Operating AWD Vehicles WithMismatched Tires
WARNING: Only use replacementtires and wheels that are the same size,load index, speed rating and type (such asP-metric versus LT-metric or all-seasonversus all-terrain) as those originallyprovided by Ford. The recommended tireand wheel size may be found on either theSafety Compliance Certification Label(affixed to either the door hinge pillar,door-latch post, or the door edge thatmeets the door-latch post, next to thedriver's seating position), or the Tire Labelwhich is located on the B-Pillar or edge ofthe driver's door. If this information is notfound on these labels, then you shouldcontact your authorized dealer as soon aspossible. Use of any tire or wheel notrecommended by Ford can affect thesafety and performance of your vehicle,which could result in an increased risk ofloss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,personal injury and death.
WARNING: The use ofnon-recommended tires and wheels couldcause steering, suspension, axle, transfercase or power transfer unit failure. If youhave questions regarding tire replacement,contact your authorized dealer as soon aspossible.
Major dissimilar tire sizes between the frontand rear axles (for example, 17 inch lowprofile tires on the front axle and 22 inch highprofile tires on the rear axle) could cause theAWD system to stop functioning and defaultto front-wheel drive or damage the AWDsystem. However, the AWD system iscapable of tolerating any combination of newand worn tires of the same original tire size. For example, using 3 worn tread tires and 1new tread tire all of the same original tiresize, can be tolerated by the AWD system.
Driving In Special Conditions With All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
AWD vehicles are equipped for driving onsand, snow, mud and rough roads and haveoperating characteristics that are somewhatdifferent from conventional vehicles, both onand off the highway.
When driving at slow speeds in deep sandunder high outside temperatures, use a lowgear when possible. Lower gear operationwill maximize the engine and transmissioncooling capability.
Under severe operating conditions, the A/Cmay cycle on and off to protect overheatingof the engine.
Basic operating principles in specialconditions
•Drive slower in strong crosswinds whichcan affect the normal steeringcharacteristics of your vehicle.
•Be extremely careful when driving onpavement made slippery by loose sand,water, gravel, snow or ice.
181
MKT (TP4) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
acceleration or braking which could resultin an increased risk of loss of vehiclecontrol, vehicle rollover and/or personalinjury. Use all available road surface toreturn the vehicle to a safe direction oftravel.
•In the event of an emergency stop, avoidskidding the tires and do not attempt anysharp steering wheel movements.
•If the vehicle goes from one type ofsurface to another (that is, from concreteto gravel) there will be a change in theway the vehicle responds to a maneuver(steering, acceleration or braking). Again,avoid these abrupt inputs.
Sand
Most of the time traction control improvestire traction by managing wheel slip throughBrake, Engine, and AWD calibrations.However, during low speed driving, disablingtraction control in deep sand can help keepthe wheels moving to maintain vehiclemomentum.
When driving over sand, try to keep all fourwheels on the most solid area of the trail.Avoid reducing the tire pressures but shiftto a lower gear and drive steadily throughthe terrain. Apply the accelerator slowly andavoid spinning the wheels.
Do not drive your vehicle in deep sand foran extended period of time. This couldcause the AWD system to overheat anddefault to front-wheel drive. If this occurs,an AWD OFF message displays in theinformation display. To resume normal AWDfunction as soon as possible, stop the vehiclein a safe location and stop the engine for atleast 10 minutes. After the engine has beenrestarted and the AWD system hasadequately cooled, the AWD OFF messageturns off and normal AWD function returns. In the event the engine is not stopped, theAWD OFF message turns off when thesystem cools and normal AWD functionreturns.
When driving at slow speeds in deep sandunder high outside temperatures, use L (Low)gear when possible. L (Low) gear operationwill maximize the engine and transmissioncooling capability.
Under severe operating conditions, the A/Cmay cycle on and off to protect overheatingof the engine.
Avoid excessive speed because vehiclemomentum can work against you and causethe vehicle to become stuck to the point thatassistance may be required from anothervehicle. Remember, you may be able to backout the way you came if you proceed withcaution.
Mud and Water
If you must drive through high water, driveslowly. Traction or brake capability may belimited.
When driving through water, determine thedepth; avoid water higher than the bottomof the wheel rims (for cars) or the bottom ofthe hubs (for trucks) (if possible) and proceedslowly. If the ignition system gets wet, thevehicle may stall.
