2019 FORD FLEX service

Information Contained on the
Tire Sidewall
Both United States and Canada
Federal regulations require tire
manufacturers to place
standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and
describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also
provides a U.S. DOT Tire
Identification Number for safety
standard certification and in case
of a recall.
Information on P Type Tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of
a tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.) A.
P: Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association,
that may be used for service on
cars, sport utility vehicles,
minivans and light trucks. Note:
If
your tire size does not begin with
a letter this may mean it is
designated by either the European
Tire and Rim Technical
Organization or the Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association.
B. 215:
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. 65:
Indicates the aspect ratio
which gives the tire's ratio of
height to width.
D. R:
Indicates a radial type tire.
E. 15:
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.
F. 95:
Indicates the tire's load
index. It is an index that relates to
how much weight a tire can carry.
You may find this information in
your owner ’s manual. If not,
contact a local tire dealer.
Note: You may not find this
information on all tires because it
is not required by federal law.
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The tire suppliers may have
additional markings, notes or
warnings such as standard load
or radial tubeless.
Additional Information
Contained on the Tire Sidewall
for LT Type Tires
Note:
Tire Quality Grades do not
apply to this type of tire. LT type tires have some additional
information beyond those of P
type tires; these differences are
described below.
A.
LT: Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association,
that is intended for service on light
trucks.
B. Load Range and Load
Inflation Limits:
Indicates the
tire's load-carrying capabilities
and its inflation limits. C.
Maximum Load Dual lb (kg)
at psi (kPa) cold:
Indicates the
maximum load and tire pressure
when the tire is used as a dual,
defined as four tires on the rear
axle (a total of six or more tires on
the vehicle).
D. Maximum Load Single lb
(kg) at psi (kPa) cold:
Indicates
the maximum load and tire
pressure when the tire is used as
a single, defined as two tires
(total) on the rear axle.
Information on T Type Tires
T145/80D16 is an example of a
tire size.
Note: The temporary tire size for
your vehicle may be different from
this example. Tire Quality Grades
do not apply to this type of tire.
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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. 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
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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.
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WARNING: For a mounting
pressure more than 20 psi
(1.38 bar) greater than the
maximum pressure, a Ford dealer
or other tire service professional
should do the mounting. WARNING:
Always inflate
steel carcass tires with a remote
air fill with the person inflating
standing at a minimum of
12 ft
(3.66 m) away from the wheel
and tire assembly. WARNING:
When inflating
the tire for mounting pressures up
to
20 psi (1.38 bar) greater than
the maximum pressure on the tire
sidewall, the following
precautions must be taken to
protect the person mounting the
tire:
• Make sure that you have the
correct tire and wheel size.
• Lubricate the tire bead and
wheel bead seat area again.
• Stand at a minimum of
12 ft
(3.66 m) away from the wheel
and tire assembly.
• Use both eye and ear
protection.
Important: Remember to replace
the wheel valve stems when the
road tires are replaced on your
vehicle.
It is recommended that the two
front tires or two rear tires
generally be replaced as a pair. The tire pressure sensors mounted
in the wheels (originally installed
on your vehicle) are not designed
to be used in aftermarket wheels.
The use of wheels or tires not
recommended by Ford Motor
Company may affect the
operation of your tire pressure
monitoring system.
If the tire pressure monitoring
system indicator is flashing, your
system is malfunctioning. Your
replacement tire might be
incompatible with your tire
pressure monitoring system, or
some component of the system
may be damaged.
Safety Practices
WARNING:
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. WARNING:
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
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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.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain
continuously illuminated. This sequence
will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be able
to detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur
for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate
tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules and with License exempt RSS
Standards of Industry Canada. Operation
is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. This device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation. Note:
Changes or modifications not
expressively approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the
user's authority to operate the equipment.
The term "IC:" before the radio certification
number only signifies that Industry Canada
technical specifications were met.
Changing Tires With a Tire
Pressure Monitoring System Note:
Each road tire is equipped with a tire
pressure sensor located inside the wheel
and tire assembly cavity. The pressure
sensor is attached to the valve stem. The
pressure sensor is covered by the tire and is
not visible unless the tire is removed. Take
care when changing the tire to avoid
damaging the sensor.
You should always have your tires serviced
by an authorized dealer.
Check the tire pressure periodically, at
least monthly, using an accurate tire gauge.
See Inflating Your Tires in this chapter.
Understanding Your Tire Pressure
Monitoring System
The tire pressure monitoring system
measures pressure in your four road tires
and sends the tire pressure readings to
your vehicle. The low tire pressure warning
light will turn on if the tire pressure is
significantly low. Once the light is
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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 WARNING:
The use of tire sealant
may damage your tire pressure monitoring
system and should only be used in
roadside emergencies. If you must use a
sealant, the Ford Tire Mobility Kit sealant
should be used. The tire pressure
monitoring system sensor and valve stem
on the wheel must be replaced by an
authorized dealer after use of the sealant. WARNING:
See
Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (page 289). If the tire
pressure monitor sensor becomes
damaged, it will no longer 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.
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 289). 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.
Dissimilar Spare Wheel and Tire
Assembly Information WARNING:
Failure to follow these
guidelines could result in an increased risk
of loss of vehicle control, injury or death.
If you have a dissimilar spare wheel and
tire, then it is intended for temporary use
only. This means that if you need to use it,
you should replace it as soon as possible
with a road wheel and tire assembly that
is the same size and type as the road tires
and wheels that were originally provided
by Ford. If the dissimilar spare tire or wheel
is damaged, it should be replaced rather
than repaired.
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
and can be one of three types:
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1.
T-type mini-spare: This spare tire
begins with the letter T for tire size and
may have Temporary Use Only molded in
the sidewall.
2. Full-size dissimilar spare with label
on wheel:
This spare tire has a label on
the wheel that states: THIS WHEEL AND
TIRE ASSEMBLY FOR TEMPORARY USE
ONLY.
When driving with one of the dissimilar
spare tires listed above, do not:
• Exceed
50 mph (80 km/h).
• Load the vehicle beyond maximum
vehicle load rating listed on the Safety
Compliance Label.
• Tow a trailer.
• Use snow chains on the end of the
vehicle with the dissimilar spare tire.
• Use more than one dissimilar spare tire
at a time.
• Use commercial car washing
equipment.
• Try to repair the dissimilar spare tire.
Use of one of the dissimilar spare tires
listed above at any one wheel location can
lead to impairment of the following:
• Handling, stability and braking
performance.
• 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 without
label on wheel
When driving with the full-size dissimilar
spare wheel and tire assembly, do not:
• Exceed
70 mph (113 km/h).
• Use more than one dissimilar spare
wheel and tire assembly at a time. •
Use commercial car washing
equipment.
• Use snow chains on the end of the
vehicle with the dissimilar spare wheel
and tire assembly.
The usage of a full-size dissimilar spare
wheel and tire assembly can lead to
impairment of the following:
• Handling, stability and braking
performance.
• Comfort and noise.
• Ground clearance and parking at curbs.
• Winter weather driving capability.
• Wet weather driving capability.
• All-wheel driving capability.
When driving with the full-size dissimilar
spare wheel and tire assembly additional
caution should be given to:
• Towing a trailer.
• Driving vehicles equipped with a
camper body.
• Driving vehicles with a load on the
cargo rack.
Drive cautiously when using a full-size
dissimilar spare wheel and tire assembly
and seek service as soon as possible.
Tire Change Procedure WARNING:
When one of the front
wheels is off the ground, the transmission
alone will not prevent your vehicle from
moving or slipping off the jack, even if the
transmission is in park (P) or neutral (N).
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