2009 FORD EXPEDITION EL 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 information that comes with your vehicle) will
help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and
longer tire life.
• 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.
2009 Expedition (exd)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA (fus) Tires, Wheels and Loading
257

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.
2009 Expedition (exd)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA (fus)Tires, Wheels and Loading
258

STEERING
Your vehicle is equipped with power steering. Power steering uses energy
from the engine to decrease the driver’s effort in steering the vehicle.
To help prevent damage to the power steering pump:
• Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme right or the extreme left
for more than a few seconds when the engine is running.
• Do not operate the vehicle with the power steering pump fluid level
below the MIN mark on the reservoir.
• Some noise is normal during operation. If the noise is excessive, check
for low power steering pump fluid level before seeking service by your
authorized dealer.
• Heavy or uneven steering efforts may be caused by low power steering
pump fluid level. Check for low power steering pump fluid level before
seeking service by your authorized dealer.
• Do not fill the power steering pump reservoir above the MAX mark on
the reservoir, as this may result in leaks from 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:
• Underinflated tire(s) on any wheel(s)
• Uneven vehicle loading
• High crown in center of road
• High crosswinds
• Wheels out of alignment
• Loose or worn suspension components
Variable assist steering
Your vehicle is equipped with variable assist power steering. At low
engine RPM, steering assist will adjust to reduce efforts and improve low
speed maneuverability. At high engine RPM, the assist will adjust to
improve steering feel at high speeds.
If the amount of effort required to steer your vehicle changes while
driving at a constant engine RPM, have the power steering system
checked by your authorized dealer.
2009 Expedition (exd)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA (fus)Driving
296

• You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between the top gears 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 to Maintenance product
specifications and capacities in this chapter.
• Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in scheduled 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 (as much as
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.
• Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
• Close windows for high speed driving.
2009 Expedition (exd)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA (fus)Maintenance and Specifications
390

cleaning
...................................361
climate control
........................192
heated
......................................200
memory seat
...................171, 190
SecuriCode keyless entry
system
........................................175
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system
................................177–178
Servicing your vehicle
..............364
Setting the clock
AM/FM single CD
.....................26
AM/FM/In-dash 6 CD
................34
Snowplowing
.................................8
Spark plugs,
specifications
.............398, 403–404
Special notice
utility-type vehicles
....................8
Specification chart,
lubricants
...................................399
Speed control
............................120
Stability system
.........................291
Starting a flex fuel vehicle
.......285
Starting your vehicle
........282–285
jump starting
..........................339
Steering wheel
controls
....................................123
tilting
.......................................107
SYNC

..........................................82 T
Tilt steering wheel ....................107
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Driving .....................................315
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....263
Warning Displays ......12, 137, 150
Tires ...........................248–249, 329
alignment ................................257
care ..........................................253
changing ..........................329, 333
checking the pressure ............253
inflating ...................................250
label .........................................262
replacing ..................................254
rotating ....................................257
safety practices .......................256
sidewall information ...............258
snow tires and chains ............267
spare tire .................................330
terminology .............................250
tire grades ...............................249
treadwear ........................249, 253
Towing .......................................273
recreational towing .................281
trailer towing ..........................273
wrecker ....................................346
Transmission .............................298
brake-shift interlock
(BSI) ................................298–299
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................395
fluid, refill capacities ..............399
lubricant specifications ..........399
Turn signal ..................................98
U
USB port ......................................42
2009 Expedition (exd)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA (fus)Index
414