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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BCDE
E142545
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 increases sidewall
flexing and rolling resistance, resulting
in heat buildup 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
to be 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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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.
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be
corrected by rotating the tires.
USING SNOW CHAINS
WARNING
Snow tires must be the same size, load
index, and speed rating as those
originally provided by Ford. 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.
It is also strongly advised to follow the Ford
recommended tire inflation pressure 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 post, next to the driver’ s
seating position), or Tire Label which is
located on the B-Pillar or the edge of the
driver door. Failure to follow the tire pressure
recommendations can cause uneven
treadwear patterns and adversely affect the
way your vehicle handles. Note:
The suspension insulation and
bumpers will help prevent vehicle damage.
Do not remove these components from your
vehicle when using snow tires and chains.
The tires on your vehicle have all-weather
treads to provide traction in rain and snow.
However, in some climates, you may need
to use snow tires and cables. If you need to
use cables, it is recommended that steel
wheels (of the same size and specifications)
be used, as cables may chip aluminum
wheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snow
tires and chains:
• If possible, avoid fully loading your
vehicle.
• Use only SAE Class S snow chains, snow
cables or equivalent on the front axle for
P235/55R19 equipped vehicles. The use
of snow chains, snow cables or other
traction assist devices that are larger than
SAE Class S may cause damage to your
vehicle ’s wheel house, suspension or
body.
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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 pressures. You should periodically check
tire pressures using a pressure gauge.
Failure to correctly maintain tire pressures
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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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 2–4 psi (14–28 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
Do not use tire sealants as they may
damage the tire pressure monitoring
system. If the tire pressure monitor sensor
becomes damaged it may not 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. Note:
If your vehicle is equipped with the
optional 5th road wheel and tire assembly,
the storage location in the luggage
compartment is for temporary use only. The
optional full size road wheel and tire
assembly should be stored outside the
vehicle after delivery.
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 336).
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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