Ford Explorer 1996 Owner's Manual

Table of Contents

Introductory Information ................ 1

Safety Restraints .................... 9

Starting Your Explorer .................67

Warning Lights and Gauges ...............79

Instrument Panel Controls ............... 109

Steering Column Controls ............... 135

Features ....................... 147

Electronic Sound Systems ............... 207

Driving Your Explorer ................. 245

Roadside Emergencies ................. 295

Customer Assistance ................. 317

Reporting Safety Defects .............. 323

Accessories ...................... 327

Servicing Your Explorer ................ 333

Quick Index ..................... 411

Index......................... 421

Service Station Information .............. 444

Introductory Information

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

■ Quality comes first. For your satisfaction, the quality of our

products and services must be our number one priority.

■ 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.

■ 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.

■ Employee involvement is our way of life. We are a team.

We must treat one another with trust and respect.

■ Dealers and suppliers are our partners. We must maintain

mutually beneficial relationships with dealers, suppliers, and
our other business associates.

■ 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

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.

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.

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.

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

RWARNING

Do not use this vehicle as an ambulance.

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.

■ 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.

■ 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.

■ 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.

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:

■ Wash your vehicle with hot water

■ Wash your vehicle while it sits in direct sunlight

■ 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

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:

■ the seatback is upright

■ the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched)

■ the lap belt is snug and low on the hips

■ the shoulder belt is snug against the chest

■ 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

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 Positions

Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on
the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder safety
belt for the front seat outboard passenger and rear outboard
passengers.

Dual locking mode retractors operate in two ways:

Vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode

In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor will allow the
occupant freedom of movement, locking tight only on hard
braking, hard cornering or impacts of approximately 5 mph
(8 km/h) or more. The retractor can also be made to lock by
pulling the belt out quickly.

12

Safety Restraints

Automatic locking mode

In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor will be
automatically locked and will remain locked when the
combination lap/shoulder safety belt is buckled, and does not
allow the occupant freedom of movement. This mode provides
the following:

■ A tight lap/shoulder belt on the occupant.

■ Child safety seat installation.

RWARNING

Rear-facing infant seats should never be placed in the
front seats.

RWARNING

This mode must be used when installing a child safety
seat on the front passenger seat and rear outboard seats
where dual locking retractors are provided.

To switch the retractor from the emergency locking mode to the
automatic locking mode, perform the following steps:

until all of the belt is extracted and, when allowed to retract,
a clicking sound is heard. At this time, the belt retractor is in
the automatic locking mode (child restraint mode).

allowed to retract. This indicates that the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode.

13

NOTE: When the combination lap/shoulder belt is unbuckled

and allowed to retract completely, the retractor will
switch to the vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking
mode. See the detailed instructions under Safety Seats
for Children in this chapter.

Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment

Driver and right front passenger

The driver and right front passenger shoulder belt height is
adjustable to one of five (5) positions.

To adjust the belt down, push the release button on the adjuster
down and slide the adjuster down. Then release the button and
make sure the adjuster is firmly in one of the five (5) positions.
To adjust the belt up, slide the adjuster up. (You do not have to
push the release button.) Slide it up or down until the belt rests
across the middle of your shoulder.

RWARNING

Position the shoulder belt height adjuster so that the belt
rests across the middle of your shoulder. Be sure the
shoulder belt is properly positioned on your shoulder
each time you use the belt. If the shoulder belt is off
your shoulder, on your upper arm or neck, there is a
greater risk of severe injury in a collision.

NOTE: Be sure the belt is properly positioned on your

shoulder each time you use the belt.

14

Adjusting shoulder belt height (2 door models)

Safety Restraints

Shoulder belt height adjuster — full down position (2 door models)

15

Shoulder belt height adjuster — full up position

16

Safety Restraints

Shoulder belt height adjuster — mid-way position (4 door models)

RWARNING

Use the shoulder belt on the outside shoulder only.
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. Failure to
follow these precautions could increase the risk and/or
severity of injury in a collision.

