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). Inflate all tires to the inflation pressure recommended by the Ford Motor Company.
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.
WARNING   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!

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. The Ford recommended tire inflation pressure is found on the Tire Label located on door opening or on the B-pillar. Failure to follow the tire pressure recommendations can cause uneven treadwear patterns and adversely affect the way your vehicle handles.
Note:   Do not reduce tire pressure to change the ride characteristics of the vehicle. If you do not maintain the inflation pressure at the levels specified by Ford, your vehicle may experience a condition known as shimmy. Shimmy is a severe vibration and oscillation in the steering wheel after the vehicle travels over a bump or dip in the road that does not dampen out by itself. Shimmy may result from significant under-inflation of the tires, improper tires (load range, size, or type), or vehicle modifications such as lift-kits. In the event that your vehicle experiences shimmy, you should slowly reduce speed by either lifting off the accelerator pedal or lightly applying the brakes. The shimmy will cease as the vehicle speed decreases.
Maximum Inflation Pressure is the tire manufacturer's maximum permissible pressure and the pressure at which the maximum load can be carried by the tire. This pressure is normally higher than the manufacturer’s recommended cold inflation pressure which can be found next to the driver's seat on the Tire Label located on the B-pillar or the edge of the driver's door. The cold inflation pressure should never be set lower than the recommended pressure on the Safety Compliance Certification Label or Tire Label.
When weather temperature changes occur, tire inflation pressures also change. A 10°F (6°C) temperature drop can cause a corresponding drop of 0.07 bar in inflation pressure. Check your tire pressures frequently and adjust them to the proper pressure which can be found on the Tire Label.
To check the pressure in your tire(s):
1. Make sure the tires are cool, meaning they are not hot from driving even 1 km.
Note:   If you are checking tire pressure when the tire is hot, (for example, driven more than 1.6 km), never bleed or reduce air pressure. The tires are hot from driving and it is normal for pressures to increase above recommended cold pressures. A hot tire at or below recommended cold inflation pressure could be significantly under-inflated.
Note:   If you have to drive a distance to get air for your tire(s), check and record the tire pressure first and add the appropriate air pressure when you get to the pump. It is normal for tires to heat up and the air pressure inside to go up as you drive.
2. Remove the cap from the valve on one tire, then firmly press the tire gauge onto the valve and measure the pressure.
3. Add enough air to reach the recommended air pressure.
Note:   If you overfill the tire, release air by pressing on the metal stem in the center of the valve. Then recheck the pressure 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 a higher inflation pressure than the other tires. For full-size and dissimilar spare tires, see the Dissimilar spare wheel and tire assembly information for a description. Store and maintain at the higher of the front and rear inflation pressure as shown on the Tire Label.
6. Visually inspect the tires to make sure there are no nails or other objects embedded that could poke a hole in the tire and cause an air leak.
7. Check the sidewalls to make sure there are no gouges, cuts or bulges.
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:
Tire Wear
Tire Wear
Tire wear indicators are moulded in to the bottom of the tread grooves to aid in determining when to replace the tire. Tires should be replaced before the tread wears down to the same height as the wear indicators.
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   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.
WARNING   WARNING:  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.
WARNING   WARNING:  You should replace your spare tire when you replace the road tires or after six years due to aging even if it has not been used.

Tire Replacement Requirements
Your vehicle is equipped with tires designed to provide a safe ride and handling capability.
WARNING   WARNING:  Only use replacement tires and wheels that are the same size, load index, speed rating and type (such as P-metric versus LT-metric or all-season versus all-terrain) as those originally provided by Ford. The recommended tire and wheel size may be found on either 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 the Tire Label which is located on the B-Pillar or edge of the driver's door. If this information is not found on these labels, then you should contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible. 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.
WARNING   WARNING:  To reduce the risk of serious injury, when mounting replacement tires and wheels, you should not exceed the maximum pressure indicated on the sidewall of the tire to set the beads without additional precautions listed below. If the beads do not seat at the maximum pressure indicated, re-lubricate and try again.

Important: Remember to replace the wheel valve stems when the road tires are replaced on your vehicle.
The two front tires or two rear tires should generally be replaced as a pair.
The tire pressure sensors mounted in the wheels 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, the 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   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   WARNING:  Do not spin the wheels at over 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.
*Avoid potholes and objects on the road.
*Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a curb when parking.
Highway Hazards
No matter how carefully you drive there’s 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’re 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 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
WARNING   WARNING:  If the tire label shows different tire pressures for the front and rear tires and the vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system, then you need to update the settings for the system sensors. Always perform the system reset procedure after tire rotation. If you do not reset the system, it may not provide a low tire pressure warning when necessary.

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.
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval of between 5,000 km to 10,000 km will help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and longer tire life.
Rear-wheel drive vehicles and all-wheel drive vehicles (front tires at left of diagram)
Tire Rotation - Four Wheel Drive
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
WARNING   WARNING:  Do not scrub the sidewalls of the tires when you are parking.

If you have to mount a curb, do so slowly and approach it with the wheels at right-angles to the curb.
Examine the tires regularly for cuts, foreign objects and uneven wear of the tread. Uneven wear could mean that the wheel alignment is outside specification.
Check the tire pressures (including the spare) when cold, every two weeks.

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