2009 Mercury Mountaineer wheel alignment

Flash to pass
Pull the lever toward you to
activate. Release the lever to
deactivate.
PANEL DIMMER CONTROL
Use to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel when exterior
lights are on.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from left
to right to brighten the
instrument panel.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from right
to left to dim the instrument
panel.
•Rotate fully to the right (past detent) to turn on interior lamps.
•Rotate to the left position (past detent) to turn off the interior lamps
and will also disable the illuminated entry feature.
Note:If the battery is disconnected, discharged, or a new battery is
installed, the dimmer switch requires re-calibration. Rotate the dimmer
switch from the full dim position to the full Dome/ON position to reset.
This will ensure that your displays are visible under all lighting
conditions.
AIMING THE HEADLAMPS
The headlamps on your vehicle are properly aimed before leaving the
assembly plant. If your vehicle is involved in an accident or if you have
problems fixing the alignment of your headlamps, have them checked by
a qualified service technician.
Headlamp aim adjustment
The headlamps on your vehicle can only be vertically adjusted. Your
vehicle does not require horizontal aim adjustments.
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Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Lights
87

It is recommended that the two front tires or two rear tires generally be
replaced as a pair.
The tire pressure sensors mounted in the wheels (originally installed on
your vehicle) are not designed to be used in aftermarket wheels.
The use of wheels or tires not recommended by Ford Motor Company
may affect the operation of your Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
If the TPMS indicator is flashing, your TPMS is malfunctioning. Your
replacement tire might be incompatible with your TPMS, or some
component of the TPMS may be damaged.
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
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
2009 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
234

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.
•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.
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Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
235

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.
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).
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Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
363

easy access/easyout
feature .....................................163
front seats ...............................159
heated ..............................164–165
memory seat ...................147, 162
SecuriCode keyless entry
system ........................................151
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ........................................152
Setting the clock
AM/FM single CD .....................25
AM/FM/In-dash 6 CD ................32
Snowplowing .................................8
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................371, 377
Special notice
ambulance conversions ..............8
utility-type vehicles ....................7
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................372
Speed control ............................108
Starting your vehicle .......261–262,
264
jump starting ..........................313
Steering wheel
controls ....................................111
tilting .........................................98
SYNC
..........................................77
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................98
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Roadside Emergencies ...........303
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....241
Warning Displays ..............12, 132
Tires ...........................226–228, 303alignment ................................234
care ..........................................231
changing ..........................303, 308
checking the pressure ............231
inflating ...................................229
label .........................................240
replacing ..........................232, 308
rotating ....................................235
safety practices .......................234
sidewall information ...............236
snow tires and cables .............246
spare tire .................303, 306–307
terminology .............................228
tire grades ...............................227
treadwear ........................227, 231
Towing .......................................254
recreational towing .................259
trailer towing ..........................254
wrecker ....................................319
Transfer case
fluid checking .........................369
Transmission .............................276
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....276
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................368
fluid, refill capacities ..............372
lubricant specifications ..........372
Turn signal ..................................89
U
USB port ......................................40
V
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................378
Vehicle loading ..........................247
Ventilating your vehicle ...........264
2009 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Index
387