"Stop doing that," I said to the Ford Flex as I got in for the 4th time last night. I had lots of errands to run and every time I got back into the Flex it defaulted to another user's seating arrangement. Even though I had reset the memory to my liking.
So, I pulled out the manual to see if I was doing it correctly. It reads:
"To program position one, move the driver seat, exterior mirrors and adjustable pedals to the desired positions using the associated controls. Press and hold control button 1 for at least two seconds. To program position 2, repeat the previous procedure using control button 2."
That's exactly what I did. I set everything up to my liking. Then I held in the button until it beeped. The next time I got into the car, it moved back to mystery driver position.
Someone must have set the seat memory into the key, which is fine. I don't need my seat preference coded into the key because I don't drive this car very often. But I should be able to push the memory button once I'm inside the car and override it.
Instructions for setting up the key are a little more complicated. But that shouldn't render the interior buttons useless. Something is amiss. Could be me. Could be the car.
Anyone have a similar problem?
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
amorak says:
04:38 PM, 12/ 9/09
Woman + Cars + Electronics are the problem, I'm afraid.
jacarig says:
05:47 PM, 12/ 9/09
Maybe I'm just weird but I change my seating position all the time. Sometimes I like to sit higher, other times I like to sit lower. So you can imagine, I'm adjusting my mirrors all the time. And depending on the type of shoes I'm wearing, I sit closer or further away from the steering wheel. What gives? :<)
hybris says:
06:04 PM, 12/ 9/09
This is one those problems that only arise in multi-driver situations so I don't think its much of a problem... unless you're planning on have a rental fleet of them but even then does the SE even have power seats?
zsh says:
07:12 PM, 12/ 9/09
Donna:
In ours, each key that came with the Flex defaulted to 1 or 2 depending on the key. My wife and I sorted out which was which and put in our favored positions accordingly. Additionally, the Flex will not change positions when the car is in anything other than Park (note, I have not tried Neutral). Often if we're in a hurry and take her keys instead of mine I have to put the car in park and press my button (1), then re-engage the car in Drive/Reverse.
jedienigma says:
08:59 PM, 12/ 9/09
zsh is correct. There have been times where I have the wife's key, and unlock the doors with the button on the fob (this action moves the seat to her position). I usually don't notice immediately until I am already driving. Then at the next red light quickly shift to park, press the correct button (seats & mirrors move to my position), shift back into drive before light goes green. A subtly safety feature, no seat/mirror/petal memory moving while in drive because the position could leave you in an unexpected bind (think tall person in short person configuration) if you selected the incorrect memory button.
The other option is to program both memory positions. The keys are coded to the memory assignment (1 or 2), not another configuration that would be inaccessible, except by key fob.
campi3ell says:
11:10 PM, 12/ 9/09
This is a common feature of other Fords also. The seating memory is defaulted to one of the keys that have been provided, so you must have the second keyfob, since it reverts back to a different setting when you click the unlock button. Try setting both positions (1 and 2) to your liking and see if that solves the problem.
lostandfound08 says:
08:24 AM, 12/10/09
I remember back in the 90s that GM touted this as a big feature in their high-end cars (Bonnevilles, Auroras, etc.). What they found though was that it caused more problems than it solved because, like you've experienced, what if you grab the other set of keys? So they stopped offering this personalization feature. It may have since returned to GM, though.
If I shared a car with someone regularly, I'd much rather have all the settings (seats, mirrors, radio presets) tied to the memory button and not the key.
baggs32 says:
10:31 AM, 12/10/09
Seems, like others have said, you have the key that was programmed to setting number 2. If you make that your setting on the door then the key should activate your memorized positions going forward. The keys are tied to 1 or 2 on the door and do not store their own separate memory settings. It states that in the manual too.
"The memory seat positions are also recalled when you press your remote
entry transmitter (unlock) control and the transmitter is
programmed to a memory seat position or when you enter a valid
customer code 1 or 2 on the keypad."