spare tire Mercury Villager 1998 Owner's Manuals

mPayload
mGVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
mGVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
mGAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
mGCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)
Base Curb Weight
The base curb weight is the weight of the vehicle including fuel,
coolants, lubricants, emergency tools and spare wheel and
tire. It also includes any equipment that is standard. It does not
include passengers, cargo or optional equipment installed by
factory, dealer, aftermarket supplier or customer.
Payload
Maximum payload is the combined, maximum allowable weight
of cargo, occupants and optional equipment that the vehicle is
designed to carry. It is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating minus the
base curb weight.
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is the total weight of the
passengers, cargo and all equipment.
It is important to remember that GVW is not a limit or a
specification, but actual weight. If a customer loads the vehicle
and weighs it, that's the GVW at that moment. If the customer adds
on more cargo and weighs it again, the GVW will increase.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
To avoid overloading your vehicle, never exceed the specified
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your Villager. The GVWR is the
maximumallowableweight of the vehicle when fully loaded
including passengers, cargo and all equipment.
Driving
229

Changing a Flat Tire
If you get a flat tire while you are driving, do not apply the
brake heavily. Instead, gradually decrease the speed. Hold the
steering wheel firmly and slowly move to a safe place on the side
of the road. Park on a level spot, turn off the ignition, set the
parking brake, and turn on the hazard flashers.
The Temporary Spare Tire
Your vehicle has a temporary spare tire (unless you ordered the
optional full-size spare tire). This spare tire is smaller than a
regular tire and is designed for emergency use only. Use it only
when you get a flat tire and replace it as soon as you can. This spare
tire is marked with the words TEMPORARY USE ONLY so
that you can easily identify it.
WARNING
If you use the temporary spare tire continuously or do not
follow these precautions, the tire could fail, causing
you to lose control of the vehicle, possibly injuring yourself
or others.
When you drive with the temporary spare tire, DO NOT:
mexceed 50 mph (80 km/h) under any circumstances
mload your vehicle so that it is heavier than the maximum
vehicle load rating listed on the tire decal
mtow a trailer
muse tire chains
mtry to repair the temporary spare tire or remove it from its
wheel
muse the wheel for any other type of vehicle
254

mdrive through an automatic car wash. Because the temporary
spare tire is smaller than a conventional tire, it reduces the
ground clearance. Your vehicle may get caught in the rails and
it could be damaged.
Spare Tire Location
The spare tire is stored underneath your vehicle.
To remove the spare tire:
1. Open the liftgate and find the plastic hex nut cover in the
carpeting of the cargo area. Lift the cover to expose the hex nut.
The spare tire hex nut
Roadside Emergencies
255

3. Fit the hex-shaped end of the lug wrench over the hex nut in
the floor of the cargo area. Turn counterclockwise until the
cable extends far enough to lower the spare tire to the ground.
4. Continue to turn the hex nut counterclockwise until the
spare tire retainer can be seen for removal.
5. Remove the retainer from the center of the wheel. It may be
necessary to lift one end of the tire to disengage the
retainer.
The spare tire in the lowered position
Removing the spare tire retainer
Roadside Emergencies
257

Stowing the spare tire
1. To raise the tire to the stowed position, lay the tire on the
ground with the inboard side facing up. Install the retainer
through the wheel center and slide the tire under the
vehicle. Fit the hex-shaped end of the lug wrench over the hex
nut in the floor of the cargo area. Turn the lug wrench
clockwise until the tire is raised to its original position
underneath the vehicle.
NOTE: The lug wrench ratchets when the tire is raised to the
stowed position. It will not allow you to over-tighten.
2. Check for proper seating against the underbody supports and
retighten if necessary.
WARNING
Make sure the spare tire and jacking equipment are
stowed and secured in the proper storage location.
Preparing to Change the Tire
You should only raise your vehicle with a jack properly placed at
the front or rear jacking points.
1. Make sure that your vehicle will not move or roll and that the
tires and jack are on a level, solid surface. Put the gearshift
lever in P (Park). Set the parking brake and block the wheel Ð
in both directions Ð that is diagonally opposite the tire that
you are changing.
WARNING
When one of the front wheels is off the ground, the
transaxle alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving
or slipping off the jack, even if the vehicle is in P
(Park).
258

