T type tires have some additionalinformation beyond those of P type tires;these differences are described below:
A. T: Indicates a type of tire, designatedby the Tire and Rim Association, that isintended for temporary service on cars,sport utility vehicles, minivans and lighttrucks.
B. 145: Indicates the nominal width ofthe tire in millimeters from sidewall edgeto sidewall edge. In general, the largerthe number, the wider the tire.
C. 80: Indicates the aspect ratio whichgives the tire's ratio of height to width.Numbers of 70 or lower indicate a shortsidewall.
D. D: Indicates a diagonal type tire.
R: Indicates a radial type tire.
E. 16: Indicates the wheel or rimdiameter in inches. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to purchasenew tires to match the new wheeldiameter.
Location of the Tire Label
You will find a Tire Label containing tireinflation pressure by tire size and otherimportant information located on theB-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door.
Inflating Your Tires
Safe operation of your vehicle requiresthat your tires are properly inflated.Remember that a tire can lose up to halfof its air pressure without appearing flat.
Every day before you drive, check yourtires. If one looks lower than the others,use a tire gauge to check pressure of alltires and adjust if required.
At least once a month and before longtrips, inspect each tire and check the tire
pressure with a tire gauge (includingspare, if equipped). Inflate all tires to theinflation pressure recommended by FordMotor Company.
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You are strongly urged to buy a reliabletire pressure gauge, as automaticservice station gauges may beinaccurate. Ford recommends the useof a digital or dial-type tire pressuregauge rather than a stick-type tirepressure gauge.
Use the recommended cold inflationpressure for optimum tire performanceand wear. Under-inflation orover-inflation may cause uneventreadwear patterns
WARNING: Under-inflation is themost common cause of tire failures andmay result in severe tire cracking, treadseparation or blowout, with unexpectedloss of vehicle control and increased riskof injury. Under-inflation increasessidewall flexing and rolling resistance,resulting in heat buildup and internaldamage to the tire. It also may result inunnecessary tire stress, irregular wear,loss of vehicle control and accidents. A
tire can lose up to half of its air pressureand not appear to be flat!
Always inflate your tires to the Fordrecommended inflation pressure evenif it is less than the maximum inflationpressure information found on the tire.The Ford recommended tire inflationpressure is found on the SafetyCompliance Certification Label (affixedto either the door hinge pillar, door-latchpost, or the door edge that meets thedoor-latch post, next to the driver'sseating position), or Tire Label which islocated on the B-Pillar or the edge of thedriver’s door. Failure to follow the tirepressure recommendations can causeuneven treadwear patterns andadversely affect the way your vehiclehandles
Maximum Inflation Pressure is the tiremanufacturer's maximum permissible
pressure and the pressure at which themaximum load can be carried by the tire.This pressure is normally higher than themanufacturer’s recommended coldinflation pressure which can be foundon the Safety Compliance CertificationLabel (affixed to either the door hingepillar, door-latch post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch post, next tothe driver's seating position), or TireLabel which is located on the B-Pillar orthe edge of the driver’s door. The coldinflation pressure should never be setlower than the recommended pressureon the Safety Compliance CertificationLabel or Tire Label.
When weather temperature changesoccur, tire inflation pressures alsochange. A 10°F (6°C) temperature dropcan cause a corresponding drop of 1 psi(7 kPa) in inflation pressure. Check yourtire pressures frequently and adjustthem to the proper pressure which canbe found on the Safety ComplianceCertification Label or Tire Label.
To check the pressure in your tire(s):
1. Make sure the tires are cool,meaning they are not hot fromdriving even a mile.
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Note:If you are checking tire pressurewhen the tire is hot, (for example drivenmore than 1 mile [1.6 kilometers]), neverbleed or reduce air pressure. The tiresare hot from driving and it is normal forpressures to increase aboverecommended cold pressures. A hot tireat or below recommended cold inflationpressure could be significantlyunder-inflated.
Note:If you have to drive a distance toget air for your tire(s), check and recordthe tire pressure first and add theappropriate air pressure when you getto the pump. It is normal for tires to heatup and the air pressure inside to go upas you drive.
2.Remove the cap from the valve on
one tire, then firmly press the tiregauge onto the valve and measurethe pressure.
3. Add enough air to reach therecommended air pressure.
Note:If you overfill the tire, release airby pressing on the metal stem in thecenter of the valve. Then recheck thepressure with your tire gauge.
4. Replace the valve cap.
5.Repeat this procedure for each tire,including the spare.
Note:Some spare tires operate at ahigher inflation pressure than the othertires. For T type mini-spare tires, see theDissimilar spare wheel and tireassembly information for a description.Store and maintain at 60 psi (4.15 bar).For full-size and dissimilar spare tires,see the Dissimilar spare wheel and tireassembly information for a description.Store and maintain at the higher of thefront and rear inflation pressure as
shown on the Tire Label.
6.Visually inspect the tires to makesure there are no nails or otherobjects embedded that could pokea hole in the tire and cause an airleak.
