Maintenance and care
182New vehicles are fitted with tires
that have their Tire Quality Grade
(described below) molded into the
tireÕs sidewall. These Tire Quality
Grades are determined by
standards that the United States
Department of Transportation has
set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on
passenger cars. They do not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or
limited production tires as defined
in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulation Part 575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of
Transportation Ð Tire quality
grades: The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires Ford to
give you the following information
about tire grades exactly as the
government has written it.
INFORMATION ABOUT TIRE
QUALITY GRADES
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Maintenance and care
189
Change over from winter to
summer tires as soon as road
conditions allow, this will reduce
fuel consumption and noise in the
vehicleÕs interior.
¥ Drive cautiously. If you hear the
chains rub or bang against the
vehicle, stop and retighten them. If
this does not work, remove the
chains to prevent vehicle damage.
¥ Local regulations may prohibit or
restrict the use of tire chains.
Investigate the laws and
regulations in your area before
installing chains.
¥ Avoid overloading your vehicle.
¥ Do not use tire chains on
temporary spare tires.
¥ Remove the tire chains when
they are no longer needed. Do not
use chains on dry roads.
¥ The suspension insulation and
bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these
components from the vehicle when
using snow tires and chains.
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