2007 FORD FREESTAR wheel alignment

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 an authorized 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 an authorized 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 informationthat comes with your vehicle) will
help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and
longer tire life. Unless otherwise specified, rotate the tires approximately
every 5,000 miles (8,000 km).
•Front Wheel Drive (FWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
2007 Freestar(win)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
190

Note:If your tires show uneven wear ask an authorized dealer 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.
INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL
Both U.S. and Canada Federal regulations require tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics of
the tire and also provides a U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number for
safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Information on “P” type tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a
tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
1.P:Indicates a tire, designated by
the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that may be used for
service on cars, SUVs, minivans and
light trucks.
Note:If your tire size does not
begin with a letter this may mean it
is designated by either ETRTO
(European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) or JATMA (Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association).
2.215:Indicates the nominal width of the tire in millimeters from
sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the
wider the tire.
3.65:Indicates the aspect ratio which gives the tire’s ratio of height to
width.
2007 Freestar(win)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
191

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.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
2007 Freestar(win)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
288

Roadside assistance ..................225
Roof rack .....................................92
S
Safety Belt Maintenance ..........147
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ..........138, 141, 143–145
Safety Canopy ...........................164
Safety defects, reporting ..........259
Safety
restraints ...........138, 141, 143–145
BeltMinder
............................148
extension assembly ................146
for adults .........................143–145
for children .....................167–168
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................139
safety belt maintenance .........147
warning light and chime ........148
Safety seats for children ..........171
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................303
Seat belts
(see Safety restraints) .............138
Seats ..........................................113
child safety seats ....................171
front seats .......................113–116
memory seat ...................102, 117
second row
seats .................119–120, 123–124
third row
seats .................124, 131, 135–137
SecuriLock passive
anti-theft system ...............109–110
Servicing your vehicle ..............267
Spare tire (see
Changing the Tire) ...................238Spark plugs,
specifications .....................299, 302
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................300
Speed control ..............................71
Starting your vehicle ........211–213
jump starting ..........................245
Steering wheel
controls ......................................74
tilting .........................................57
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................57
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....196
Warning Displays ......................10
Tires ...................................182–183
alignment ................................190
care ..........................................186
changing ..........................238, 240
checking the pressure ............186
inflating ...................................184
label .........................................195
replacing ..................................188
rotating ....................................190
safety practices .......................189
sidewall information ...............191
snow tires and chains ............200
spare tire .................................236
terminology .............................183
tire grades ...............................183
treadwear ........................182, 187
Towing .......................................206
recreational towing .................210
trailer towing ..........................206
wrecker ....................................251
Transaxle
automatic operation ...............219
2007 Freestar(win)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
311