Note:Stay out of the trajectory (1)as indicated in the illustration.
Inspecting Your Tires andWheel Valve Stems
Periodically inspect the tire treadsfor uneven or excessive wear andremove objects such as stones,nails or glass that may be wedgedin the tread grooves. Check the tireand valve stems for holes, cracks,or cuts that may permit airleakage and repair or replace thetire and replace the valve stem.Inspect the tire sidewalls forcracking, cuts, bruises and othersigns of damage or excessivewear. If internal damage to the tire
is suspected, have the tiredemounted and inspected in caseit needs to be repaired or replaced.For your safety, tires that aredamaged or show signs ofexcessive wear should not be usedbecause they are more likely toblow out or fail.
Improper or inadequate vehiclemaintenance can cause tires towear abnormally. Inspect all yourtires, including the spare,frequently, and replace them ifone or more of the followingconditions exist:
181
E-Series (TE4) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201804, Second-Printing
Wheels and TiresE161438
1
Tire Wear
When the tread is worn down toone sixteenth of an inch (2millimeters), tires must bereplaced to help prevent yourvehicle from skidding andhydroplaning. Built-in treadwearindicators, or wear bars, whichlook like narrow strips of smoothrubber across the tread appearson the tire when the tread is worndown to one sixteenth of an inch(2 millimeters).
When the tire tread wears downto the same height as these wearbars, the tire is worn out and mustbe replaced.
Damage
Periodically inspect the tire treadsand sidewalls for damage (suchas bulges in the tread or sidewalls,cracks in the tread groove andseparation in the tread orsidewall). If damage is observed
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 degradeover time depending on manyfactors such as weather, storageconditions, and conditions of use(load, speed, inflation pressure)the tires experience throughouttheir lives.In general, tires should bereplaced after six yearsregardless of tread wear.However, heat caused by hotclimates or frequent high loadingconditions can accelerate theaging process and may requiretires to be replaced morefrequently.You should replace your sparetire when you replace the roadtires or after six years due toaging even if it has not beenused.
U.S. DOT Tire IdentificationNumber
Both United States and CanadaFederal regulations require tiremanufacturers to placestandardized information on thesidewall of all tires. Thisinformation identifies and
182
E-Series (TE4) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201804, Second-Printing
Wheels and TiresE142546
WARNING: Do not spin thewheels at over 34 mph(55 km/h). The tires may fail andinjure a passenger 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 moreimportant.
If you feel a sudden vibration orride disturbance when driving, oryou suspect your tire or vehiclehas been damaged, immediatelyreduce your speed. Drive with
caution until you can safely pulloff the road. Stop and inspect thetires for damage. If a tire isunder-inflated or damaged,deflate it, remove wheel and
replace it with your spare tire andwheel. If you cannot detect acause, have the vehicle towed tothe nearest repair facility or tiredealer to have the vehicleinspected.
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 and
rapid treadwear of your tires andshould be corrected by anauthorized dealer. Front-wheeldrive vehicles and those with anindependent rear suspension mayrequire alignment of all fourwheels.
The tires should also be balancedperiodically. An unbalanced tireand wheel assembly may result inirregular tire wear.
Tire Rotation
WARNING: If the tire labelshows different tire pressures forthe front and rear tires and thevehicle has a tire pressuremonitoring system, then youneed to update the settings for
185
E-Series (TE4) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201804, Second-Printing
Wheels and Tires
the system sensors. Alwaysperform the system resetprocedure after tire rotation. Ifyou do not reset the system, itmay not provide a low tirepressure warning whennecessary.
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) helps yourtires wear more evenly, providingbetter tire performance and longertire life. Sometime irregular tire
wear can be corrected by rotatingthe tires.
Rear-wheel drive vehicles andfour-wheel drive vehicles (fronttires at left of diagram).
Dual rear wheel drive vehicle - six
tire rotation (front tires at top ofdiagram).
186
E-Series (TE4) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201804, Second-Printing
Wheels and TiresE142548 E166988
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING: The tire pressuremonitoring system is not a substitute formanually checking tire pressures. Youshould periodically check tire pressuresusing a pressure gauge. Failure tocorrectly maintain tire pressures couldincrease the risk of tire failure, loss ofcontrol, vehicle rollover and personalinjury.
Note: You should only use tire sealants inroadside emergencies as they may causedamage to the tire pressure monitoringsystem sensor.
Note: If the tire pressure monitoring systemsensor becomes damaged, it may notfunction.
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 inflate
them 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 a TPMS malfunctionindicator to indicate when the system isnot operating properly. The TPMSmalfunction indicator is combined with thelow tire pressure telltale. When the systemdetects a malfunction, the telltale flashesfor approximately one minute and thenremains continuously illuminated. Thissequence continues upon subsequentvehicle start-ups as long as themalfunction 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 License exempt RSSStandards of Industry Canada. Operationis subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmfulinterference.
188
E-Series (TE4) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201804, Second-Printing
Wheels and Tires
2. This device must accept anyinterference received, includinginterference that may cause undesiredoperation.
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.
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 tire gauge.See Inflating Your Tires in this chapter.
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 turns 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 you replace one of the road tireswith the temporary spare, the systemcontinues to identify an issue to remindyou that you need to repair and put backon the damaged road wheel and tireassembly 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:
189
E-Series (TE4) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201804, Second-Printing
Wheels and TiresE142549
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 door or the B-Pillar, thevehicle must be driven for at least twominutes over 20 mph (32 km/h) beforethe 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.
190
E-Series (TE4) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201804, Second-Printing
Wheels and Tires
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.
Note:Do not use wheels or lug nutsdifferent than the original equipment, as thismay damage the wheel or mounting system.
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 safeplace on the side of the road.
Have a flat serviced by an authorizeddealer in order to prevent damage to thetire pressure monitoring system sensors.See Tire Pressure Monitoring System(page 188). Replace the spare tire with aroad tire as soon as possible. Duringrepairing or replacing of the flat tire, havethe authorized dealer inspect the tirepressure monitoring system sensor fordamage.
Dissimilar Spare Wheel and TireAssembly Information
WARNING: Failure to follow theseguidelines could result in an increasedrisk of loss of vehicle control, injury ordeath.
If you have a dissimilar spare wheel andtire, then it is intended for temporary useonly. This means that if you need to use it,you should replace it as soon as possiblewith a road wheel and tire assembly thatis the same size and type as the road tiresand wheels that were originally providedby Ford. If the dissimilar spare tire or wheelis damaged, it should be replaced ratherthan repaired.
A dissimilar spare wheel and tire assemblyis defined as a spare wheel and tireassembly that is different in brand, size orappearance from the road tires and wheelsand can be one of three types:
1.T-type mini-spare: This spare tirebegins with the letter T for tire size andmay have Temporary Use Only molded inthe sidewall.
2.Full-size dissimilar spare with labelon wheel: This spare tire has a label onthe wheel that states: THIS WHEEL ANDTIRE ASSEMBLY FOR TEMPORARY USEONLY.
When driving with one of the dissimilarspare tires listed above, do not:
•Exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
•Load the vehicle beyond maximumvehicle load rating listed on the SafetyCompliance Label.
•Tow a trailer.
•Use snow chains on the end of thevehicle with the dissimilar spare tire.
•Use more than one dissimilar spare tireat a time.
•Use commercial car washingequipment.
•Try to repair the dissimilar spare tire.
Use of one of the dissimilar spare tireslisted above at any one wheel location canlead to impairment of the following:
•Handling, stability and brakingperformance.
•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 withoutlabel on wheel
193
E-Series (TE4) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201804, Second-Printing
Wheels and Tires