spare tire FORD EXPLORER 2023 User Guide

Utility vehicles and trucks handledifferently than passenger cars in thevarious driving conditions that areencountered on streets, highways andoff-road. Utility vehicles and trucks are notdesigned for cornering at speeds as highas passenger cars any more than low-slungsports cars are designed to performsatisfactorily under off-road conditions.
Study your owner's manual and anysupplements for specific information aboutequipment features, instructions for safedriving and additional precautions toreduce the risk of an accident or seriousinjury.
Four-Wheel Drive system (ifequipped)
WARNING: Do not becomeoverconfident in the ability of four-wheeldrive vehicles. Although a four-wheeldrive vehicle may accelerate better thana two-wheel drive vehicle in low tractionsituations, it won't stop any faster thantwo-wheel drive vehicles. Always driveat a safe speed.
A vehicle equipped with Four-Wheel Drivehas the ability to use all four wheels topower itself. This increases traction whichmay enable you to safely drive over terrainand road conditions that a conventionaltwo-wheel drive vehicle cannot. Power issupplied to all four wheels through atransfer case. Four-wheel drive vehiclesallow you to select different modes asnecessary. You can find more informationon transfer case operation, drive modeselection, and transfer case maintenancein this manual. See Four-Wheel Drive(page 203). You should become thoroughlyfamiliar with this information before youoperate your vehicle.
We recommend installing the temporaryspare wheel and tire on the front axle whenpossible. This could provide limited 4WDtraction.
Four-wheel drive: Never use a spare tire ofa different size than the one provided withyour vehicle. This could cause thefour-wheel drive system to default torear-wheel drive.
How your vehicle differs fromother vehicles
Sport utility vehicles and trucks can differfrom some other vehicles in a fewnoticeable ways. Your vehicle may be:
•Higher - to allow higher load carryingcapacity and to allow it to travel overrough terrain without getting hung upor damaging underbody components.
•Shorter - to give it the capability toapproach inclines and drive over thecrest of a hill without getting hung upor damaging underbody components.All other things held equal, a shorterwheelbase may make your vehiclequicker to respond to steering inputsthan a vehicle with a longer wheelbase.
•Narrower - to provide greatermaneuverability in tight spaces,particularly in off-road use.
As a result of the above dimensionaldifferences, sport utility vehicles and trucksoften have a higher center of gravity and agreater difference in center of gravitybetween the loaded and unloadedcondition. These differences that makeyour vehicle so versatile also make ithandle differently than an ordinarypassenger car.
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TIRE CARE
Information About UniformTire Quality Grading
Tire Quality Grades apply to newpneumatic passenger car tires.The Quality grades can be foundwhere applicable on the tiresidewall between tread shoulderand maximum section width. Forexample: Treadwear 200Traction AA Temperature A.
These Tire Quality Grades aredetermined by standards that theUnited States Department ofTransportation has set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to newpneumatic passenger car tires.They do not apply to deep tread,winter-type snow tires,space-saver or temporary usespare tires, light truck or LT typetires, tires with nominal rimdiameters of 10 to 12 inches orlimited production tires as definedin Title 49 Code of FederalRegulations Part 575.104 (c)(2).
U.S. Department ofTransportation Tire qualitygrades: The U.S. Department ofTransportation requires us to giveyou the following informationabout tire grades exactly as thegovernment has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is acomparative rating based on thewear rate of the tire when testedunder controlled conditions on aspecified government test course.For example, a tire graded 150would wear 1½ times as well onthe government course as a tiregraded 100. The relativeperformance of tires dependsupon the actual conditions of theiruse, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due tovariations in driving habits, servicepractices, and differences in roadcharacteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
WARNING: The tractiongrade assigned to this tire isbased on straight-ahead brakingtraction tests, and does notinclude acceleration, cornering,hydroplaning or peak tractioncharacteristics.
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C.80: Indicates the aspect ratiowhich gives the tire's ratio ofheight to width. Numbers of 70 orlower indicate a short sidewall.
D.D: Indicates a diagonal type tire.
R: Indicates a radial type tire.
E.16: Indicates the wheel or rimdiameter in inches. If you changeyour wheel size, you will have topurchase new tires to match thenew wheel diameter.
Recommended Tire Pressuresand Inflating Your Tires
Safe operation of your vehiclerequires that your tires areproperly inflated. Remember thata tire can lose up to half of its airpressure without appearing flat.
