2003 FORD FOCUS tire type

The use of tire sealants is not recommended and may
compromise the integrity of your tires.
Temporary spare tire information
The temporary spare tire for your vehicle is labeled as such. It is smaller
than a regular tire and is designed for emergency use only. Replace the
temporary spare tire with a full-size tire as soon as possible.
If you use the temporary spare tire continuously or do not follow
these precautions, the tire could fail, causing you to lose control
of the vehicle, possibly injuring yourself or others.
When driving with the temporary spare tiredo not:
•use more than one temporary spare tire at a time
•exceed 80 km/h (50 mph)
•load the vehicle beyond maximum vehicle load rating listed on the
Safety Compliance Label
•tow a trailer
•use tire chains
•drive through an automatic car wash, because of the vehicle’s reduced
ground clearance
•try to repair the temporary spare tire or remove it from its wheel
•use the wheel for any other type of vehicle
Use of a temporary spare tire at any one wheel location can lead to
impairment of the following:
•handling, stability and braking performance
•comfort and noise
•ground clearance and parking at curbs
•Winter driving capability
Roadside Emergencies
135

Habits
•Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
•Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
•Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
•Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 88 km/h [55 mph] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 105 km/h [65 mph]).
•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs.
Unnecessary shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel
economy.
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toLubricant specificationsin
this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in your vehicle scheduled maintenance guide.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
Maintenance and Specifications
184

INFORMATION ABOUT UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
New vehicles are fitted with tires
that have a rating on them called
Tire Quality Grades. The Quality
grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
•Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
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 Regulations Part 575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation-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.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices, and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The
grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Maintenance and Specifications
192

•Four tire rotation
Replacing the tires
Replace the tires when the wear
band is visible through the tire
treads.
When replacing full size
tires, never mix radial
bias-belted, or bias-type tires. Use
only the tire sizes that are listed
on the Certification or Tire Label.
Make sure that all tires are the
same size, speed rating, and
load-carrying capacity. Use only
the tire combinations
recommended on the label. If you
do not follow these precautions,
your vehicle may not drive
properly and safely.
Make sure that all replacement tires are of the same size, type,
load-carrying capacity and tread design (e.g.,“All Terrain”,
“Touring”, etc.), as originally offered by Ford.
Failure to follow these precautions may adversely affect the
handling of the vehicle, and increase the risk of loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and/or personal injury.
Tires that are larger or smaller than your vehicle’s original tires may also
affect the accuracy of your speedometer.
Maintenance and Specifications
194