2016 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY Owners Manual

WARNING
Stay out of the trajectory (1)as indicated in the illustration.
Inspecting Your Tires andWheel Valve Stems
Periodically inspect the tire treadsfor uneven or excessive wear andremove objects such as stones,nails or glass that may be wedgedin the tread grooves. Check the tireand valve stems for holes, cracks,or cuts that may permit airleakage and repair or replace thetire and replace the valve stem.Inspect the tire sidewalls forcracking, cuts, bruises and other
signs of damage or excessivewear. If internal damage to the tireis suspected, have the tiredemounted and inspected in caseit needs to be repaired or replaced.For your safety, tires that aredamaged or show signs ofexcessive wear should not be usedbecause they are more likely toblow out or fail.
Improper or inadequate vehiclemaintenance can cause tires towear abnormally. Inspect all yourtires, including the spare,frequently, and replace them ifone or more of the followingconditions exist:
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Tire Wear
When the tread is worn down toone sixteenth of an inch (2millimeters), tires must bereplaced to help prevent yourvehicle from skidding andhydroplaning. Built-in treadwearindicators, or wear bars, whichlook like narrow strips of smoothrubber across the tread willappear on the tire when the treadis worn down to one sixteenth ofan inch (2 millimeters).
When the tire tread wears downto the same height as these wearbars, the tire is worn out and mustbe replaced.
Damage
Periodically inspect the tire treadsand sidewalls for damage (suchas bulges in the tread or sidewalls,cracks in the tread groove andseparation in the tread orsidewall). If damage is observed
or suspected have the tireinspected by a tire professional.Tires can be damaged duringoff-road use, so inspection afteroff-road use is alsorecommended.
Age
WARNING
Tires degrade over timedepending on many factorssuch as weather, storageconditions, and conditions of use(load, speed, inflation pressure)the tires experience throughouttheir lives.
In general, tires should bereplaced after six years regardlessof tread wear. However, heat
caused by hot climates orfrequent high loading conditionscan accelerate the aging processand may require tires to bereplaced more frequently.
You should replace your spare tirewhen you replace the road tires orafter six years due to aging even ifit has not been used.
U.S. DOT Tire IdentificationNumber
Both United States and CanadaFederal regulations require tiremanufacturers to placestandardized information on thesidewall of all tires. Thisinformation identifies and
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describes the fundamentalcharacteristics of the tire and alsoprovides a U.S. DOT TireIdentification Number for safetystandard certification and in caseof a recall.
This begins with the letters DOTand indicates that the tire meetsall federal standards. The nexttwo numbers or letters are theplant code designating where itwas manufactured, the next twoare the tire size code and the lastfour numbers represent the weekand year the tire was built. Forexample, the numbers 317 meanthe 31st week of 1997. After 2000the numbers go to four digits. Forexample, 2501 means the 25thweek of 2001. The numbers inbetween are identification codesused for traceability. Thisinformation is used to contactcustomers if a tire defect requiresa recall.
Tire ReplacementRequirements
Your vehicle is equipped with tiresdesigned to provide a safe rideand handling capability.
WARNINGS
Only use replacement tiresand wheels that are the samesize, load index, speed rating andtype (such as P-metric versusLT-metric or all-season versusall-terrain) as those originallyprovided by Ford. Therecommended tire and wheel size
WARNINGS
may be found on either the SafetyCompliance Certification Label orthe Tire Label. If this informationis not found on these labels thenyou should contact yourauthorized dealer as soon aspossible. Use of any tire or wheelnot recommended by Ford canaffect the safety and performanceof your vehicle, which could resultin an increased risk of loss ofvehicle control, vehicle rollover,personal injury and death.Additionally the use ofnon-recommended tires andwheels could cause steering,suspension, axle, transfer case orpower transfer unit failure. If youhave questions regarding tirereplacement, contact yourauthorized dealer as soon aspossible.
To reduce the risk of seriousinjury, when mountingreplacement tires and wheels, youshould not exceed the maximumpressure indicated on the sidewallof the tire to set the beads withoutadditional precautions listedbelow. If the beads do not seat atthe maximum pressure indicated,re-lubricate and try again.