Every day before you drive, checkyour tires. If one looks lower thanthe others, use a tire gauge tocheck the pressure of all tires andadjust if required.
At least once a month and beforelong trips, inspect each tire andcheck the tire pressure with a tiregauge (including spare, ifequipped). Inflate all tires to theinflation pressure recommendedby the manufacturer.
WARNING: Under-inflationis the most common cause oftire failures and may result insevere tire cracking, treadseparation or blowout, withunexpected loss of vehicle
control and increased risk ofinjury. Under-inflation increasessidewall flexing and rollingresistance, resulting in heatbuildup and internal damage tothe tire. It also may result inunnecessary tire stress, irregularwear, loss of vehicle control andaccidents. A tire can lose up tohalf of its air pressure and notappear to be flat!
You are strongly urged to buy areliable tire pressure gauge, asautomatic service station gaugesmay be inaccurate. Werecommend the use of a digital ordial-type tire pressure gaugerather than a stick-type tirepressure gauge. Use therecommended cold inflationpressure for optimum tireperformance and wear.Under-inflation or over-inflationmay cause uneven treadwearpatterns.
Always inflate your tires to therecommended inflation pressureeven if it is less than the maximuminflation pressure informationfound on the tire. You will find aTire Label containing themanufactures recommended tireinflation pressure by the tire sizeand other important informationlocated on the B-Pillar or the edgeof the driver’s door).
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The recommended tire inflationpressure is also found on theSafety Compliance CertificationLabel (affixed to either the doorhinge pillar, door-latch post, or thedoor edge that meets thedoor-latch on the B-pillar, or onthe edge of the driver’s door.
Failure to follow the tire pressurerecommendations can causeuneven treadwear patterns andadversely affect the way yourvehicle handles.
Inspecting Your Tires andWheel Valve Stems
Periodically inspect the tire treadsfor uneven or excessive wear andremove objects such as stones,nails or glass that may be wedged
in the tread grooves. Check the tireand valve stems for holes, cracks,or cuts that may permit airleakage and repair or replace thetire and replace the valve stem.Inspect the tire sidewalls forcracking, cuts, bruises and othersigns of damage or excessivewear. If internal damage to the tireis suspected, have the tiredismounted and inspected in caseit needs to be repaired or replaced.For your safety, tires that aredamaged or show signs ofexcessive wear should not be usedbecause they are more likely toblow out or fail.
Improper or inadequate vehiclemaintenance can cause tires towear abnormally. Inspect all yourtires, including the spare,frequently, and replace them ifone or more of the followingconditions exist:
Tire Wear
When the tread is worn down toone sixteenth of an inch (2 mm),tires must be replaced to helpprevent your vehicle from skiddingand hydroplaning. Built-intreadwear indicators, or wear bars,which look like narrow strips ofsmooth rubber across the treadwill appear on the tire when thetread is worn down to onesixteenth of an inch (2 mm).
When the tire tread wears downto the same height as these wearbars, the tire is worn out and mustbe replaced.
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Damage
Periodically inspect the tire treadsand sidewalls for damage (suchas bulges in the tread or sidewalls,cracks in the tread groove andseparation in the tread orsidewall). If damage is observedor suspected, have the tireinspected by a tire professional.Tires can be damaged duringoff-road use, so inspection afteroff-road use is alsorecommended.
Age
WARNING: Tires degradeover time depending on manyfactors such as weather, storageconditions, and conditions of use(load, speed, inflation pressure)the tires experience throughouttheir lives.In general, tires should bereplaced after six yearsregardless of tread wear.However, heat caused by hotclimates or frequent high loadingconditions can accelerate theaging process and may requiretires to be replaced morefrequently.
You should replace your sparetire when you replace the roadtires or after six years due toaging even if it has not beenused.
U.S. DOT Tire IdentificationNumber
Both United States and CanadaFederal regulations require tiremanufacturers to placestandardized information on thesidewall of all tires. Thisinformation identifies anddescribes the fundamentalcharacteristics of the tire and alsoprovides a U.S. DOT TireIdentification Number for safetystandard certification and in caseof a recall.
