wheel alignment FORD FUSION (AMERICAS) 2008 1.G Owners Manual

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.
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.
2008 Fusion(fsn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
170

•Front Wheel Drive (FWD)/ All
Wheel Drive 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.
2008 Fusion(fsn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
171

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 may reduce fuel economy at any speed.
2008 Fusion(fsn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
274

Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....177
Tires ...........................162–163, 221
alignment ................................170
care ..........................................166
changing ..................................221
checking the pressure ............166
inflating ...................................164
label .........................................176
replacing ..................................168
rotating ....................................170
safety practices .......................169
sidewall information ...............171
snow tires and chains ............181
spare tire .................................221
terminology .............................163
tire grades ...............................163
treadwear ........................162, 167
Towing .......................................186
recreational towing .................186
trailer towing ..........................186
wrecker ....................................232
Traction control ........................195
Transaxle
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................279
fluid, checking and adding
(manual) .................................284
Transmission .............................197brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....197
fluid, refill capacities ..............288
lubricant specifications ..........288
manual operation ....................202
Trunk .........................................100
remote release ..................92, 104
Turn signal ..................................58
U
USB port ......................................38
V
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................292
Vehicle loading ..........................181
Ventilating your vehicle ...........191
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......10
Washer fluid ..............................253
Water, Driving through .............211
Windows
power .........................................73
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................69
checking and adding fluid .....253
replacing wiper blades ...........253
Wrecker towing .........................232
2008 Fusion(fsn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
301