warning FORD FLEX 2013 1.G Owner's Guide

Proper Driver and Front Passenger Seating Adjustment
WARNING:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 in.
(25 cm) between an occupant’s chest and the driver airbag module.
To properly position yourself away from the airbag:
•Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
•Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit properly. A properly seated
occupant sits upright, leaning against the seat back, and centered on the
seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor. Sitting
improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward,
leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of
injury during a crash is greatly increased.
Children and Airbags
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
NEVER place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag.
If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the
seat all the way back.
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front
seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the
risk of injury in a collision.
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FRONT PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM
WARNING:Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children 12
and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position.
WARNING:Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat back
reclined too far can take off weight from the seat cushion and
affect the decision of the front passenger sensing system, resulting in
serious injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor.
WARNING:To reduce the risk of possible serious injury:
Do not stow objects in seat back map pocket (if equipped) or hang
objects off seat back if a child is in the front passenger seat.
Do not place objects underneath the front passenger seat or between the
seat and the center console (if equipped).
Check the “passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp for
proper airbag status.
Failure to follow these instructions may interfere with the passenger seat
sensing system.
WARNING:Any alteration/modification to the front passenger seat
may affect the performance of the front passenger sensing system.
This system works with sensors that are part of the front passenger’s
seat and safety belt to detect the presence of a properly-seated occupant
and determine if the front passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled
(may inflate) or not.
The front passenger sensing system
uses a passenger airbag status
indicator which will illuminate
indicating that the front passenger
frontal airbag is either ON (enabled)
or OFF (disabled). The indicator
lamp is located in the center stack
of the instrument panel.
Note:The passenger airbag status indicator OFF and ON lamps will
illuminate for a short period of time when the ignition is first turned on
to confirm it is functional.
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•Driver and/or adult passengers should check for any objects lodged
underneath the front passenger seat or cargo interfering with the seat.
•Remove the obstruction(s) (if found).
•Restart the vehicle.
•Wait at least two minutes and verify that the airbag readiness light in
the instrument cluster is no longer illuminated.
•If the airbag readiness light in the instrument cluster remains
illuminated, this may or may/not be a problem due to the front
passenger sensing system.
DO NOT attempt to repair or service the system; take your vehicle
immediately to an authorized dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced front airbag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, contact the Ford Customer
Relationship Center at the phone number shown in theCustomer
Assistancesection of this owner’s manual.
SIDE AIRBAGS
WARNING:Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near
the airbag cover, on the side of the seatbacks (of the front seats),
or in front seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying
airbag. Failure to follow these instructions may increase the risk of
personal injury in the event of a collision.
WARNING:Do not use accessory seat covers. The use of
accessory seat covers may prevent the deployment of the side
airbags and increase the risk of injury in an accident.
WARNING:Do not lean your head on the door. The side airbag
could injure you as it deploys from the side of the seatback.
WARNING:Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the
airbag, its fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an airbag.
Contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
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WARNING:If the side airbag has deployed,the airbag will not
function again. The side airbag system (including the seat)
must be inspected and serviced by an authorized dealer.If the
airbag is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
The side airbags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the airbag on the side affected by
the collision will be inflated. The airbag was designed to inflate between
the door panel and occupant to further enhance the protection provided
occupants in side impact collisions.
The system consists of the following:
•A label or embossed side panel indicating
that side airbags are fitted to your vehicle.
•Side airbags located inside the seatback of
the driver and front passenger seatbacks.
•Crash sensors and monitoring system with readiness
indicator. Refer toCrash sensors and Airbag Indicatorlater
in this chapter.
•Front passenger sensing system
Note:The passenger sensing system will deactivate the passenger
seat-mounted side airbag if it detects an empty, unbuckled passenger
seat.
The design and development of the side airbag system included
recommended testing procedures that were developed by a group of
automotive safety experts known as the Side Airbag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of side airbags.
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SAFETY CANOPYCURTAIN AIRBAGS
WARNING:Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near
the headliner at the siderail that may come into contact with a
deploying curtain airbag. Failure to follow these instructions may
increase the risk of personal injury in the event of a collision.