This begins with the letters DOTand indicates that the tire meetsall federal standards. The nexttwo numbers or letters are theplant code designating where itwas manufactured, the next twoare the tire size code and the lastfour numbers represent the weekand year the tire was built. Forexample, the numbers 317 meanthe 31st week of 1997. After 2000,the numbers go to four digits. Forexample, 2501 means the 25thweek of 2001. The numbers inbetween are identification codesused for traceability. Thisinformation is used to contactcustomers if a tire defect requiresa recall.
Tire ReplacementRequirements
Your vehicle is equipped with tiresdesigned to provide a safe rideand handling capability.
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If you feel a sudden vibration orride disturbance while driving, oryou suspect your tire or vehiclehas been damaged, immediatelyreduce your speed. Drive withcaution until you can safely pulloff the road. Stop and inspect thetires for damage. If a tire isunder-inflated or damaged,deflate it, remove wheel andreplace it with your spare tire andwheel. If you cannot detect acause, have the vehicle towed tothe nearest repair facility or tiredealer to have the vehicleinspected.
Tire and Wheel Alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb orpothole can cause the front endof your vehicle to become
misaligned or cause damage toyour tires. If your vehicle seems topull to one side when you aredriving, the wheels may be out ofalignment. Have an authorizeddealer check the wheel alignmentperiodically.
Wheel misalignment in the frontor the rear can cause uneven andrapid treadwear of your tires andshould be corrected by anauthorized dealer. Front-wheeldrive vehicles and those with anindependent rear suspension (ifequipped) may require alignmentof all four wheels.
The tires should also be balancedperiodically. An unbalanced tireand wheel assembly may result inirregular tire wear.
Tire Rotation
WARNING: If the tire labelshows different tire pressures forthe front and rear tires and thevehicle has a tire pressuremonitoring system, then youneed to update the settings forthe system sensors. Alwaysperform the system resetprocedure after tire rotation. Ifyou do not reset the system, itmay not provide a low tirepressure warning whennecessary.
Note:If your tires show unevenwear, ask an authorized dealer tocheck for and correct any wheelmisalignment, tire imbalance ormechanical problem involvedbefore tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may beequipped with a dissimilar sparewheel and tire assembly. Adissimilar spare wheel and tireassembly is defined as a sparewheel and tire assembly that isdifferent in brand, size orappearance from the road tires andwheels. If you have a dissimilarspare wheel and tire assembly, it isintended for temporary use onlyand should not be used in a tirerotation.
Note:After having your tiresrotated, inflation pressure must bechecked and adjusted to the
vehicle requirements.
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•If a temporary spare wheel is mountedon your vehicle, do not use snow chainson the axle with the temporary sparewheel.
•Use snow chains that fit against thesidewall of the tire to prevent thechains from touching the wheel rimsor suspension, see followingillustration.
If you have any questions regarding snowchains, please contact your authorizeddealer.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM
WARNING: The tire pressuremonitoring system is not a substitute formanually checking tire pressures. Youshould periodically check tire pressuresusing a pressure gauge. Failure tocorrectly maintain tire pressures couldincrease the risk of tire failure, loss ofcontrol, vehicle rollover and personalinjury.
Note: You should only use tire sealants inroadside emergencies as they may causedamage to the tire pressure monitoringsystem sensor.
Note: If the tire pressure monitoring systemsensor becomes damaged, it may notfunction.
Each tire, including the spare (ifprovided), should be checkedmonthly when cold and inflatedto the inflation pressure recommended bythe vehicle manufacturer on the vehicleplacard or tire inflation pressure label. (Ifyour vehicle has tires of a different sizethan the size indicated on the vehicleplacard or tire inflation pressure label, youshould determine the proper tire inflationpressure for those tires).
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Check the tire pressure periodically (atleast monthly) using an accurate tiregauge. See When Inflating Your Tires inthis chapter.
Understanding Your Tire PressureMonitoring System
The tire pressure monitoring systemmeasures pressure in your road tires andsends the tire pressure readings to yourvehicle. You can view the tire pressurereadings through the information display.See General Information (page 115).Thelow tire pressure warning light will turn onif the tire pressure is significantly low. Once
the light is illuminated, your tires areunder-inflated and need to be inflated tothe manufacturer’s recommended tirepressure. Even if the light turns on and ashort time later turns off, your tire pressurestill needs to be checked.
When Your Temporary Spare Tire isInstalled
When one of your road tires needs to bereplaced with the temporary spare, thesystem will continue to identify an issue toremind you that the damaged road wheeland tire assembly needs to be repaired andput back on your vehicle.
