2005 FORD FREESTAR wheel alignment

Domelamp Control
The panel dimmer control also controls the domelamp operation.
•Rotate the thumbwheel fully to the right, past detent to activate the
domelamp.
•In order to turn off the domelamp, rotate the thumbwheel to the left.
The dome lamp will not illuminate if the control switch is in the OFF
position.
AIMING THE HEADLAMPS
The headlamps on your vehicle are properly aimed at the assembly plant.
If your vehicle has been in an accident the alignment of your headlamps
should be checked by a qualified service technician.
You will need a #2 Phillips screwdriver to make the adjustments.
Vertical aim adjustment
1. Park the vehicle directly in front of a wall or screen on a level surface,
approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) away.
•(1) Eight feet
•(2) Center height of lamp to
ground
•(3) Twenty five feet
•(4) Horizontal reference line
2. Measure the height from the center of your headlamp to the ground
and mark an 8 foot (2.4 meter) horizontal reference line on the vertical
wall or screen at this height (a piece of masking tape works well). The
center of the lamp is marked by a 0.5 mm circle on the headlamp lens.
3. Turn on the low beam headlamps to illuminate the wall or screen and
open the hood.
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Lights
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•Avoid potholes and objects on the road
•Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a curb when parking
If your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,do notrapidly
spin the tires; spinning the tires can tear the tire and cause an
explosion. A tire can explode in as little as three to five seconds.
Never spin the tires in excess of the 35 mph (55 km/h) point
indicated on the speedometer.
Highway hazards
No matter how carefully you drive there’s always the possibility that you
may eventually have a flat tire on the highway. Drive slowly to the
closest safe area out of traffic. This may further damage the flat tire, but
your safety is more important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you
suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your
speed. Drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road. Stop and
inspect the tires for damage. If a tire is under-inflated or damaged,
deflate it, remove wheel and replace it with your spare tire and wheel. If
you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the nearest repair
facility or tire dealer to have the vehicle inspected.
Tire and wheel alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can cause the front end of your
vehicle to become misaligned or cause damage to your tires. If your
vehicle seems to pull to one side when you’re driving, the wheels may be
out of alignment. Have a qualified technician at a Ford or
Lincoln/Mercury dealer check the wheel alignment periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or the rear can cause uneven and rapid
treadwear of your tires and should be corrected by a qualified technician
at a Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealer. Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles
and those with an independent rear suspension (if equipped) may
require alignment of all four wheels.
The tires should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
Tire rotation
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
Scheduled Maintenance Guidethat comes with your vehicle) will help
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•Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)
vehicles/Four Wheel Drive
(4WD)/ All Wheel Drive (AWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
Note:If your tires show uneven wear ask a qualified technician at a
Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealership to check for and correct any wheel
misalignment, tire imbalance or mechanical problem involved before tire
rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may be equipped with a dissimilar spare tire/wheel. A
dissimilar spare tire/wheel is defined as a spare tire and/or wheel that is
different in brand, size or appearance from the road tires and wheels. If
you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel it is intended for temporary use
only and should not be used in a tire rotation.
Note:After having your tires rotated, inflation pressure must be checked
and adjusted to the vehicle requirements.
LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING (IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle may be equipped with one of two types of Low Tire
detection systems; Direct (Metal valve stem) or Indirect (Rubber valve
stem). If your vehicle has the Direct system refer to theTire pressure
monitoring system—directsection found in this chapter. If you have
the Indirect system refer to theLow tire warning—indirectsection
found in this chapter.
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interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System is NOT a substitute for
manually checking tire pressure. The tire pressure should be
checked periodically (at least monthly) using a tire gauge, see
Inspecting and inflating your tiresin this chapter. Failure to
properly maintain your tire pressure could increase the risk of tire
failure, loss of control, vehicle rollover and personal injury.
Low tire warning—indirect (if equipped)
The low tire warning system is designed to detect a significant loss of
inflation inany one of your tireson your vehicle. The system uses the
Anti-lock brake wheel speed sensors to detect a change in wheel speed
due to tire deflation.
When a tire loses inflation, the low
tire warning system detects the
change and illuminates the low tire
warning indicator light as shown.
If the light remains on while driving,
check the tire pressure refer to“Checking the tire pressure”in this
chapter. The low tire warning indicator light will also illuminate when
using a temporary spare, refer to“Changing the tires”in theRoadside
emergencieschapter.
The low tire warning system may not detect an under-inflated
tire under all conditions and is not a substitute for manually
checking tires regularly for proper inflation.
