So i dont know very much about tires and such and i went and had my tires done at a tire place i only had the funds to buy two so they placed them on the back end...the tires on the back are 245 40 r17 91w and the tires on the front are 245 45 r17 95w i noticed this difference and talked to the tire guy and he told me that it doesnt really make that much of a difference. but since i got my tires done my traction light has been coming on and causing the loss of power and such im wondering if it is the tires and what should i do....take it back to them...idk :/ please help any info would be appreciated i dont really know who to believe the tires guy who is a family friend (but doesnt actually work on cars) or a random mechanic i spoke with

thanks

Amanda c.

 

Welcome, that difference between the 40 and the 45 is the sidewall height and that should not be enough to trigger any sensors. Don't woory about that 91w thing, its load capacity number.

I would look into the sensor wires being damaged on the rear wheels. If you turn your traction control off, do you have the same problem?

PS what year is the car?

 

the car is a 2003 its the GT with the V8 in it....the only thing im having a problem with is that this sensor just started tripping after they did my tires and i did turn the trac control off and did not have the same issue (so far) but i dont feel that should be necessary with just trying to go 75 or whatever on the freeway and the car randomly thinking it is losing traction....they said that they could fix a sensor like that and that i would have to take it to ford and pay 100 bucks to have it dyno-ed and then have it like hooked up to some box thing and it would reset the sensors.....also i took the positive cable off of the battery and checked the tire pressure in the tires and all four had different tire pressure so i filled them all up to the same amount and it got a little better around corners but the freeway thing and just accelerating in general is a pain in my a** i cant drive it the way i like to and i have to like baby the clutch to try and get it to regain traction....so your thinking it is the sensor though? idk im confused

 

It's got to be the sensor that is damaged. All ford would do is reset the ecu.

 

Don't go and start buying stuff yet. Have someone pull both rear wheels off and take a look at the reluctor rings, sensors, and the cables. I am some what pointing a finger at the person who removed and installed the tires. Just drive the car with traction control turned off until you can have someone look at it.

PS Don't get run over on the road!

 

i am taking it back tomorrow and they are going to put the correct tires back on the car (i like the look of the 245 45 r17's Anyways) but we will see if that maybe helps and if not ill just have to get it fixed...its not that big of a problem especially with trac control off but it was just irritating....dont get run over??? haha meaning...?......any ways if theres a simpler fix than taking it to ford lemme know cause i would rather not pay their outrageous fees and BS

 

Yeah the 245/45's should go on the rear, the 40's go up front.

 

Holy ****, she knows. Haha, anyways yea it definatly sounds like an issue with either the sensor or the way someone put them on.

 

put the rears on the front and the fronts on the rear.

WHY: If the rear goes faster than the front (shorter sidewall will do that) then the car thinks it's losing traction on the power wheels and hits the traction control. If you put the smaller tire on the front, then it won't trip out. Ask me how I know.

 

What a SMARTass, nobody even thought of that and it makes perfect sense. I didn't know that it worked by gauging how fast the front and back tires spin.

 

I try.

 

Sounds like some one has first hand experience