2014 FORD FUSION HYBRID tires

E144625
3. Using the yellow cap tool, press the tab
located on the kit compressor housing
while pulling up on the sealant canister.
Installation of the sealant canister to
the kit E144626
1. Align the sealant canister with the kit
housing.
E161567 2. Once aligned, seat the sealant canister
by lightly pushing down until you hear
an audible click. E144628
3. Wrap the clear tube around the
compressor housing.
Note: If you experience any difficulties with
the removal or installation of the sealant
canister, consult your Ford Motor Company
authorized dealer for assistance. E144629
Be sure to check the sealant compound's
use by date regularly. The use by date is
on the lower right hand corner of the label
located on the sealant canister (bottle).
The sealant canister should be replaced
after four years.
272Wheels and Tires

TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform
Tire Quality Grading E142542
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires.
The Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example: Treadwear 200
Traction AA Temperature A .
These Tire Quality Grades are
determined by standards that the
United States Department of
Transportation has set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires.
They do not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, light truck or LT type
tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or
limited production tires as defined
in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 575.104 (c)(2). U.S. Department of
Transportation Tire quality
grades: The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires Ford
Motor Company to give you the
following information about tire
grades exactly as the government
has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear 1½ times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their
use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
WARNING
The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
273Wheels and Tires

The traction grades, from highest
to lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The
grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled
conditions on specified
government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Temperature A B C
WARNING
The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a
tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B and C,
representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 139. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
Glossary of Tire Terminology
* Tire label: A label showing the
original equipment tire sizes,
recommended inflation pressure
and the maximum weight the
vehicle can carry.
* Tire Identification Number
(TIN): A number on the sidewall
of each tire providing information
about the tire brand and
manufacturing plant, tire size and
date of manufacture. Also referred
to as DOT code.
* Inflation pressure: A measure
of the amount of air in a tire.
* Standard load: A class of
P-metric or Metric tires designed
to carry a maximum load at 35 psi
[37 psi (2.5 bar) for Metric tires].
Increasing the inflation pressure
beyond this pressure will not
increase the tire’s load carrying
capability.
* Extra load: A class of P-metric
or Metric tires designed to carry a
heavier maximum load at 41 psi
[43 psi (2.9 bar) for Metric tires].
Increasing the inflation pressure
beyond this pressure will not
increase the tire’s load carrying
capability.
274Wheels and Tires

* kPa: Kilopascal, a metric unit of
air pressure.
* PSI: Pounds per square inch, a
standard unit of air pressure.
* Cold tire pressure: The tire
pressure when the vehicle has
been stationary and out of direct
sunlight for an hour or more and
prior to the vehicle being driven for
1 mile (1.6 km).
* Recommended inflation
pressure: The cold inflation
pressure found on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label
(affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the door
edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver's seating
position), or Tire Label located on
the B-Pillar or the edge of the
driver’s door.
* B-pillar: The structural member
at the side of the vehicle behind
the front door
* Bead area of the tire: Area of
the tire next to the rim.
* Sidewall of the tire: Area
between the bead area and the
tread.
* Tread area of the tire: Area of
the perimeter of the tire that
contacts the road when mounted
on the vehicle.
* Rim: The metal support (wheel)
for a tire or a tire and tube
assembly upon which the tire
beads are seated. 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
H
I
J
KLM A B C D E
F
G
E142543
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.)
275Wheels and Tires

A. P: Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association,
that may be used for service on
cars, sport utility vehicles,
minivans and light trucks. Note: If
your tire size does not begin with
a letter this may mean it is
designated by either the European
Tire and Rim Technical
Organization or the Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association.
B. 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.
C. 65: Indicates the aspect ratio
which gives the tire's ratio of
height to width.
D. R: Indicates a radial type tire.
E. 15: Indicates the wheel or rim
diameter in inches. If you change
your wheel size, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the
new wheel diameter.
F. 95: Indicates the tire's load
index. It is an index that relates to
how much weight a tire can carry.
You may find this information in
your owner’s manual. If not,
contact a local tire dealer.
Note: You may not find this
information on all tires because it
is not required by federal law. G. H: Indicates the tire's speed
rating. The speed rating denotes
the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extended
periods of time under a standard
condition of load and inflation
pressure. The tires on your vehicle
may operate at different
conditions for load and inflation
pressure. These speed ratings may
need to be adjusted for the
difference in conditions. The
ratings range from 81 mph (130
km/h) to 186 mph (299 km/h).
These ratings are listed in the
following chart.
Note: You may not find this
information on all tires because it
is not required by federal law.
mph ( km/h)Letter
rating
81 mph (130 km/h)M
87 mph (140 km/h)N
99 mph (159 km/h)Q
106 mph (171 km/h)R
112 mph (180 km/h)S
118 mph (190 km/h)T
124 mph (200 km/h)U
130 mph (210 km/h)H
149 mph (240 km/h)V
276Wheels and Tires

