According to the new Ford Focus manual tyre pressures for 205/55 R 16 Diesel engines with normal load up to 3 persons is 34 lbf front and 34 lbf rear. According to the plate on the drivers door inside they should be 33 lbf for front and rear. According to the Michelin web site the Pilot Primacy 205/55 R 16 should be 30 lbf for front and rear.
So what are the correct tyre pressure for every combination of Ford Focus car type & engine ?
Well according to our Rapid Fit the Michelin Pilot Primacy, fitted as standard issue from new, should be 30 lbf front and rear for the 1.6 TDCi Zetec hatchback, 32 lbf front and rear for the 1.8 TDCi Zetec hatchback.
When I drive the Focus Zetec 1.6 TDCi with 34 lbf in the front and rear tyres the ride feels hard and somewhat jittery. When the tyre pressures were set at 30lbf front and 30lbf rear the ride was significantly better, more comfortable, quieter, and the balance of the car felt better. I experienced a similar significant difference in the Focus Zetec 1.8 TDCi with 33 lbf in the front and 32 lbf in the rear.
Could this be why some people find the new Focus ride a bit hard at times, could it be the tyre pressures for the tyre fitted to the car have been inflated a little too high ?
If anyone would like to post their findings for tyres for the Michelin Pilot Primacy or any other tyre they are using on the new Ford Focus please do so for whichever car/engine you have experience of. Also how have you found the ride, comfort, noise levels, handling etc. ?
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Speaking from Vauxhall experience, the dealer may have a more detailed listing of tyre pressures than are printed in the manual. I know we used to recieve a book from Vauxhall every year with the latest recommended pressures - they did include some changes for the same spec from year to year, which couldn't be in the manual with the car - i.e., the manual was effectively superceded, but only those customers who were savvy enough to ask about it were told of the revised pressures.
Number_Cruncher
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I always stick about 4lb more in mine, goes round corners better and i get about 2-3mpg more.
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It goes round corners better with the correct pressure in each tyre, too much pressure and it'll skip and jump. It must be like riding on bricks with tyres that hard, besides they'll crown in the middle as well which will negate any gain you get in fuel economy.
Which model do you have prm36 and what tyres do you have and what fuel economy are you getting overall ?
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I've got an 03 vectra 2.0dti, with goodyear nct 215/50/17's on, and with 60% motorway 40% town and country i get an average of 54 mpg, ifind if i have 35psi in the tyres the steering is wallowy, so i keep them at 38-40, and it drives better all round
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In the original posting,the pressures only differ by one or two psi.(guage accuracy is less than that).The manual has to cover drivers and passengers from 5 stone to 25 stone-so you could be looking at a car with a driver alone at 5 stone to 5 passengers at 25 stone each(plus their luggage)-quite a difference If you find pressures you're happy with,stay with them.
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Day to day, use (within reason) whatever pressures you feel happy with.
The main thing to be wary of is that if the car is fully laden then you need to use the full load pressures otherwise excessive tyre wall flexing could cause the tyre to overheat and blow-out.
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In the original posting,the pressures only differ by one or two psi.(guage accuracy is less than that).The manual has to cover drivers and passengers from 5 stone to 25 stone-so you could be looking at a car with a driver alone at 5 stone to 5 passengers at 25 stone each(plus their luggage)-quite a difference If you find pressures you're happy with,stay with them.
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Most manufacturers go on the basis of approx 75KG(12 stone) weight of each person.I have noticed tyre pressure discrepancies like this before.I usually stick with the pressures as indicated on the vehicle sticker or handbook rather than the tyre manufacturer as they will test their tyres on vehicles of varying weight.
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