2005 FORD GT tires

SNOW TIRES
The original equipment tires on your Ford GT are designed for maximum
performance in dry and wet conditions. They are not designed for winter
use on ice or snow and cannot be used with snow chains or other tire
mounted traction aid devices.
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle is not equipped to tow. No towing packages are available
through Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealers.
VEHICLE LOADING
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
capability. Properly loading your vehicle will provide maximum return of
vehicle design performance. Before loading your vehicle, familiarize
yourself with the following terms for determining your vehicle’s weight
ratings from the vehicle ’s Safety Certification Label and Tire Label:
Base Curb Weight –is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight –is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
2005 GT(gto)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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Payload–is the combined weight of cargo and passengers that the
vehicle is carrying. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found
on the Tire Label on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver ’s door. Look
for “THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR XXX lb. ”for maximum
payload. The payload listed on the tire label is the maximum payload for
the vehicle as built by the assembly plant. If any aftermarket or dealer
installed equipment has been installed on the vehicle, the weight of the
equipment must be subtracted from the payload listed on the tire label
in order to determine the new payload.
The appropriate loading capacity of your vehicle can be limited
either by volume capacity (how much space is available) or by
payload capacity (how much weight the vehicle should carry). Once
you have reached the maximum payload of your vehicle, do not add
more cargo, even if there is space available. Overloading or improperly
loading your vehicle can contribute to loss of vehicle control and
vehicle rollover.
2005 GT(gto)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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Cargo Weight–includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional equipment.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight) –is the total weight placed on each axle
(front and rear) –including vehicle curb weight and all payload.
2005 GT(gto)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)–is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear). These
numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label
located on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver ’s door. The total
load on each axle must never exceed its GAWR.
Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle weight rating limits
could result in substandard vehicle handling or performance,
engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious damage to the
vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) –is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo +
passengers.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) –is the maximum
allowable weight of the fully loaded
vehicle (including all options,
equipment, passengers and cargo).
The GVWR is shown on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label located on the driver ’s
door or B-Pillar. The GVW must
never exceed the GVWR.
2005 GT(gto)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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Exceeding the Safety Certification Label vehicle weight rating
limits could result in substandard vehicle handling or
performance, engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious
damage to the vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the
certification label.
Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities
than the originals because they may lower the vehicle ’s GVWR
and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the
originals do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
Steps for determining the correct load limit:
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX pounds ”on your vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if the “XXX ”amount equals 1,400 lb. and
there will be five 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lb. (1400 –750 (5 x 150)
= 650 lb.).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
2005 GT(gto)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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The following gives you a few examples on how to calculate the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity:
•An example for your vehicle with 1400 lb. (636 kg) of cargo and
luggage capacity. You decide to go golfing. You and your friends
average 220 lb. (100 kg) each and the golf bags weigh approximately
30 lb. (14 kg) each. Is there enough load capacity to carry you, 4 of
your friends and all the golf bags? The calculation would be: 1400 –(5
x 220) –(5 x 30) = 1400 –1100 –150 = 150 lb. Metric conversion;
636 kg –(5 x 100) –(5 x 14) = 636 –570 = 66 kg. Yes, you have
enough load capacity in your vehicle to transport 4 of your friends and
golf bags.
• Another example for your vehicle with 1400 lb. (636 kg) of cargo and
luggage capacity. You and one of your friends decide to pick up
cement from the local home improvement store to finish that patio
you have been planning for the past 2 years. Measuring the inside of
the vehicle with the rear seat folded down, you have room for 12-100
lb. (45 kg) bags of cement. Do you have enough load capacity to
transport the cement to your home? If you and your friend each
weighed 220 lb. (100 kg), the calculation would be: 1400 –(2 x 220) –
(12 x 100) = 1400 –440 –1200 = –240 lb. Metric conversion; 636 kg
– (2 x 100) –(12 x 45) = 636 –200 –540 = –104 kg. No, you do not
have enough cargo capacity to carry that much weight. You will need
to reduce the load weight by at least 240 lb. (104 kg). If you remove
3-100 lb. (45 kg) cement bags, then the load calculation would be:
1400 –(2 x 220) –(9 x 100) = 1400 –440 –900 = 60 lb. Metric
conversion; 636 kg –(2 x 100) –(9 x 45) = 636 –200 –405 = 31 kg.
Now you have the load capacity to transport the cement and your friend
home.
The above calculations also assume that the loads are positioned in your
vehicle in a manner that does not overload the Front or the Rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating specified for your vehicle on the Certification label
found on the driver ’s door.
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle is not equipped to tow. No towing packages are available
through Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealers.
RECREATIONAL TOWING (ALL WHEELS ON THE GROUND)
Recreational towing is not approved for this vehicle.
2005 GT(gto)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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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). Refer to Checking and
adding power steering power fluid in theMaintenance and
Specifications chapter for information on checking and filling the
power steering fluid 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.
LIMITED-SLIP AXLE
This axle provides added traction on slippery surfaces, particularly when
one wheel is on a poor traction surface. Under normal conditions, the
limited slip axle functions like a standard rear axle.
Extended use of other than the manufacturer ’s specified size tires on a
limited slip rear axle could result in a permanent reduction in
effectiveness. This loss of effectiveness does not affect normal driving
and should not be noticeable to the driver.
PREPARING TO DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle has special design features, such as a decreased ground
clearance; care should be taken when driving your vehicle near curbs,
speed bumps and parking lot bump-stops.
Use extra caution while becoming familiar with your vehicle. Know the
capabilities and limitations of both you as a driver and your vehicle.
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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Driving
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Keep a record for at least one month and record the type of driving (city
or highway). This will provide an accurate estimate of the vehicle’s fuel
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.
• 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 to Lubricant specificationsin
this chapter.
• Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in the scheduled maintenance guide chapter.
2005 GT(gto)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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Maintenance and Specifications
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