tires LINCOLN MKS 2015 User Guide

Examples: For a 5000 pound
(2268 kilogram) conventional
trailer, multiply 5000 by 0.10 and
0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load
range of 500 to 750 pounds (227 to
340 kilograms). For an 11500 pound
(5216 kilogram) fifth wheel trailer,
multiply by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain
a proper king pin load range of 1725
to 2875 pounds (782 to 1304
kilograms). WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label. Do not use replacement tires
with lower load carrying
capacities than the original tires
because they may lower the
vehicle ’s GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires with
a higher limit than the original tires
do not increase the GVWR and
GAWR limitations. WARNINGS
Exceeding any vehicle weight
rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle
and/or personal injury. Steps for determining the correct
load limit:
1. Locate the statement "The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lb." on your
vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lb. 4.
The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the “XXX” amount
equals 1,400 lb. and there will be
five 150 lb. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lb. (1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lb.)
5. Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being
loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
of your vehicle.
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TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the
certification label. Towing trailers beyond the
maximum recommended gross
trailer weight exceeds the limit of
your vehicle and could result in
engine damage, transmission
damage, structural damage, loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover and
personal injury. Note:
There may be electrical items
such as fuses or relays that can affect
trailer towing operation. See Fuses
(page 218).
The load capacity of your vehicle is
designated by weight not volume.
You may not necessarily be able to
use all available space when loading
your vehicle or trailer. Towing a trailer places extra load
on the engine, transmission, axle,
brakes, tires, and suspension.
Inspect these components before,
during and after towing.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer
movement affects the vehicle when
driving:
•
Load the heaviest items closest
to the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items in the
center of the left and right side
trailer tires. •
Load the heaviest items above
the trailer axles or just slightly
forward toward the trailer
tongue. Do not allow the final
trailer tongue weight to go above
or below 10-15% of the loaded
trailer weight.
• Select a tow bar with the correct
rise or drop. When both the
loaded vehicle and trailer are
connected, the trailer frame
should be level, or slightly angled
down toward the vehicle, when
viewed from the side.
When driving with a trailer or
payload, a slight takeoff vibration or
shudder may be present due to the
increased payload weight.
Additional information regarding
proper trailer loading and setting
your vehicle up for towing is located
in the Load Carrying chapter. See
Load Limit (page 187). You can also
find the information in the
RV &
Trailer Towing Guide, available at
an authorized dealer.
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Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing up to
get the feel of your vehicle-trailer
combination before starting on a trip. When
turning, make wider turns so the trailer
wheels clear curbs and other obstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
•
Do not drive faster than 70 mph (113
km/h) during the first 500 miles (800
kilometers).
• Do not make full-throttle starts.
• Check your hitch, electrical connections
and trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly after
you have traveled 50 miles (80
kilometers).
• When stopped in congested or heavy
traffic during hot weather, place the
gearshift in position P to aid engine and
transmission cooling and to help A/C
performance.
• Turn off the speed control with heavy
loads or in hilly terrain. The speed control
may turn off automatically when you are
towing on long, steep grades.
• Shift to a lower gear when driving down
a long or steep hill. Do not apply the
brakes continuously, as they may
overheat and become less effective. •
If your transmission is equipped with a
Grade Assist or Tow/Haul feature, use
this feature when towing. This provides
engine braking and helps eliminate
excessive transmission shifting for
optimum fuel economy and transmission
cooling.
• Allow more distance for stopping with a
trailer attached. Anticipate stops and
brake gradually.
• Avoid parking on a grade. However, if you
must park on a grade:
1. Turn the steering wheel to point your vehicle tires away from traffic flow.
2. Set your vehicle parking brake.
3. Place the automatic transmission in position
P.
4. Place wheel chocks in front and back of the trailer wheels. (Chocks not included
with vehicle.)
Launching or Retrieving a Boat or
Personal Watercraft (PWC)
Note: Disconnect the wiring to the trailer
before
backing the trailer into the water.
Note: Reconnect the wiring to the trailer after
removing the trailer from the water. When backing down a ramp during boat
launching or retrieval:
•
Do not allow the static water level to rise
above the bottom edge of the rear
bumper.
