tires FORD TRANSIT 2015 5.G User Guide

Cooling system
•
Protect against freezing temperatures.
• When removing your vehicle from
storage, check coolant fluid level.
Confirm that there are no cooling
system leaks and that fluid is at the
recommended level.
Battery
• Check and recharge as necessary. Keep
connections clean.
• If storing your vehicle for more than 30
days without recharging the battery,
we recommend that you disconnect
the battery cables to maintain battery
charge for quick starting.
Note: It is necessary to reset memory
features if battery cables are disconnected.
Brakes
• Make sure the brakes and parking brake
release fully.
Tires
• Maintain recommended air pressure.
Miscellaneous
• Make sure all linkages, cables, levers
and pins under your vehicle are covered
with grease to prevent rust.
• Move vehicles at least 25 ft (7.5 m)
every 15 days to lubricate working parts
and prevent corrosion.
Removing Vehicle From Storage
When your vehicle is ready to come out of
storage, do the following:
• Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt
or grease film build-up on window
surfaces.
• Check windshield wipers for any
deterioration. •
Check under the hood for any foreign
material that may have collected
during storage such as mice or squirrel
nests.
• Check the exhaust for any foreign
material that may have collected
during storage.
• Check tire pressures and set tire
inflation per the Tire Label.
• Check brake pedal operation. Drive
your vehicle
15 ft (4.5 m) back and
forth to remove rust build-up.
• Check fluid levels (including coolant,
oil and gas) to make sure there are no
leaks, and fluids are at recommended
levels.
• If you remove the battery, clean the
battery cable ends and inspect.
Contact an authorized dealer if you have
any concerns or issues.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Notice to Utility Vehicle, Van and
Truck Owners
WARNINGS
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types
of vehicles. To reduce the risk of
serious injury or death from a rollover or
other crash you must avoid sharp turns and
abrupt maneuvers, drive at safe speeds for
the conditions, keep tires properly inflated,
never overload or improperly load your
vehicle, and make sure every passenger is
properly restrained. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat belt.
All occupants must wear seat belts.
Children and infants must use appropriate
restraints to minimize the risk of injury or
ejection. Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in the
various driving conditions that are
encountered on streets, highways and
off-road. Utility vehicles and trucks are not
designed for cornering at speeds as high
as passenger cars any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions. How Your Vehicle Differs from
Other Vehicles
Sport-utility vehicles, vans and trucks can
differ from some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may be:
•
Higher - to allow higher load carrying
capacity and to allow it to travel over
rough terrain without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
• Shorter - to give it the capability to
approach inclines and drive over the
crest of a hill without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
All other things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs
than a vehicle with a longer wheelbase.
• Narrower - to provide greater
maneuverability in tight spaces,
particularly in off-road use.
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As a result of the above dimensional
differences, sport-utility vehicles, vans and
trucks often will have a higher center of
gravity and a greater difference in center
of gravity between the loaded and
unloaded condition.
These differences that make your vehicle
so versatile also make it handle differently
than an ordinary passenger car.
TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform
Tire Quality Grades Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires.
The tire 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.
They do not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, light truck or LT type
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).
Tire Quality Grades are
determined by standards that the
United States Department of
Transportation has set.
United States Department of
Transportation Tire Quality
Grades
The United States of America
Department of Transportation
requires Ford Motor Company to
give you the following information
about tire grades exactly as the
government has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear 1½ times as well on
the government course as a tire
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graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their
use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
WARNING
The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics. The traction grades, from highest
to lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The
grades represent the tire
’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled
conditions on specified
government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Temperature A B C WARNING
The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a
tire that is correctly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed,
under-inflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure. The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B and C,
representing the tire
’s resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 139. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
Glossary of Tire Terminology
• Tire label: A label showing the
OE (Original Equipment) tire
sizes, recommended inflation
pressure and the maximum
weight the vehicle can carry.
• Tire Identification Number
(TIN): A number on the
sidewall of each tire providing
information about the tire
brand and manufacturing
plant, tire size and date of
manufacture. Also referred to
as DOT code.
• Inflation pressure: A measure
of the amount of air in a tir
e.
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•
Standard load: A class of
P-metric or Metric tires
designed to carry a maximum
load at set pressure. For
example: for P-metric tires
35 psi (2.4 bar)
or 36 psi
(2.5 bar) depending on tire size
and for Metric tires
36 psi
(2.5 bar). Increasing the
inflation pressure beyond this
pressure will not increase the
tire capability.
• Extra load: A class of P-metric
or Me

tric tires designed to carry
a heavier maximum load at
42 psi (2.9 bar). Increasing the
inflation pressure beyond this
pressure will not increase the
tire ’s load carrying capability.
• bar Metric unit of atmospheric
pressure.
• kPa:
Kilopascal, a metric unit
of air pressure.
• PSI:
Pounds per square inch, a
standard unit of air pressure.
• Cold tire pressure:
The tire
pressure when the vehicle has
been stationary and out of
direct sunlight for an hour or
more and prior to the vehicle
being driven for 1 mi (1.6 km). •
Recommended inflation
pressure:
The cold inflation
pressure found on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label
(affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the
door edge that meets the
door-latch post, next to the
driver seating position) or Tire
Label located on the B-Pillar or
the edge of the driver door.