WARNING
To prevent the vehicle from moving when you change a
tire, be sure the parking brake is set, then block (in both
directions) the wheel that is diagonally opposite (other
side and end of the vehicle) to the tire being changed.
WARNING
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone else could
be seriously injured.
2. Remove the spare tire and jack. See previous section for
instructions on spare tire removal. The jack is located in the rear
storage compartment in the right door panel of the cargo
area. You will have to unfasten the jack before removing it as
shown in the illustration. The jack handle is in the tool kit
located behind the jack.
NOTE: All occupants should be out of the vehicle while it is
on the jack.
Roadside Emergencies
259

7. Turn the lug nut wrench (attached to the jack handle)
clockwise to raise the vehicle off the ground.
8. Remove the wheel lug nuts with the lug nut wrench.
9. Remove the flat tire and replace it with the spare tire.
10. Place the wheel lug nuts on the spare tire. Use the lug nut
wrench to screw the lug nuts snug against the wheel, but
do not tighten fully.
11. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise.
12. Use the wheel lug wrench to tighten lug nuts in the
appropriate sequence. Re-check for complete tightness.
The lug nuts should be tightened to 72-87 ft-lb (98-118 N²m).
Lug nut tightening sequence
Roadside Emergencies
265

WARNING
Never use wheels or lug nuts different than the original
equipment as this could damage the wheel or mounting
system. This damage could allow the wheels to come
off while the vehicle is being driven.
13. Replace the wheel cover by pressing it into place. If you have
the standard wheel covers, you must align the notch in the
wheel cover with the tire's valve stem and align the recess in the
back of the wheel cover with one of the lug nuts. If you
have the optional aluminum wheel, press the center wheel
cap into place after matching up the design of the wheel cap
to the wheel.
14. Make sure the jack is securely fastened. When you replace
the jack in the jack storage compartment, place the base
against the square-shaped fastening bracket and open the jack
slightly so that the jack is snug against the fastening
brackets.
15. Store the flat tire under the vehicle just as you would store
the spare tire. Refer to the section onStowing the Spare Tire
in this chapter.
266

Tires
Look at your tires each time you fill your fuel tank. If one tire
looks lower than the others, check the pressure in all of them.
Always follow these precautions:
mUse an accurate tire pressure gauge.
mStay within the recommended load limits. SeeDriving with a
heavy loadin the Index.
mMake sure the weight of your load is evenly distributed.
mAdjust tire pressure to recommended specifications found on
the Tire Pressure Decal, located in the glove compartment.
If you do not take these precautions, your tires may fail or go
flat.
WARNING
Always obey posted speed limits. If you drive too fast for
road conditions, you could lose control of your vehicle.
Under some circumstances, driving at very high speeds for
extended periods of time may damage vehicle
components, creating a risk of component failure and a
potential loss of vehicle control. Any time you lose control
of your vehicle, it may result in injury.
At least once a month, check the pressure in all your vehicle's
tires, including the spare. Use an accurate tire pressure gauge.
Check the tire pressure when tires are cold, after the vehicle
has been parked for at least one hour or has been driven less than
3 miles (5 km). You can find the proper cold tire pressure on
the Tire Pressure Decal, located in the glove compartment.
Maintenance and Care
299

After each rotation, adjust individual tire pressure as specified
on the Tire Pressure Decal. Tighten wheel lug nuts to the required
torque specification and retighten again after 500 miles (800
km).
If your vehicle has the optional full-size spare tire, you may
rotate the spare tire into the rotation pattern.
WARNING
If you use the temporary spare tire continuously or do not
follow these precautions, the tire could fail, causing
you to lose control of the vehicle.
If your vehicle has aluminum wheels, you may remove the full-
size spare tire from the wheel and remount it on an
aluminum wheel to rotate the spare tire into your vehicle's
rotation pattern.
Replacing the Tires
Replace tires that show wear bands. When your tire shows a
wear band, it has only 1/16 of an inch (1.59 mm) of tread left.
Rotating the tires
Maintenance and Care
301