2009 FORD FOCUS wheel alignment

•Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a curb when parking
WARNING: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.
WARNING: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.
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.
2009 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
146

•Front Wheel Drive (FWD)
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.
2009 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
147

STEERING
To help 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 fluid level
(below the MIN mark on the reservoir).
•Some noise is normal during operation. If the noise is excessive, check
for a low power steering fluid level before seeking service by your
authorized dealer.
•Heavy or uneven steering efforts may be caused by a low power
steering fluid level. Check for a low power steering fluid level before
seeking service by your authorized dealer.
•Do not fill the power steering fluid reservoir above the MAX 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 TRANSMISSION OPERATION (IF EQUIPPED)
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 on position unless the brake pedal is depressed.
If you cannot move the gearshift lever out of P (Park) with ignition in
the on position and the brake pedal depressed:
1. Apply the parking brake, turn ignition key to off, then remove the key.
2009 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Driving
177

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 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 toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
2009 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
253

Safety defects, reporting ..222–223
Safety restraints ..............89, 92–97
Belt-Minder
.............................98
extension assembly ..................98
for adults .............................93–96
for children .............................118
Occupant Classification
Sensor ........................................90
warning light and chime ..........98
Safety restraints - LATCH
anchors ......................................129
Safety seats for children ..........123
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................266
Satellite Radio (if equipped) .....20
Satellite Radio Information ........34
Seats ............................................81
child safety seats ....................123
heated ........................................86
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ..........................................77
Servicing your vehicle ..............231
Side air curtain .........................115
Spark plugs,
specifications .............261, 265–266
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................263
Speed control ..............................55
Starting your vehicle .......164–165,
167
jump starting ..........................209
Steering wheel
controls ......................................58
tilting .........................................51
Stereo
CD-MP3 .....................................20
SYNC ............................................37T
Temporary mobility kit .............198
Tilt steering wheel ......................51
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....153
Tires ...................................138–139
alignment ................................146
care ..........................................142
changing ..................................196
checking the pressure ............142
inflating ...................................140
label .........................................152
replacing ..................................144
rotating ....................................146
safety practices .......................145
sidewall information ...............147
snow tires and chains ............158
spare tire .................................193
Temporary mobility kit ..........198
terminology .............................139
tire grades ...............................139
treadwear ........................138, 143
Towing .......................................162
recreational towing .................163
trailer towing ..........................162
wrecker ....................................214
Traction control ........................171
Transaxle
lubricant specifications ..........263
Transmission
automatic operation ...............177
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....177
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................258
fluid, checking and adding
(manual) .................................260
fluid, refill capacities ..............263
manual operation ....................181
2009 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Index
275