Driving habits have a great deal to
do with your tire mileage and
safety.
• Observe posted speed limits
• Avoid fast starts, stops andturns
• 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 is 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 the wheel and
replace it with your spare tire and
wheel (if provided). 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 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
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.
321
Wheels and Tires
Note:Your vehicle may be
equipped with a dissimilar spare
wheel and tire assembly. A
dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly is defined as a spare
wheel and tire assembly that is
different in brand, size or
appearance from the road tires and
wheels. If you have a dissimilar
spare wheel and tire assembly 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
Maintenance chapter) will help
your tires wear more evenly,
providing better tire performance
and longer tire life.
Front-wheel drive and all-wheel
drive vehicles (front tires on the
left side of the diagram)
E142547
All vehicles with directional tires
(front tires on the left of the
diagram)
E147237
Sometimes irregular tire wear can
be corrected by rotating the tires.
Summer Tires
Your Ford vehicle may be
equipped with summer tires to
provide superior performance on
wet and dry roads. Summer tires
do not have the Mud and Snow
(M+S or M/S) tire traction rating
on the tire side wall. Since
summer tires do not have the
same traction performance as
All-season or Snow tires, Ford
does not recommend using
summer tires when temperatures
drop to approximately 40°F (5°C)
or below (depending on tire wear
and environmental conditions) or
in snow and ice conditions. Like
any tire, summer tire performance
is affected by tire wear and
environmental conditions. If you
must drive in those conditions,
Ford recommends using Mud and
Snow (M+S, M/S), All-season or
Snow tires.
322
Wheels and Tires
USING SNOW CHAINS
WARNINGS
If you choose to install snow tires
on your vehicle, they must be the
same size, construction, and load
range as the original tires listed on the
tire placard, and they must be
installed on all four wheels. Mixing
tires of different size or construction
on your vehicle can adversely affect
your vehicle's handling and braking,
and may lead to loss of vehicle
control.
Do not use snow chains or cables
on this vehicle as they may cause
damage to your vehicle which may
lead to loss of vehicle control.
Snow chains have not been approved
for use on your vehicle.
The original equipment tires on your
vehicle may have an all-weather tread
design to provide traction, handling,
and braking performance in
year-round driving. You may install
snow tires for improved traction when
driving in areas with sustained periods
of snow or icy driving conditions.
CHANGING A ROAD WHEEL
WARNINGS
The use of tire sealants may
damage your tire pressure
monitoring system and should not be
used. However, if you must use a
sealant, the tire pressure monitoring
system sensor and valve stem on the
wheel must be replaced by an
authorized dealer.
If the tire pressure monitor
sensor becomes damaged, it will
no longer function. See Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (page 303).
Note: The tire pressure monitoring
system indicator light will illuminate
when the spare tire is in use. To restore
the full function of the monitoring
system, all road wheels equipped with
tire pressure monitoring sensors must
be mounted on the vehicle.
If you get a flat tire while driving, do
not apply the brake heavily. Instead,
gradually decrease your speed. Hold
the steering wheel firmly and slowly
move to a safe place on the side of
the road.
Have a flat serviced by an authorized
dealer in order to prevent damage to
the tire pressure monitoring system
sensors. See Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (page 303).
Replace the spare tire with a road tire
as soon as possible. During repairing
or replacing of the flat tire, have the
authorized dealer inspect the tire
pressure monitoring system sensor
for damage.
323
Wheels and Tires
Dissimilar Spare Wheel and
Tire Assembly Information
WARNING
Failure to follow these guidelines
could result in an increased risk
of loss of vehicle control, injury or
death.
If you have a dissimilar spare wheel
and tire, then it is intended for
temporary use only. This means that
if you need to use it, you should
replace it as soon as possible with a
road wheel and tire assembly that is
the same size and type as the road
tires and wheels that were originally
provided by Ford. If the dissimilar
spare tire or wheel is damaged, it
should be replaced rather than
repaired.
A dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly is defined as a spare wheel
and tire assembly that is different in
brand, size or appearance from the
road tires and wheels and can be one
of three types:
1. T-type mini-spare: This spare tire
begins with the letter T for tire size
and may have Temporary Use Only
molded in the sidewall.
2. Full-size dissimilar spare with
label on wheel: This spare tire has a
label on the wheel that states: THIS
WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLY FOR
TEMPORARY USE ONLY.
When driving with one of the
dissimilar spare tires listed above, do
not: • Exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
• Load the vehicle beyond maximum
vehicle load rating listed on the
Safety Compliance Label.
• Tow a trailer.
• Use snow chains on the end of the vehicle with the dissimilar spare
tire.
• Use more than one dissimilar spare tire at a time.
• Use commercial car washing equipment.
• Try to repair the dissimilar spare tire.
Use of one of the dissimilar spare tires
listed above at any one wheel location
can lead to impairment of the
following:
• Handling, stability and braking performance.
• Comfort and noise.
• Ground clearance and parking at curbs.
• Winter weather driving capability.
