Table of Contents Introductory Information Safety Restraints ................ 1 9 .................... Starting Your Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Warning Lights and Gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Instrument Panel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steering Column Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electronic Sound Systems ............... 109 135 147 207 245 295 317 323 327 333 411 421 444 Driving Your Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roadside Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Customer Assistance ................. .............. Reporting Safety Defects Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Servicing Your Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quick Index ..................... Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Service Station Information .............. Introductory Information Ford's Commitment to You At Ford Motor Company, excellence is the continuous commitment to achieve the best result possible. It is dedication to learning what you want, determination to develop the right concept, and execution of that concept with care, precision, and attention to detail. In short, excellence means being the standard by which others are judged. Our Guiding Principles s Quality comes first. For your satisfaction, the quality of our products and services must be our number one priority. s You are the focus of everything we do. Our work must be done with you in mind, providing better products and services than our competition. s Continuous improvement is essential to our success. We must strive for excellence in everything we do: in our products -- in their safety and value -- and in our services, our human relations, our competitiveness, and our profitability. s Employee involvement is our way of life. We are a team. We must treat one another with trust and respect. s Dealers and suppliers are our partners. We must maintain mutually beneficial relationships with dealers, suppliers, and our other business associates. s Integrity is never compromised. Our conduct worldwide must be pursued in a manner that is socially responsible and commands respect for its integrity and for its positive contributions to society. 1 Things to Know About Using This Guide Congratulations on the purchase of your new vehicle. This guide has information about the equipment and the options for your new vehicle. You may not have bought all of the options available to you. If you do not know which information applies to your vehicle, talk to your dealer. This guide describes equipment and gives specifications for equipment that was in effect when this guide was approved for printing. Ford may discontinue models or change specifications or design without any notice and without incurring obligation. NOTES and WARNINGS NOTES give you additional information about the subject matter you are referencing. WARNINGS remind you to be especially careful in those areas where carelessness can cause damage to your vehicle or personal injury to yourself, your passengers or other people. Please read all WARNINGS carefully. RWARNING Finding Information in This Guide After you have read this guide once, you will probably return to it when you have a specific question or need additional information. To help you find specific information quickly, you can use the Quick Index, Table of Contents, or the Index. The Quick Index at the end of the book provides a page number following each item which indicates where detailed information can be found. 2 Introductory Information To use the Index, turn to the back of the book and search in the alphabetical listing for the word that best describes the information you need. If the word you chose is not listed, think of other related words and look them up. We have designed the Index so that you can find information under a technical term. Canadian Owners -- French Version French Owner Guides can be obtained from your dealer or by writing to Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, Service Publications, P.O. Box 1580, Station B, Mississauga, Ontario L4Y 4G3. Your Maintenance Schedule and Record Booklet The Maintenance Schedule and Record booklet lists the services that are most important for keeping your vehicle in good condition. A record log is also provided to help you keep track of all services performed. About the Warranties Your vehicle is covered by three types of warranties: Basic Vehicle Warranty, Extended Warranties on certain parts, and Emissions Warranties. Read your Warranty Information Booklet carefully to find out about your vehicle's warranties and your basic rights and responsibilities. If you lose your Warranty Information Booklet, you can get a new one free of charge. Contact any Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer, or refer to the addresses and phone numbers on the first page of this owner guide. 3 Buying a Ford Extended Service Plan If you bought your vehicle in the U.S., you can buy a Ford Extended Service Plan for your vehicle. This optional contract provides service protection for a longer period of time than the basic warranty that comes with your vehicle. You do not have to buy this option when you buy your vehicle. However, your option to purchase the Ford Extended Service Plan runs out after 18 months or 18,000 miles. See your dealer for more details about the Ford Extended Service Plan. If you purchased a Canadian vehicle and did not take advantage of the Ford Extended Service Plan at the time of purchase, you may still be eligible. See your dealer for the details. Special Notice NOTICE TO OWNERS OF UTILITY-TYPE VEHICLES As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an accident. Be sure to read the Additional Special Driving Instructions for Utility Vehicles in this book and the special supplement included with four-wheel drive vehicles entitled 4-Wheeling with Ford. Although this special supplement is primarily directed to four-wheel drive vehicle operators, these principles of safe driving also apply to operators of the two-wheel drive Explorer. Even though you may not select a 4WD or AWD option for your Explorer, many of its operating characteristics are similar to those of a four-wheel drive vehicle. For this reason, Ford urges you to read and understand the contents of the 4-Wheeling with Ford supplement. 