To tighten the lap portion of the belt, pull up on the shoulder
belt until it fits you snugly. The belt should rest as low on your
hips as possible.

17

Unfastening the outboard lap/shoulder belts

The rear seat shoulder safety belts have a feature which allows
the seat belt webbing to be stowed out of the way when the
rear seats are folded down (2 door only). To stow the belt while
the seat is folded, attach the plastic snap on the seat belt to the
metal mating part on the plastic trim panel. This will keep the
belt out of the way while the seats are folded. Once the rear
seats have been returned to their upright position, unsnap the
belt from the trim panel.

RWARNING

The rear seat belt snap must be detached from the trim
panel prior to wearing the belt.

18

Safety Restraints

Rear combination lap and shoulder belts (2 door model)

Center Front Lap Belt (If equipped)

The lap belt in the center of the front seat does not adjust
automatically. You must adjust it to fit snugly around your
hips. Do not wear it around your waist.

To fasten the belt, pull the belt across your hips and insert the
tongue into the correct buckle on your seat until you hear a
snap and feel it lock. Make sure the buckle is securely fastened.

If you need to lengthen the belt, unfasten it and tip the belt
tongue at a right angle to the belt. Pull the belt tongue over
your lap until it reaches the buckle.

If you need to shorten the belt, pull on the loose end of the
webbing until the belt fits snugly.

19

To unfasten the belt, push the release button on the buckle. This
allows the tongue to unlatch from the buckle.

Because the center front lap belt does not have a retractor, it
should be shortened and fastened when not in use.

Fastening and unfastening the front center safety belt

RWARNING

The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as possible
around the hips, not around the waist.

20

Safety Restraints

Rear Lap Belt with Retractor

Pull the belt out of the retractor with a steady motion and insert
the tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap and
feel the latch engage.

Fastening and unfastening the rear center safety belts (4-door model)

To Unfasten the Safety Belts with Retractors:

tongue to unlatch from the buckle.

position. If you do not guide the tongue, it may strike you
or part of the vehicle.

Safety Belt Extension Assembly

For some people, the safety belt may be too short even when it
is fully extended. You can add about eight inches (20 cm) to the
belt length with a safety belt extension assembly (part number
611C22). Safety belt extensions are available at no cost from
your dealer.

21

Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the
safety belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of
the webbing on the label. Also, use the safety belt extension
only if the safety belt is too short for you when fully extended.
Do not use extension to change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.

RWARNING

Failure to follow these instructions will affect the
performance of the safety belts and increase the risk of
personal injury.

Check the safety belt systems periodically to make sure that
they work properly and are not damaged.

The short plastic boot on the front safety belt at the passenger
outboard anchor location covers an energy absorbing sew
pattern on the safety belt. In the event of an accident, the sew
pattern may release, and the colored label (REPLACE BELT)
may become visible. If this occurs, the safety belt must be

replaced.

22

Safety Restraints

Energy absorbing sew pattern

23

RWARNING

FAILURE TO REPLACE THE SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLY
UNDER THE ABOVE CONDITIONS COULD RESULT
IN SEVERE PERSONAL INJURIES IN THE EVENT OF
A COLLISION.

All safety belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front
seat belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped),
child safety seat tether bracket assemblies (if equipped), and
attaching hardware, should be inspected after any collision. Ford
recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in vehicles
involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was
minor and a qualified technician finds that the belts do not
show damage and continue to operate properly, they do not
need to be replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a
collision should also be inspected and replaced if either damage
or improper operation is noted.

Cleaning the Safety Belts

Clean the safety belts with any mild soap solution that is
recommended for cleaning upholstery or carpets. Do not bleach
or dye the belt webbing because this may weaken it.

(SRS)

The driver and right front passenger air bags are Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS), provided at these seating positions in
addition to the lap/shoulder belt, and are designed to
supplement the protection provided to properly belted
occupants in moderate to severe frontal collisions. The
supplemental air bag system does not provide restraint to the
lower body.