• Wet weather driving capability.
• All-wheel driving capability (if applicable).
3. Full-size dissimilar spare
without label on wheel
When driving with the full-size
dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly, do not:
• Exceed 70 mph (113 km/h).
• Use more than one dissimilar spare wheel and tire assembly at a time.
324
Wheels and Tires
• Use commercial car washingequipment.
• Use snow chains on the end of the vehicle with the dissimilar spare
wheel and tire assembly.
The usage of a full-size dissimilar
spare wheel and tire assembly can
lead to impairment of the following:
• Handling, stability and braking performance.
• Comfort and noise.
• Ground clearance and parking at curbs.
• Winter weather driving capability.
• Wet weather driving capability.
• All-wheel driving capability (if applicable).
• Load leveling adjustment (if applicable).
When driving with the full-size
dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly additional caution should
be given to:
• Towing a trailer.
• Driving vehicles equipped with a camper body.
• Driving vehicles with a load on the cargo rack.
Drive cautiously when using a full-size
dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly and seek service as soon as
possible.Tire Change Procedure
WARNINGS
When one of the front wheels is
off the ground, the transmission
alone will not prevent the vehicle from
moving or slipping off the jack, even if
the transmission selector lever is in
position P.
To help prevent the vehicle from
moving when you change a tire,
be sure to place the transmission
selector lever in position P, set the
parking brake and block (in both
directions) the wheel that is
diagonally opposite (other side and
end of the vehicle) to the tire being
changed.
Never get underneath a vehicle
that is supported only by a jack.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or
someone else could be seriously
injured.
Do not attempt to change a tire
on the side of the vehicle close
to moving traffic. Pull far enough off
the road to avoid the danger of being
hit when operating the jack or
changing the wheel.
Always use the jack provided as
original equipment with your
vehicle. If using a jack other than the
one provided as original equipment
with your vehicle, make sure the jack
capacity is adequate for the vehicle
weight, including any vehicle cargo or
modifications.
325
Wheels and Tires
1. Park on a level surface, set theparking brake and activate the
hazard flashers.
2. Place the transmission selector lever in position P and turn the
engine off.
3. Remove the carpeted wheel cover.
4. Remove the spare tire bolt securing the spare tire by turning
it counterclockwise.
5. Remove the spare tire from the spare tire compartment.
E142550
6. Remove the lug wrench and jackfrom the foam holder.
E142551
7. Block the diagonally oppositewheel. 8. Loosen each wheel lug nut
one-half turn counterclockwise but
do not remove them until the
wheel is raised off the ground.
9. The vehicle jacking points are shown here, and are depicted on
the yellow warning label on the
jack. Note: Jack at the specified
locations to avoid damage to the
vehicle.
E145908
10. Small arrow-shaped marks on the sills show the location of the
jacking points.
E142553
11. Remove the lug nuts with the lugwrench.
326
Wheels and Tires
12. Replace the flat tire with thespare tire, making sure the valve
stem is facing outward. Reinstall
the lug nuts until the wheel is
snug against the hub. Do not fully
tighten the lug nuts until the
wheel has been lowered.
13. Lower the wheel by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.
1
2
3
4
5
E75442
14. Remove the jack and fully tighten the lug nuts in the order shown.
See Technical Specifications
(page 328).
Stowing the flat tire
You can stow the full-size road wheel
in the spare tire compartment.
1. Lift the carpeted wheel cover at an
angle to access the spare tire
compartment.
2. Place the wheel in the spare tire well with the valve stem facing
down. Use the mini-spare bolt to
secure the wheel through one of
the lug holes.
3. Place the jack, tools and foam block back into the spare tire
compartment.
4. Replace the carpeted wheel cover.
E146026
327
Wheels and Tires
Oils, Fluids and Flushing
In many cases, fluid discoloration is a
normal operating characteristic and,
by itself, does not necessarily indicate
a concern or that the fluid needs to be
changed. However, a qualified expert,
such as the factory-trained
technicians at your dealership, should
inspect discolored fluids that also
show signs of overheating or foreign
material contamination immediately.Make sure to change your vehicle’s
oils and fluids at the specified
intervals or in conjunction with a
repair. Flushing is a viable way to
change fluid for many vehicle
sub-systems during scheduled
maintenance. It is critical that systems
are flushed only with new fluid that is
the same as that required to fill and
operate the system or using a
Ford-approved flushing chemical.
Owner Checks and Services
Make sure you perform the following
basic maintenance checks and
inspections every month or at
six-month intervals.
Check every month
Engine oil level.
Function of all interior and exterior lights.
Tires (including spare) for wear and proper pressure. Windshield washer fluid level.
Check every six months
Battery connections. Clean if necessary.
Body and door drain holes for obstructions. Clean if necessary. Cooling system fluid level and coolant strength.
Door weatherstrips for wear. Lubricate if necessary.
Hinges, latches and outside locks for proper operation. Lubricate if necessary. Parking brake for proper operation.
438
Scheduled Maintenance