tire type FORD MUSTANG 2004 4.G Owners Manual

•uneven tire wear
•loose or worn suspension components
•loose or worn steering components
•improper steering alignment
A high crown in the road or high crosswinds may
also make the steering seem to wander/pull.
TRACTION CONTROL(IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Traction
Control
system. This system helps you maintain
the stability and steerability of your vehicle,
especially on slippery road surfaces such as snow- or
ice-covered roads and gravel roads. The system will
allow your vehicle to make better use of available
traction in these conditions.
During Traction
Control
operation,
the traction control
active light will
illuminate, you may hear an electric motor type of
sound coming from the engine compartment and the
engine will not“rev-up”when you push further on
the accelerator. This is normal system behavior and
should be no reason for concern.
The Traction Control

switch, located below
the radio, illuminates
when the system is off.
The Traction Control

system will
automatically turn on every time the ignition is
turned OFF and ON.
If you should become stuck in snow or ice or on a
very slippery road surface, try switching the Traction
Control
system off. This may allow excess wheel
spin to“dig”the vehicle out and enable a successful
“rocking”maneuver.
The traction control on/off status is shown by an
indicator lamp on the traction control switch. If the
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and is designed for emergency use only. Replace this
tire with a full-size tire as soon as possible.
Installing a tire on either or both sides of the driven
axle that is of a different size than the original road
tire is not recommended since this will affect the
accuracy of the speedometer and odometer. If
different size tires must be installed, it is important
that all four be the same size.
If one or more tires of the four are of a
different size, the ABS and traction control
system (if equipped) may not function correctly or
may not function at all. The temporary spare
supplied with the vehicle is the only different size
tire that should ever be installed.
If you use the temporary spare tire
continuously or do not follow these
precautions, the tire could fail, causing you to lose
control of the vehicle, possibly injuring yourself or
others.
When driving with the temporary spare tire do not:
• use more than one temporary spare tire at a time
• exceed 80 km/h (50 mph) or drive further than
3,200 km (2,000 miles) total under any
circumstances
• load the vehicle beyond maximum vehicle load
rating listed on the tire pressure label on the
driver’s side b-pillar
• tow a trailer
• use tire chains
• drive through an automatic car wash, because of
the vehicle’s reduced ground clearance
• try to repair the temporary spare tire or remove it
from its wheel
• use the wheel for any other type of vehicle
Use of a temporary spare tire at any one wheel
location can lead to impairment of the following:
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•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel
economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 88 km/h
[55 mph] uses 15% less fuel than traveling at
105 km/h [65 mph]).
•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 third
and fourth gear 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 toLubricant
specificationsin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance
items. Follow the recommended maintenance
schedule and owner maintenance checks found in
your vehicle scheduled maintenance guide.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may
reduce fuel economy at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel
economy (approximately 0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost
for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
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•Fill level for V8
(except Cobra)
4. Add enough fluid through the filler opening to
bring the fluid up to the recommended levels.
5. Install and tighten the fill plug securely.
Use only fluid that meets Ford specifications. Refer
toLubricant Specificationsin this chapter.
INFORMATION ABOUT UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY
GRADING
New vehicles are fitted
with tires that have a
rating on them called
Tire Quality Grades.
The Quality grades can
be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For example:
•Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
These Tire Quality Grades are determined by
standards that the United States Department of
Transportation has set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new pneumatic tires for
use on passenger cars. They do not apply to deep
tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or
temporary use spare tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or limited production
tires as defined in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation-Tire quality
grades:The U.S. Department of Transportation
requires Ford to give you the following information
about tire grades exactly as the government has
written it.
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•Bead area of the tire:Area of the tire next to
the rim.
•Sidewall of the tire:Area between the bead
area and the tread.
•Tread area of the tire:Area of the perimeter of
the tire that contacts the road when mounted on
the vehicle.
•Rim:The metal support (wheel) for a tire or a
tire and tube assembly upon which the tire beads
are seated.
INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE
SIDEWALL
Federal law requires 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 tire identification number for safety
standard certification and in case of a recall.
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 than this
example.)
1.P:Indicates a tire, designated by the Tire and Rim
Association (T&RA), that maybe 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).
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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
159 km/h (99 mph) to 299 km/h (186 mph). These
ratings are listed in the following chart.
Note:You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by federal law.
Letter rating Speed rating - km/h (mph)
Q 159 km/h (99 mph)
R 171 km/h (106 mph)
S 180 km/h (112 mph)
T 190 km/h (118 mph)
U 200 km/h (124 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph)
V 240 km/h (149 mph)
W 270 km/h (168 mph)
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Additional information contained on the tire
sidewall for“LT”type tires
“LT”type tires have
some additional
information than those
of“P”type tires; these
differences are
described below:
1.LT:Indicates a tire,
designated by the Tire
and Rim Association
(T&RA), that is
intended for service on
light trucks.
2.Load Range/Load Inflation Limits:Indicates
the tires load-carrying capabilities and its inflation
limits.
3.Maximum Load Dual kg (lbs.) at kPa (psi)
cold:Indicates the maximum load and tire pressure
when the tire is used as a dual; a dual is defined as
when four tires are put on the rear axle (a total of
six or more tires on the vehicle).
4.Maximum Load Single kg (lbs.) at kPa (psi)
cold:Indicates the maximum load and tire pressure
when the tire is used as a single; a single is defined
as when two tires (total) are put on the rear axle.
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Information on“T”type tires
T145/80D16 is an
example of a tire size.
Note:The temporary
tire size for your
vehicle may be
different than this
example.
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
tires 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 driver’s
door.
TIRE CARE
Improper or inadequate vehicle maintenance can
also cause tires to wear abnormally. Here are some
of the important maintenance items
SPARETIRE
TEMPORARYUSEONLYINFLATETO60P.S.I.T
T145/80D16105M
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SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Driving too fast for conditions creates the
possibility of loss of vehicle control. Driving
at very high speeds for extended periods of time
may result in damage to vehicle components.
Snow tires must be the same size and grade
as the tires you currently have on your
vehicle.
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. Use chains on the tires only in an emergency
or if the law requires them.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and
chains:
•Chains may damage aluminum wheels.
•Use only Cable Type chains with size P225/55R16
or 245/45ZR17 tires. Use of SAE Class S chains
may damage your vehicle.
•Install chains securely, verifying that the chains do
not touch any wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
•Drive cautiously. If you hear the chains rub or
bang against your vehicle, stop and re-tighten the
chains. If this does not work, remove the chains
to prevent damage to your vehicle.
•If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
•Remove the tire chains when they are no longer
needed. Do not use tire chains on dry roads.
•The suspension insulation and bumpers will help
prevent vehicle damage. Do not remove these
components from your vehicle when using snow
tires and chains.
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