24

Safety Restraints

The Importance of Wearing Safety Belts

RWARNING

Safety belts must be worn by all vehicle occupants to be
properly restrained and help reduce the risk of injury in
a collision.

RWARNING

All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should
always wear their safety belts, even when an air bag
Supplemental Restraint System is provided.

There are four very important reasons to use safety belts even
with an air bag system. Use your safety belts to:

■ help keep you in the proper position (away from the air bag)

when it inflates

■ reduce the risk of harm in rollover, side or rear impact

collisions, because an air bag is not designed to inflate in
such situations

■ reduce the risk of harm in frontal collisions that are not

severe enough to activate the supplemental air bag

■ reduce the risk of being thrown from your vehicle

RWARNING

The right front passenger air bag is not designed to
restrain occupants in the center front seating position.

25

The Importance of Being Properly Seated

In a collision, the air bag must inflate extremely fast to help
provide additional protection for you. In order to do this, the
air bag must inflate with considerable force. If you are not
seated in a normal riding position with your back against the
seatback, the air bag may not protect you properly and could
possibly hurt you as it inflates.

Important Information About the Right Front Passenger
Air Bag

It is important for the front seat passengers’ safety that they
remain properly seated whenever the vehicle is moving. This
means that small children should be secured in appropriate
child safety seats or infant seats, and all other occupants should
sit upright, with their backs against the seatback, and restrained
by lap and shoulder belts. No passenger should sit toward the
front edge of the seat, or stand or lean near the air bag cover
(which is near the glove box).

RWARNING

If a passenger is not properly seated and restrained, an
inflating air bag could cause serious injury.

In rear-facing infant seats, the infant’s head is closer to the air
bag. The force of the rapidly inflating air bag could push the
top of the rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback or center
armrests (if so equipped), or center console (if so equipped).
REAR-FACING INFANT CARRIERS MUST ALWAYS BE
SECURED IN THE REAR SEAT, and other child safety seats
and infant seats should be secured in the rear seat whenever
possible.

26

Safety Restraints

Your vehicle is equipped with a right front passenger air bag.
Air bags deploy with great force, faster than the blink of an eye.
Front passengers, especially children and small adults, must
never sit on the front edge of the seat, stand near the glove
compartment of the instrument panel, or lean over near the air
bag cover when the vehicle is moving. All occupants should sit
with their backs against the seatback, move the seat to the most
rearward position if possible and use the safety belts. Children
weighing less than 40 lbs. (18 kg) always should use child or
infant seats.

RWARNING

When using forward-facing child seats move the
passenger seat as far back from the instrument panel as
possible. NEVER SECURE REAR-FACING INFANT
SEATS IN THE FRONT SEAT.

The force of the rapidly inflating passenger air bag could push
the top of the rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback,
armrests or console. Rear-facing infant seats must always be
secured in the rear seat.

RWARNING

Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the
air bag cover on the steering wheel or in front seat areas
that may come in contact with a deploying air bag.
Failure to follow this instruction may increase the risk of
personal injury in the event of a collision.

For additional important safety information on the proper use of
seat belts, child seats, and infant seats, please read the other
sections of this chapter of the Owner Guide, especially sections
entitled Safety Belts for Children and Safety Seats for Children.

27

For further information about the proper mounting of
equipment in the front seat of this vehicle, please refer to Ford’s
brochure entitled Some Important Information About Air Bag
Supplemental Restraint System which can be obtained by calling
Helm Inc. at 1-800-782-4356. Ask for brochure FPS-8602.

How the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System
Operates

The Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System consists of the
driver and passenger air bags, impact sensors, a system
diagnostic module, a readiness light and tone, and the electrical
wiring which connects the components.

The driver air bag is in the center of the steering wheel. The
right front passenger seat air bag (if equipped) is in the upper
right hand section of the instrument panel ledge above the
glove compartment.

28