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WARNINGS
When inflating the tire formounting pressures up to 20 psi(1.38 bar) greater than themaximum pressure on the tiresidewall, the followingprecautions must be taken toprotect the person mounting thetire:
1. Make sure that you have thecorrect tire and wheel size.
2. Lubricate the tire bead andwheel bead seat area again.
3. Stand at a minimum of 12 ft(3.6 m) away from the wheel andtire assembly.
4. Use both eye and earprotection.
For a mounting pressure morethan 20 psi (1.38 bar) greater thanthe maximum pressure, a Forddealer or other tire serviceprofessional should do themounting.
Always inflate steel carcass tireswith a remote air fill with theperson inflating standing at aminimum of 12 ft (3.6 m) awayfrom the wheel and tire assembly.
Important: Remember to replacethe wheel valve stems when theroad tires are replaced on your
vehicle.
The two front tires or two rear tiresshould generally be replaced as apair.
The tire pressure sensors mountedin the wheels are not designed tobe used in aftermarket wheels.
The use of wheels or tires notrecommended by Ford MotorCompany may affect theoperation of your tire pressuremonitoring system.
If the tire pressure monitoringsystem indicator is flashing, thesystem is malfunctioning. Yourreplacement tire might beincompatible with your tirepressure monitoring system, orsome component of the systemmay be damaged.
Safety Practices
WARNINGS
If your vehicle is stuck insnow, mud, or sand, do notrapidly spin the tires; spinning thetires can tear the tire and causean explosion. A tire can explode inas little as three to five seconds.
Do not spin the wheels atover 35 mph (56 km/h). Thetires may fail and injure apassenger or bystander.
Driving habits have a great dealto do with your tire mileage andsafety.
*Observe posted speed limits.
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*Avoid fast starts, stops and turns.
*Avoid potholes and objects onthe road.
*Do not run over curbs or hit thetire against a curb when parking.
Highway Hazards
No matter how carefully you drivethere’s always the possibility thatyou may eventually have a flat tireon the highway. Drive slowly to theclosest safe area out of traffic.This may further damage the flattire, but your safety is moreimportant.
If you feel a sudden vibration orride disturbance while driving, oryou suspect your tire or vehiclehas been damaged, immediately
reduce your speed. Drive withcaution until you can safely pulloff the road. Stop and inspect thetires for damage. If a tire isunder-inflated or damaged,deflate it, remove wheel andreplace it with your spare tire andwheel. If you cannot detect acause, have the vehicle towed tothe nearest repair facility or tiredealer to have the vehicleinspected.
Tire and Wheel Alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb orpothole can cause the front endof your vehicle to becomemisaligned or cause damage toyour tires. If your vehicle seems topull to one side when you’redriving, the wheels may be out ofalignment. Have an authorizeddealer check the wheel alignmentperiodically.
Wheel misalignment in the frontor the rear can cause uneven andrapid treadwear of your tires andshould be corrected by anauthorized dealer. Front-wheeldrive vehicles and those with anindependent rear suspension mayrequire alignment of all fourwheels.
The tires should also be balancedperiodically. An unbalanced tireand wheel assembly may result inirregular tire wear.
Tire Rotation
WARNING
If the tire label showsdifferent tire pressures for thefront and rear tires and the vehicleis equipped with a tire pressuremonitoring system, then thesettings for the system sensorsneed to be updated. Alwaysperform the system resetprocedure after tire rotation. If thesystem is not reset, it may notprovide a low tire pressurewarning when necessary.
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Note:If your tires show unevenwear ask an authorized dealer tocheck for and correct any wheelmisalignment, tire imbalance ormechanical problem involvedbefore tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may beequipped with a dissimilar sparewheel and tire assembly. Adissimilar spare wheel and tireassembly is defined as a sparewheel and tire assembly that isdifferent in brand, size orappearance from the road tires andwheels. If you have a dissimilarspare wheel and tire assembly it isintended for temporary use onlyand should not be used in a tirerotation.
Note:After having your tiresrotated, inflation pressure must bechecked and adjusted to thevehicle requirements.
Rotating your tires at therecommended interval (asindicated in the ScheduledMaintenance chapter) will helpyour tires wear more evenly,providing better tire performanceand longer tire life. Sometimeirregular tire wear can becorrected by rotating the tires.
Rear-wheel drive vehicles andfour-wheel drive vehicles (fronttires at left of diagram).
