Ford Contour (1999 year). Manual - part 46

Maintenance and care

182

New vehicles are fitted with tires
that have their Tire Quality Grade
(described below) molded into the
tire’s sidewall. These Tire Quality
Grades are determined by
standards that the United States
Department of Transportation has
set.

Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on
passenger cars. They do not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or
limited production tires as defined
in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulation Part 575.104(c)(2).

U.S. Department of
Transportation – Tire quality
grades: 

The U.S. Department of

Transportation requires Ford to
give you the following information
about tire grades exactly as the
government has written it.

INFORMATION ABOUT TIRE
QUALITY GRADES

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183

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 one and one-half
(1 1/2) 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.

Traction AA A B C

The traction grades, from highest
to lowest are AA, A, B, and C.
Those 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.

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.

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Temperature A B C

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. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required
by law.

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.

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Maintenance and care

185

Checking tire pressure

Check the tire pressure
periodically after the vehicle has
been parked for at least one hour
or has been driven less than 5 km
(3 miles). Inflate the tires as
necessary. To check the tire
pressure, insert the tire pressure
gauge into the valve.

The cold pressure amount is listed
on the Safety Compliance
Certification label.

Improperly inflated tires can
affect vehicle handling and

can fail suddenly, possibly
resulting in loss of vehicle control.

Rotating tires

Rotate your tires at regular
intervals for even wear. Rotation
intervals are listed in the
maintenance guide and or service
guide.

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