Tires and wheels

Tires make a very significant contribution to the good driving behavior of your Mondeo and thus to the active safety of your Mondeo: carcass, mixed rubber, silicone additives and a computer-calculated tire profile make wheel tires a high-tech product. Postcard-sized footprints on each of the four wheels carry your Mondeo «without looking at the road», take over all the small «blows» roadway and transmit in turn all driving, braking and centrifugal forces. Under medium load, the radial tires on your Mondeo can last approximately 30,000-50,000 km on the front wheels and about 40,000-70,000 km on the rear axle. Of course, if your Mondeo is driven predominantly in sprint distances, then the replacement of tires - regardless of the remaining tread depth - will take place in seven to eight years at the latest. During this period, dirt, environmental influences, internal aging processes and last but not least the sun act on the tires so that they can no longer perform their work confidently and reliably. Here you can trust the new-looking «second hand» spare wheel, but the restored appearance is just a facade behind which hides «dangerous age».

Wheels for Mondeo - from the factory in two versions

Ford equips all of its Mondeos with two types of rims: depending on the design and model, steel rims are used (6 1/2J x 16") or light metal discs (6 1/2J x 17",.6 1/2J x 18"). The table shows the dimensions that Ford provides for various models either ex-works or as special equipment. Which wheels and tires are generally suitable for your Mondeo is indicated in the vehicle passport. In addition, if you wish to supply your Mondeo with other «soles», it is necessary for approved products to obtain a General Operating Permit in any case (AVE) with the corresponding control number. If your «desired format» is not listed in the vehicle documents, it is best to check with Ford or a TÜV-/DEKRA representative about their suitability before mounting. Tires and wheels that were not specified in the documents at the factory must be entered in the vehicle passport (letter or certificate) based on TÜV-/DEKRA opinion.

Tires and wheels

Disks

Model	Standard equipment	Optional
Mondeo Ambiente	6 1/2J x 16 steel	6 1/2J x 16 7 1/2J x 17 light metal
Mondeo Trend	6 1/2J x 16 steel	6 1/2J x 16 7 1/2J x 17 light metal
Mondeo Ghia	6 1/2J x 16 steel	6 1/2J x 16 7 1/2J x 17 light metal
Mondeo ST220	7 1/2J x 17 light metal

Tires

Model	Standard equipment	Optional
Mondeo Ambiente	205/55 R 16	205/50 R 17 225/40 R 18
Mondeo Trend	205/55 R 16	205/50 R 17 225/40 R 18
Mondeo Ghia	205/55 R 16	205/50 R 17 225/40 R 18
Mondeo ST220	215/45 R 17

TECHNICAL DICTIONARY

Disks Disk sizes, according to the norms, are set in inches. For example, the designation 6 1/2J x 16" indicates that the deep disk is 6.5 inches wide and 16 inches in diameter. Letter «J» determines the shape of the side flange: in order to better fit the tires, there is a rounded elevation on the landing shelf of the disc (hump). It prevents the tire bead from «not slipped» from the landing shelf to a deep disk.

The most important tire parameters

On the side wall of the tire, a series of numbers and letters are engraved, which are coded for specialists «calling card». Most drivers are primarily interested in the tire format. For example, 205/55 R 16 means that this tire section is 205 mm wide. The second number determines the ratio of the height and width of the tire. In this example, this ratio is 55%. The smaller this ratio, the lower and wider the tire. Letter «R» defines the type of radial tire, the number after this letter (16) sets the rim diameter in inches.

Multi-layer inner life of a car tire

1 - protectors: the profile and composition of the mixture affect the quality, 2 - Base: reduces rolling resistance, 3 - Nylon inflation brace: improves suitability for high speeds, 4 - Steel cord layer: increases the stability of the movement, 5 - Carcass: the basis for holding the shape and strength of the tire,	6 - Inner core: sealed inner layer replaces the chamber, 7 - Side part: protects the frame from damage, 8 - Filler cord: maintains precision control and movement, 9 - Core: takes care of a solid fit on the rim, 10 - Tire bead reinforcement: for precise handling and high driving stability.

«Business card»: tire characteristics on the sidewall.



When buying a tire, pay attention to the specification, thus new tires will be consistent with the rims.

