wheel alignment FORD E SERIES 2006 4.G Owners Manual

•Avoid potholes and objects on the road
•Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a curb when parking
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.
Never spin the tires in excess of the 35 mph (55 km/h) point
indicated on the speedometer.
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 a qualified technician at a Ford or Lincoln
Mercury 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 a qualified technician
at a Ford or Lincoln Mercury 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.
2006 Econoline(eco)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
114

Tire rotation
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
scheduled maintenance information that 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).
•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 a qualified technician at a
Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealership 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.
2006 Econoline(eco)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
115

Parking brake
To set the parking brake (1), press
the parking brake pedal down until
the pedal stops.
To release, pull the lever (2).
Always set the parking
brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park).
The BRAKE warning lamp will
illuminate and will remain
illuminated until the parking brake
is released.
The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the
rear brakes, the vehicle’s stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
STEERING
To 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
(If the fluid level is below the FULL COLD range on the dipstick).
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
P!
BRAKE
2006 Econoline(eco)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
140

•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•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 third and fourth gear 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 toLubricant specificationsin
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.
•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.
2006 Econoline(eco)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
219

Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...........169
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................228, 237
Special notice ................................8
ambulance conversions ..............7
diesel-powered vehicles .............7
utility-type vehicles ....................7
Specification chart,
lubricants ...........................234, 237
Speed control ..............................49
Starting your
vehicle ........................135–136, 138
jump starting ..........................176
Steering wheel
tilting .........................................44
T
Temperature control
(see Climate control) ...........30, 32
Tilt steering wheel ......................44
Tires ...................................101–102
alignment ................................114
care ..........................................112
changing ..........................169–170
checking the pressure ............104
inspecting and inflating .........103
label .........................................112
replacing ..........................107, 171
rotating ....................................115
safety practices .......................113
sidewall information ...............108
snow tires and chains ............116
spare tire .................................168
terminology .............................102
tire grades ...............................102treadwear ........................101, 112
Towing .......................................123
recreational towing .................134
trailer towing ..........................123
wrecker ....................................181
Traction-lok rear axle ...............141
Transmission .............................146
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....146
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................224
fluid, refill capacities ..............230
lubricant specifications ..234, 237
Turn signal ..................................37
V
Vehicle dimensions ...................237
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................239
Vehicle loading ..........................116
Ventilating your vehicle ...........138
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......12
Washer fluid ..............................200
Water, Driving through .............155
Windows
power .........................................47
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................43
checking and adding fluid .....200
replacing wiper blades .............43
Wrecker towing .........................181
2006 Econoline(eco)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
247