To restore the full function of the tirepressure monitoring system, have thedamaged road wheel and tire assemblyrepaired and remounted on your vehicle.
When You Believe Your System is NotOperating Properly
The main function of the tire pressuremonitoring system is to warn you whenyour tires need air. It can also warn you inthe event the system is no longer capableof functioning as intended. See thefollowing chart for information concerningyour tire pressure monitoring system:
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Customer action requiredPossible causeLow tire pressurewarning light
Make sure tires are at the proper pres-sure. See Inflating your tires in thischapter. After inflating your tires to themanufacturer’s recommended pressureas shown on the Tire Label (located onthe edge of driver’s door or the B-Pillar),the vehicle must be driven for at leasttwo minutes over 20 mph (32 km/h)before the light turns off.
Tire(s) under-inflated
Solid warning light
Repair the damaged road wheel and tireassembly and reinstall it on the vehicleto restore system function. For adescription on how the system functions,see When Your Temporary Spare Tireis Installed in this section.
Spare tire in use
If the tires are properly inflated and thespare tire is not in use but the lightremains on, contact your authorizeddealer as soon as possible.
TPMS malfunction
On vehicles with different front and reartire pressures, the system must beretrained following every tire rotation.See Tire Pressure Monitoring SystemReset procedure later in this section.
Tire rotation withoutsensor training
Repair the damaged road wheel and tireassembly and reinstall it on the vehicleto restore system function. For adescription on how the system functions,see When Your Temporary Spare Tireis Installed in this section.
Spare tire in use
Flashing warninglight
If the tires are properly inflated and thespare tire is not in use but the lightremains on, contact your authorizeddealer as soon as possible.
TPMS malfunction
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11.Set all four tires to the recommendedair pressure as indicated on theSafety Compliance CertificationLabel, affixed to either the door hingepillar, door-latch post, or the dooredge that meets the door-latch post,next to the driver seating position orTire Label located on the B-Pillar orthe edge of the driver door.
CHANGING A ROAD WHEEL
WARNING: If the tire pressuremonitor sensor becomes damaged itmay not function.
Note:You should only use tire sealants inroadside emergencies as they may causedamage to the tire pressure monitoringsystem sensor.
Note:The tire pressure monitoring systemindicator light illuminates when the sparetire is in use. To restore the full function ofthe monitoring system, all road wheelsequipped with tire pressure monitoringsensors must be mounted on the vehicle.
If you get a flat tire when driving, do notapply the brake heavily. Instead, graduallydecrease your speed. Hold the steeringwheel firmly and slowly move to a safeplace on the side of the road.
Have a flat serviced by an authorizeddealer in order to prevent damage to thetire pressure monitoring system sensors.See Tire Pressure Monitoring System(page 364). Replace the spare tire with aroad tire as soon as possible. Duringrepairing or replacing of the flat tire, havethe authorized dealer inspect the tirepressure monitoring system sensor fordamage.
Dissimilar Spare Wheel and TireAssembly Information
WARNING: Failure to follow theseguidelines could result in an increasedrisk of loss of vehicle control, injury ordeath.
If you have a dissimilar spare wheel andtire, then it is intended for temporary useonly. This means that if you need to use it,you should replace it as soon as possiblewith a road wheel and tire assembly thatis the same size and type as the road tiresand wheels that were originally providedby us. If the dissimilar spare tire or wheelis damaged, you should replace it ratherthan repair it.
A dissimilar spare wheel and tire assemblyis defined as a spare wheel and tireassembly that is different in brand, size orappearance from the road tires and wheelsand can be one of three types:
1.T-type mini-spare: This spare tirebegins with the letter T for tire size andmay have Temporary Use Only molded inthe sidewall.
2.Full-size dissimilar spare with labelon wheel: This spare tire has a label onthe wheel that states: THIS WHEEL ANDTIRE ASSEMBLY FOR TEMPORARY USEONLY.
When driving with one of the dissimilarspare tires listed above, do not:
•Exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
•Load the vehicle beyond maximumvehicle load rating listed on the SafetyCompliance Label.
•Tow a trailer.
•Use snow chains on the end of thevehicle with the dissimilar spare tire.
•Use more than one dissimilar spare tireat a time.
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