Guide to Vehicle Electronics
Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles have more advanced features than ever, making them more accommodating, more convenient and more fun to drive
The following is a brief overview of some of the most popular electronic features on Ford, Lincoln, & Mercury vehicles:
About SYNC
SYNC* is an award-winning communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft. SYNC fully integrates most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital media players in to the vehicle, providing hands-free cell phone and music selection capabilities using voice commands. SYNC now includes Traffic, Directions & Information functionality, plus the 911 Assist™ feature.
- Hands-free Mobile - Answer an incoming call with the push of a button. Make a call with the sound of your voice. Browse your phonebook, see who's calling you, view your call log, place a call on hold and more. Use all your phone's features, without ever having to touch your phone.
- Entertainment - It's never been easier to control your media library. Just plug in your compatible MP3 player or USB drive, and SYNC does the rest. Browse your MP3 player by artist, genre or title, or listen to audiobooks and podcasts - all with simple voice commands. SYNC even charges your MP3 player.
- Traffic & Directions - Receive turn-by-turn directions, business search listings, traffic alerts, personalized news, sports, weather, horoscopes, stocks, movies and Send to SYNC from Google® Maps.
- Driver Assistance - Connect to a 911 operator through your paired mobile phone after an accident in which an airbag deploys with 911 Assist™.
*SYNC is available on most vehicles. Features/functionality vary by vehicle/model. See dealer for details. Not all SYNC features will be compatible with all mobile phones. SYNC features for previous model years available at the SYNC Owner Center Website.
Questions about new SYNC features? Search and browse Frequently Asked Questions at the SYNC Owner Center website.
Available Navigation System with Integrated SIRIUS Travel Link™
Voice-Activated Navigation integrates several functions including voice recognition destination entry, climate control and SIRIUS® Satellite Radio into one easy-to- use system with an eight-inch touch-screen display. The system’s text-to-speech function calls out street names while in route to a destination and reads incoming text messages when the system is linked to SYNC.
SIRIUS® Travel Link™, an industry-leading technology that, when combined with the voice-activated navigation system, provides real-time traffic data with accident and incident information(1); coast-to-coast weather; and fuel price information for more than 120,000 gas stations.
Simply input your destination on the touch screen, and you’ll receive directions to help you get there. System features include:
- 10GB digital jukebox with voice-controlled access to music files
- Personal photo upload capability
- Current, local gas prices
- Traffic backup advisories with alternate route suggestions
- Current and forecast weather
- Movie listings, including theater locations, showtimes and ratings
- Scores for major sports teams
- Bird’s-eye map view with six adjustable angle settings
- DVD movie viewing on navigation screen when the vehicle is in Park.
(1)Real-time traffic monitoring available in select markets. Some features are unavailable while driving. Service not available in Alaska or Hawaii. SIRIUS Travel Link is a trademark of SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Inc. Comes with a six-month paid subscription.
MyFord Touch™/ MyLincoln Touch™
MyFord Touch driver connect technology, along with MyLincoln Touch, provides an intuitive way to connect drivers with in-car technologies and their digital lives.
Powered by SYNC®, this technology replaces many of the traditional vehicle buttons, knobs and gauges with clear, colorful LCD screens and 5-way buttons. The screens can be personalized to display information relevant to each individual driver using a simple button click, voice command or touch-screen tap.
MyFord Touch is more than just a collection of components, but a system working together that allows drivers to access information clearly and simply in whatever location is most convenient for them personally — and it’s intuitive and easy to use:
- Two 4.2-inch LCD screens with 5-way steering wheel buttons to control each screen
- Large 8-inch LCD touch screen in the center stack
- Touch-sensitive buttons on the center stack
- Media hub with multiple inputs: 2 USB ports, RCA inputs and SD Card slot
Along with MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch come a number of SYNC enhancements, including:
- Improved voice recognition — where the original system recognizes about 100 commands, the new system recognizes more than 10,000, including more conversational speech, and performs more tasks using fewer words at any time (e.g., Say “Call John Henry” or “Dial” without having to say “Phone” first)
- More voice control — change radio stations, CD tracks, climate settings and Bluetooth® audio stream, along with all the traditional commands for phone, media player and navigation
- Gracenote — 3D carousel album cover art support via Gracenote allows cover art display similar to iPod® Touch
- Birthday notification — identifies the alerts set up on the mobile phone with an audible/visual reminder
- 911 Assist™ enhancements — improved capability with GPS location, fuel cut-off warning, emergency contacts, vehicle restart instructions and vehicle location display
Vehicle Health Report (VHR)
Vehicle Health Report (VHR) Generated from vehicle data and transmitted through SYNC, customers now can receive Vehicle Health Reports to more easily keep up with maintenance needs. The reports include system information and recommended actions for any displayed vehicle warning indicators, open recalls, scheduled maintenance and unserviced maintenance, and wear items from previous dealer visits.
Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert
Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert helps warn drivers of approaching traffic while backing up by using two radar sensors to detect moving objects within 45 feet from either side of the vehicle. Two warnings are given: an indicator light illuminates in the corresponding outside mirror and an audible alert is sounded.
Rear View Camera System
Rear View Camera System mounts a small camera on the decklid spoiler that is activated when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, providing a clear view behind the vehicle. The video image is displayed in the vehicle’s navigation screen or in the rearview mirror, if equipped. The screen image includes an industry-rst centerline and colored guides, giving the driver a better perspective of the vehicle’s center point and periphery.
Forward Sensing System
Forward Sensing System uses four hidden sensors mounted in the front fascia and audible beeps to help drivers determine how close they are to objects in front of their vehicle while parking. It can detect objects up to 1,500 feet away, plus objects at certain heights, such as parking blocks, that are out of the driver’s view.
Active Park Assist
Active Park Assist uses an ultrasonic- based sensing system and Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) to position the vehicle for parallel parking, calculate the optimal steering angle and quickly steer the vehicle into a parking spot.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive Cruise Control allows the vehicle’s speed to be set and maintained without using the accelerator pedal. The radar-based system also can monitor the vehicle in front (up to 600 feet) and adjust the speed to keep it a safe distance behind the lead vehicle, even in fog or heavy rain.
The following are features available on Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles:
Available DVD-Based Navigation System
This available Navigation System combines DVD mapping with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. It features a color LCD screen with high-quality graphics, voice route guidance feature, plus touch-screen simplicity for ease of use.
SIRIUS® Satellite Radio
Enjoy commercial-free music as well as sports, entertainment and news. Original programming, along with traffic and weather reports, is transmitted every five minutes and updated every 30 minutes for the top 20 metro areas. SIRIUS is a trademark of SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Inc. See dealership for details.
MP3 compatibility
A number of vehicle sound systems have an audio input jack that allows you to listen to music from an MP3 player. Simply plug it in using a standard 3.5-millimeter male-to-male audio cable and enjoy your personalized music through your vehicle’s audio system.
Optional Rear-Seat DVD Entertainment System
A rear-seat DVD player, featuring an eight-inch pull-down screen, provides hours of entertainment for your rear-seat passengers. Other features include two sets of wireless headphones, remote control and a storage compartment for up to three DVDs or CDs.