wheel alignment FORD FLEX 2010 1.G Owners Manual

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.
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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.
•Front Wheel Drive (FWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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•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.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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Driving style — good driving and fuel economy habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you may be able to change
a number of variables and improve your fuel economy.
Habits
•Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
•Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
•Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
•Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•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 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.
Maintenance and Specifications
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Satellite Radio Information ........43
Seats ..........................................151
child safety seats ....................203
climate control ..........................74
easy access/easyout feature ..159
front seats ...............................154
heated ........................71, 158, 167
memory seat ...................135, 159
second row seats ............162, 165
third row seats ........165, 168–169
Second-row power fold seat ....164
SecuriCode keyless entry
system ........................................138
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ........................................140
Servicing your vehicle ..............343
Setting the clock .........................29
SOS Post Crash Alert ...............198
Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...........304
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................378, 382
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................379
Speed control ............................104
Starting your vehicle ........255–257
jump starting ..........................319
Steering wheel
controls ....................................106
tilting .........................................92
Stereo
6-CD in dash .............................28
CD-MP3 .....................................28
SYNC..........................................67
T
Temporary mobility kit .............309Tilt steering wheel ......................92
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....236
Tires ...........................220–221, 302
alignment ................................228
care ..........................................224
changing ..................302, 304–305
checking the pressure ............224
inflating ...................................222
label .........................................235
replacing ..................................226
rotating ....................................229
safety practices .......................228
sidewall information ...............230
snow tires and chains ............241
spare tire .................................302
Temporary mobility kit ..........309
terminology .............................221
tire grades ...............................221
treadwear ........................220, 225
Towing .......................................249
recreational towing .................253
trailer towing ..........................249
wrecker ....................................325
Transaxle
fluid, refill capacities ..............379
lubricant specifications ..........379
Transmission .............................270
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....269
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................374
Turn signal ..................................84
U
Universal garage door opener ..109
USB port ......................................39
Index
396
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