1996 Ford Explorer Owner's Manual - Page 252
1996 Ford Explorer Manual
Page 252 highlights
Backing up To shift into R (Reverse): 1. Push the clutch pedal in all the way to the floor and hold it. If you do not hold the clutch pedal in all the way, you may hear a grinding noise when you shift. 2. Bring your vehicle to a complete stop. Failure to do so may cause synchronizer teeth damage, reducing the useful life of your transmission. 3. Put the gearshift in Neutral and wait at least 3 seconds before shifting into R (Reverse) to prevent a grinding noise. Do not release the clutch. 4. Push the gearshift all the way to the right and pull it back into Reverse. With the 5-speed transmission you can engage R (Reverse) only by moving the gearshift from the left of 3 (Third) and 4 (Fourth) gears before you shift into R (Reverse). This is a special lockout feature that protects you from accidentally shifting into R when you downshift from 5 (Fifth) gear. 5. Once R (Reverse) is engaged, slowly release the clutch pedal from the floor. If R (Reverse) is not engaged, continue to push the clutch pedal in while you put the gearshift back into Neutral. Then, release the clutch pedal for a moment and repeat steps 2 through 5. Upshifting/downshifting Upshift and downshift at the speeds that are specfied in the charts. 252