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 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:
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Tire Wear
When the tread is worn down to one
sixteenth of an inch (2 mm), tires must
be replaced to help prevent your vehicle
from skidding and hydroplaning. Built-in
treadwear indicators, or wear bars,
which look like narrow strips of smooth
rubber across the tread will appear on
the tire when the tread is worn down to
one sixteenth of an inch (2 mm).
When the tire tread wears down to the
same height as these wear bars, the tire
is worn out and must be replaced. Damage
Periodically inspect the tire treads and
sidewalls for damage (such as bulges in
the tread or sidewalls, cracks in the
tread groove and separation in the tread
or sidewall). If damage is observed or
suspected, have the tire inspected by a
tire professional. Tires can be damaged
during off-road use, so inspection after
off-road use is also recommended.
Age WARNING
Tires degrade over time depending
on many factors such as weather,
storage conditions, and conditions of
use (load, speed, inflation pressure) the
tires experience throughout their lives.
In general, tires should be replaced after
six years regardless of tread wear.
However, heat caused by hot climates
or frequent high loading conditions can
accelerate the aging process and may
require tires to be replaced more
frequently.
You should replace your spare tire when
you replace the road tires or after six
years due to aging even if it has not
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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 wheel and
replace it with your spare tire and wheel.
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 are 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.
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.
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•
Do not install tire chains, cables, or
optional traction devices on the rear tires.
This could cause damage to the vehicle ’s
wheel house or body.
• Do not use tire chains, cables or optional
traction devices with optional 255/45R20
tires.
• Install cable chains securely, verifying
that the cables do not touch any wiring,
brake lines or fuel lines.
• Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) with
tire cables on your vehicle.
• Drive cautiously. If you hear the cables
rub or bang against your vehicle, stop
and retighten the cables. If this does not
work, remove the cables to prevent
damage to your vehicle.
• Remove the tire cables when they are no
longer needed. Do not use tire cables on
dry roads. TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM WARNING
The tire pressure monitoring system is
not a substitute for manually checking
tire pressure. The tire pressure should be
checked periodically (at least monthly) using
a tire gauge, see Inflating your tires in this
chapter. Failure to properly maintain your
tire pressure could increase the risk of tire
failure, loss of control, vehicle rollover and
personal injury. Each tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle
has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure
for those tires.) As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates a
low tire pressure telltale when one or more
of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle
’s handling and stopping ability.
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.
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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. When Your Temporary Spare Tire is
Installed
When one of your road tires needs to be
replaced with the temporary spare, the
system will continue to identify an issue to
remind you that the damaged road wheel
and tire assembly needs to be repaired and
put back on your vehicle.
To restore the full function of the tire
pressure monitoring system, have the
damaged road wheel and tire assembly
repaired and remounted on your vehicle.
When You Believe Your System is Not
Operating Properly
The main function of the tire pressure
monitoring system is to warn you when your
tires need air. It can also warn you in the
event the system is no longer capable of
functioning as intended. See the following
chart for information concerning your tire
pressure monitoring system:
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Customer action required
Possible cause
Low tire pressure warning light
Make sure tires are at the proper pressure. See Inflating your tires
in this chapter. After inflating your tires to the manufacturer’s
recommended pressure as shown on the Tire Label (located on
the edge of driver’ s door or the B-Pillar), the vehicle must be driven
for at least two minutes over 20 mph (32 km/h) before the light
turns off.
Tire(s) under-inflated
Solid warning light
Repair the damaged road wheel and tire assembly and reinstall
it on the vehicle to restore system function. For a description on
how the system functions, see When your temporary spare tire
is installed in this section.
Spare tire in use
If the tires are properly inflated and the spare tire is not in use but
the light remains on, contact your authorized dealer as soon as
possible.
TPMS malfunction
Repair the damaged road wheel and tire assembly and reinstall
it on the vehicle to restore system function. For a description on
how the system functions, see
When your temporary spare tire
is installed in this section.
Spare tire in use
Flashing warning light
If the tires are properly inflated and the spare tire is not in use but
the light remains on, contact your authorized dealer as soon as
possible.
TPMS malfunction
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When Inflating Your Tires
When putting air into your tires (such as at a
gas station or in your garage), the tire
pressure monitoring system may not respond
immediately to the air added to your tires.
It may take up to two minutes of driving over
20 mph (32 km/h) for the light to turn off after
you have filled your tires to the
recommended inflation pressure
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. WARNINGS
See Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(page 338). 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 338).
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.
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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.
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.
• Use commercial car washing equipment.
• 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.
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