air condition FORD FLEX 2010 1.G Owner's Manual

that assists in starting the engine. After releasing the key from the 4
(start) position, the engine may continue cranking for up to 10 seconds
or until the vehicle starts.
Note:Cranking may be stopped at any time by turning the key to the off
position
3. After idling for a few seconds, release the parking brake, apply the
brake, shift into gear and drive.
Note:If the engine does not start on the first try, turn the key to the off
position, wait 10 seconds and try Step 2 again. If the engine still fails to
start, press the accelerator to the floor and try Step 2 again, keeping the
accelerator on the floor until the engine begins to accelerate above
cranking speeds; this will allow the engine to crank with the fuel shut off
in case the engine is flooded with fuel.
Guarding against exhaust fumes
Carbon monoxide is present in exhaust fumes. Take precautions to avoid
its dangerous effects.
WARNING:If you smell exhaust fumes inside your vehicle, have
your dealer inspect your vehicle immediately. Do not drive if you
smell exhaust fumes.
Important ventilating information
If the engine is idling while the vehicle is stopped for a long period of
time, open the windows at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) or adjust the heating or
air conditioning to bring in fresh air.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER (IF EQUIPPED)
An engine block heater warms the engine coolant which aids in starting
and allows the heater/defroster system to respond quickly. If your vehicle
is equipped with this system, your equipment includes a heater element
which is installed in your engine block and a wire harness which allows
the user to connect the system to a grounded 120 volt A/C electrical
source. The block heater system is most effective when outdoor
temperatures reach below 0°F (-18°C).
WARNING:Failure to follow engine block heater instructions
could result in property damage or physical injury.
Driving
258
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

When an event occurs that activates AdvanceTracwith RSCyou may
experience the following:
•A slight deceleration of the vehicle
•The “sliding car”
indicator light will flash.
•If your foot is on the brake pedal, a vibration in the pedal.
•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. You
may also hear a whoosh of air from under the instrument panel during
this severe condition.
•The brake pedal may feel stiffer than usual.
Traction Control (TCS)
Traction Control is a driver aid feature that helps your vehicle maintain
traction of the wheels, typically when driving on slippery and/or hilly
road surfaces, by detecting and controlling wheel spin.
Excessive wheel spin is controlled in two ways, which may work
separately or in tandem: Engine Traction Control and Brake Traction
Control. Engine Traction Control works to limit drive-wheel spin by
momentarily reducing engine power. Brake Traction Control works to
limit wheel spin by momentarily applying the brakes to the wheel that is
slipping. Traction Control is most active at low speeds.
During Traction Control events the “sliding car” icon
in the
instrument cluster will flash.
If the Traction Control system is activated excessively in a short period
of time, the braking portion of the system may become temporarily
disabled to allow the brakes to cool down. In this situation, Traction
Control will use only engine power reduction or transfer to help control
the wheels from over-spinning. When the brakes have cooled down, the
system will regain all features. Anti-lock braking, RSC, and ESC will
continue to function during the cool-down period.
The Engine Traction Control and Brake Traction Control system may be
deactivated in certain situations. See theSwitching off Traction Control
section following.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) may enhance your vehicle’s directional
stability during adverse maneuvers, for example when cornering severely
or avoiding objects in the roadway. ESC operates by applying brakes to
one or more of the wheels individually and, if necessary, reducing engine
power if the system detects that the vehicle is about to skid or slide
laterally.
Driving
264
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

•One of the parked vehicles has a high altitude attachment (i.e. salt
sprayer, snow plow, moving truck high bed, etc.) High altitude
attachments may not be detected by the system.
•The parking space length or parked objects position have changed
after the vehicle has passed the parking space.
•The temperature around your vehicle changed quickly such as you
just drove from a heated garage into the cold or just left a car wash.
As a result, the outside air temperature displayed in the vehicle may
not be close enough to the actual temperature. APA relies on a
correctly sensing the temperature outside for precisely positioning the
vehicle.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a full-time All Wheel Drive (AWD)
system. The AWD system is an active system, meaning it not only
responds to wheel slip between the front and rear axles but also has the
ability to anticipate wheel slip and transfer torque to the rear wheels
before slip occurs. The AWD system is active all the time and requires no
input from the operator.
All components of the AWD system are sealed for life and require no
maintenance.
Note:When an AWD system fault is present, the warningCHECK AWD
will display in the message center. The AWD system is not functioning
correctly and defaulted to front wheel drive. When this warning is
displayed, have your vehicle serviced at an authorized dealer
If your vehicle is equipped with AWD, a spare tire of a different size
other than the tire provided should never be used. If the spare tire is
installed, the AWD system may disable automatically and enter front
wheel drive only mode to protect driveline components. This condition
may be indicated by anAWD OFFmessage in the message center (see
Message centersection in theInstrument Clusterchapter for more
information). If there is anAWD OFFmessage in the message center
from using the spare tire, this indicator should turn off after reinstalling
the repaired or replaced normal road tire and driving a short distance. It
is recommended to reinstall the repaired or replaced road tire as soon as
possible. Major dissimilar tire sizes between the front and rear axles
could cause the AWD system to stop functioning and default to front
wheel drive or damage the AWD system.
Driving
285
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

