Information Contained on the
Tire Sidewall
Both United States 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
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
Recommended Tire Pressures
and 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 the 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.
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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 increase
sidewall flexing and rolling
resistance, resulting in heat
build-up 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 flat. 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. 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. You
will find a Tire Label containing
the Ford recommended tire
inflation pressure by the tire size
and other important information
located on the B-Pillar or the edge
of the driver
’s door.
The Ford recommended tire
inflation pressure is also 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 on the
B-pillar, or on the edge of the
driver ’s door.
Failure to follow the tire pressure
recommendations can cause
uneven treadwear patterns and
adversely affect the way your
vehicle handles.
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
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WARNINGS
is located on the B-Pillar or edge
of the driver ’s door. If this
information is not found on these
labels then you should contact
your authorized dealer as soon as
possible. Use of any tire or wheel
not recommended by Ford can
affect the safety and performance
of your vehicle, which could result
in an increased risk of loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover,
personal injury and death.
Additionally the use of
non-recommended tires and
wheels could cause steering,
suspension, axle, transfer case or
power transfer unit failure. If you
have questions regarding tire
replacement, contact your
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. To reduce the risk of serious
injury, when mounting
replacement tires and wheels, you
should not exceed the maximum
pressure indicated on the sidewall
of the tire to set the beads without
additional precautions listed
below. If the beads do not seat at
the maximum pressure indicated,
re-lubricate and try again.
When inflating the tire for
mounting pressures up to 20 psi
(1.38 bar) greater than the
maximum pressure on the tire
sidewall, the following
precautions must be taken to
protect the person mounting the
tire: WARNINGS
1. Make sure that you have the
correct tire and wheel size.
2. Lubricate the tire bead and
wheel bead seat area again.
3. Stand at a minimum of
12 ft
(3.66 m) away from the wheel
and tire assembly.
4. Use both eye and ear
protection.
For a mounting pressure more
than 20 psi (1.38 bar) greater than
the maximum pressure, a Ford
dealer or other tire service
professional should do the
mounting.
Always inflate steel carcass tires
with a remote air fill with the
person inflating standing at a
minimum of 12 feet (3.66 meters)
away from the wheel and tire
assembly. Important: Remember to replace
the wheel valve stems when the
road tires are replaced on your
vehicle.
It is recommended that the two
front tires or two rear tires
generally be replaced as a pair.
The tire pressure sensors mounted
in the wheels (originally installed
on your vehicle) are not designed
to be used in aftermarket wheels.
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Vehicles equipped with directional
tires
Police Wheels and Tires
Wheel rims
To withstand the demands placed
on vehicles driven under heavy
duty service conditions, Ford
Motor Company installs heavy
duty wheels.
Tires
Tires (including the spare) are
speed-rated radials for police use.
Use only the recommended tire
size and speed ratings.
In regions with snow and ice
during the winter months,
installation of snow tires may be
desirable. Snow tires will usually
exhibit a drop in dry pavement
handling, but may show an
increase in snow and ice traction.
When snow tires are used, they
should be installed on all four
wheels, never on the drive wheels
only. Tire storage
Most high performance tires are
made with a nylon overlay. As
such, the following steps should
be taken to avoid flatspotting
when the vehicles are not used for
a period of time.
•
Fleets should store the vehicles
with 44 psi (303 kPa) in the
tires.
• If the vehicle is stored for
periods longer than 30 days,
you should move it several feet
at least once during each
30-day period, so that a
different portion of the tread
contacts the ground.
• Tire pressure should be
reduced to the recommended
pressure shown on the vehicle
certification label before the
vehicle is placed back into
service.
USING SUMMER TIRES
Summer tires 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, we do not
recommend using summer tires when
temperatures drop to approximately 45°F
(7°C)
or below (depending on tire wear
and environmental conditions) or in snow
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Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance, and
it is the driver
’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation
has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure
telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain
continuously illuminated. This sequence
will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be able
to detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur
for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate
tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
The tire pressure monitoring system
complies with part 15 of the FCC rules and
with RSS-210 of Industry Canada.
Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) This device
must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause
undesired operation. Changing Tires With a Tire
Pressure Monitoring System
Note:
Each road tire is equipped with a tire
pressure sensor located inside the wheel
and tire assembly cavity. The pressure
sensor is attached to the valve stem. The
pressure sensor is covered by the tire and is
not visible unless the tire is removed. Take
care when changing the tire to avoid
damaging the sensor
You should always have your tires serviced
by an authorized dealer.
Check the tire pressure periodically (at
least monthly) using an accurate tire
gauge. See Inflating Your Tires in this
chapter.
Understanding Your Tire Pressure
Monitoring System
The tire pressure monitoring system
measures pressure in your four road tires
and sends the tire pressure readings to
your vehicle. The low tire pressure warning
light will turn on if the tire pressure is
significantly low. Once the light is
illuminated, your tires are under-inflated
and need to be inflated to the
manufacturer ’s recommended tire
pressure. Even if the light turns on and a
short time later turns off, your tire pressure
still needs to be checked.
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How Temperature Affects Your Tire
Pressure
The tire pressure monitoring system
monitors tire pressure in each pneumatic
tire. While driving in a normal manner, a
typical passenger tire inflation pressure
may increase about 2 to 4 psi (14 to 28
kPa) from a cold start situation. If the
vehicle is stationary overnight with the
outside temperature significantly lower
than the daytime temperature, the tire
pressure may decrease about 3 psi (21
kPa) for a drop of 30°F (17°C) in ambient
temperature. This lower pressure value
may be detected by the tire pressure
monitoring system as being significantly
lower than the recommended inflation
pressure and activate the system warning
light for low tire pressure. If the low tire
pressure warning light is on, visually check
each tire to verify that no tire is flat. If one
or more tires are flat, repair as necessary.
Check the air pressure in the road tires. If
any tire is under-inflated, carefully drive
the vehicle to the nearest location where
air can be added to the tires. Inflate all the
tires to the recommended inflation
pressure.
CHANGING A ROAD WHEEL
WARNINGS
The use of tire sealant may damage
your tire pressure monitoring system
and should only be used in roadside
emergencies. If you must use a sealant, the
Ford Tire Mobility Kit sealant should be
used. The tire pressure monitoring system
sensor and valve stem on the wheel must
be replaced by an authorized dealer after
use of the sealant. See Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (page 223). If the tire
pressure monitor sensor becomes
damaged, it will no longer function. 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 223). 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.
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:
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