger airbags willdeploy during significant frontal and nearfrontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbagsystem consists of:
•Driver and passenger airbag modules.
•Front passenger sensing system.
· Crash sensors and monitoringsystem with readiness indicator.See Crash Sensors and AirbagIndicator (page 52).
Proper Driver and Front PassengerSeating Adjustment
WARNING: National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)recommends a minimum distance of atleast 10 in (25 cm) between anoccupant's chest and the driver airbagmodule.
To properly position yourself away fromthe airbag:
•Move your seat to the rear as far as youcan while still reaching the pedalscomfortably.
•Recline the seat slightly (one or twodegrees) from the upright position.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingSupplementary Restraints SystemE151127 E67017

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

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

Flashing High Beam Headlamps
Pull the lever toward you and release it toflash the high beam headlamps.
AUTOLAMPS
WARNING: The system does notrelieve you of your responsibility to drivewith due care and attention. You mayneed to override the system if it does notturn the headlamps on in low visibilityconditions, for example daytime fog.
Autolamps turn the headlamps on in lowlight situations or when the wipers operate.
Switch the lighting control to theautolamps position.
Note:The lighting control defaults toautolamps each time you switch yourvehicle on.
The headlamps remain on for a period oftime after you switch the ignition off. Usethe touchscreen to adjust the period oftime that the headlamps remain on.
Note: If you switch the autolamps on, youcannot switch the high beams on until thesystem turns the low beams on.
Windshield Wiper ActivatedHeadlamps
When you switch the autolamps on, theheadlamps turn on within 10 seconds ofswitching the wipers on. They turn offapproximately 60 seconds after you switchthe windshield wipers off.
The headlamps do not turn on with thewipers:
•During a single wipe.
•When using the windshield washers.
•If the wipers are in intermittent mode.
Note:If you switch the autolamps and theautowipers on, the headlamps turn on whenthe windshield wipers continuously operate.
INSTRUMENT LIGHTING
DIMMER
The instrument lighting dimmer buttonsare on the lighting control.
Repeatedly press one of thebuttons to adjust the brightness.
HEADLAMP EXIT DELAY
After you switch the ignition off, you canswitch the headlamps on by pulling thedirection indicator lever toward you. Youwill hear a short tone. The headlamps willswitch off automatically after threeminutes with any door open or 30 secondsafter the last door has been closed. Youcan cancel this feature by pulling thedirection indicator lever toward you againor switching the ignition on.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingLightingE248604 E281240 E291299 E296433

DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS -
VEHICLES WITH:
CONFIGURABLE DAYTIME
RUNNING LAMPS
WARNING: The daytime runninglamps system does not activate the rearlamps and may not provide adequatelighting during low visibility drivingconditions. Make sure you switch theheadlamps on, as appropriate, during alllow visibility conditions. Failure to do somay result in a crash.
Switch the daytime running lamps on oroff using the touchscreen:
1.Select Settings. See Settings (page458).
2.Select Vehicle.
3.Select Lighting.
The daytime running lamps turn on when:
1.The lamps are on in the informationdisplay.
2.You switch the ignition on.
3.The transmission is not in park (P) forvehicles with automatic transmissionsor you release the parking brake forvehicles with manual transmissions.
4.The lighting control is in the autolampsposition.
5.The headlamps are off.
The other lighting control switch positionsdo not turn on the daytime running lamps.
If the daytime running lamps are off in theinformation display, the lamps stay off inall switch positions.
DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS -
VEHICLES WITH: DAYTIME
RUNNING LAMPS (DRL)
WARNING: The daytime runninglamps system does not activate the rearlamps and may not provide adequatelighting during low visibility drivingconditions. Make sure you switch theheadlamps on, as appropriate, during alllow visibility conditions. Failure to do somay result in a crash.
The system turns the lamps on in daylightconditions.
Daytime running lamps are always onunless the headlamps are on or yourvehicle is in park (P).
FRONT FOG LAMPS (IF EQUIPPED)
Using the Front Fog Lamps
To switch the lamps on or off:
1.Set the lighting control to the parkinglamps, headlamps or autolampsposition.
Note:When the lighting control is in theautolamps position, you cannot switch thefog lamps on unless the low beamheadlamps are on.
2.
Press the button on thelighting control to switch the front foglamps on or off.
Note:Only switch the front fog lamps onduring reduced visibility.
Note:The brightness of the daytime runninglamps may decrease when the front foglamps are on.
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2023 Explorer (CTW) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202209, First-PrintingLighting