tires LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 2018 Owner's Guide

Improper or inadequate vehiclemaintenance can cause tires to wearabnormally. Inspect all your tires,including the spare, frequently, andreplace them if one or more of thefollowing conditions exist:
Tire Wear
When the tread is worn down to onesixteenth of an inch (2 millimeters), tiresmust be replaced to help prevent yourvehicle from skidding and hydroplaning.Built-in treadwear indicators, or wearbars, which look like narrow strips ofsmooth rubber across the tread willappear on the tire when the tread isworn down to one sixteenth of an inch(2 millimeters).
When the tire tread wears down to thesame height as these wear bars, the tireis worn out and must be replaced.
Damage
Periodically inspect the tire treads andsidewalls for damage (such as bulges inthe tread or sidewalls, cracks in the
tread groove and separation in the treador sidewall). If damage is observed orsuspected have the tire inspected by atire professional. Tires can be damagedduring off-road use, so inspection afteroff-road use is also recommended.
Age
WARNING: Tires degrade overtime depending on many factors suchas weather, storage conditions, andconditions of use (load, speed, inflationpressure) the tires experiencethroughout their lives.
WARNING: In general, tires shouldbe replaced after six years regardlessof tread wear or even if they have notbeen used. However, heat caused byhot climates or frequent high-loadconditions can accelerate the agingprocess and may require you to replacetires more frequently.
WARNING: You should replaceyour spare tire when you replace theroad tires or after six years due to agingeven if it has not been used.
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U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number
Both U.S. and Canada Federalregulations require tire manufacturersto place standardized information on thesidewall of all tires. This informationidentifies and describes the fundamentalcharacteristics of the tire and alsoprovides a U.S. DOT Tire IdentificationNumber for safety standard certificationand in case of a recall.
This begins with the letters DOT andindicates that the tire meets all federalstandards. The next two numbers orletters are the plant code designatingwhere it was manufactured, the next twoare the tire size code and the last fournumbers represent the week and yearthe tire was built. For example, the
numbers 317 mean the 31st week of1997. After 2000 the numbers go to fourdigits. For example, 2501 means the25th week of 2001. The numbers inbetween are identification codes usedfor traceability. This information is usedto contact customers if a tire defectrequires a recall.
Tire Replacement Requirements
Your vehicle is equipped with tiresdesigned to provide a safe ride andhandling capability.
WARNING: Only use replacementtires and wheels that are the same size,load index, speed rating and type (suchas P-metric versus LT-metric orall-season versus all-terrain) as thoseoriginally provided by Ford. Therecommended tire and wheel size maybe found on either the SafetyCompliance Certification Label (affixedto either the door hinge pillar, door-latchpost, or the door edge that meets thedoor-latch post, next to the driver’sseating position), or the Tire Label whichis located on the B-Pillar or edge of thedriver’s door. If this information is notfound on these labels, then you shouldcontact your authorized dealer as soon
as possible. Use of any tire or wheel notrecommended by Ford can affect thesafety and performance of your vehicle,which could result in an increased riskof loss of vehicle control, vehiclerollover, personal injury and death.
WARNING: To reduce the risk ofserious injury, when mountingreplacement tires and wheels, youshould not exceed the maximumpressure indicated on the sidewall of thetire to set the beads without additionalprecautions listed below. If the beadsdo not seat at the maximum pressureindicated, re-lubricate and try again.
WARNING: When inflating the tirefor mounting pressures up to 20 psi
(1.38 bar) greater than the maximumpressure on the tire sidewall, thefollowing precautions must be taken toprotect the person mounting the tire:
WARNING: 1. Make sure that youhave the correct tire and wheel size.
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WARNING: 2. Lubricate the tirebead and wheel bead seat area again.
WARNING: 3. Stand at a minimumof 12 ft (3.66 m) away from the wheeland tire assembly.
WARNING: 4. Use both eye andear protection.
WARNING: For a mountingpressure more than 20 psi (1.38 bar)greater than the maximum pressure, aFord dealer or other tire serviceprofessional should do the mounting.
