change wheel FORD FOCUS 2008 2.G Owners Manual

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!
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.
2008 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
128

Information on “P” type tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a
tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
1.P:Indicates a tire, designated by
the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that may be used for
service on cars, SUVs, minivans and
light trucks.
Note:If your tire size does not
begin with a letter this may mean it
is designated by either ETRTO
(European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) or JATMA (Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association).
2.215:Indicates the nominal width of the tire in millimeters from
sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the
wider the tire.
3.65:Indicates the aspect ratio which gives the tire’s ratio of height to
width.
4.R:Indicates a “radial” type tire.
5.15:Indicates the wheel or rim diameter in inches. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new wheel
diameter.
6.95:Indicates the tire’s load index. It is an index that relates to how
much weight a tire can carry. You may find this information in your
Owner’s Guide.If not, contact a local tire dealer.
Note:You may not find this information on all tires because it is not
required by federal law.
7.H:Indicates the tire’s speed rating. The speed rating denotes the
speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for extended periods of
time under a standard condition of load and inflation pressure. The tires
on your vehicle may operate at different conditions for load and inflation
pressure. These speed ratings may need to be adjusted for the difference
in conditions. The ratings range from 81 mph (130 km/h) to 186 mph
(299 km/h). These ratings are listed in the following chart.
2008 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
135

Information on “T” type tires
“T” type tires have some additional
information beyond those of “P”
type tires; these differences are
described below:
T145/80D16 is an example of a tire
size.
Note:The temporary tire size for
your vehicle may be different from
this example. Tire Quality Grades do
not apply to this type of tire.
1.T:Indicates a type of tire,
designated by the Tire and Rim
Association (T&RA), that is
intended for temporary service on
cars, SUVs, minivans and light
trucks.
2.145:Indicates the nominal width
of the tire in millimeters from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general,
the larger the number, the wider the tire.
3.80:Indicates the aspect ratio which gives the tire’s ratio of height to
width. Numbers of 70 or lower indicate a short sidewall.
4.D:Indicates a “diagonal” type tire.
R:Indicates a “radial” type tire.
5.16:Indicates the wheel or rim diameter in inches. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new wheel
diameter.
Location of the tire label
You will find a Tire Label containing tire inflation pressure by tire size
and other important information located on the B-Pillar or the edge of
the driver’s door.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
2008 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
139

Tire change procedure
When one of the front wheels is off the ground, the transaxle
alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving or slipping off the
jack, even if the vehicle is in P (Park) (automatic transaxle) or R
(Reverse) (manual transaxle).
To help prevent the vehicle from moving when you change a tire,
be sure the parking brake is set, then block (in both directions)
the wheel that is diagonally opposite (other side and end of the
vehicle) to the tire being changed.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone else could be
seriously injured.
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close
to moving traffic. Pull far enough off the road to avoid the
danger of being hit when operating the jack or changing the wheel.
1. Remove the spare tire and jack by
turning their tie-down bolts
counterclockwise. The lug wrench is
located in a bag next to, or on top
of, the spare tire.
2. Block the diagonally opposite
wheel.
2008 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
178

3. If equipped with a 6-spoke wheel
cover that’s bolted on, remove the
four plastic nuts by turning
counterclockwise 1/4 turn for access
to the lug nuts.
Note:To avoid damage to the wheel
cover, the 6-spoke wheel cover
cannot be removed until the tire is
off the vehicle.
4. Loosen each wheel lug nut
one-half turn counterclockwise but
do not remove them until the wheel
is raised off the ground.
5. The vehicle jacking points are
depicted on the yellow warning label
on the jack shown here (2-door
model shown, 4-door model similar).
Depending on which tire is to be
changed, locate the jack
approximately 7 inches (18 cm)
from the front wheel opening (1) or
approximately 17 inches (43 cm)
from the rear wheel opening (2).
Jack at the specified locations
to avoid damage to the vehicle.
2008 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
179

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.
2008 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
234

instrument panel ....................209
interior .....................................209
plastic parts ............................208
washing ....................................205
waxing .....................................206
wheels ......................................206
wiper blades ............................208
Climate control (see Air
conditioning or Heating) ............32
Clutch
fluid ..........................................239
operation while driving ..........163
recommended shift speeds ....164
Console ........................................45
Controls
steering column ........................52
Coolant
checking and adding ..............221
refill capacities ................224, 244
specifications ..........................244
Cruise control
(see Speed control) ....................49
Customer Assistance ................166
Ford Extended Service
Plan ..........................................201
Getting assistance outside
the U.S. and Canada ..............202
Getting roadside assistance ...166
Getting the service you
need .........................................197
Ordering additional owner’s
literature .................................203
Utilizing the Mediation/
Arbitration Program ...............201
D
Daytime running lamps
(see Lamps) ................................36Dipstick
automatic transmission
fluid ..........................................239
engine oil .................................217
Driving under special
conditions ..................................162
through water .........................165
E
Electronic message center .........55
Emergencies, roadside
jump-starting ..........................190
Emergency Flashers .................168
Emission control system ..........235
Engine ........................................246
cleaning ...................................207
coolant .....................................221
fail-safe cooling .......................225
idle speed control ...................219
lubrication specifications .......244
refill capacities ........................244
service points ..........................215
starting after a collision .........168
Engine block heater .................153
Engine fan .................................215
Engine oil ..................................217
change oil soon warning,
message center .......................217
checking and adding ..............217
dipstick ....................................217
filter, specifications ........218, 243
recommendations ...................218
refill capacities ........................244
specifications ..........................244
Event data recording ....................6
Exhaust fumes ..........................153
F
Fail safe cooling ........................225
2008 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
252