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BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires for
approximately 300 miles (480 kilometers).
During this time, your vehicle may exhibit
some unusual driving characteristics.
Avoid driving too fast during the first 1000
miles (1600 kilometers). Vary your speed
frequently and change up through the gears
early. Do not labor the engine.
Do not tow during the first 1000 miles (1600
kilometers).
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Fuel economy is affected by several things
such as how you drive, the conditions you
drive under and how you maintain your
vehicle.
There are some things to keep in mind that
may improve your fuel economy:
•
Accelerate and slow down in a smooth,
moderate fashion.
• Drive at steady speeds. •
Anticipate stops; slowing down may
eliminate the need to stop.
• Combine errands and minimize
stop-and-go driving (When running
errands, go to the furthest destination
first and then work your way back home).
• Close the windows for high-speed
driving.
• Drive at reasonable speeds.
• Keep the tires properly inflated and use
only the recommended size.
• Use the recommended engine oil.
• Perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance.
There are also some things you may want to
avoid doing because they reduce your fuel
economy:
• Avoid sudden or hard accelerations.
• Avoid revving the engine before turning
off the car.
• Avoid long idle periods.
• Do not warm up your vehicle on cold
mornings. •
Reduce the use of air conditioning and
heat.
• Avoid using speed control in hilly terrain.
• Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
• Avoid carrying unnecessary weight.
• Avoid adding particular accessories to
your vehicle (e.g. bug deflectors,
rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski
racks).
• Avoid driving with the wheels out of
alignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deep
water as you may lose control of your
vehicle. Note:
Driving through standing water can
cause vehicle damage.
Note: Engine damage can occur if water
enters the air filter.
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Safety Practices
WARNINGS
If your vehicle is stuck in snow,
mud or sand, do not rapidly spin
the tires; spinning the tires can tear the
tire and cause an explosion. A tire can
explode in as little as three to five
seconds. Do not spin the wheels at over
34 mph (55 km/h). The tires may
fail and injure a passenger or bystander. Driving habits have a great deal to do
with your tire mileage and safety.
•
Observe posted speed limits
• Avoid fast starts, stops and turns
• Avoid potholes and objects on the
road
• Do not run over curbs or hit the tire
against a curb when parking 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 the wheel
and replace it with your spare tire and
wheel (if provided). 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’re 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.
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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.
Rotating your tires at the recommended
interval (as indicated in the Scheduled
Maintenance chapter) will help your tires
wear more evenly, providing better tire
performance and longer tire life. Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive
vehicles (front tires on the left side of
the diagram)
All vehicles with directional tires (front
tires on the left of the diagram) Sometimes irregular tire wear can be
corrected by rotating the tires.
Summer Tires
Your Ford vehicle may be equipped with
summer tires to 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, Ford does
not recommend using summer tires
when temperatures drop to
approximately 45°F (7°C) or below
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