FORD 2010 Flex v.1 - Manual (Page 274)

M (Manual) with Grade Assist
Initially, moving the lever to M (Manual) activates grade assist and
cancels Overdrive.
Grade Assist:
• Provides additional grade
(engine) braking and extends
lower gear operation on uphill
climbs for hilly terrain or
mountainous areas.
• Provides additional engine
braking through the automatic
transmission shift strategy which
reacts to vehicle inputs (vehicle
acceleration, accelerator pedal,
brake pedal and vehicle speed).
• Allows the transmission to select
gears that will provide the desired
engine braking based on the vehicle inputs mentioned above. This will
increase engine RPM during engine braking.
• The grade assist lamp in the
instrument cluster is illuminated.
Grade assist is designed to aid the
driver with optimal gear selection in
hilly terrain or mountainous areas
but is not intended for normal operation. It is recommended that you
return to O/D (overdrive mode) on flat terrain to provide the best fuel
economy and transmission function.
To return to normal D (Drive) position (with O/D), move the shift lever
back from M (Manual) to D (Drive).
• The grade assist lamp in the instrument cluster will not be illuminated.
• The transmission will operate in gears one through six.
Driving
274
2010 Flex (471)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)