WARNING: Always inflate steelcarcass tires with a remote air fill withthe person inflating standing at aminimum of 12 ft (3.66 m) away from thewheel and tire assembly.
Important: Remember to replace thewheel valve stems when the road tiresare replaced on your vehicle
It is recommended that the two fronttires or two rear tires generally bereplaced as a pair.
The tire pressure sensors mounted inthe wheels (originally installed on yourvehicle) are not designed to be used inaftermarket wheels.
The use of wheels or tires notrecommended by Ford Motor Companymay affect the operation of your tirepressure monitoring system.
If the tire pressure monitoring systemindicator is flashing, your system ismalfunctioning. Your replacement tiremight be incompatible with your tirepressure monitoring system, or somecomponent of the system may bedamaged.
Safety Practices
WARNING: If your vehicle is stuckin snow, mud or sand, do not rapidly spinthe tires; spinning the tires can tear thetire and cause an explosion. A tire canexplode in as little as three to fiveseconds.
WARNING: Do not spin the wheelsat over 34 mph (55 km/h). The tires mayfail and injure a passenger or bystander.
Driving habits have a great deal to dowith your tire mileage and safety.
•Observe posted speed limits
•Avoid fast starts, stops and turns
•Avoid potholes and objects on theroad
•Do not run over curbs or hit the tireagainst a curb when parking
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Highway Hazards
No matter how carefully you drive thereis always the possibility that you mayeventually have a flat tire on thehighway. Drive slowly to the closest safearea out of traffic. This may furtherdamage the flat tire, but your safety ismore important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ridedisturbance while driving, or you suspectyour tire or vehicle has been damaged,immediately reduce your speed. Drivewith caution until you can safely pull offthe road. Stop and inspect the tires fordamage. If a tire is under-inflated ordamaged, deflate it, remove the wheeland replace it with your spare tire andwheel (if provided). If you cannot detect
a cause, have the vehicle towed to thenearest repair facility or tire dealer tohave the vehicle inspected.
Tire and Wheel Alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or potholecan cause the front end of your vehicleto become misaligned or cause damageto your tires. If your vehicle seems topull to one side when you’re driving, thewheels may be out of alignment. Havean authorized dealer check the wheelalignment periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or therear can cause uneven and rapidtreadwear of your tires and should becorrected by an authorized dealer.Front-wheel drive vehicles and thosewith an independent rear suspension (ifequipped) may require alignment of allfour wheels.
The tires should also be balanced
periodically. An unbalanced tire andwheel assembly may result in irregulartire wear.
Tire Rotation
Note:If your tires show uneven wearask an authorized dealer to check forand correct any wheel misalignment,tire imbalance or mechanical probleminvolved before tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may be equippedwith a dissimilar spare wheel and tireassembly. A dissimilar spare wheel andtire assembly is defined as a sparewheel and tire assembly that is differentin brand, size or appearance from theroad tires and wheels. If you have adissimilar spare wheel and tire assemblyit is intended for temporary use only andshould not be used in a tire rotation.
Note:After having your tires rotated,inflation pressure must be checked and
adjusted to the vehicle requirements.
Rotating your tires at the recommendedinterval (as indicated in the ScheduledMaintenance chapter) will help your tireswear more evenly, providing better tireperformance and longer tire life.
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Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drivevehicles (front tires on the left side ofthe diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can becorrected by rotating the tires.
USING SUMMER TIRES (If Equipped)
Summer tires provide superior performanceon wet and dry roads. Summer tires do nothave the Mud and Snow (M+S or M/S) tiretraction rating on the tire side wall. Sincesummer tires do not have the same tractionperformance as All-season or Snow tires, wedo not recommend using summer tires when
temperatures drop to approximately 45°F(7°C) or below (depending on tire wear andenvironmental conditions) or in snow and iceconditions. Like any tire, summer tireperformance is affected by tire wear andenvironmental conditions. If you must drivein those conditions, we recommend usingMud and Snow (M+S, M/S), All-season orSnow tires.