mph ( km/h)Letter
rating
168 mph (270 km/h)W
186 mph (299 km/h)Y
Note: For tires with a maximum
speed capability over 149 mph
(240 km/h), tire manufacturers
sometimes use the letters ZR. For
those with a maximum speed
capability over 186 mph (299
km/h), tire manufacturers always
use the letters ZR.
H. U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN): This begins with
the letters DOT and indicates that
the tire meets all federal
standards. The next two numbers
or letters are the plant code
designating where it was
manufactured, the next two are
the tire size code and the last four
numbers represent the week and
year the tire was built. For
example, the numbers 317 mean
the 31st week of 1997. After 2000
the numbers go to four digits. For
example, 2501 means the 25th
week of 2001. The numbers in
between are identification codes
used for traceability. This
information is used to contact
customers if a tire defect requires
a recall.
I. M+S or M/S: Mud and Snow, or
AT : All Terrain, or
AS: All Season. J. Tire Ply Composition and
Material Used: Indicates the
number of plies or the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in
the tire tread and sidewall. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate
the ply materials in the tire and the
sidewall, which include steel,
nylon, polyester, and others.
K. Maximum Load: Indicates the
maximum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by the
tire. See the Safety Compliance
Certification Label (affixed to
either the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch post,
next to the driver's seating
position), for the correct tire
pressure for your vehicle.
L. Treadwear, Traction and
Temperature Grades:
* Treadwear The treadwear
grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified
government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half times as
well on the government course as
a tire graded 100.
277Wheels and Tires

* Traction: The traction grades,
from highest to lowest are AA, A,
B, and C. The grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
* Temperature: The temperature
grades are A (the highest), B and
C, representing the tire's
resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel.
M. Maximum Inflation
Pressure: Indicates the tire
manufacturers' maximum
permissible pressure or the
pressure at which the maximum
load can be carried by the tire. This
pressure is normally higher than
the vehicle manufacturer's
recommended cold inflation
pressure which can be found on
the Safety Compliance
Certification Label (affixed to
either the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch post,
next to the driver's seating
position), or Tire Label which is
located on the B-Pillar or the edge
of the driver’s door. The cold
inflation pressure should never be
set lower than the recommended
pressure on the vehicle label. The tire suppliers may have
additional markings, notes or
warnings such as standard load
or radial tubeless.
Additional Information
Contained on the Tire Sidewall
for LT Type Tires
Note: Tire Quality Grades do not
apply to this type of tire.
A B
C
BD E142544
LT type tires have some additional
information beyond those of P
type tires; these differences are
described below.
A. LT : Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that is intended for
service on light trucks.
B. Load Range and Load
Inflation Limits: Indicates the
tire's load-carrying capabilities
and its inflation limits.
278Wheels and Tires

C. Maximum Load Dual lb (kg)
at psi (kPa) cold: Indicates the
maximum load and tire pressure
when the tire is used as a dual;
defined as four tires on the rear
axle (a total of six or more tires on
the vehicle).
D. Maximum Load Single lb
(kg) at psi (kPa) cold: Indicates
the maximum load and tire
pressure when the tire is used as
a single; defined as two tires
(total) on the rear axle.
Information on T Type Tires
T145/80D16 is an example of a
tire size.
Note: The temporary tire size for
your vehicle may be different from
this example. Tire Quality Grades
do not apply to this type of tire. A B C
D
E E142545
T type tires have some additional
information beyond those of P
type tires; these differences are
described below:
A. T: Indicates a type of tire,
designated by the Tire and Rim
Association, that is intended for
temporary service on cars,
sport-utility vehicles, minivans and
light trucks.
B. 145: 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.
279Wheels and Tires