inflation pressure LINCOLN MKC 2016 User Guide

When the tread is worn down to one
sixteenth of an inch (2 mm), tires must
be replaced to help prevent your vehicle
from skidding and hydroplaning. Built-in
treadwear indicators, or wear bars,
which look like narrow strips of smooth
rubber across the tread will appear on
the tire when the tread is worn down to
one sixteenth of an inch (2 mm).
When the tire tread wears down to the
same height as these wear bars, the tire
is worn out and must be replaced.
Damage
Periodically inspect the tire treads and
sidewalls for damage (such as bulges in
the tread or sidewalls, cracks in the
tread groove and separation in the tread
or sidewall). If damage is observed or
suspected, have the tire inspected by a
tire professional. Tires can be damaged
during off-road use, so inspection after
off-road use is also recommended.
Age WARNING
Tires degrade over time depending
on many factors such as weather,
storage conditions, and conditions of
use (load, speed, inflation pressure) the
tires experience throughout their lives.
In general, tires should be replaced after
six years regardless of tread wear.
However, heat caused by hot climates
or frequent high loading conditions can
accelerate the aging process and may
require tires to be replaced more
frequently.
You should replace your spare tire when
you replace the road tires or after six
years due to aging even if it has not
been used. U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number
Both United States 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.
This begins with the letters DOT and
indicates that the tire 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.
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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 are 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 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
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 wheel and tire
assembly. A dissimilar spare wheel and
tire assembly is defined as a spare
wheel and tire assembly that is different
in brand, size or appearance from the
road tires and wheels. If you have a
dissimilar spare wheel and tire
assembly, 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. Rotating your tires at the recommended
interval (as indicated in the Scheduled
Maintenance chapter) will help your tires
wear more evenly, providing better tire
performance and longer tire life.
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be
corrected by rotating the tires.
Non-directional tires
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TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM
WARNING
The tire pressure monitoring system is
not a substitute for manually checking
tire pressure. The tire pressure should be
checked periodically (at least monthly) using
a tire gauge, see Inflating your tires in this
chapter. Failure to properly maintain your
tire pressure could increase the risk of tire
failure, loss of control, vehicle rollover and
personal injury. Each tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle
has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure
for those tires.) As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates a
low tire pressure telltale when one or more
of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle
’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the
driver’ s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale. Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This
sequence will continue upon subsequent
vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction
exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or alternate tires
and wheels allow the TPMS to continue to
function properly.
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When Inflating Your Tires
When putting air into your tires (such as at a
gas station or in your garage), the tire
pressure monitoring system may not respond
immediately to the air added to your tires.
It may take up to two minutes of driving over
20 mph (32 km/h) for the light to turn off after
you have filled your tires to the
recommended inflation pressure
How Temperature Affects Your Tire
Pressure
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors
tire pressure in each pneumatic tire. While
driving in a normal manner, a typical
passenger tire inflation pressure may
increase about 2 to 4 psi (14 to 28 kPa) from
a cold start situation. If the vehicle is
stationary overnight with the outside
temperature significantly lower than the
daytime temperature, the tire pressure may
decrease about 3 psi (21 kPa) for a drop of
30°F (17°C) in ambient temperature. This
lower pressure value may be detected by
the tire pressure monitoring system as being
significantly lower than the recommended
inflation pressure and activate the system
warning light for low tire pressure. If the low
tire pressure warning light is on, visually
check each tire to verify that no tire is flat. If
one or more tires are flat, repair as
necessary. Check the air pressure in the road
tires. If any tire is 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.
CHANGING A ROAD WHEEL
WARNINGS
The use of tire sealant may damage
your tire pressure monitoring system
and should only be used in roadside
emergencies. If you must use a sealant, the
Ford Tire Mobility Kit sealant should be used.
The tire pressure monitoring system sensor
and valve stem on the wheel must be
replaced by an authorized dealer after use
of the sealant. WARNINGS
See Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(page 330). If the tire pressure monitor
sensor becomes damaged, it will no longer
function. Note:
The tire pressure monitoring system
indicator light will illuminate when the spare
tire is in use. To restore the full function of
the monitoring system, all road wheels
equipped with tire pressure monitoring
sensors must be mounted on the vehicle.
If you get a flat tire while driving, do not apply
the brake heavily. Instead, gradually
decrease your speed. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and slowly move to a safe place
on the side of the road.
Have a flat serviced by an authorized dealer
in order to prevent damage to the tire
pressure monitoring system sensors. See
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (page 330).
Replace the spare tire with a road tire as
soon as possible. During repairing or
replacing of the flat tire, have the authorized
dealer inspect the tire pressure monitoring
system sensor for damage.
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