183
MKT (TP4) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
Note: Do not use razor blades or othersharp objects to clean or remove decals fromthe inside of the heated rear window. Thevehicle warranty does not cover damagecaused to the heated rear window grid lines.
CLEANING THE INTERIOR
WARNING: Do not use cleaningsolvents, bleach or dye on the vehicle'sseatbelts, as these actions may weakenthe belt webbing.
WARNING: On vehicles equippedwith seat-mounted airbags, do not usechemical solvents or strong detergents.Such products could contaminate the sideairbag system and affect performance ofthe side airbag in a crash.
Note:Follow the same procedure forcleaning leather seats when cleaning leatherinterior. See Cleaning Leather Seats (page309).
Note:Do not use household cleaningproducts or glass cleaners, which can stainand discolor the fabric and affect the flameretardant abilities of the seat materials.
For fabric, carpets, cloth seats, safety beltsand seats equipped with side airbags:
•Remove dust and loose dirt with avacuum cleaner.
•Remove light stains and soil withMotorcraft® Professional Strength Carpet& Upholstery Cleaner.
For grease or tar stains:
•Spot clean the area with Motorcraft® Spotand Stain Remover. In Canada, useMotorcraft® Multi-Purpose Cleaner.
•If a ring forms on the fabric after spotcleaning, clean the entire areaimmediately, but do not oversaturate orthe ring will set.
Cleaning Black Label or PresidentialInterior (If Equipped)
Note:Alcantara microfiber cloth fabric ismade of polyester microfiber withmicro-porous polyurethane. Usingcommercially available fabric cleaners cancause permanent damage.
Note:Do not use commercially availableleather and vinyl cleaning products onAlcantara microfiber cloth fabric.
Note:Lincoln Black Label or Presidentialvehicles may have Alcantara microfiber clothfabric on the seats, headliner, floor mats anddoor panels.
Depending on the type of stain, use water,lemon juice or pure ethyl alcohol whencleaning. For cleaning Alcantara microfibercloth, refer to the following chart:
307
MKT (TP4) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing
Vehicle Care
GENERAL INFORMATION
Use only approved wheel and tire sizes,using other sizes could damage your vehicle.If you change the diameter of the tires fromthat fitted at the factory, the speedometermay not display the correct speed. Take yourvehicle to an authorized Ford dealer to havethe system reprogrammed. If you intend tochange the size of the wheels from that fittedby the manufacturer, you can check thesuitability with an authorized dealer.
Additional information related to thefunctionality and maintenance of your tirescan be found later in this chapter. See TireCare (page 315).
The Ford recommended tire inflationpressures can be found on the Tire Label,which is located on the B-pillar or the edgeof the driver's door. This information can alsobe found on the Safety ComplianceCertification Label, affixed to either the doorhinge pillar, door-latch post, or the door edgethat meets the door latch post; next to thedriver’s seating position.
Ford strongly recommends maintaining thesetire pressures at all times. Failure to followthe tire pressure recommendations cancause uneven treadwear patterns, reducedfuel economy, and adversely affect the wayyour vehicle handles.
Note:Check and set the tire pressure at theambient temperature in which you areintending to drive your vehicle and when thetires are cold.
Note:Check your tire pressures at least onceper month.
Set the pressure for your spare tire to thehighest value given for your vehicle and tiresize combination, if equipped.
Notice to utility vehicle and truckowners
WARNING: Utility vehicles have asignificantly higher rollover rate than othertypes of vehicles.
WARNING: Vehicles with a highercenter of gravity (utility and four-wheeldrive vehicles) handle differently thanvehicles with a lower center of gravity(passenger cars). Avoid sharp turns,excessive speed and abrupt steering inthese vehicles. Failure to drive cautiouslyincreases the risk of losing control of yourvehicle, vehicle rollover, personal injuryand death.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, anunbelted person is significantly more likelyto die than a person wearing a seatbelt.
WARNING: Do not becomeoverconfident in the ability of four-wheeldrive vehicles. Although a four-wheel drivevehicle may accelerate better than atwo-wheel drive vehicle in low tractionsituations, it won't stop any faster thantwo-wheel drive vehicles. Always drive ata safe speed.
313
MKT (TP4) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing
Wheels and Tires
Tire Quality Grades apply to newpneumatic passenger car tires. TheQuality grades can be found whereapplicable on the tire sidewall betweentread shoulder and maximum sectionwidth. For example: Treadwear 200Traction AA Temperature A.
These Tire Quality Grades aredetermined by standards that the UnitedStates Department of Transportation hasset.