7. Check the sidewalls to make surethere are no gouges, cuts or bulges.
Inspecting Your Tires and Wheel ValveStems
Periodically inspect the tire treads foruneven or excessive wear and removeobjects such as stones, nails or glassthat may be wedged in the treadgrooves. Check the tire and valve stemsfor holes, cracks, or cuts that may permitair leakage and repair or replace the tireand replace the valve stem. Inspect thetire sidewalls for cracking, cuts, bruisesand other signs of damage or excessivewear. If internal damage to the tire issuspected, have the tire demounted andinspected in case it needs to be repairedor replaced. For your safety, tires that
are damaged or show signs of excessivewear should not be used because theyare more likely to blow out or fail.
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Improper or inadequate vehiclemaintenance can cause tires to wearabnormally. Inspect all your tires,including the spare, frequently, andreplace them if one or more of thefollowing conditions exist:
Tire Wear
When the tread is worn down to onesixteenth of an inch (2 millimeters), tiresmust be replaced to help prevent yourvehicle from skidding and hydroplaning.Built-in treadwear indicators, or wearbars, which look like narrow strips ofsmooth rubber across the tread willappear on the tire when the tread isworn down to one sixteenth of an inch(2 millimeters).
When the tire tread wears down to thesame height as these wear bars, the tireis worn out and must be replaced.
Damage
Periodically inspect the tire treads andsidewalls for damage (such as bulges inthe tread or sidewalls, cracks in the
tread groove and separation in the treador sidewall). If damage is observed orsuspected have the tire inspected by atire professional. Tires can be damagedduring off-road use, so inspection afteroff-road use is also recommended.
Age
WARNING: Tires degrade overtime depending on many factors suchas weather, storage conditions, andconditions of use (load, speed, inflationpressure) the tires experiencethroughout their lives.
WARNING: In general, tires shouldbe replaced after six years regardlessof tread wear or even if they have notbeen used. However, heat caused byhot climates or frequent high-loadconditions can accelerate the agingprocess and may require you to replacetires more frequently.
WARNING: You should replaceyour spare tire when you replace theroad tires or after six years due to agingeven if it has not been used.
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Highway Hazards
No matter how carefully you drive thereis always the possibility that you mayeventually have a flat tire on thehighway. Drive slowly to the closest safearea out of traffic. This may furtherdamage the flat tire, but your safety ismore important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ridedisturbance while driving, or you suspectyour tire or vehicle has been damaged,immediately reduce your speed. Drivewith caution until you can safely pull offthe road. Stop and inspect the tires fordamage. If a tire is under-inflated ordamaged, deflate it, remove the wheeland replace it with your spare tire andwheel (if provided). If you cannot detect
a cause, have the vehicle towed to thenearest repair facility or tire dealer tohave the vehicle inspected.
Tire and Wheel Alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or potholecan cause the front end of your vehicleto become misaligned or cause damageto your tires. If your vehicle seems topull to one side when you’re driving, thewheels may be out of alignment. Havean authorized dealer check the wheelalignment periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or therear can cause uneven and rapidtreadwear of your tires and should becorrected by an authorized dealer.Front-wheel drive vehicles and thosewith an independent rear suspension (ifequipped) may require alignment of allfour wheels.
The tires should also be balanced
periodically. An unbalanced tire andwheel assembly may result in irregulartire wear.
Tire Rotation
Note:If your tires show uneven wearask an authorized dealer to check forand correct any wheel misalignment,tire imbalance or mechanical probleminvolved before tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may be equippedwith a dissimilar spare wheel and tireassembly. A dissimilar spare wheel andtire assembly is defined as a sparewheel and tire assembly that is differentin brand, size or appearance from theroad tires and wheels. If you have adissimilar spare wheel and tire assemblyit is intended for temporary use only andshould 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 recommendedinterval (as indicated in the ScheduledMaintenance chapter) will help your tireswear more evenly, providing better tireperformance and longer tire life.
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Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drivevehicles (front tires on the left side ofthe diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can becorrected by rotating the tires.
USING SUMMER TIRES (If Equipped)
Summer tires provide superior performanceon wet and dry roads. Summer tires do nothave the Mud and Snow (M+S or M/S) tiretraction rating on the tire side wall. Sincesummer tires do not have the same tractionperformance as All-season or Snow tires, wedo not recommend using summer tires when
temperatures drop to approximately 45°F(7°C) or below (depending on tire wear andenvironmental conditions) or in snow and iceconditions. Like any tire, summer tireperformance is affected by tire wear andenvironmental conditions. If you must drivein those conditions, we recommend usingMud and Snow (M+S, M/S), All-season orSnow tires.
Always store your summer tires indoors attemperatures above 19°F (-7°C). The rubbercompounds used in these tires lose flexibilityand may develop surface cracks in the treadarea at temperatures below 19°F (-7°C). If thetires have been subjected to 19°F (-7°C) orless, warm them in a heated space to at least41°F (5°C) for at least 24 hours beforeinstalling them on a vehicle, or moving thevehicle with the tires installed, or checkingtire inflation. Do not place tires near heatersor heating devices used to warm the roomwhere the tires are stored. Do not apply heator blow heated air directly on the tires.Always inspect the tires after storage periodsand before use.