4 Introductory Information AMBULANCE PACKAGES RWARNING Do not use this vehicle as an ambulance. Breaking Your Vehicle In Your new vehicle goes through an adjustment or break-in period during the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) that you drive it. During the break-in period, you need to pay careful attention to how you drive your vehicle. s Avoid sudden stops. Because your vehicle has new brake linings, you should take these steps: -- Watch traffic carefully so that you can anticipate when to stop. -- Begin braking well in advance. -- Apply the brakes gradually. The break-in period for new brake linings lasts for 100 miles (160 km) of city driving or 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of highway driving. s Wheel lug nuts must be retightened to proper torque specifications at 500 miles/800 km of new vehicle operation. Proper torque specifications are provided in this guide. Also retighten to proper torque specification at 500 miles/800 km after any wheel change or any other time the wheel lug nuts have been loosened. s Use only the type of engine oil that Ford recommends. See Engine oil recommendations in the Index. Do not use special "break-in" oils. 5 Some vehicles are equipped with a Powertrain Control Module that limits engine speeds with a cut-out mode to promote durability. Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle Pollen, bird droppings and tree sap can damage the paint, especially in hot weather. Wash your vehicle as often as necessary to keep it clean. Take similar precautions if your vehicle is exposed to chemical industrial fallout. Paint damage resulting from fallout is not related to a defect in paint materials or workmanship and therefore is not covered by warranty. Ford, however, believes that continual improvement in customer satisfaction is a high priority. For this reason, Ford has authorized its dealers to repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of new vehicles damaged by environmental fallout within 12 months or 12,000 miles (20,000 km) of purchase, whichever comes first. Customers may be required to bring their vehicle in for inspection by a Ford representative. Washing and Polishing Your Vehicle Wash the outside of your vehicle, including the underside, with a mild detergent. DO NOT: s Wash your vehicle with hot water s Wash your vehicle while it sits in direct sunlight s Wash your vehicle while the body is hot Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits and protect the finish. 6 Introductory Information Cleaning Chrome and Aluminum Parts Wash chrome and aluminum parts with a mild detergent. Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, fuel or strong detergents. Cleaning Plastic Parts Some of your vehicle's exterior trim parts are plastic. Clean with a tar and road oil remover if necessary. Use a vinyl cleaner for routine cleaning. Do not clean plastic parts with thinners, solvents or petroleum-based cleaners. If you have your vehicle rustproofed, remove oversprayed rustproofing with a tar and road oil remover. If rustproofing is not removed from plastic and rubber parts, it can cause deterioration. Because your vehicle's side mouldings are painted in lacquer, do not use thinners or solvents to clean them. 7 Safety Restraints Important Safety Belt Information The use of safety belts helps to restrain you and your passengers in case of a collision. In most states and in Canada the law requires their use. Safety belts provide best restraint when: s the seatback is upright s the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched) s the lap belt is snug and low on the hips s the shoulder belt is snug against the chest s the knees are straight forward To help you remember to fasten your safety belt, a warning light may come on and a chime may sound. See Safety Belt Warning Light and Chime in the Warning Lights and Gauges chapter. See the following sections in this chapter for directions on how to properly use these safety belts. Also see Safety Restraints for Children in this chapter for special instructions about using safety belts for children. RWARNING Make sure that you and your passengers wear safety belts. Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap belt snug and low across the hips. RWARNING Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision. 9 RWARNING Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware should be inspected by a qualified technician after any collision. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted. RWARNING To reduce the risk of serious injury in a collision, children should always ride with the seatback upright. RWARNING Never wear the shoulder belt under the arm. Never swing it around the neck over the inside shoulder. Never use a single belt for more than one person or across more than one seating position. Each seating position in your vehicle has a specific safety belt assembly which is made up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed to be used as a pair. Failure to follow these precautions could increase the risk and/or severity of injury in a collision. RWARNING Lock the doors of your vehicle before driving to lessen the risk of the door coming open in a collision. 10 Safety Restraints Combination Lap and Shoulder Belts While your vehicle is in motion, the combination lap and shoulder belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you brake hard, turn hard, or if your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the lap/shoulder belt locks and helps reduce your forward movement. After you get into your vehicle, close the door and lock it. Then adjust the seat to the position that suits you best. Pull the combination lap/shoulder belt from the retractor so that the shoulder portion of the belt crosses your shoulder and chest. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If it is, remove the twist. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on tongue. Fastening the outboard lap/shoulder belts NOTE: Be sure to read and understand Important Safety Belt Information at the beginning of this chapter. 11 Unfastening the outboard lap/shoulder belts While the belt retracts, guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it from striking you or the vehicle. Safety Belts for Front Outboard Passenger and Rear Outboard Seating Posit ...