2015 LINCOLN MKS tire type

steering, acceleration or braking which
could result in an increased risk of loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover and/or
personal injury. Use all available road
surface to return the vehicle to a safe
direction of travel.
• In the event of an emergency stop, avoid
skidding the tires and do not attempt any
sharp steering wheel movements.
• If the vehicle goes from one type of
surface to another (i.e., from concrete to
gravel) the way the vehicle responds to
a maneuver changes (steering,
acceleration or braking). Again, avoid
these abrupt inputs.
Sand
When driving over sand, try to keep all four
wheels on the most solid area of the trail.
Avoid reducing the tire pressures but shift to
a lower gear and drive steadily through the
terrain. Apply the accelerator slowly and
avoid excessive wheel slip.
Do not drive your vehicle in deep sand for an
extended period of time. This could cause
the AWD system to overheat and default to
front-wheel drive. If this occurs AWD Off
displays in the Information Display. To
resume normal AWD function as soon as
possible, stop the vehicle in a safe location and stop the engine for at least 10 minutes.
After the engine restarts and the AWD
system has adequately cooled, the AWD Off
message turns off and normal AWD function
returns. In the event you do not stop the
engine, the AWD Off message turns off when
the system cools and normal AWD function
returns.
When driving at slow speeds in deep sand
under high outside temperatures, use a low
gear when possible. Low gear operation
maximizes the engine and transmission
cooling capability. Under severe operating
conditions, the A/C may cycle on and off to
protect overheating of the engine.
Avoid excessive speed because vehicle
momentum can work against you and cause
the vehicle to become stuck to the point that
assistance may be required from another
vehicle. Remember, you may be able to back
out the way you came if you proceed with
caution.
Mud and Water
If you must drive through high water, drive
slowly. Traction or brake capability may be
limited.
When driving through water, determine the
depth; avoid water higher than the bottom
of the wheel rims (for cars) or the bottom of
the hubs (for trucks) (if possible) and
proceed slowly. If the ignition system gets
wet, the vehicle may stall.
Once through water, always try the brakes.
Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle as
effectively as dry brakes. Drying improves
when you move your vehicle slowly while
applying light pressure on the brake pedal.
144
MKS (), enUSA All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)E142667

ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
Follow these guidelines for safe towing:
•
Do not tow a trailer until you drive your
vehicle at least 1000 miles (1600
kilometers).
• Consult your local motor vehicle laws for
towing a trailer.
• See the instructions included with towing
accessories for the proper installation
and adjustment specifications.
• Service your vehicle more frequently if
you tow a trailer. See your scheduled
maintenance information.
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives you.
You can find information on load
specification terms found on the tire label
and Safety Compliance label as well as
instructions on calculating your vehicle's load
in the Load Carrying chapter. See Load Limit
(page 187).
Remember to account for the trailer tongue
weight as part of your vehicle load when
calculating the total vehicle weight. Hitches
Do not use a hitch that either clamps onto
the bumper or attaches to the axle.
Distribute the trailer load so 10-15% of the
total trailer weight is on the tongue.
Safety Chains
Note:
Never attach safety chains to the
bumper.
Always connect the safety chains to the hook
retainers of your vehicle hitch.
To connect the safety chains, cross them
under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning tight corners. Do not allow
the chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes WARNING
Do not connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to your vehicle's
brake system. Your vehicle may not
have enough braking power and your chances
of having a collision greatly increase. Electric brakes and manual, automatic or
surge-type trailer brakes are safe if you install
them properly and adjust them to the
manufacturer's specifications. The trailer
brakes must meet local and federal
regulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's braking
system operation is at the gross vehicle
weight rating, not the gross combined
weight rating.
Trailer Lamps
WARNING
Never connect any trailer lamp wiring
to the vehicle's tail lamp wiring; this
may damage the electrical system
resulting in fire. Contact your authorized
dealer as soon as possible for assistance in
proper trailer tow wiring installation.
Additional electrical equipment may be
required. Trailer lamps are required on most towed
vehicles. Make sure all running lights, brake
lights, turn signals and hazard lights are
working.
200
MKS (), enUSA Towing

TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform Tire
Quality Grading
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 1 ½ 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.
264
MKS (), enUSA Wheels and TiresE142542

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.) 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.
267
MKS (), enUSA Wheels and TiresH
I
J
KL
M
A
B
CDEFG
E142543

•
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.
• 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. LT type tires have some additional
information beyond those of P type
tires; these differences are
described below.
270
MKS (), enUSA Wheels and TiresA
BC
BDE142544

A.
LT: Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association,
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.
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. 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.
C. 80:
Indicates the aspect ratio
which gives the tire's ratio of height
to width. Numbers of 70 or lower
indicate a short sidewall.
D. D:
Indicates a diagonal type tire.
R:
Indicates a radial type tire.
271
MKS (), enUSA Wheels and TiresA
BCDE
E142545

E.
16: 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.
Location of the Tire Label
You will find a Tire Label containing
tire inflation pressure by tire size and
other important information located
on the B-Pillar or the edge of the
driver ’s door.
Inflating Your Tires
Safe operation of your vehicle
requires that your tires are properly
inflated. Remember that a tire can
lose up to half of its air pressure
without appearing flat.
Every day before you drive, check
your tires. If one looks lower than
the others, use a tire gauge to check
pressure of all tires and adjust if
required. At least once a month and before
long trips, inspect each tire and
check the tire pressure with a tire
gauge (including spare, if equipped).
Inflate all tires to the inflation
pressure recommended by Ford
Motor Company.
You are strongly urged to buy a
reliable tire pressure gauge, as
automatic service station gauges
may be inaccurate. Ford
recommends the use of a digital or
dial-type tire pressure gauge rather
than a stick-type tire pressure
gauge.
Use the recommended cold inflation
pressure for optimum tire
performance and wear.
Under-inflation or over-inflation
may cause uneven treadwear
patterns WARNING
Under-inflation is the most
common cause of tire failures
and may result in severe tire
cracking, tread separation or
blowout, with unexpected loss of
vehicle control and increased risk of
injury. Under-inflation increases
sidewall flexing and rolling
resistance, resulting in heat buildup
and internal damage to the tire. It
also may result in unnecessary tire
stress, irregular wear, loss of vehicle
control and accidents. A tire can
lose up to half of its air pressure and
not appear to be flat! Always inflate your tires to the Ford
recommended inflation pressure
even if it is less than the maximum
inflation pressure information found
on the tire. The Ford recommended
tire inflation pressure is 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
272
MKS (), enUSA Wheels and Tires

Note:
If you overfill the tire, release
air by pressing on the metal stem in
the center of the valve. Then recheck
the pressure with your tire gauge.
4. Replace the valve cap.
5. Repeat this procedure for each
tire, including the spare.
Note: Some spare tires operate at a
higher inflation pressure than the
other tires. For T type mini-spare
tires, see the Dissimilar spare wheel
and tire assembly information for a
description. Store and maintain at 60
psi (4.15 bar). For full-size and
dissimilar spare tires, see the
Dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly information for a
description. Store and maintain at
the higher of the front and rear
inflation pressure as shown on the
Tire Label.
6. Visually inspect the tires to make
sure there are no nails or other
objects embedded that could
poke a hole in the tire and cause
an air leak. 7.
Check the sidewalls to make sure
there are no gouges, cuts or
bulges.
Inspecting Your Tires and Wheel
Valve Stems
Periodically inspect the tire treads
for uneven or excessive wear and
remove objects such as stones, nails
or glass that may be wedged in the
tread grooves. Check the tire and
valve stems for holes, cracks, or cuts
that may permit air leakage and
repair or replace the tire and replace
the valve stem. Inspect the tire
sidewalls for cracking, cuts, bruises
and other signs of damage or
excessive wear. If internal damage
to the tire is suspected, have the tire
demounted and inspected in case
it needs to be repaired or replaced.
For your safety, tires that are
damaged or show signs of excessive
wear should not be used because
they are more likely to blow out or
fail. Improper or inadequate vehicle
maintenance can cause tires to
wear abnormally. Inspect all your
tires, including the spare, frequently,
and replace them if one or more of
the following conditions exist:
Tire Wear
274
MKS (), enUSA Wheels and TiresE142546