wheel alignment LINCOLN TOWN CAR 2011 Owners Manual

PANEL DIMMER CONTROL
Use to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel during headlight
and parking lamp operation.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from left
to right to brighten the
instrument panel.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from right
to left to dim the instrument
panel.
During full daylight, the instrument panel will still be visible with the
headlamps operating.
Dome lamp control
The panel dimmer control also controls the dome lamp operation.
•Rotate the thumbwheel fully to the right, past detent to activate the
dome lamp and all interior lamps.
•In order to turn off these lamps, rotate the thumbwheel to the left.
AIMING THE HEADLAMPS
The headlamps on your vehicle are properly aimed at the assembly plant.
If your vehicle has been in an accident, the alignment of your headlamps
should be checked by your authorized dealer.
Vertical aim adjustment
1. Park the vehicle directly in front of a wall or screen on a level surface,
approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) away. Check your headlamp
alignment at night or in a dark area so that you can see the headlamp
beam pattern.
Lights
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Safety practices
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
WARNING:If your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,do
notrapidly 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 35 mph (56 km/h).
The tires may fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
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 (FWD) vehicles and those with an independent rear
suspension (if equipped) may require alignment of all four wheels.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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The tires should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
Tire rotation
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
Scheduled Maintenance Guidechapter) will help your tires wear more
evenly, providing better tire performance and longer tire life.
•Rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicles
(front tires at top of diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
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 tire/wheel. A
dissimilar spare tire/wheel is defined as a spare tire and/or wheel that is
different in brand, size or appearance from the road tires and wheels. If
you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel 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.
INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL
Both U.S. 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.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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STEERING
To help prevent damage to the power steering system, never hold the
steering wheel at its furthest turning points (until it stops) for more than
a few seconds when the engine is running.
It is also important to maintain a proper power steering fluid level in the
power steering fluid reservoir:
•Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering pump fluid level.
SeePower steering fluidin theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter.
•Some noise is normal during operation. If the noise is excessive, check
for low power steering pump fluid level before seeking service by your
authorized dealer.
•Heavy or uneven steering efforts may be caused by low power steering
pump fluid level. Check for low power steering pump fluid level before
seeking service by your authorized dealer.
•Do not fill the power steering pump reservoir above the maximum
level, as this may result in leaks from the reservoir. SeePower
steering fluidin theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is off), you
can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes more effort.
If the steering wanders or pulls, check for:
•an improperly inflated tire
•uneven tire wear
•loose or worn suspension components
•loose or worn steering components
•improper steering alignment
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
The air suspension system is designed to improve ride, handling and
general vehicle performance during:
•Certain road conditions
•Steering maneuvers
•Braking
•Accelerations
This system keeps the rear of your vehicle at a constant level by
automatically adding air or releasing air from the springs.
Driving
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•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski racks) may reduce
fuel economy.
•Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
•Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with various emission control components and a
catalytic converter which will enable your vehicle to comply with
applicable exhaust emission standards. To make sure that the catalytic
converter and other emission control components continue to work
properly:
Maintenance and Specifications
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replacement/additional
transmitters ...............................81
replacing the batteries .............80
Roadside assistance ..................193
S
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ..........100, 105, 107–109
Safety Canopy ...........................125
Safety defects, reporting ..........224
Safety restraints ........100, 105–109
Belt-Minder...........................110
extension assembly ................109
for adults .................105, 107–108
for children .............................128
lap belt ....................................106
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................102
warning light and
chime ...............................109–110
Safety restraints - LATCH
anchors ......................................137
Safety seats for children ..........132
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................272
Scheduled Maintenance Guide
Normal Scheduled
Maintenance and Log .............285
Seats ............................................91
child safety seats ....................132
cleaning ...................................230
easy access/easyout feature ....99
heated ........................................98
memory seat .....................80, 100
SecuriCode keyless entry
system ..........................................83SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ..........................................85
Servicing your vehicle ..............233
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................267, 271
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................268
Speed control ..............................61
Starting a flex fuel vehicle .......179
Starting your vehicle ........177–179
jump starting ..........................211
Steering wheel
controls ......................................63
tilting .........................................55
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................55
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....161
Tires ...........................146–147, 202
alignment ................................154
care ..........................................150
changing ..........................202, 207
checking the pressure ............150
inflating ...................................148
label .........................................160
replacing ..................................152
rotating ....................................155
safety practices .......................154
sidewall information ...............155
snow tires and chains ............166
spare tire .........................203, 205
terminology .............................147
tire grades ...............................147
treadwear ........................146, 151
Towing .......................................173
recreational towing .................176
Index
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