2011 FORD FLEX 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 Guidechapter) will help your tires wear more
evenly, providing better tire performance and longer tire life.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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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.
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.
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•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).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski 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.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
Maintenance and Specifications
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Scheduled Maintenance Guide
Normal Scheduled
Maintenance and Log .............397
What Maintenance Schedule
Should You Follow? ................393
Seats ..........................................143
child safety seats ....................199
cleaning ...................................333
climate control ..........................74
easy access/easyout feature ..152
front seats ...............................146
heated ........................71, 150, 159
memory seat ...................132, 150
second row seats ............154, 157
third row seats ........157, 160–161
Second-row power fold seat ....157
SecuriCode keyless entry
system ........................................135
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ........................................137
Servicing your vehicle ..............336
Setting the clock .........................29
SOS Post Crash Alert ...............194
Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...........300
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................377, 381
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................378
Speed control ............................104
Starting your vehicle ........250–252
jump starting ..........................315
Steering wheel
controls ....................................106
tilting .........................................92
Stereo
6-CD in dash .............................28CD-MP3 .....................................28
SYNC..........................................67
T
Temporary mobility kit .............305
Third-row power fold seat .......163
Tilt steering wheel ......................92
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....231
Tires ...........................216–217, 298
alignment ................................224
care ..........................................220
changing ..................298, 300–301
checking the pressure ............220
inflating ...................................218
label .........................................230
replacing ..................................222
rotating ....................................224
safety practices .......................223
sidewall information ...............226
snow tires and chains ............236
spare tire .................................298
Temporary mobility kit ..........305
terminology .............................217
tire grades ...............................217
treadwear ........................216, 221
Towing .......................................244
recreational towing .................249
Trailer Brake
Controller-Integrated ..............247
trailer towing ..........................244
wrecker ....................................318
Trailer Brake
Controller-Integrated ................247
Transaxle
fluid, refill capacities ..............378
lubricant specifications ..........378
Transmission .............................266
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....265
Index
417
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