wheel alignment Mercury Sable 2008 Owner's Manuals

•Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a curb when parking
If your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,do notrapidly
spin the tires; spinning the tires can tear the tire and cause an
explosion. A tire can explode in as little as three to five seconds.
Do not spin the wheels at over 35 mph (56 km/h). The tires may
fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
Highway hazards
No matter how carefully you drive there’s always the possibility that you
may eventually have a flat tire on the highway. Drive slowly to the
closest safe area out of traffic. This may further damage the flat tire, but
your safety is more important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you
suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your
speed. Drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road. Stop and
inspect the tires for damage. If a tire is under-inflated or damaged,
deflate it, remove wheel and replace it with your spare tire and wheel. If
you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the nearest repair
facility or tire dealer to have the vehicle inspected.
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’re 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 (FWD) 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
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
scheduled maintenance informationthat comes with your vehicle) will
help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and
longer tire life.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
198

Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
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 tire/wheel. A
dissimilar spare tire/wheel is defined as a spare tire and/or wheel that is
different in brand, size or appearance from the road tires and wheels. If
you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel 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.
INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL
Both U.S. 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.
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.)
1.P:Indicates a tire, designated by
the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that may be 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).
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.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
200

•Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
•Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•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 the top gears 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 toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
•Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
304

Rear seat entertainment
system ..........................................44
Relays ........................................247
Remote entry system .......129–130illuminated entry ............133–134
locking/unlocking doors .........130
opening the trunk ...................131
panic alarm .............................130
replacement/additional
transmitters .............................132
replacing the batteries ...........132
Reverse sensing system ...........236
Roadside assistance ..................244
S
Safety Belt Maintenance ..........158
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ..................150, 154–157
Safety Canopy ...................172, 174
Safety defects, reporting ..274–275
Safety restraints ........150, 154–158 Belt-Minder
...........................159
extension assembly ................158
for adults .........................155–157
for children .....................177–178
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................152
safety belt maintenance .........158
warning light and chime ........159
Safety seats for children ..........182
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................317
Satellite Radio Information ........41
Seats ..........................................142 child safety seats ....................182
front seats .......................142, 144
heated ................................78, 147 memory seat ...................131, 148
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ........................................137
Servicing your vehicle ..............283
Setting the clock AM/FM single CD .....................21
AM/FM/In-dash 6 CD ................29
Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...........256
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................312, 316
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................313
Speed control ............................101
Starting your vehicle ........221–223 jump starting ..........................261
Steering wheel controls ....................................104
tilting .........................................93
SYNC ............................................73
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................93
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) Roadside Emergencies ...........253
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....205
Tires ...........................190–191, 253 alignment ................................198
care ..........................................194
changing ..........................253, 256
checking the pressure ............194
inflating ...................................192
label .........................................204
replacing ..................................196
rotating ....................................198
safety practices .......................197
2008 Sable (mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Index
325