USING SNOW CHAINS
WARNING: Snow tires must be thesame size, load index, and speed rating asthose originally provided by Ford. Use of anytire or wheel not recommended by Ford canaffect the safety and performance of yourvehicle, which could result in an increasedrisk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,personal injury, and death. Additionally, theuse of non-recommended tires and wheelscould cause steering, suspension, axle,transfer case, or power transfer unit failure.It is also strongly advised to follow the Fordrecommended tire inflation pressure foundon the Safety Compliance Certification Label(affixed to either the door hinge pillar,door-latch post, or the door edge that meetsthe door-latch post, next to the driver’sseating position), or Tire Label which islocated on the B-Pillar or the edge of thedriver door. Failure to follow the tire pressurerecommendations can cause uneventreadwear patterns and adversely affect theway your vehicle handles.
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Each tire, including the spare (ifprovided), should be checkedmonthly when cold and inflated tothe inflation pressure recommended by thevehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placardor tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehiclehas tires of a different size than the sizeindicated on the vehicle placard or tireinflation pressure label, you shoulddetermine the proper tire inflation pressurefor those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle hasbeen equipped with a Tire PressureMonitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates alow tire pressure telltale when one or moreof your tires is significantly under-inflated.Accordingly, when the low tire pressuretelltale illuminates, you should stop andcheck your tires as soon as possible, andinflate them to the proper pressure. Drivingon a significantly under-inflated tire causesthe tire to overheat and can lead to tirefailure. Under-inflation also reduces fuelefficiency and tire tread life, and may affectthe vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitutefor proper tire maintenance, and it is thedriver’s responsibility to maintain correct tirepressure, even if under-inflation has notreached the level to trigger illumination ofthe TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with aTPMS malfunction indicator to indicate whenthe system is not operating properly. TheTPMS malfunction indicator is combined withthe low tire pressure telltale. When thesystem detects a malfunction, the telltale willflash for approximately one minute and thenremain continuously illuminated. Thissequence will continue upon subsequentvehicle start-ups as long as the malfunctionexists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,the system may not be able to detect orsignal low tire pressure as intended. TPMSmalfunctions may occur for a variety ofreasons, including the installation ofreplacement or alternate tires or wheels onthe vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the TPMSmalfunction telltale after replacing one ormore tires or wheels on your vehicle toensure that the replacement or alternate tiresand wheels allow the TPMS to continue tofunction properly.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCCRules and with License exempt RSSStandards of Industry Canada. Operation issubject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmfulinterference, and
2.This device must accept any interferencereceived, including interference that maycause undesired operation.
Note:Changes or modifications notexpressively approved by the partyresponsible for compliance could void theuser's authority to operate the equipment.The term "IC:" before the radio certificationnumber only signifies that Industry Canadatechnical specifications were met.
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When Inflating Your Tires
WARNING: Do not use the tirepressure displayed in the information displayas a tire pressure gauge. Failure to followthis instruction could result in personal injuryor death.
When putting air into your tires (such as at agas station or in your garage), the tirepressure monitoring system may not respondimmediately to the air added to your tires.
It may take up to two minutes of driving over20 mph (32 km/h) for the light to turn off afteryou have filled your tires to therecommended inflation pressure.
How Temperature Affects Your TirePressure
The tire pressure monitoring system monitorstire pressure in each pneumatic tire. Whiledriving in a normal manner, a typicalpassenger tire inflation pressure mayincrease about 2–4 psi (14–28 kPa) from acold start situation. If the vehicle is stationaryovernight with the outside temperature
significantly lower than the daytimetemperature, the tire pressure may decreaseabout 3 psi (21 kPa) for a drop of 30°F (17°C)in ambient temperature. This lower pressurevalue may be detected by the tire pressuremonitoring system as being significantlylower than the recommended inflationpressure and activate the system warninglight for low tire pressure. If the low tirepressure warning light is on, visually checkeach tire to verify that no tire is flat. If one ormore tires are flat, repair as necessary.Check the air pressure in the road tires. Ifany tire is under-inflated, carefully drive thevehicle to the nearest location where air canbe added to the tires. Inflate all the tires tothe recommended inflation pressure.
CHANGING A ROAD WHEEL
WARNING: If the tire pressure monitorsensor becomes damaged it may notfunction.
Note:You should only use tire sealants inroadside emergencies as they may causedamage to the tire pressure monitoringsystem sensor.
Note:The tire pressure monitoring systemindicator light illuminates when the sparetire is in use. To restore the full function ofthe monitoring system, all road wheelsequipped with tire pressure monitoringsensors must be mounted on the vehicle.
If you get a flat tire when driving, do notapply the brake heavily. Instead, graduallydecrease your speed. Hold the steeringwheel firmly and slowly move to a safe placeon the side of the road.
Have a flat serviced by an authorized dealerin order to prevent damage to the tirepressure monitoring system sensors. SeeTire Pressure Monitoring System (page 359).Replace the spare tire with a road tire assoon as possible. During repairing orreplacing of the flat tire, have an authorizeddealer inspect the tire pressure monitoringsystem sensor for damage.
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