Dual rear wheel drive vehicle - six
tire rotation (front tires at top ofdiagram).
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If your vehicle is equipped withdual rear wheels it isrecommended that the front andrear tires (in pairs) be rotated onlyside to side. We do notrecommend splitting up the dualrear wheels. Rotate them side toside as a set. After tire rotation,inflation pressures must beadjusted for the tires newpositions in accordance withvehicle requirements.
USING SNOW CHAINS
WARNING
Snow tires must be the same size,load index, speed rating as thoseoriginally provided by Ford. Use ofany tire or wheel not recommended byFord can affect the safety andperformance of your vehicle, which couldresult in an increased risk of loss of vehiclecontrol, vehicle rollover, personal injury anddeath. Additionally, the use ofnon-recommended tires and wheels couldcause steering, suspension, axle, transfercase or power transfer unit failure.
Note:Do not use snow chains on vehicleswith 20 inch wheels and tires.
The tires on your vehicle have all-weathertreads to provide traction in rain and snow.However, in some climates, you may needto use snow tires and cables. If you needto use cables, it is recommended that steelwheels (of the same size andspecifications) be used, as cables may chipaluminum wheels.
Note:The suspension insulation andbumpers will help prevent vehicle damage.Do not remove these components from yourvehicle when using snow tires and chains.
Follow these guidelines when using snowtires and chains:
•If possible, avoid fully loading yourvehicle
•Use only SAE Class S chains.
•Install chains securely, verifying thatthe chains do not touch any wiring,brake lines or fuel lines.
•Drive cautiously. If you hear the chainsrub or bang against your vehicle, stopand retighten the chains. If this doesnot work, remove the chains to preventdamage to your vehicle.
•Remove the tire chains when they areno longer needed. Do not use tirechains on dry roads.
If you have any questions regarding snowchains or cables, please contact yourauthorized dealer.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM
WARNING
The tire pressure monitoring systemis not a substitute for manuallychecking the tire pressure. The tirepressure should be checked periodically(at least monthly) using a tire pressuregauge. Failure to properly maintain yourtire pressure could increase the risk of tirefailure, loss of control, vehicle rollover andpersonal injury.
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Each tire, including the spare (ifprovided), should be checkedmonthly when cold and inflatedto the inflation pressure recommended bythe vehicle manufacturer on the vehicleplacard or tire inflation pressure label. (Ifyour vehicle has tires of a different sizethan the size indicated on the vehicleplacard or tire inflation pressure label, youshould determine the proper tire inflationpressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehiclehas been equipped with a Tire PressureMonitoring System (TPMS) thatilluminates a low tire pressure telltalewhen one or more of your tires issignificantly under-inflated. Accordingly,when the low tire pressure telltaleilluminates, you should stop and checkyour tires as soon as possible, and inflatethem to the proper pressure. Driving on asignificantly under-inflated tire causes thetire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiencyand tire tread life, and may affect thevehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not asubstitute for proper tire maintenance, andit is the driver’s responsibility to maintaincorrect tire pressure, even if under-inflationhas not reached the level to triggerillumination of the TPMS low tire pressuretelltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped witha TPMS malfunction indicator to indicatewhen the system is not operating properly.The TPMS malfunction indicator iscombined with the low tire pressuretelltale. When the system detects amalfunction, the telltale will flash forapproximately one minute and then remaincontinuously illuminated. This sequencewill continue upon subsequent vehiclestart-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator isilluminated, the system may not be ableto detect or signal low tire pressure asintended. TPMS malfunctions may occurfor a variety of reasons, including theinstallation of replacement or alternatetires or wheels on the vehicle that preventthe TPMS from functioning properly.Always check the TPMS malfunctiontelltale after replacing one or more tires orwheels on your vehicle to ensure that thereplacement or alternate tires and wheelsallow the TPMS to continue to functionproperly.
The tire pressure monitoring systemcomplies with part 15 of the FCC rules andwith RSS-210 of Industry Canada.Operation is subject to the following twoconditions: (1) This device may not causeharmful interference, and (2) This devicemust accept any interference received,including interference that may causeundesired operation.
This device complies with part 15 of theFCC Rules and with Licence exempt RSSStandards of Industry Canada. Operationis subject to the following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmfulinterference.
•This device must accept anyinterference received, includinginterference that may cause undesiredoperation.
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