flat tire FORD E-350 2012 Owners Manual

Seating and Safety Restraints 89
Seating 89
Safety restraints 97
Airbags 106
Child restraints 116
Tires, Wheels and Loading 138
Tire information 140
Tire inflation 142
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 158
Vehicle loading 165
Trailer towing 173
Trailer brake controller-integrated 178
Recreational towing 183
Driving 184
Starting 184
Brakes 189
Traction Control™ 191
Traction Control™/AdvanceTrac192
AdvanceTrac192
Transmission operation 202
Reverse sensing system 208
Rear-view camera system 210
Roadside Emergencies 214
Getting roadside assistance 214
Hazard flasher control 215
Fuel pump shut-off switch 216
Fuses and relays 217
Changing tires 225
Wheel lug nut torque 234
Jump starting 235
Wrecker towing 239
Table of Contents
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WARNING:Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the
engine is running or hot.
Low tire pressure warning (if
equipped):Illuminates when your
tire pressure is low. If the light
remains on at start up or while
driving, the tire pressure should be
checked. Refer toInflating your tiresin theTires, Wheels and
Loadingchapter. When the ignition is first turned to on, the light will
illuminate for three seconds to ensure the bulb is working. If the light
does not turn on or begins to flash, have the system inspected by your
authorized dealer. For more information on this system, refer toTi r e
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)in theTires, Wheels and
Loadingchapter.
Traction control / AdvanceTrac
(if equipped):Illuminates when
the traction control system or the
AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem is
active. If the light remains on, have
the system serviced immediately by
your authorized dealer. For further information, refer toTraction
controlorAdvanceTracwith roll stability control™ (RSC) stability
enhancement systemin theDrivingchapter.
WARNING:If your vehicle is equipped with the AdvanceTrac
with RSCsystem, then it was designed to be operated with
RSC. Reduce speed and proceed to an authorized dealer to have the
system serviced immediately.
Traction control off (if
equipped):Illuminates when the
traction control system has been
disabled by the driver. For further
information, refer toTraction controlin theDrivingchapter.
Instrument Cluster
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TRAILER CONNECTED (if equipped)— Displayed when a correct
trailer connection (a trailer with electric trailer brakes) is sensed during
a given ignition cycle. Refer toTrailer towingin theTires, Wheels and
Loadingchapter for more information.
TRAILER DISCONNECTED (if equipped)— Displayed and
accompanied by a single chime when a trailer connection becomes
disconnected, either intentionally or unintentionally, and has been sensed
during a given ignition cycle. Refer toTrailer towingin theTires,
Wheels and Loadingchapter for more information.
BRAKE FLUID LEVEL LOW— Indicates the brake fluid level is low
and the brake system should be inspected immediately. Refer toBrake
fluidin theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
CHECK REAR PARK AID (if equipped)— Displayed when the
transmission is in R (Reverse). Refer toReverse sensing systemin the
Drivingchapter.
LOW TIRE PRESSURE (if equipped)— Displayed when one or more
tires on your vehicle have low tire pressure. Refer toInflating Your
Tiresin theTires, Wheels and Loadingchapter.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR FAULT (if equipped)— Displayed
when the Tire Pressure Monitoring System is malfunctioning. If the
warning stays on or continues to come on, have the system inspected by
your authorized dealer.
TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR FAULT (if equipped)— Displayed when
a tire pressure sensor is malfunctioning, or your spare tire is in use. For
more information on how the system operates under these conditions,
refer toUnderstanding Your Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)in theTires, Wheels and Loadingchapter. If the warning stays
on or continues to come on, contact your authorized dealer as soon as
possible
ENGINE OIL CHANGE SOON— Displayed when the engine oil life
remaining is 5% or less. When oil life left is between 5% and 0%, the
ENGINE OIL CHANGE SOON message will be displayed.
OIL CHANGE REQUIRED— Displayed when the oil life left reaches
0%, the OIL CHANGE REQUIRED message will be displayed. OIL LIFE
OK displays after you have changed the oil.
Instrument Cluster
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NOTICE TO UTILITY VEHICLE AND TRUCK OWNERS
Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in
the various driving conditions that
are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility
vehicles and trucks are not designed
for cornering at speeds as high as
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions.