In the United States, a warranty dispute must be submitted to the BBB
AUTO LINE before taking action under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty
Act, or to the extent allowed by state law, before pursuing replacement
or repurchase remedies provided by certain state laws. This dispute
handling procedure is not required prior to enforcing state created rights
or other rights which are independent of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty
Act or state replacement or repurchase laws.
IN CALIFORNIA (U.S. ONLY)
California Civil Code Section 1793.2(d) requires that, if a manufacturer
or its representative is unable to repair a motor vehicle to conform to the
vehicle’s applicable express warranty after a reasonable number of
attempts, the manufacturer shall be required to either replace the
vehicle with one substantially identical or repurchase the vehicle and
reimburse the buyer in an amount equal to the actual price paid or
payable by the consumer (less a reasonable allowance for consumer
use). The consumer has the right to choose whether to receive a refund
or replacement vehicle.
California Civil Code Section 1793.22(b) presumes that the manufacturer
has had a reasonable number of attempts to conform the vehicle to its
applicable express warranties if, within the first 18 months of ownership
of a new vehicle or the first 18,000 miles (29,000 km), whichever occurs
first:
1. Two or more repair attempts are made on the same non-conformity
likely to cause death or serious bodily injury OR
2. Four or more repair attempts are made on the same nonconformity (a
defect or condition that substantially impairs the use, value or safety of
the vehicle) OR
3. The vehicle is out of service for repair of nonconformities for a total of
more than 30 calendar days (not necessarily all at one time)
In the case of 1 or 2 above, the consumer must also notify the
manufacturer of the need for the repair of the nonconformity at the
following address:
Ford Motor Company
16800 Executive Plaza Drive
Mail Drop 3NE-B
Dearborn, MI 48126
THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU (BBB) AUTO LINE PROGRAM
(U.S. ONLY)
Your satisfaction is important to Ford Motor Company and to your dealer.
If a warranty concern has not been resolved using the three-step
Customer Assistance
329
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

and other factors. If this occurs, there is no need to pull off the road.
The vehicle can continue to be driven while this message is active.
WARNING:To reduce the risk of collision and injury, be
prepared that the vehicle speed may reduce and the vehicle may
not be able to accelerate with full power until the fluid temperatures
reduce.
The air conditioning may also cycle on and off during severe operating
conditions to protect overheating of the engine. When the engine coolant
temperature decreases to a more normal operating temperature, the air
conditioning will turn on once again.
If you notice any of the following:
•the engine coolant temperature gauge moves fully into the red (hot)
area
•the coolant temperature warning light illuminates
•the service engine soon indicator illuminates
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible and place the vehicle in P
(Park).
2. Leave the engine running until the coolant temperature gauge needle
moves away from the H range. After several minutes, if this does not
happen, follow the remaining steps.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for it to cool before checking the coolant
level.
WARNING:Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the
engine is running or hot.
4. If the coolant level is normal, you may restart your engine and
continue on.
5. If the coolant is low, add coolant, restart the engine and take your
vehicle to an authorized dealer. SeeAdding engine coolantin this
chapter for more information.
Refer to fail-safe cooling for additional information.
What you should know about fail-safe cooling
If the engine coolant supply is depleted, this feature allows the vehicle to
be driven temporarily before incremental component damage is incurred.
The “fail-safe” distance depends on ambient temperatures, vehicle load
and terrain.
Maintenance and Specifications
359
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

