2007 Mercury Montego wheel alignment

Important:Remember to replace the wheel valve stems when the road
tires are replaced on your vehicle.
It is recommended that the two front tires or two rear tires generally be
replaced as a pair.
Safety practices
Driving habits have a great deal to do with your tire mileage and safety.
•Observe posted speed limits
•Avoid fast starts, stops and turns
•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.
Do not spin the wheels at over 35 mph (56 km/h). The tires may
fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
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 an authorized dealer check the wheel alignment
periodically.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
160

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)
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
161

•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 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.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
162

•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.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
•Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
•Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
258

locking/unlocking doors .....93–94
opening the trunk .....................94
panic alarm ...............................94
replacement/additional
transmitters ...............................96
replacing the batteries .............95
Reverse sensing system ...........188
Roadside assistance ..................197
S
Safety Belt Maintenance ..........121
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ..................113, 117–120
Safety Canopy ...........................138
Safety defects, reporting ..........227
Safety restraints ........113, 117–121
BeltMinder
............................123
extension assembly ................121
for adults .........................118–120
for children .....................141–142
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................115
safety belt maintenance .........121
warning light and chime ........122
Safety seats for children ..........145
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................269
Satellite Radio Information ........27
Seat belts
(see Safety restraints) .............113
Seats ..........................................106
child safety seats ....................145
front seats ...............106, 108, 110
heated ........................................48
memory seat .....................94, 111
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ........................................100Servicing your vehicle ..............235
Setting the clock
AM/FM single CD .....................17
AM/FM/In-dash 6 CD ................23
Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...........209
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................265, 268
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................266
Speed control ..............................69
Starting your vehicle ........177–179
jump starting ..........................213
Steering wheel
controls ......................................72
tilting .........................................62
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................62
Tires ...........................153–154, 206
alignment ................................160
care ..........................................157
changing ..........................206, 209
checking the pressure ............157
inflating ...................................155
label .........................................167
replacing ..................................159
rotating ....................................161
safety practices .......................160
sidewall information ...............162
snow tires and chains ............167
spare tire .................................207
terminology .............................154
tire grades ...............................154
treadwear ........................153, 158
Towing .......................................174
recreational towing .................176
trailer towing ..........................174
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
277