Ford Fusion Hybrid (2014 year). Manual — part 64

Note: If battery cables are disconnected, it
will be necessary to reset memory features.

Brakes

•

Make sure brakes and parking brake
are fully released.

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 feet (8
meters) 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 (mice/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 feet (4.5 meters) 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 the battery was removed, clean the
battery cable ends and inspect.

Contact your authorized dealer if you have
any concerns or issues.

259

Vehicle Care

TIRE CARE

Important information for
235/40R19 low-profile tires
and wheels If your vehicle is
equipped with 235/40R19 tires,
they are low-profile tires. These
tires and wheels are designed to
give your vehicle a sport
appearance. With low-profile tires,
you may notice an increase in road
noise and faster tire wear,
depending on road conditions and
driving styles. Due to their design,
low-profile tires and wheels are
more prone to road damage from
potholes, rough or unpaved roads,
car wash rails and curb contact
than standard tires and wheels.

Note: Your vehicle’s warranty does
not cover these types of damage.
Tires should always be kept at the
correct inflation pressures and
extra caution should be taken when
operating on rough roads to avoid
impacts that could cause wheel
and tire damage.

Information About Uniform
Tire Quality Grading

E142542

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

260

Wheels and Tires

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.

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.

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Wheels and Tires

*Tire Identification Number
(TIN): 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.

*Standard load: A class of
P-metric or Metric tires designed
to carry a maximum load at 35 psi
[37 psi (2.5 bar) for Metric tires].
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 41 psi
[43 psi (2.9 bar) for Metric tires].
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 kilometers).

*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

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Wheels and Tires