Synonymous with high speeds - capital letter after the last digit

The capital letter after the last digit of the tire designation on its side indicates the maximum allowable rotational speed of the tire. Tires 205/55 R 16 with code letter «S» designed for a maximum speed of 180 km/h, with the letter «T» respectively up to 190 km / h. For a maximum of 210 km/h, tires with the letter «H». Standard M S-tires with letter «Q» «work» up to 160 km/h.

The DOT number indicates the age of the tire

Shows you the actual date of manufacture of the tire «DOT» - the number located on the sidewall of the tire. Since 1990, a small triangle has been established behind this number. For example, the number 1500 means that this tire was manufactured in week 15, 2000. New tires with a date of manufacture from October 01, 1998 must have an ECE inspection code on their sidewall.

If the triangle is missing, then the tire was manufactured before 1990. Any verification code ensures that this tire, according to its type, meets the quality standard of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE-R 30). If your car has tires with a DOT number higher than 408 - but without the ECE quality mark - you can drive without a general work permit.

The quality mark is recognized by a capital letter «E» and the number of the country of manufacture, for example, «1» --- Germany, «4» – Holland.

Winter tires - professionals in wind and bad weather

Already on autumn roads, winter tires on your Mondeo are the undisputed first choice, because winter tires are incomparably more reliable on snow or ice. Actually, why? Their bearing surfaces consist of a rubber compound with a high proportion of natural rubber. This special rubber compound on wet and slippery roads and at temperatures below seven degrees C has better adhesion than standard summer tires. The main condition for a good transfer of braking and motor forces to the road is the presence of a tread pattern with a depth of at least four millimeters - a smaller depth is not allowed and thus excludes such a tire for use on winter roads. In any case, all four wheels should be equipped with winter tires from the same manufacturer - in this case, the combination of summer and winter tires can become quite dangerous.

Install better on «own» rims - winter tires

Good winter tires don't have to be wide: the minimum tire size is enough to have on your Mondeo. In addition, narrow tires are cheaper than luxurious wide tires: it is better to invest the money saved on wide pneumatic tires in a second set of suitable rims - tire remounting in spring and autumn becomes more and more expensive than this second set of rims over time. As a rule, the wheels should be balanced after each installation. Increase the pressure in winter tires by 0.2 bar compared to summer tires. If the maximum speed of your winter tires is lower than the normal speed of your vehicle, as a reminder, stick the appropriate sticker in your field of vision on the dashboard. Your tire dealer has this sticker in stock. However, friendly tire dealers or service workers can expertly inflate your tires to the next replacement for a small fee.

Comparison of braking distances of summer and winter tires without ABS.

Comparison of braking distances of summer and winter tires with ABS.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

It will save your tires Drive as fast as your tires allow. This applies in particular to M S tires in the category «Q» (160 km/h). A higher rate of movement causes more wear, in the worst case, tire blowout. Avoid maximum speeds if the vehicle is heavily loaded. Monitor their heating: if the tire is warm, you can not be afraid. Extremely hot tires are a warning sign: most often this can be caused by low tire pressure or a damaged tire carcass. In this situation, do not dare to continue driving with such a tire, at least not so long, until the tire specialist checks the carcass for possible damage. If driving on the motorway is often done at high speed: install tires whose speed index is one class higher than that indicated in the vehicle passport (For example, «T» instead of «S»). Be careful not to scratch the edges of the tires when parking. Drive over a curb or threshold only slowly at a right angle. Increase the air pressure in your tires by a total of 0.3 bar - this will save fuel and will not damage your tires. Changing tires correctly If you use a remanufactured spare tire when you change tires for the first time, you will save on this «cash» money. But under the condition: this product must have the same profile. In this case, purchase tires for it and equip the entire bridge with them. The mileage of your tires, however, can also be increased: regularly replace the front wheels with the rear wheels on one side of the car, but in no case crosswise, that is, opposite. Then your tires will wear more evenly, and at the next resale you will present your car with «fresh» soles. The disadvantage of this approach is that when changing at short kilometer intervals, the tire treads may not show up as clearly as possible defects in wheel suspensions, steering gear and shock absorbers. When changing tires, always pay attention in general to the fact that the axles are equipped with pairs of tires from the same manufacturer, with the same tread pattern and approximately the same date of manufacture (/- 1 year).