Ford Escape: Active Park Assist (APA) (If equipped)

Active park assist (APA) will detect an available parallel parking space and automatically steer the vehicle into the space (hands-free) while you control the accelerator, gearshift and brakes. The system will visually and/or audibly instruct the driver to park the vehicle.

WARNING: This system is designed to be a supplementary park aid. It may not work in all conditions and is not intended to replace the driver’s attention and judgment. The driver is responsible for avoiding hazards and maintaining a safe distance and speed, even when the APA is in use.

Conditions in which the systems may not work:

• Something passes between the front bumper and the space such as a pedestrian or cyclist
• The edge of the vehicle is high from the ground such as a bus, tow truck or flatbed truck

Automatic search for parking space

To start, press the APA control switch (on the instrument panel).

The message center will display ACTIVE PARK SEARCHING. To designate what side of the street to search on, use the turn signal. The arrow symbols >> and << in the message center indicate on which side of the vehicle APA will park. If the turn signal is not on, the system will automatically search the passenger side.

For best performance, the driver should drive the vehicle as parallel as possible while passing a parking space. If driven too fast (above 18 mph [30 km/h]) for the system to measure parking spaces, the message center will display ACTIVE PARK REDUCE SPEED.

When the system has found a space, the message center will display SPACE FOUND PULL FORWARD followed by a chime. Drive forward until the message center displays SPACE FOUND STOP followed by a chime. When you stop the vehicle in position to begin parking, the message center displays REMOVE HANDS PUT IN REVERSE. The driver should always come to a complete stop before changing gears.

Automatic steering into parking space

Automatic steering is activated when you stop the vehicle, remove your hands from the steering wheel and select the R (Reverse) gear. Be sure the steering wheel motion is not obstructed by any objects. The vehicle will steer itself from this point on as you follow the instructions in the message center to safely move the vehicle reverse and forward in the space. You may cancel APA at any time by grabbing the steering wheel or by pressing the APA control switch. When the vehicle is in R (Reverse), the message center displays BACK UP USE CAUTION.

When you determine the vehicle is back far enough or you hear a solid tone from the reverse sensing system, bring the vehicle to a complete stop and move the gearshift to D (Drive). The message center will now display PULL FORWARD USE CAUTION followed by a chime.

When you determine the vehicle is far enough forward or a solid tone from the forward sensing system (if equipped) is heard, bring the vehicle to a complete stop and move the gearshift to R (Reverse). The message center may display BACK UP SLOWLY USE CAUTION followed by a chime. The system may offer subsequent backward and forward maneuvers before proceeding to the finish phase.

APA finished

When active park assist has completed the automated steering, the message center displays ACTIVE PARK FINISHED followed by a chime.

The driver is responsible for assessing and correcting as necessary the final parking position and placing the vehicle in P (Park).

The system can also be deactivated at any time by the following:

• Pressing the APA control switch
• Grabbing the steering wheel
• Exceeding a vehicle speed of 18 mph (30 km/h) for 30 seconds during active park searching
• Exceeding a vehicle speed of 6 mph (10 km/h) during automatic steering
• Deactivating the AdvanceTrac system or the system has activated on a slippery or loose surface
• ABS activation or failure.
• Any door (except the driver’s door) opens
• Something touching the steering wheel

If a fault is present in the system, the message ACTIVE PARK FAULT will be displayed followed by a chime. Contact an authorized dealer to have your vehicle serviced.

The system should not be used if:

• a foreign object (i.e. bike rack, trailer, etc.) is attached to the front or rear of the vehicle or at another location close to the sensors.
• the front bumper or side sensors are damaged (i.e. in a collision) or obstructed by a foreign object (i.e. front bumper cover).
• a mini-spare tire is used.

Troubleshooting

Why isn’t APA searching for a parking space?

• You may have deactivated the AdvanceTrac system.
• One of the doors (except the driver’s door) may not be securely closed.

Why doesn’t APA offer a particular parking space?

• Something may be contacting the front bumper or side sensors. Clear any material stuck to the sensors.
• There may not be enough room to maneuver the vehicle into the space. Remember, there needs to be enough space on the opposite side of the vehicle to allow the front of the vehicle to swing out as you back into the space.
• The vehicle is not driven close enough to the parking space, less than 60 inches (1.5 m) from neighboring parked vehicles.
• The vehicle is driven too close to the side objects (e.g. less than 16 inches [41 cm] from neighboring parked vehicles).
• You may be driving in R (Reverse). APA can only look for a parking space while moving forward.

Why doesn’t APA position the vehicle where I want in the space?

• The driver allows the vehicle to roll in the opposite direction of the transmission (such as rolling forward when R (Reverse) gear is selected.
• You may be driving in R (Reverse). APA can only look for a parking space while moving forward.
• There may be an irregular curb along the parking space. APA might not be able to align the vehicle to curbs that are damaged, very shallow or covered with material such as debris, leaves, snow, or tarps.
• The vehicles or objects bordering the space may not be positioned appropriately.
• The vehicle was steered more than usual while driving by the space.

APA performs best when you drive the same distance from the parking space the entire length of the space.
• The tires may not be installed and maintained correctly. For example, one or more tires may not be inflated correctly, may not be of the same size, or may not be authorized for use on this vehicle.
• The vehicle had a repair or alteration that is not authorized by the manufacturer.
• One of the parked vehicles has a high altitude attachment (i.e. salt sprayer, snow plow, moving truck high bed, etc.) High altitude attachments may not be detected by the system.
• The parking space length or parked objects position have changed after the vehicle has passed the parking space.
• The temperature around your vehicle changed quickly such as you just drove from a heated garage into the cold or just left a car wash.

As a result, the outside air temperature displayed in the vehicle may not be close enough to the actual temperature. APA relies on a correctly sensing the temperature outside for precisely positioning the vehicle.

Blind spot mirrors

Blind spot mirrors have an integrated convex spotter mirror built into the upper outboard corner of the outside mirrors. They are designed to assist the driver by increasing visibility along the side of the vehicle. For more information on your side view mirrors, refer to Exterior mirrors in the Driver Controls chapter.

Driving with blind spot mirrors

Before a lane change, check the main mirror first, then check the blind spot mirror. If no vehicles are present in the blind spot mirror and the traffic in the adjacent lane is at a safe distance, signal that you are going to change lanes. Glance over your shoulder to verify traffic is clear, and carefully change lanes.

When the approaching vehicle is at a distance, its image is small and near the inboard edge of the main mirror. As the vehicle approaches, the image becomes larger and begins to move outboard across the main mirror (1). As the vehicle approaches its image will transition from the main mirror and begin to appear in the blind spot mirror (2).

As the vehicle leaves the blind spot mirror it will transition to the driver’s peripheral field of view (3).

WARNING: Objects in the blind spot mirror are closer than they appear.

Rearview camera system (if equipped)

Four Wheel Drive (4WD) System (if equipped)