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Over time, even small changes to your driving habits can impact fuel efficiency and save a good deal of money on gas. Ford Eco Mode allows you to do this effectively without sacrificing vehicle performance. Here's a breakdown of what Eco Mode is and how best to use it. Understanding Ford's Eco Mode Eco Mode is a built-in feature that monitors your habits on the road and determines how well you're driving with regard to fuel efficiency. It provides real-time feedback via your Ford's infotainment display. You can use this feedback to gradually tweak and optimize how you drive, which will steadily improve your skill and efficiency in various ways. Using Eco Mode will increase how many miles each gallon of gas carries you. In addition, your improved habits will give you a closer understanding of your vehicle and better road awareness. The engine and other vehicle components will suffer less wear and tear, which means better longevity and fewer repair costs. Overall, you'll become a better, safer vehicle owner. more Which Driving Habits Does Eco Mode Monitor? The system will observe how smoothly you accelerate. Smoother, more gradual acceleration preserves fuel by keeping the engine in an optimal RPM range without unnecessary fuel wastage. This leads to more efficient gear shifts, which is another factor Eco Mode monitors. You'll also receive feedback on how consistently you drive at speed, which hugely affects fuel usage; driving steadily at the same speed uses far less fuel than continually slowing down and then burning fuel to accelerate again. Another important factor is how gently or harshly you tend to brake. When a driver brakes aggressively at the last minute before stopping, energy and momentum from prior acceleration are wasted. You'll save gas by anticipating stops in advance instead of slowing down gradually. This predictive driving style is safer, avoids abrupt stop-start driving, and also preserves your brakes. When Eco Mode Is Most Useful for You For the best results, use Eco Mode in everyday driving situations where raw power isn't required and improvements in efficiency will make a big difference. This could be when commuting to work, running errands, cruising on the highway, or when stuck in stop-and-go traffic. Eco Mode is less useful when you're towing a large trailer or hauling heavy loads, unless this is a routine activity for you. The system might also be inappropriate when climbing steep hillsides or taking your Ford on an off-road adventure. How To Activate Ford Eco Mode Eco Mode is one of your vehicle's drive modes. To switch it on, access the drive mode selector on your infotainment touchscreen or instrument display. Scroll through the drive modes and select Eco Mode. Visit Coughlin Ford of Circleville in Circleville, OH, to find out more about Eco Mode and efficient driving habits.

Ford Cross-Traffic Alert is a driver assistance safety feature that helps to reduce the chance of an accident when you're reversing. We're going to take a look at how this system works. Ford Co-Pilot360 Ford Co-Pilot360 is a suite of advanced driver assistance safety features installed in every Ford. One of these features, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) helps to protect you from potential accident risks that aren't easily visible. Cross Traffic Alert is the part of this feature that protects you against accidents when you reverse. more Controlling Cross-Traffic Alert This system runs in the background when you switch your engine on. It activates automatically when you shift into reverse gear, then deactivates once you shift out of reverse. You can manually switch it off or back on using the settings in your information display or via the touchscreen. How Cross-Traffic Alert Works Reversing can be dangerous, as it's often impossible to see moving vehicles that will pass behind you, and this can result in an accident. This system uses radar sensors in the corners of your rear bumper. When it's active, and you reverse, the sensors scan the arcs to the left and right for moving vehicles. It can identify any vehicle moving at speeds between 4 mph and 37mph. If a vehicle is detected, you'll hear a warning tone, and an icon will appear in the corresponding side view mirror. You'll also see two arrows on the information display to show the direction the vehicle's approaching from. These warnings give you enough time to hit the brakes or move back into your original position to avoid an accident. The Sensors The sensors positions mean they're protected against most forms of damage, except for a direct impact. They can, however, become covered by mud or snow, and this prevents them from working correctly. Reversing at more than 7 mph or approaching vehicles traveling at less than 4 mph or greater than 37 mph can also make detection difficult. Each sensor scans an arc of 120 degrees, but it's important to remember that the scanned area can be partially blocked by parked cars, walls, or other obstructions. This is particularly true if you're parked in an angled parking space. Reversing slowly allows the sensors to increase their field of view so they can detect and warn you of possible danger. Cross-Traffic Alert and Trailers Cross-Traffic Alert works correctly when you attach a trailer if the trailer is three feet or fewer, and you set the trailer length to three feet in your information display. You can also switch the system off to prevent it from detecting the trailer and issuing a false-positive warning. Learn more about this and other Ford safety systems by contacting us at Coughlin Ford of Circleville in Circleville, OH.