WARNING:Do not lean your head on the door. The curtain
airbag could injure you as it deploys from the headliner.
WARNING:Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the
curtain airbags, its fuses, the A, B, C or D pillar trim, or the
headliner on a vehicle containing curtain airbags. Contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING:All occupants of the vehicle including the driver
should always wear their safety belts even when an airbag SRS
and curtain airbag is provided.
WARNING:To reduce risk of injury, do not obstruct or place
objects in the deployment path of the curtain airbag.
WARNING:If the curtain airbags have deployed, the curtain
airbags will not function again. The curtain airbags (including the
A, B, C or D pillar trim and headliner) must be inspected and serviced
by an authorized dealer. If the curtain airbag is not replaced, the
unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a collision.
The Safety Canopy will deploy during significant side collisions or when a
certain likelihood of a rollover event is detected by the rollover sensor.
The Safety Canopy is mounted to the roof side-rail sheet metal, behind
the headliner, above each row of seats. In certain lateral collisions or
rollover events, the Safety Canopy will be activated, regardless of which
seats are occupied. The Safety Canopy is designed to inflate between the
side window area and occupants to further enhance protection provided
in side impact collisions and rollover events.
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CRASH SENSORS AND AIRBAG INDICATOR
WARNING:Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of
the vehicle (including frame, bumper, front end body structure
and tow hooks) may affect the performance of the airbag system,
increasing the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
The vehicle has a collection of crash and occupant sensors which provide
information to the Restraints Control Module (RCM) which deploys
(activates) the front safety belt pretensioners, rear inflatable safety belts,
driver airbag, passenger airbag, passenger knee airbag, seat mounted side
airbags, and the Safety Canopy. Based on the type of accident (frontal
impact, side impact or rollover) the restraints control module will deploy
the appropriate safety devices.
The restraints control module also monitors the readiness of the above
safety devices plus the crash and occupant sensors. The readiness of the
safety system is indicated by a warning indicator light in the instrument
cluster or by a backup tone if the warning light is not working. Refer to
Warning lamps and Indicatorsin theInstrument Clusterchapter.
Routine maintenance of the airbag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness light will either flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after the
ignition is turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the supplemental
restraint system serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a collision.
The safety belt pretensioners, rear inflatable safety belts and the airbag
supplemental restraint system are designed to activate when the vehicle
sustains longitudinal or lateral deceleration sufficient to cause the
restaints control module to deploy a safety device or when a certain
likelihood of a rollover event is detected by the rollover sensor.
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Car Finder
Press the button twice within three seconds. The horn will chirp
and the turn signals will flash. It is recommended that this method
be used to locate your vehicle, rather than using the panic alarm.
Sounding a Panic Alarm
Note:The panic alarm will only operate when the ignition is off.
Press the button to activate the alarm. Press the button again
or turn the ignition on to deactivate.
Remote Start (If Equipped)
WARNING:To avoid exhaust fumes, do not use remote start if your
vehicle is parked indoors or areas that are not well ventilated.
Note:Do not use remote start if your vehicle is low on fuel.
Your vehicle has remote start if the transmitter has this button.
The remote start feature allows you to start the engine from outside the
vehicle. The transmitter has an extended operating range.
Vehicles with automatic climate control can be configured to operate
when the vehicle is remote started. Refer to theClimate Controlchapter
for more information. A manual climate control system will run at the
setting it was set to when the vehicle was last turned off.
Many states and provinces have restrictions for the use of remote start.
Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements
regarding remote start systems.
The remote start system will not work if:
•the ignition is on
•the alarm system is triggered
•the feature has been disabled
•the hood is not closed
•two remote vehicle starts have already been attempted within the last
hour
•the vehicle is not in P (Park)
•the vehicle battery voltage is too low
•the service engine soon light is on.