Tire Quality Grades apply to newpneumatic passenger car tires. They donot apply to deep tread, winter-typesnow tires, space-saver or temporaryuse spare tires, light truck or LT typetires, tires with nominal rim diameters of10 to 12 inches or limited production tires
as defined in Title 49 Code of FederalRegulations Part 575.104 (c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation Tirequality grades: The U.S. Department ofTransportation requires Ford MotorCompany to give you the followinginformation about tire grades exactly asthe government has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparativerating based on the wear rate of the tirewhen tested under controlled conditionson a specified government test course.For example, a tire graded 150 wouldwear 1½ times as well on thegovernment course as a tire graded 100.The relative performance of tiresdepends upon the actual conditions oftheir use, however, and may departsignificantly from the norm due tovariations in driving habits, servicepractices, and differences in roadcharacteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
WARNING: The traction gradeassigned to this tire is based onstraight-ahead braking traction tests,and does not include acceleration,cornering, hydroplaning or peaktraction characteristics.
The traction grades, from highest tolowest are AA, A, B, and C. The gradesrepresent the tire’s ability to stop on wetpavement as measured under controlledconditions on specified government testsurfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tiremarked C may have poor tractionperformance.
Temperature A B C
WARNING: The temperaturegrade for this tire is established for atire that is properly inflated and notoverloaded. Excessive speed,underinflation, or excessive loading,either separately or in combination,can cause heat buildup and possibletire failure.
The temperature grades are A (thehighest), B and C, representing the tire’sresistance to the generation of heat andits ability to dissipate heat when testedunder controlled conditions on aspecified indoor laboratory test wheel.Sustained high temperature can cause
316
MKT (TP4) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing
Wheels and Tires
Information Contained on the TireSidewall
Both United States and Canada Federalregulations require tire manufacturersto place standardized information on thesidewall of all tires. This informationidentifies and describes the fundamentalcharacteristics of the tire and alsoprovides a U.S. DOT Tire IdentificationNumber for safety standard certificationand in case of a recall.
Information on P Type Tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a tiresize, load index and speed rating. Thedefinitions of these items are listedbelow. (Note that the tire size, load indexand speed rating for your vehicle maybe different from this example.)
A. P: Indicates a tire, designated by theTire and Rim Association, that may beused for service on cars, sport utilityvehicles, minivans and light trucks. Note:If your tire size does not begin with aletter this may mean it is designated byeither the European Tire and RimTechnical Organization or the Japan TireManufacturing Association.
B. 215: Indicates the nominal width ofthe tire in millimeters from sidewall edgeto sidewall edge. In general, the largerthe number, the wider the tire.
C. 65: Indicates the aspect ratio whichgives 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 yourwheel size, you will have to purchasenew tires to match the new wheeldiameter.
318
MKT (TP4) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing
Wheels and TiresH
I
J
KL
M
A
B
CDEFG
E142543
the 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 vehicle label.
The tire suppliers may have additionalmarkings, notes or warnings such asstandard load or radial tubeless.
Additional Information Contained onthe Tire Sidewall for LT Type Tires
Note:Tire Quality Grades do not applyto 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 theTire and Rim Association, that isintended for service on light trucks.
B. Load Range and Load InflationLimits: Indicates the tire's load-carryingcapabilities and its inflation limits.
C. Maximum Load Dual lb (kg) at psi(kPa) cold: Indicates the maximum loadand tire pressure when the tire is usedas a dual, defined as four tires on therear axle (a total of six or more tires onthe vehicle).
D. Maximum Load Single lb (kg) at psi(kPa) cold: Indicates the maximum loadand tire pressure when the tire is usedas 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 yourvehicle may be different from thisexample. Tire Quality Grades do notapply to this type of tire.
321
MKT (TP4) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing
Wheels and TiresA
BC
BDE142544
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.
Recommended Tire Pressures andInflating 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 the pressureof all tires and adjust if required.
At least once a month and before longtrips, inspect each tire and check the tirepressure with a tire gauge (includingspare, if equipped). Inflate all tires to theinflation pressure recommended by FordMotor Company.
WARNING: Under-inflation is themost common cause of tire failuresand may result in severe tire cracking,tread separation or blowout, withunexpected loss of vehicle control andincreased risk of injury. Under-inflationincreases sidewall flexing and rolling
resistance, resulting in heat buildup
322
MKT (TP4) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing
Wheels and TiresA
BCDE
E142545