Always store your summer tires indoors attemperatures above 19°F (-7°C). The rubbercompounds used in these tires lose flexibilityand may develop surface cracks in the treadarea at temperatures below 19°F (-7°C). If thetires have been subjected to 19°F (-7°C) orless, warm them in a heated space to at least41°F (5°C) for at least 24 hours beforeinstalling them on a vehicle, or moving thevehicle with the tires installed, or checkingtire inflation. Do not place tires near heatersor heating devices used to warm the roomwhere the tires are stored. Do not apply heator blow heated air directly on the tires.Always inspect the tires after storage periodsand before use.
USING SNOW CHAINS
WARNING: Snow tires must be thesame size, load index, and speed rating asthose originally provided by Ford. Use of anytire or wheel not recommended by Ford canaffect the safety and performance of yourvehicle, which could result in an increasedrisk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,personal injury, and death. Additionally, theuse of non-recommended tires and wheelscould cause steering, suspension, axle,transfer case, or power transfer unit failure.It is also strongly advised to follow the Fordrecommended tire inflation pressure foundon the Safety Compliance Certification Label(affixed to either the door hinge pillar,door-latch post, or the door edge that meetsthe door-latch post, next to the driver’sseating position), or Tire Label which islocated on the B-Pillar or the edge of thedriver door. Failure to follow the tire pressurerecommendations can cause uneventreadwear patterns and adversely affect theway your vehicle handles.
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The tires on your vehicle may haveall-weather treads to provide traction in rainand snow. However, in some climates youmay need to use snow chains.
Your vehicle may not be compatible withsnow chain or cable usage with thefactory-fitted wheels and tires. Only certainchains or snow cables have been approvedby Ford as safe for use on your vehicle withthe following tire size: 235/50R18. Youshould only install chains or cables sized at10 mm or less in dimension as measured onthe sidewall of your tire. Not all S-class snowchains meet these restrictions. Chains of thissize restriction will include a tensioningdevice. The chains should be mounted inpairs on the front tires only. If you need touse chains, it is recommended that steelwheels (of the same size and specification)be used, as chains may chip aluminumwheels.
Follow these guidelines when using tractiondevices:
•If possible, avoid fully loading yourvehicle
•Purchase chains or cables from amanufacturer that clearly labels body totire dimension restrictions.
•When driving with snow chains or cables,do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) or themaximum speed recommended by thechain manufacturer; whichever is less.
•Drive cautiously. If you hear the chainsor cables rub or bang against the vehicle,stop and retighten them. If this does notwork, remove the chains or cables andprevent vehicle damage.
•Remove the chains or cables when theyare no longer needed. Do not use thechains or cables on dry roads.
•If a temporary spare tire is mounted onyour vehicle, do not use snow chains onthe axle with the temporary spare tire.
If you have any questions regarding snowtires or snow chains, please contact yourauthorized dealer.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM
WARNING: The tire pressuremonitoring system is not a substitute formanually checking tire pressures. You shouldperiodically check tire pressures using apressure gauge. Failure to correctly maintaintire pressures could increase the risk of tirefailure, loss of control, vehicle rollover andpersonal injury.
Note: You should only use tire sealants inroadside emergencies as they may causedamage to the tire pressure monitoringsystem sensor.
Note: If the tire pressure monitoring systemsensor becomes damaged, it may notfunction.
