Four Wheel Drive (4Wd) System; 4Wd System Messages In Message Center; Driving Off-Road With Truck And Utility Vehicles - Ford 2006 Mariner Hybrid Owner's Manual

Driving
Keep the RSS sensors (located on the rear bumper/fascia) free
from snow, ice and large accumulations of dirt (do not clean the
sensors with sharp objects). If the sensors are covered, it will
affect the accuracy of the RSS.
If your vehicle sustains damage to the rear bumper/fascia, leaving
it misaligned or bent, the sensing zone may be altered causing
inaccurate measurement of obstacles or false alarms.

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) SYSTEM

For important information regarding safe operation of this type
of vehicle, see Preparing to drive your vehicle in this chapter.
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent 4WD System that
continuously monitors vehicle conditions and automatically adjusts the
power distribution between the front and rear wheels. It combines
transparent all-surface operation with highly capable four-wheel drive.
The 4WD system is always active and requires no driver input. It is
capable of handling all road conditions, including street and highway
driving as well as off-road and winter driving.
During very extreme off-road events, the 4WD system has a heat
protection mode to protect itself from damage. If the system detects an
overheat condition, it will enter a locked mode. If the heat in the 4WD
system continues to rise in locked mode, it will disable itself. To exit heat
protection mode, simply stop the vehicle and allow it to cool for five
minutes with the key in the 3 (RUN) position.

4WD system messages in Message Center

• SERVICE 4WD: Displayed when the 4WD system is not operating
properly. If the warning stays on or continues to come on, contact
your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
• 4WD LOCKED TEMPORARILY: Displayed when 4WD system is
temporarily locked.
• 4WD DISABLED TEMPORARILY: Displayed when 4WD system is
temporarily disabled.
• 4WD AUTO RESTORED: Displayed when the 4WD system function
is restored to normal operation.

Driving off-road with truck and utility vehicles

4WD 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.
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2006 Mariner Hybrid (mhv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)