air suspension FORD FUSION 2010 Owners Manual

•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.
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.
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under-inflated, carefully drive the vehicle to the nearest location where
air can be added to the tires. Inflate all the tires to the recommended
inflation pressure.
SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
WARNING:Snow tires must be the same size, load index, speed
rating as those originally provided by Ford. Use of any tire or wheel
not recommended by Ford can affect the safety and performance of your
vehicle, which could result in an increased risk of loss of vehicle control,
vehicle rollover, personal injury and death. Additionally, the use of
non-recommended tires and wheels could cause steering, suspension, axle
or transfer case/power transfer unit failure.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains. If you need to use chains, it is recommended that steel
wheels (of the same size and specifications) be used, as chains may chip
aluminum wheels.
Note:The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when using
snow tires and chains.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
•If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
•Use only SAE Class S cables or equivalent on the front axle for
P205/60R16 equipped vehicles. SAE Class S chains or other
conventional link chains may cause damage to the vehicles wheel
house and/or body.
•
Do not install tire chains, cables, or optional traction devices on the rear
tires. This could cause damage to the vehicle’s wheel house or body.
•Do not use tire chains, cables, or optional traction devices with
optional P225/50R17 or P225/45R18 tires.
•Install cable chains securely, verifying that the cables do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
•Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) with tire cables on your vehicle.
•Drive cautiously. If you hear the cables rub or bang against your
vehicle, stop and retighten the cables. If this does not work, remove
the cables to prevent damage to your vehicle.
•Remove the tire cables when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire cables on dry roads.
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your vehicle is equipped with a four wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS),
do not “pump” the brakes. Refer to theBrakessection of this chapter
for additional information on the operation of the anti-lock brake system.
WARNING:If you are driving in slippery conditions that require
tire chains or cables, then it is critical that you drive cautiously.
Keep speeds down, allow for longer stopping distances and avoid
aggressive steering to reduce the chances of a loss of vehicle control
which can lead to serious injury or death. If the rear end of the vehicle
slides while cornering, steer in the direction of the slide until you
regain control of the vehicle.
Maintenance and modifications
The suspension and steering systems on your vehicle have been designed
and tested to provide predictable performance whether loaded or empty
and durable load carrying capability. For this reason, Ford Motor
Company strongly recommends that you do not make modifications such
as adding or removing parts (such as lift kits or stabilizer bars) or by
using replacement parts not equivalent to the original factory equipment.
Any modifications to a vehicle that raise the center of gravity can make
it more likely the vehicle will rollover as a result of a loss of control.
Ford Motor Company recommends that caution be used with any vehicle
equipped with a high load or device (such as ladder or luggage racks).
Failure to maintain your vehicle properly may void the warranty, increase
your repair cost, reduce vehicle performance and operational capabilities
and adversely affect driver and passenger safety. Frequent inspection of
vehicle chassis components is recommended if the vehicle is subjected to
heavy off-highway usage.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
If driving through deep or standing
water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially when the depth is
not known. Never drive through
water that is higher than the bottom
of the wheel rims (for cars) or the
bottom of the hubs (for trucks).
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