• Do not allow waves to break higher than
6 inches (15 centimeters) above the
bottom edge of the rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow water to
enter vehicle components:
• Causing internal damage to the
components.
• Affecting driveability, emissions, and
reliability.
Any time the rear axle submerges in water,
replace the rear axle lubricant. Water may
contaminate the rear axle lubricant, which is
not a normal maintenance inspection item
unless there is a possibility of a leak or other
axle repair is required.
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BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires for
approximately 300 miles (480 kilometers).
During this time, your vehicle may exhibit
some unusual driving characteristics.
Avoid driving too fast during the first 1000
miles (1600 kilometers). Vary your speed
frequently and change up through the gears
early. Do not labor the engine.
Do not tow during the first 1000 miles (1600
kilometers).
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Fuel economy is affected by several things
such as how you drive, the conditions you
drive under and how you maintain your
vehicle.
There are some things to keep in mind that
may improve your fuel economy:
•
Accelerate and slow down in a smooth,
moderate fashion.
• Drive at steady speeds.
• Anticipate stops; slowing down may
eliminate the need to stop. •
Combine errands and minimize
stop-and-go driving.
•When running errands, go to the
furthest destination first and then
work your way back home.
• Close the windows for high-speed driving.
• Drive at reasonable speeds. (Traveling at
65 mph/105 kph uses about 15% less fuel
than traveling at 75 mph/121 kph).
• Keep the tires properly inflated and use
only the recommended size.
• Use the recommended engine oil.
• Perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance.
There are also some things you may want to
avoid doing because they reduce your fuel
economy:
• Avoid sudden or hard accelerations.
• Avoid revving the engine before turning
off the car.
• Avoid long idle periods.
• Do not warm up your vehicle on cold
mornings.
• Reduce the use of air conditioning and
heat.
• Avoid using speed control in hilly terrain. •
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
• Avoid carrying unnecessary weight
(approximately 1 mpg [0.4
kilometers/liter] is lost for every 400 lbs
[180 kilograms] of weight carried).
• Avoid adding particular accessories to
your vehicle (e.g. bug deflectors,
rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski
racks).
• Avoid driving with the wheels out of
alignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deep
water as you may lose control of your
vehicle.
Note:
Driving through standing water can
cause vehicle damage.
Note: Engine damage can occur if water
enters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water, check
the depth. Never drive through water that is
higher than the bottom of the front rocker
area of your vehicle.
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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 check for damage.
Contact an authorized dealer if you have any
concerns or issues.
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TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform Tire
Quality Grading
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires. 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 passenger car tires. 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).
U.S. Department of
Transportation Tire quality
grades:
The U.S. 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 1 ½ times as well on the
government course as a tire 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.
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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 properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, 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
original equipment tire sizes,
recommended inflation pressure
and the maximum weight the
vehicle can carry.
• Tire Identification Number:
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 tire.
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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 (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 ’s load
carrying capability.
• Extra load:
A class of P-metric
or Metric 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.
• 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 mile (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's seating
position), or Tire Label located
on the B-Pillar or the edge of the
driver ’s 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
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.
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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 from this
example.) A.
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. Note:
If your tire size
does not begin with a letter this may
mean it is designated by either the
European Tire and Rim Technical
Organization or the Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association.
B. 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.
C. 65:
Indicates the aspect ratio
which gives the tire's ratio of height
to width.
D. R:
Indicates a radial type tire.
E. 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. F.
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 manual. 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.
G. 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 81 mph (130
km/h) to 186 mph (299 km/h).
These ratings are listed in the
following chart.
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I
J
KL
M
A
B
CDEFG
E142543

Note:
You may not find this
information on all tires because it is
not required by federal law. 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 mph ( km/h)
Letter
rating
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.
H. U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number: 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.
I.
M+S or M/S:
Mud and Snow, or
AT:
All Terrain, or
AS:
All Season.
J. 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 sidewall. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate
the ply materials in the tire and the
sidewall, which include steel, nylon,
polyester, and others.
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