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
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
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WARNINGS
may be found on either the SafetyCompliance Certification Label(affixed to either the door hingepillar, door-latch post, or the dooredge that meets the door-latchpost, next to the driver's seatingposition), or the Tire Label whichis located on the B-Pillar or edgeof the driver’s door. If thisinformation is not found on theselabels then you should contactyour authorized 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
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 feet(3.66 meters) away from thewheel and tire 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 feet (3.66 meters)away from the wheel and tireassembly
Important: Remember to replacethe wheel valve stems when the
road tires are replaced on yourvehicle
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It is recommended that the twofront tires or two rear tiresgenerally be replaced as a pair.
The tire pressure sensors mountedin the wheels (originally installedon your vehicle) are not designedto be 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, sand, etc., 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
*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 more
important.
If you feel a sudden vibration orride disturbance while driving, oryou suspect your tire or vehiclehas been damaged, immediatelyreduce your speed. Drive withcaution until you can safely pulloff the road. Stop and inspect thetires for damage. If you cannotdetect a cause, have the vehicletowed to the nearest repair facilityor tire dealer to have the vehicleinspected.
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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 (ifequipped) may require alignmentof all four wheels.
The tires should also be balancedperiodically. An unbalanced tireand wheel assembly may result inirregular tire wear.
Tire Rotation
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.
Front-wheel drive and all-wheelvehicles (front tires on the left sideof the diagram)
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All vehicles with directional tires(front tires on the left side of thediagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear canbe corrected by rotating the tires.
USING SUMMER TIRES
Summer tires provide superiorperformance on wet and dry roads.Summer tires do not have the Mud andSnow (M+S or M/S) tire traction rating onthe tire side wall. Since summer tires donot have the same traction performanceas All-season or Snow tires, we do notrecommend using summer tires whentemperatures drop to approximately 45°F(7°C) or below (depending on tire wearand environmental conditions) or in snowand ice conditions. Like any tire, summertire performance is affected by tire wearand environmental conditions. If you mustdrive in those conditions, we recommendusing Mud and Snow (M+S, M/S),All-season or Snow tires.
Always store your summer tires indoors attemperatures above 20ºF (-7ºC). Therubber compounds used in these tires loseflexibility and may develop surface cracksin the tread area at temperatures below20ºF (-7ºC). If the tires have beensubjected to 20ºF (-7ºC) or less, warm
them in a heated space to at least 40ºF(5ºC) for at least 24 hours before installingthem on a vehicle, or moving the vehiclewith the tires installed, or checking tireinflation. Do not place tires near heatersor heating devices used to warm the roomwhere the tires are stored. Do not applyheat or blow heated air directly on the tires.Always inspect the tires after storageperiods and before use.
USING SNOW CHAINS
WARNING
If you choose to install snow tires onyour vehicle, they must be the samesize, construction, and load range asthe original tires listed on the tire placard,and they must be installed on all fourwheels. Mixing tires of different size orconstruction on your vehicle can adverselyaffect your vehicle's handling and braking,and may lead to loss of vehicle control.
Do not use snow chains or cables on thisvehicle as they may cause damage to yourvehicle which may lead to loss of vehiclecontrol.
Snow chains or cables have not beenapproved for use on your vehicle.
The original equipment tires on your vehiclemay have an all-weather tread design toprovide traction, handling, and brakingperformance in year-round driving. Youmay install snow tires for improved tractionwhen driving in areas with sustainedperiods of snow or icy driving conditions
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TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM
WARNING
The tire pressure monitoring systemis not a substitute for manuallychecking tire pressures. You shouldperiodically check tire pressures using apressure gauge. Failure to correctlymaintain tire pressures could increase therisk of tire failure, loss of control, vehiclerollover and personal injury.
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.
This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC Rules and with Industry Canadalicense-exempt RSS standard(s).Operation is subject to the following twoconditions:
•This device may not cause harmfulinterference.
•This device must accept anyinterference received, includinginterference that may cause undesiredoperation.
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Changing Tires With a TirePressure Monitoring System
Note:Each road tire is equipped with a tirepressure sensor located inside the wheeland tire assembly cavity. The pressuresensor is attached to the valve stem. Thepressure sensor is covered by the tire and isnot visible unless the tire is removed. Takecare when changing the tire to avoiddamaging the sensor
You should always have your tires servicedby an authorized dealer.
Check the tire pressure periodically (atleast monthly) using an accurate tiregauge. See Inflating Your Tires in thischapter.
Understanding Your Tire PressureMonitoring System
The tire pressure monitoring systemmeasures pressure in your four road tiresand sends the tire pressure readings toyour vehicle. The low tire pressure warninglight will turn on if the tire pressure issignificantly low. Once the light isilluminated, your tires are under-inflatedand need to be inflated to themanufacturer’s recommended tirepressure. Even if the light turns on and ashort time later turns off, your tire pressurestill needs to be checked.
When Your Temporary Spare Tire isInstalled
When one of your road tires needs to bereplaced with the temporary spare, thesystem will continue to identify an issue toremind you that the damaged road wheeland tire assembly needs to be repaired andput back on your vehicle.
To restore the full function of the tirepressure monitoring system, have thedamaged road wheel and tire assemblyrepaired and remounted on your vehicle.
When You Believe Your System is NotOperating Properly
The main function of the tire pressuremonitoring system is to warn you whenyour tires need air. It can also warn you inthe event the system is no longer capableof functioning as intended. See thefollowing chart for information concerningyour tire pressure monitoring system:
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Customer action requiredPossible causeLow tire pressurewarning light
Make sure tires are at the proper pres-sure. See Inflating your tires in thischapter. After inflating your tires to themanufacturer’s recommended pressureas shown on the Tire Label (located onthe edge of driver’s door or the B-Pillar),the vehicle must be driven for at leasttwo minutes over 20 mph (32 km/h)before the light turns off.
Tire(s) under-inflatedSolid warning light
Repair the damaged road wheel and tireassembly and reinstall it on the vehicleto restore system function. For adescription on how the system functions,see When your temporary spare tireis installed in this section.
Spare tire in use
If the tires are properly inflated and thespare tire is not in use but the lightremains on, contact your authorizeddealer as soon as possible.
TPMS malfunction
Repair the damaged road wheel and tireassembly and reinstall it on the vehicleto restore system function. For adescription on how the system functions,see When your temporary spare tireis installed in this section.
Spare tire in useFlashing warninglight
If the tires are properly inflated and thespare tire is not in use but the lightremains on, contact your authorizeddealer as soon as possible.
TPMS malfunction
When Inflating Your Tires
When putting air into your tires (such as ata gas station or in your garage), the tirepressure monitoring system may notrespond immediately to the air added toyour tires.
It may take up to two minutes of drivingover 20 mph (32 km/h) for the light to turnoff after you have filled your tires to therecommended inflation pressure
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