wheel alignment FORD EXPLORER 2007 4.G Owners Manual

PANEL DIMMER CONTROL
Use to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel when exterior
lights are on.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from left
to right to brighten the
instrument panel.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from right
to left to dim the instrument
panel.
•Rotate fully to the right (past detent) to turn on interior lamps.
•Rotate to the left position (past detent) to turn off the interior lamps
and will also disable the illuminated entry feature.
AIMING THE HEADLAMPS
The headlamps on your vehicle are properly aimed before leaving the
assembly plant. If your vehicle is involved in an accident or if you have
problems fixing the alignment of your headlamps, have them checked by
a qualified service technician.
Headlamp aim adjustment
The headlamps on your vehicle can only be vertically adjusted. Your
vehicle does not require horizontal aim adjustments.
To adjust the headlamps:
1. Park your vehicle on a level surface about 25 feet (7.6 meters) away
from a vertical plain surface (3). Check your headlamp alignment at
night or in a dark area so that you can see the headlamp beam pattern.
•(1) Eight feet
•(2) Center height of lamp to
ground
•(3) Twenty-five feet
•(4) Horizontal reference line
2. The center of the headlamp has a
3.0 mm circle on the lens. Measure
the height from the center of your
headlamp to the ground (2) and
mark an 8 foot (2.4 meter) long
horizontal line on the plain surface (1) at this height (masking tape
works well).
2007 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Lights
55

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.
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.
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 informationthat comes with your vehicle) will
help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and
longer tire life. Unless otherwise specified, rotate the tires approximately
every 5,000 miles (8,000 km).
2007 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
194

•Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)
vehicles/Four Wheel Drive
(4WD)/ All Wheel Drive (AWD)
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.
2007 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
195

Aggressive driving in any road conditions can cause you to lose
control of your vehicle increasing the risk of severe personal
injury or property damage. The occurrence of a AdvanceTrac
with
RSC event is an indication that at least some of the tires have
exceeded their ability to grip the road; this may lead to an increased
risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and
death. If you experience a severe road event, SLOW DOWN.
If a failure is detected in the AdvanceTrac
with RSC system, and the
AdvanceTrac
with RSC button has not been pushed, the warning
indicator light in the instrument cluster will stay on. If the warning
indicator light in the instrument cluster remains on while the engine is
running, have the system serviced by an authorized dealer immediately.
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
•Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering pump fluid level
(below the MIN mark on the reservoir).
•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 MAX mark on
the reservoir, as this may result in leaks from the reservoir.
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned
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
A high crown in the road or high crosswinds may also make the steering
seem to wander/pull.
2007 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
229

•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between the top gears occurs. Unnecessary
shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel economy.
•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/luggage racks) may
reduce 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.
•Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
2007 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
321

Speed control ..............................71
Starting your
vehicle ........................219–220, 222
jump starting ..........................272
Steering wheel
controls ......................................74
tilting .........................................64
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................64
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Driving .....................................245
Roadside Emergencies ...........261
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....201
Warning Displays ........12, 88, 103
Tires ...........................186–187, 261
alignment ................................194
care ..........................................190
changing ..........................261, 267
checking the pressure ............190
inflating ...................................188
label .........................................200
replacing ..........................192, 267
rotating ....................................194
safety practices .......................193
sidewall information ...............195
snow tires and chains ............205
spare tire .................262, 264, 266
terminology .............................187
tire grades ...............................187
treadwear ........................186, 191
Towing .......................................212
recreational towing .................217
trailer towing ..........................212wrecker ....................................277
Transfer case
fluid checking .........................326
Transmission .............................230
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....230
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................325
fluid, refill capacities ..............329
lubricant specifications ..........329
Turn signal ..................................56
V
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................334
Vehicle loading ..........................205
Ventilating your vehicle ...........222
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......12
Washer fluid ..............................299
Water, Driving through .............249
Windows ....................................118
power .........................................68
rear wiper/washer .....................64
Windshield
defrosting ..................................51
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................63
checking and adding fluid .....299
liftgate reservoir .....................299
replacing wiper blades ...........300
Wrecker towing .........................277
2007 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
343