Driving – FORD 2005 Explorer v.1 User Manual

Page 226

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ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)

Your vehicle may be equipped with a full-time All Wheel Drive (AWD)
transfer case. With the AWD option, power is supplied to all four wheels
all the time with no need to shift between two-wheel drive and
four-wheel drive.

For the lubricant specification and refill capacity of the AWD transfer
case refer to Maintenance and specifications chapter.

If your vehicle is equipped with AWD, a spare tire of a different
size than the road tires should never be used. Such a tire could

make the vehicle difficult to control as well as result in damage to
driveline components.

Utility and four-wheel drive vehicles are not designed for
cornering at speeds as high as passenger cars any more than

low-slung sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions. Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers in these
vehicles.

Driving off-road with truck and utility vehicles

AWD vehicles are specially equipped for driving on sand, snow, mud and
rough terrain and have operating characteristics that are somewhat
different from conventional vehicles, both on and off the road.

How your vehicle differs from other vehicles

Truck and utility vehicles can differ from some other vehicles. Your
vehicle may be higher to allow it to travel over rough terrain without
getting hung up or damaging underbody components.

The differences that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle
differently than an ordinary passenger car.

Maintain steering wheel control at all times, especially in rough terrain.
Since sudden changes in terrain can result in abrupt steering wheel
motion, make sure you grip the steering wheel from the outside. Do not
grip the spokes.

Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from concealed objects such as
rocks and stumps.

You should either know the terrain or examine maps of the area before
driving. Map out your route before driving in the area. To maintain
steering and braking control of your vehicle, you must have all four
wheels on the ground and they must be rolling, not sliding or spinning.

REVIEW COPY
2005 Explorer (exp), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) (own2002),
Market: USA_English (fus)

Driving

226

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