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PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
MyKeyallows you to program keys with restricted driving modes to
promote good driving habits. All but one of the keys programmed to the
vehicle can be activated with these restricted modes. Any keys that have
not been programmed are referred to as an “administrator key” or
“admin key” which can be used to:
•create a restricted key
•program optional key settings
•clear the key feature altogether.
Once a key has been programmed you can access the following
information using the information display control:
•How many admin keys and MyKeys are programmed to the vehicle.
•The total distance the vehicle has been driven with a MyKey.
When both a MyKey and an Admin Intelligent Access keys (fob) are
present, the admin fob will be recognized by the vehicle to start the
engine.
Standard Settings
These settings cannot be changed.
•Belt-Minder. This cannot be disabled and the five– minute timer does
not expire. The audio system is muted when MyKey Belt-Minder is
activated.
•Early low fuel. Warnings are displayed in the information display
control followed by an audible tone when the fuel tank is at 1/8 tank
or less.
•Driver assist features, if equipped on your vehicle, are forced on: Rear
parking aid, Blind spot information system (BLIS) with cross traffic
alert, Lane departure warning, Satellite radio adult content restriction,
and Forward collision warning system.
Optional Settings
These settings can be configured right after a MyKey is first created or
changed afterword with an admin key.
•Vehicle speed limit of 65, 70, 75 and 80 mph (105, 113, 121 and
130 km/h). Visual warnings are displayed followed by an audible tone
when vehicle speed has reached the selected top speed.
•Vehicle speed minder of 45, 55 or 65 mph (75, 90, or 105 km/h).
Visual warnings are displayed followed by an audible tone when the
preselected vehicle speed is exceeded.
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LIFTGATE
WARNING:It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these
areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow
people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with
seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a safety belt properly.
Manual Liftgate
WARNING:Make sure that the liftgate is closed to prevent
exhaust fumes from being drawn into the vehicle. This will also
prevent passengers and cargo from falling out. If you must drive with
the liftgate door open, keep the vehicle well ventilated so outside air
comes into the vehicle.
Note:Be careful when opening or closing the liftgate in a garage or
other enclosed area to avoid damaging the liftgate.
Note:Do not hang anything (bike rack, etc.) from the spoiler, glass or
liftgate. This could damage the liftgate and its components.
Note:Do not leave the liftgate open while driving. This could damage
the liftgate and its components.
The liftgate area is only intended for cargo, not passengers.
To open the liftgate:Press the
button located in the top of the
liftgate pull cup handle to unlatch the
liftgate, then pull on the outside
handle.
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Power Liftgate (If Equipped)
WARNING:Make sure all persons are clear of the power liftgate
area before using the power liftgate control.
WARNING:Keep keys out of the reach of children. Do not allow
children to operate the power liftgate, or to play near to an open
or moving power liftgate.
Note:Cycling the ignition while the liftgate is power closing and is near
the latch may cause the liftgate to reverse to full open position. Make
sure that the liftgate is closed before operating or moving the vehicle,
especially in an enclosure, like a garage or a parking structure. The
liftgate or its components could be damaged.
Note:Do not drive with the liftgate open without first disabling the
power function and securing the liftgate to the vehicle.
Note:In case of operation in extreme cold -40°F (-40°C), or on extreme
inclines, manual operation of the liftgate is suggested.
The power liftgate can be enabled or disabled using the information
display. The remote control and instrument panel button will still operate
the liftgate regardless of the setting.
Opening and Closing the Power Liftgate
Note:The liftgate movement direction can be reversed with a second
press of the instrument panel, or the control button on the liftgate, or a
second double press of the transmitter button.
The liftgate will only operate with the vehicle in P (Park).
A chime will sound three times as the liftgate begins to power close. A
single chime indicates a problem with the close request, caused by:
•the ignition is on and the transmission is not in P (Park);
•or the battery voltage is below the minimum operating voltage;
•or the vehicle speed is at or above 3 mph (5 km/h).
If the liftgate reverses and starts to close after an open request, a fast
continuous chime indicates excessive load on the gate or a possible strut
failure. See your authorized dealer if you still have a fast chime after the
load is removed.
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