wheel alignment Mercury Sable 2009 Owner's Manuals

WARNING: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.
WARNING: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.
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Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
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Tires, Wheels and Loading
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•Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)
vehicles/Four Wheel Drive
(4WD)/All Wheel Drive (AWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
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.
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Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
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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.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
•Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
EPA fuel economy estimates
Every new vehicle should have a window sticker containing EPA fuel
economy estimates. Contact your authorized dealer if the window sticker
is not supplied with your vehicle. The EPA fuel economy estimates
should be your guide for the fuel economy comparisons with other
vehicles. Your fuel economy may vary depending upon the method of
operation and conditions.
2009 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
289

SYNC..........................................45
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................66
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Roadside Emergencies ...........236
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....187
Tires ...........................171–172, 236
alignment ................................179
care ..........................................175
changing ..........................236, 239
checking the pressure ............175
inflating ...................................173
label .........................................186
replacing ..................................177
rotating ....................................180
safety practices .......................178
sidewall information ...............181
snow tires and chains ............192
spare tire .................................237
terminology .............................172
tire grades ...............................172
treadwear ........................171, 176
Towing .......................................199
recreational towing .................201
trailer towing ..........................199
wrecker ....................................249
Transaxle
fluid, refill capacities ..............298lubricant specifications ..........298
Transmission .............................215
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....215
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................294
Trunk .................................102, 105
remote release ..........................94
Turn signal ..................................58
U
USB port ......................................38
V
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................301
Vehicle loading ..........................193
Ventilating your vehicle ...........206
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......12
Washer fluid ..............................269
Water, Driving through .............226
Windows
power .........................................69
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................65
checking and adding fluid .....269
replacing wiper blades ...........270
Wrecker towing .........................249
2009 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Index
310