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Each tire, including the spare (ifprovided), should be checkedmonthly when cold and inflated tothe inflation pressure recommended by thevehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placardor tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehiclehas tires of a different size than the sizeindicated on the vehicle placard or tireinflation pressure label, you shoulddetermine the proper tire inflation pressurefor those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle hasbeen equipped with a Tire PressureMonitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates alow tire pressure telltale when one or moreof your tires is significantly under-inflated.Accordingly, when the low tire pressuretelltale illuminates, you should stop andcheck your tires as soon as possible, andinflate them to the proper pressure. Drivingon a significantly under-inflated tire causesthe tire to overheat and can lead to tirefailure. Under-inflation also reduces fuelefficiency and tire tread life, and may affectthe vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitutefor proper tire maintenance, and it is thedriver’s responsibility to maintain correct tirepressure, even if under-inflation has notreached the level to trigger illumination ofthe TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with aTPMS malfunction indicator to indicate whenthe system is not operating properly. TheTPMS malfunction indicator is combined withthe low tire pressure telltale. When thesystem detects a malfunction, the telltale willflash for approximately one minute and thenremain continuously illuminated. Thissequence will continue upon subsequentvehicle start-ups as long as the malfunctionexists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,the system may not be able to detect orsignal low tire pressure as intended. TPMSmalfunctions may occur for a variety ofreasons, including the installation ofreplacement or alternate tires or wheels onthe vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the TPMSmalfunction telltale after replacing one ormore tires or wheels on your vehicle toensure that the replacement or alternate tiresand wheels allow the TPMS to continue tofunction properly.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCCRules and with License exempt RSSStandards of Industry Canada. Operation issubject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmfulinterference, and
2.This device must accept any interferencereceived, including interference that maycause undesired operation.
Note:Changes or modifications notexpressively approved by the partyresponsible for compliance could void theuser's authority to operate the equipment.The term "IC:" before the radio certificationnumber only signifies that Industry Canadatechnical specifications were met.
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Changing Tires With a Tire PressureMonitoring System
Note:Each road tire is equipped with a tirepressure sensor located inside the wheeland tire assembly cavity. The pressuresensor is attached to the valve stem. Thepressure sensor is covered by the tire andis not visible unless the tire is removed. Takecare when changing the tire to avoiddamaging the sensor.
You should always have your tires servicedby an authorized dealer.
Check the tire pressure periodically (at leastmonthly) using an accurate tire gauge. SeeWhen Inflating Your Tires in this chapter.
Understanding Your Tire PressureMonitoring System
The tire pressure monitoring systemmeasures pressure in your road tires andsends the tire pressure readings to yourvehicle. You can view the tire pressurereadings through the information display.See General Information (page 115). The lowtire pressure warning light will turn on if thetire pressure is significantly low. Once the
light is illuminated, your tires areunder-inflated and need to be inflated to themanufacturer’s recommended tire pressure.Even if the light turns on and a short timelater turns off, your tire pressure still needsto be checked.
When Your Temporary Spare Tire isInstalled
When one of your road tires needs to bereplaced with the temporary spare, thesystem will continue to identify an issue toremind you that the damaged road wheeland tire assembly needs to be repaired andput back on your vehicle.
To restore the full function of the tirepressure monitoring system, have thedamaged road wheel and tire assemblyrepaired and remounted on your vehicle.
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When You Believe Your System is NotOperating Properly
The main function of the tire pressuremonitoring system is to warn you when your
tires need air. It can also warn you in theevent the system is no longer capable offunctioning as intended. See the followingchart for information concerning your tirepressure monitoring system:
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Customer action requiredPossible causeLow tire pressure warning light
Make sure tires are at the proper pressure. See Inflating your tiresin this chapter. After inflating your tires to the manufacturer’srecommended pressure as shown on the Tire Label (located onthe edge of driver’s door or the B-Pillar), the vehicle must be drivenfor at least two minutes over 20 mph (32 km/h) before the lightturns off.
Tire(s) under-inflated
Solid warning lightRepair the damaged road wheel and tire assembly and reinstallit on the vehicle to restore system function. For a description onhow the system functions, see When Your Temporary Spare Tireis Installed in this section.
Spare tire in use
If the tires are properly inflated and the spare tire is not in use butthe light remains on, contact your authorized dealer as soon aspossible.TPMS malfunction
Repair the damaged road wheel and tire assembly and reinstallit on the vehicle to restore system function. For a description onhow the system functions, see When Your Temporary Spare Tireis Installed in this section.
Spare tire in use
Flashing warning light
If the tires are properly inflated and the spare tire is not in use butthe light remains on, contact your authorized dealer as soon aspossible.TPMS malfunction
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