2013 FORD FLEX wheel alignment

•Drive a heavily loaded vehicle or tow a trailer.
•Carry unnecessary weight (approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for
every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Add particular accessories to your vehicle (e.g. bug deflectors,
rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski racks).
•Drive with the wheels out of alignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
WARNING:Drive through water in an emergency only, and not
as part of normal driving.
WARNING:Engine damage can occur if water enters the air
filter.
Note:Driving through deep water may allow water into the transmission
or air intake and can cause internal vehicle damage or cause it to stall.
Note:Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your
vehicle slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal.
If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly. Never drive through water that is higher than the bottom of the
wheel rims (for cars) or the bottom
of the hubs (for trucks).
When driving through water,
traction or brake capability may be
limited. Also, water may enter your
engine’s air intake and severely
damage your engine or your vehicle
may stall.
Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle
as quickly as dry brakes.
278Driving Hints
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

WARNING:Do not spin the wheels at over 35 mph (56 km/h).
The tires may fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
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
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.
Wheels and Tires355
2013 Flex(471)
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USA(fus)

Tire Rotation
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.
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
Scheduled Maintenancechapter) will help your tires wear more evenly,
providing better tire performance and longer tire life.
•Front-wheel drive
(FWD)/All-wheel drive (AWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
356Wheels and Tires
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Selecting your media source
(USB, Line in, BT audio) ......... 436
Sending new text messages ..... 494
Setting a destination ................ 521
Setting a destination by
voice ........................................... 522
Setting the clock ............... 140, 510
Setting your wallpaper ............. 510
Side air curtain ........................... 58
Side-curtain airbags system ....... 58
SIRIUSsatellite radio ..... 140, 475
SIRIUS satellite radio voice
commands ................................. 478
SIRIUS Travel Link ................... 502
SIRIUS Travel Link voice
commands ................................. 504
SOS Post Crash Alert ................. 50
Spare tire (see Changing the
Tire) ........................................... 364
Spark plugs,
specifications ..................... 370, 375
Specification chart,
lubricants ................................... 371
Stability system ......................... 227
Starting your vehicle ................ 198
jump starting .......................... 283
push button start system ....... 196
Steering wheel ............................ 90
controls ...................................... 92
tilting ................................... 90–91
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) (see airbags) .................... 51Supported media file types ...... 487
Supported player, media
formats and metadata
information ................................ 487
SYNCcustomer support ......... 404
SYNCServices ................. 429, 498
System settings ......................... 512
T
Temperature control (see
Climate control) ........ 153, 155, 157
Text messaging ................. 415, 494
Text messaging (sending,
downloading, deleting) ..... 416, 418
Third-row power fold seat ....... 182
Tilt steering wheel ................ 90–91
Tires ........................... 341–342, 362
alignment ................................ 355
care .......................................... 341
changing .......................... 362, 364
checking the pressure ............ 351
inflating ................................... 349
label ......................................... 348
replacing .................................. 353
rotating .................................... 356
safety practices ....................... 354
sidewall information ............... 343
snow tires and chains ............ 357
spare tire ................................. 362
terminology ............................. 342
tire grades ............................... 342
treadwear ........................ 341, 351
Touchscreen features
(climate) .................................... 519
Index557
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)