WARNING:Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death from a rollover or other crash you must:
•Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers;
•Drive at safe speeds for the conditions;
•Keep tires properly inflated;
•Never overload or improperly load your vehicle; and
•Make sure every passenger is properly restrained.
WARNING:In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
All occupants must wear seat belts and children/infants must use
appropriate restraints to minimize the risk of injury or ejection.
Study your owner’s guide and any supplements for specific information
about equipment features, instructions for safe driving and additional
precautions to reduce the risk of an accident or serious injury.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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WARNING:The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature A B C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 139. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by
law.
WARNING:The temperature grade for this tire is established
for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
TIRES
Tires are designed to give many thousands of miles of service, but they
must be maintained in order to get the maximum benefit from them.
Glossary of tire terminology
•Tire label:A label showing the OE (Original Equipment) tire sizes,
recommended inflation pressure and the maximum weight the vehicle
can carry.
•Tire Identification Number (TIN):A number on the sidewall of
each tire providing information about the tire brand and
manufacturing plant, tire size and date of manufacture. Also referred
to as DOT code.
•Inflation pressure:A measure of the amount of air in a tire.
•kPa:Kilopascal, a metric unit of air pressure.
•PSI:Pounds per square inch, a standard unit of air pressure.
•Cold inflation pressure:The tire pressure when the vehicle has
been stationary and out of direct sunlight for an hour or more and
prior to the vehicle being driven for 1 mile (1.6 km).
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•Recommended inflation pressure:The cold inflation pressure found
on the Safety Compliance Certification Label or Tire Label located on
the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door.
•B-pillar:The structural member at the side of the vehicle behind the
front door.
•Bead area of the tire:Area of the tire next to the rim.
•Sidewall of the tire:Area between the bead area and the tread.
•Tread area of the tire:Area of the perimeter of the tire that
contacts the road when mounted on the vehicle.
•Rim:The metal support (wheel) for a tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are seated.
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 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.
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: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!
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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 Safety Compliance Certification Label or Tire Label which is located
on the B-Pillar or 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.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressureis the tire manufacturer’s
maximum permissible pressure and/or 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 on the Safety Compliance Certification Label or Tire
Label which is 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 1 psi (7 kPa) in inflation pressure. Check your tire pressures
frequently and adjust them to the proper pressure which can be found
on the Safety Compliance Certification Label or 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 a mile.
If you are checking tire pressure when the tire is hot, (i.e. driven more
than 1 mile [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.
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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 T-type/mini-spare tires (see theDissimilar spare
tire/wheel informationsection for description): Store and maintain at
60 psi (4.15 bar). For full-size and dissimilar spare tires (see the
Dissimilar spare tire/wheel informationsection for 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.
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Tire inflation information
All tires with Steel Carcass Plies (if equipped):
This type of tire utilizes steel cords in the sidewalls. As such, they
cannot be treated like normal light truck tires. Tire service, including
adjusting tire pressure, must be performed by personnel trained,
supervised and equipped according to Federal Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. For example, during any
procedure involving tire inflation, the technician or individual must
utilize a remote inflation device, and ensure that all persons are clear of
the trajectory area.
WARNING:An inflated tire and rim can be very dangerous if
improperly used, serviced or maintained. To reduce the risk of
serious injury, never attempt to re-inflate a tire which has been run flat
or seriously under-inflated without first removing the tire from the
wheel assembly for inspection. Do not attempt to add air to tires or
replace tires or wheels without first taking precautions to protect
persons and property.
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Tire wear
When the tread is worn down to
1/16th of an inch (2 mm), tires must
be replaced to help prevent your
vehicle from skidding and
hydroplaning. Built-in treadwear
indicators, or “wear bars”, which
look like narrow strips of smooth
rubber across the tread will appear
on the tire when the tread is worn
down to 1/16th of an inch (2 mm).
When the tire tread wears down to
the same height as these “wear bars”, the tire is worn out and must be
replaced.
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.
WARNING: Age
Tires degrade over time depending on many factors such as
weather, storage conditions, and conditions of use (load, speed,
inflation pressure, etc.) the tires experience throughout their lives.
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.
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.
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