• B-pillar: The structural
member at the side of the
vehicle behind the front door.
• 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
United States of America, and
Canada Federal regulations
require tire manufacturers to place
standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and
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describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also
provides a United States of
America DOT Tire Identification
Number for safety standard
certification and in case of a recall.
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:
Tire size, load index and
speed rating for your vehicle may
be different from the following
example. P: Indicates a tire,
designated by the Tire
and Rim Association, that
may be used for service on
cars, sport utility vehicles,
minivans and light trucks.
A
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.
B
65:
Indicates the aspect
ratio which gives the tire's
ratio of height to width.
C
R:
Indicates a radial type
tire.
D
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I
J
KL
M
A
B
CDEFG
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15: Indicates the wheel or
rim diameter in inches. If
you change the wheel
size, you will have to
purchase new tires to
match the new wheel
diameter.
E
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 the Owner ’s
Guide. If not, contact a
local tire dealer.
F
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
G
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 kph) to 186 mph
(299 kph). These ratings
are listed in the following
chart. United States of
America DOT Tire
Identification Number
(TIN):
This begins with
the letters DOT and
indicates that the tire
H
meets all federal
standards. The next two
numbers or letters are the
plant code designating
where it was
manufactured, the next
two are the tire size code
and the last four numbers
represent the week and
year the tire was built. For
example, the numbers 317
mean the 31st week of
1997. After 2000 the
numbers go to four digits.
For example, 2501 means
the 25th week of 2001.
The numbers in between
are identification codes
used for traceability. This
information is used to
contact customers if a tire
defect requires a recall.
M+S or M/S: Mud and
Snow, AT: All Terrain, AS:
All Season.
I
Tire Ply Composition
and Material Used:
Indicates the number of
plies or the number of
layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire tread and
J
sidewall. Tire
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manufacturers also must
indicate the ply materials
in the tire and the
sidewall, which include
steel, nylon, polyester,
and others.
Maximum Load:
Indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and
pounds that can be
carried by the tire. Refer to
the Safety Compliance
K
Certification Label
(affixed to either the door
hinge pillar, door-latch
post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver
seating position), for the
correct tire pressure for
your vehicle.
Treadwear, Traction
and Temperature
Grades:Treadwear The
treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based
on the wear rate of the tire
L
when tested under
controlled conditions on
a specified government
test course. For example,
a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half
times as well on the
government course as a
tire graded 100. Traction:
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest are AA,
A, B, and C. The grades
represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction
performance.
Temperature:
The
temperature grades are A
(the highest), B and C,
representing the tire's
resistance to the
generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat
when tested under
controlled conditions on
a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel.
Maximum Inflation
Pressure:
Indicates the
tire manufacturer's
maximum permissible
pressure or the pressure
at which the maximum
M
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
(affixed to either the door
hinge pillar, door-latch
post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver
seating position), or Tire
Label which is located on
the B-Pillar or the edge of
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the driver door. The cold
inflation pressure should
never be set lower than
the recommended
pressure on the vehicle
label.
Tire speed ratings
mph ( km/h)
Letter
rating
81 mph (130 km/h)
M
87 mph (140 km/h)
N
99 mph (159 km/h)
Q
106 mph (171 km/h)
R
112 mph (180 km/h)
S
118 mph (190 km/h)
T
124 mph (200 km/h)
U
130 mph (210 km/h)
H
149 mph (240 km/h)
V
168 mph (270 km/h)
W
186 mph (299 km/h)
Y
Note: For tires with a maximum
speed capability over 149 mph
(240 km/h), tire manufacturers
sometimes use the letters ZR. For
those with a maximum speed
capability over 186 mph (299
km/h), tire manufacturers always
use the letters ZR. Note:
If the 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). You
may not find this information on all
tires because it is not required by
federal law.
Note: The tire suppliers may have
additional markings, notes or
warnings, for example standard
load, radial tubeless, etc.
T Type Tires
T145/80D16 is an example of a
tire size. T type tires have some
additional information beyond
those of P type tires. The
definitions of these items are
listed below.
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.
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T: Indicates a type of tire,
designated by the Tire
and Rim Association, that
is intended for temporary
service on cars,
sport-utility vehicles,
minivans and light trucks.
A
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.
B 80: Indicates the aspect
ratio which gives the tire's
ratio of height to width.
Numbers of 70 or lower
indicate a short sidewall.
C
D:
Indicates a diagonal
type tire. R: Indicates a
radial type tire.
D
16:
Indicates the wheel or
rim diameter in inches. If
you change the wheel
size, you will have to
purchase new tires to
match the new wheel
diameter.
E
Additional Information for LT
Type Tires
LT235/85 R16 is an example of a
tire size. LT type tires have some
additional information beyond
those of P type tires. The
definitions of these items are
listed below.
Note: Tire Quality Grades do not
apply to this type of tire.
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BCDE
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