All-Wheel Drive; Using All-Wheel Drive - Ford Flex 2016 Owner's Manual

USING ALL-WHEEL DRIVE

All-wheel drive uses all four wheels to
power the vehicle. This increases traction,
enabling you to drive over terrain and road
conditions that a conventional two-wheel
drive vehicle cannot. The AWD system is
active all the time and requires no input
from the operator.
Note: Your AWD vehicle is not intended for
off-road use. The AWD feature gives your
vehicle some limited off-road capabilities
in which driving surfaces are relatively level,
obstruction-free and otherwise similar to
normal on-road driving conditions.
Operating your vehicle under other than
those conditions could subject the vehicle
to excessive stress which might result in
damage which is not covered under your
warranty.
All-Wheel Drive Messages
AWD Messages
AWD OFF
Check AWD
Flex (), enUSA, First Printing

All-Wheel Drive

165
(If Equipped)
Note: When an AWD system fault is
present, the warning Check AWD displays
in the information display. The AWD system
is not functioning correctly and defaults to
front-wheel drive. When this warning
displays, have your vehicle serviced at an
authorized dealer.
Note: The AWD OFF message may also
appear in the information display if the AWD
system overheats and defaults to
front-wheel drive. This may occur if the
vehicle is operated in extreme conditions
with excessive wheel slip, such as deep
sand. To resume normal AWD function as
soon as possible, stop the vehicle in a safe
location and stop the engine for at least 10
minutes. After the engine has been
restarted and the AWD system has
adequately cooled, the AWD OFF message
will turn off and normal AWD function
returns. If the engine is not stopped, the
AWD OFF message turns off when the
system cools and normal AWD function
returns.
Action / Description
Displayed when the system has been
automatically disabled to protect itself.
This is caused by operating the vehicle with
the compact spare tire installed or if the
system is overheating. The system will
resume normal function and clear this
message after cycling the ignition on and
off and driving a short distance with the
road tire re-installed or after the system is
allowed to cool.
Displayed in conjunction with the power-
train malfunction/reduced power light
when the system is not operating properly.
If the warning stays on or continues to
come on, contact your authorized dealer
as soon as possible.