When to RESET the Low Tire Warning System:
after any of the following
•Tire rotation
•One or more tires have been replaced
•Tire balancing
•Wheel alignment
•Adjusting the pressure on one or more tires (note: tire pressures are
often adjusted during oil change service)
•Inflating a low tire will not clear the Low Tire Warning indicator light.
Only resetting the system will clear the light.
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•Vehicle speeds less than 20 mph (30 km/h), greater than 70 mph (120
km/h) or driving duration less than 10 miles.
•Transporting a heavy load or towing a trailer.
•A different tire was replaced and was not the same brand, type, size,
speed rating, load carrying capacity and DOT code as the other tire on
the same axle.
•System was not reset after tire rotation, air pressure adjustment, a tire
change, wheel alignment or tire balancing.
•System was not reset after the ABS warning lamp illuminates.
The low tire warning feature can be turned off by your dealer.
SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Snow tires must be the same size and grade as the tires you
currently have on your vehicle.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains. If you need to use chains, it is recommended that steel
wheels (of the same size and specifications) be used as chains may chip
aluminum wheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
•Use only cable type SAE Class“S”chains. Conventional link or other
type chains may cause damage to your vehicle’s wheelhouse and/or
underbody.
•These cable type chains should only be applied to the front wheels.
•Install chains securely, verifying that the chains do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
•Drive cautiously. If you hear the chains rub or bang against your
vehicle, stop and re-tighten the chains. If this does not work, remove
the chains to prevent damage to your vehicle.
•If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
•Remove the tire chains when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire chains on dry roads.
•The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when
using snow tires and chains.
VEHICLE LOADING–WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
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STEERING
To prevent damage to the power steering system:
•Never hold the steering wheel at its furthest turning points (until it
stops) for more than a few seconds when the engine is running.
•Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering pump fluid level
(below the MIN mark on the reservoir).
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned
off), you can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes more effort.
If the steering wanders or pulls, check for:
•an improperly inflated tire
•uneven tire wear
•loose or worn suspension components
•loose or worn steering components
•improper steering alignment
A high crown in the road or high crosswinds may also make the steering
seem to wander/pull.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE OPERATION
Brake-shift interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock feature that prevents
the gearshift lever from being moved from P (Park) when the ignition is
in the 4 (ON) position unless the brake pedal is depressed.
If you cannot move the gearshift lever out of P (Park) with the ignition
in the 4 (ON) position and the brake pedal depressed:
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Insert the key and turn it to the 3
(OFF) position.Apply the brake
pedal and shift to N (Neutral).
3
1
2
5
4
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economy under current driving conditions. Additionally, keeping records
during summer and winter will show how temperature impacts fuel
economy. In general, lower temperatures give lower fuel economy.
Driving style—good driving and fuel economy habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you may be able to change
a number of variables and improve your fuel economy.
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 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•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.
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Remote entry system .................99illuminated entry ......47, 102 –103
locking/unlocking doors .....95, 99
Reverse sensing system ...........228
Roadside assistance ..................231
Roof rack .....................................93
S
Safety Belt Maintenance ..........148
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ..................135, 138 –142
Safety Canopy ...........................158
Safety defects, reporting ..........256
Safety restraints ........135, 138 –142
belt minder .............................144
extension assembly ................148
for adults .........................139 –141
for children .............................162
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................136
safety belt maintenance .........148
warning light and chime 143 –144
Safety seats for children ..........165
Seat belts
(see Safety restraints) .............135
Seats ..........................................112 child safety seats ....................165
front seats ...............112, 114 –115
memory seat ...................105, 115
second row seats ............118, 121
third row seats ...............121, 128, 132–133
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ........................................109
Servicing your vehicle ..............263
Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...182, 184 Spark plugs,
specifications .....................293, 297
Specification chart,
lubricants ...........................295, 297
Speed control ..............................71
Starting your vehicle ........217
–219
jump starting ..........................241
Steering wheel controls ......................................74
tilting .........................................57
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................57
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) Maintenance and
Specifications ..........................202
Tire warning ..............................206
Tires ...........................176 –177, 206
alignment ................................199
care ..........................................197
changing ..................182, 184, 187
checking the pressure ............179
inspecting and inflating .........178
label .........................................197
replacing ..................................180
rotating ....................................199
safety practices .......................198
sidewall information ...............192
snow tires and chains ............208
spare tire .................................183
terminology .............................177
tire grades ...............................177
treadwear ........................176, 197
Towing .......................................213 recreational towing .................216
trailer towing ..........................213
wrecker ....................................247
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Index
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