How fail-safe cooling works
If the engine begins to overheat:
•The engine coolant temperature gauge will move to the red (hot)
area.
•The coolant temperature warning light
will illuminate.
•The service engine soon
indicator will illuminate.
If the engine reaches a preset over-temperature condition, the engine
will automatically switch to alternating cylinder operation. Each disabled
cylinder acts as an air pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs the vehicle will still operate. However:
•The engine power will be limited.
•The air conditioning system will be disabled.
Continued operation will increase the engine temperature and the engine
will completely shut down, causing steering and braking effort to
increase.
Once the engine temperature cools, the engine can be re-started. Take
your vehicle to a service facility as soon as possible to minimize engine
damage.
When fail-safe mode is activated
You have limited engine power when in the fail-safe mode, so drive the
vehicle with caution. The vehicle will not be able to maintain high-speed
operation and the engine will run rough. Remember that the engine is
capable of completely shutting down automatically to prevent engine
damage, therefore:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible and turn off the engine.
2. Arrange for the vehicle to be taken to a service facility.
3. If this is not possible, wait a short period for the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level and replenish if low.
WARNING:Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the
engine is running or hot.
5. Re-start the engine and take your vehicle to a service facility.
Driving the vehicle without repairing the engine problem
increases the chance of engine damage. Take your vehicle to a
service facility as soon as possible.
Maintenance and Specifications
360
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Driving style — good driving and fuel economy habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you may be able to change
a number of variables and improve your fuel economy.
Habits
•Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
•Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
•Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
•Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between the top gears occurs. Unnecessary
shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel economy.
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
Maintenance and Specifications
369
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Use of a non-approved automatic transmission fluid may cause
internal transmission component damage.
If necessary, add fluid in 1/2 pint
(250 ml) increments through the
filler tube until the level is correct.
If an overfill occurs, excess fluid
should be removed by an authorized
dealer.
An overfill condition of
transmission fluid may cause shift and/or engagement concerns
and/or possible damage.
Do not use supplemental transmission fluid additives, treatments or
cleaning agents. The use of these materials may affect transmission
operation and result in damage to internal transmission components.
AIR FILTER
Refer toscheduled maintenance informationfor the appropriate
intervals for changing the air filter element.
When changing the air filter element, use only the air filter element
listed. Refer toMotorcraftpart numbersin this chapter.
WARNING:To reduce the risk of vehicle damage and/or
personal burn injuries do not start your engine with the air
cleaner removed and do not remove it while the engine is running.
Maintenance and Specifications
376
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

A
Accessory delay ........................102
Active Park Assist .....................280
AdvanceTrac ..............................262
Air cleaner filter ...............376–378
Air conditioning ..............68, 71, 74
manual heating and air
conditioning system .................68
Airbag supplemental restraint
system ................184–185, 193, 195
and child safety seats ............186
description ..............185, 193, 195
disposal ....................................199
driver airbag ............187, 194, 196
indicator light .................193, 198
operation .................187, 194, 196
passenger airbag .....187, 194, 196
side airbag ...............................193
All Wheel Drive (AWD),
driving off road .........................285
Ambient mood/lighting ...............85
AM/FM .........................................28
Antifreeze
(see Engine coolant) ................354
Anti-lock brake system
(see Brakes) ..............................260
Anti-theft system ..............140, 149
arming the system ..................149
disarming a triggered
system .....................................150
Audio system (see Radio) .........28
Automatic transaxle
fluid, refill capacities ..............379
fluid, specification ..................379Automatic transmission
driving an automatic
overdrive .........................271, 273
fluid, adding ............................374
fluid, checking ........................374
Selectshift (SST) ....................275
Auxiliary input jack (Line in) ....37
B
Battery .......................................352
acid, treating emergencies .....352
jumping a disabled battery ....319
maintenance-free ....................352
replacement, specifications ...378
servicing ..................................352
Belt-Minder.............................180
Booster seats .............................213
Brakes ........................................260
anti-lock ...................................260
anti-lock brake system (ABS)
warning light ...........................261
fluid, checking and adding ....374
fluid, refill capacities ..............379
fluid, specifications .................379
lubricant specifications ..........379
parking ....................................261
shift interlock ..........................269
Bulbs ............................................86
C
Capacities for refilling fluids ....379
Car2UHome Automation
System .......................................113
Cargo net ...................................124
CD ................................................28
Cell phone use ..............................9
Changing a tire .........................302
Index
391
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Child safety seats ......................203
in front seat ............................204
in rear seat ..............................204
LATCH .....................................207
recommendations ...................201
tether anchorage hardware ...210
Child safety seats - booster
seats ...........................................213
Cleaning your vehicle
engine compartment ..............336
instrument panel ....................339
interior .....................................340
plastic parts ............................338
washing ....................................334
waxing .....................................335
wheels ......................................335
wiper blades ............................338
Climate control
(see Air conditioning or
Heating) ...........................68, 71, 74
Clock ............................................93
Clock adjust
AM/FM .......................................29
Compass, electronic ....................94
calibration .................................95
set zone adjustment .................95
Console
overhead ....................................94
Controls
power seat ...............................156
steering column ......................106
Coolant
checking and adding ..............354
refill capacities ................357, 379
specifications ..........................379
Cooler ..........................................97
Cruise control
(see Speed control) ..................104Customer Assistance ................292
Ford Extended Service
Plan ..........................................388
Getting assistance outside the
U.S. and Canada .....................331
Getting roadside assistance ...292
Getting the service you
need .........................................327
Ordering additional owner’s
literature .................................332
Utilizing the
Mediation/Arbitration
Program ...................................330
D
Daytime running lamps
(see Lamps) ................................82
Defrost
rear window and rearview
mirrors .......................................74
windshield .................................74
Dipstick
automatic transmission
fluid ..........................................374
engine oil .................................349
Driving under special
conditions ..........................287, 289
sand .........................................288
snow and ice ...........................290
through water .................288, 291
DVD system .................................46
E
Electronic message center .........18
Emergencies, roadside
jump-starting ..........................319
running out of fuel .........319, 365
Emission control system ..........370
Index
392
2010 Flex(471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)