ESP FORD TAURUS 1996 Owners Manual

1
Introductory Information
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Ford's Commitment to You
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At Ford Motor Company, excellence is the
continuous commitment to achieve the best
result possible. It is dedication to learning what
you want, determination to develop the right
concept, and execution of that concept with care,
precision, and attention to detail. In short,
excellence means being the standard by which
others are judged.
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Our Guiding Principles
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Quality comes first.For your satisfaction, the
quality of our products and services must be
our number one priority.
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You are the focus of everything we do.Our
work must be done with you in mind,
providing better products and services than
our competition.
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Continuous improvement is essential to our
success.We must strive for excellence in
everything we do: in our products Ð in their
safety and value Ð and in our services, our
human relations, our competitiveness, and
our profitability.
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Employee involvement is our way of life.
We are a team. We must treat one another
with trust and respect.
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Dealers and suppliers are our partners.We
must maintain mutually beneficial
relationships with dealers, suppliers, and our
other business associates.
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2
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Integrity is never compromised.Our conduct
worldwide must be pursued in a manner that
is socially responsible and commands respect
for its integrity and for its positive
contributions to society.
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Things to Know About Using
This Guide
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[IN01200(ALL)08/95]
Congratulations on the purchase of your new
vehicle. This guide has information about the
equipment and the options for your new vehicle.
You may not have bought all of the options
available to you. If you do not know which
information applies to your vehicle, talk to your
dealer.
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[IN01300(ALL)08/95]
This guide describes equipment and gives
specifications for equipment that was in effect
when this guide was approved for printing. Ford
may discontinue models or change specifications
or design without any notice and without
incurring obligation.
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NOTES and WARNINGS
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NOTESgive you additional information about
the subject matter you are referencing.
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WARNINGSremind you to be especially careful
in those areas where carelessness can cause
damage to your vehicle or personal injury to
yourself, your passengers or other people. Please
read allWARNINGScarefully.
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RWARNING
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4
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About the Warranties
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Your vehicle is covered by three types of
warranties:Basic Vehicle Warranty,Extended
Warrantieson certain parts, andEmissions
Warranties.
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Read yourWarranty Information Bookletcarefully
to find out about your vehicle's warranties and
your basic rights and responsibilities.
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If you lose yourWarranty Information Booklet,you
can get a new one free of charge. Contact any
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer, or refer to the
addresses and phone numbers on the first page
of this owner guide.
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Buying a Ford Extended Service Plan
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If you bought your vehicle in the U.S., you can
buy a Ford Extended Service Plan for your
vehicle. This optional contract provides service
protection for a longer period of time than the
basic warranty that comes with your vehicle.
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You do not have to buy this option when you
buy your vehicle. However, your option to
purchase the Ford Extended Service Plan runs
out after 18 months or 18,000 miles. See your
dealer for more details about the Ford Extended
Service Plan.
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[IN04250(ALL)01/95]
If you purchased a Canadian vehicle and did not
take advantage of the Ford Extended Service
Plan at the time of purchase, you may still be
eligible. See your dealer for the details.
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6
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Cleaning the Outside of Your
Vehicle
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Pollen, bird droppings and tree sap can damage
the paint, especially in hot weather. Wash your
vehicle as often as necessary to keep it clean.
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Take similar precautions if your vehicle is
exposed to chemical industrial fallout.
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Paint damage resulting from fallout is not
related to a defect in paint materials or
workmanship and therefore is not covered by
warranty. Ford, however, believes that continual
improvement in customer satisfaction is a high
priority. For this reason, Ford has authorized its
dealers to repair, at no charge to the owner, the
surfaces of new vehicles damaged by
environmental fallout within 12 months or 12,000
miles (20,000 km) of purchase, whichever comes
first. Customers may be required to bring their
vehicle in for inspection by a Ford
representative.
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Washing and Polishing Your Vehicle
[IN07401(ALL)03/95]
Wash the outside of your vehicle, including the
underside, with a cleaner made for washing cars.
If your vehicle has clear-coat, make sure that the
cleaner is recommended for clear-coat.
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DO NOT:
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Wash your vehicle with hot water
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Wash your vehicle while it sits in direct
sunlight
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Wash your vehicle while the body is hot
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Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits
and protect the finish.
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25
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RWARNING
If a passenger is not properly seated and
restrained, an inflating air bag could cause
serious injury.
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Your vehicle is equipped with a right front
passenger air bag. Air bags deploy with great
force, faster than the blink of an eye. Front
passengers, especially children and small adults,
must never sit on the front edge of the seat,
stand near the glove compartment of the
instrument panel, or lean over near the air bag
cover when the vehicle is moving. All occupants
should sit with their backs against the seatback,
move the seat to the most rearward position if
possible and use the safety belts. Children
weighing less than 40 lbs. (18 kg) always should
use child or infant seats.
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RWARNING
Rear-facing infant seats should never be
placed in the front seat.
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In rear-facing infant seats, the infant's head is
closer to the air bag. The force of the rapidly
inflating air bag could push the top of the
rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback or
center armrests (if so equipped), or center
console (if so equipped). REAR-FACING
INFANT CARRIERS MUST ALWAYS BE
SECURED IN THE REAR SEAT, and other child
safety seats and infant seats should be secured in
the rear seat whenever possible.
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26 %
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RWARNING
When using forward-facing child seats
move the passenger seat as far back from
the instrument panel as possible. NEVER
SECURE REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS
IN THE FRONT SEAT.
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The force of the rapidly inflating passenger air
bag could push the top of the rear-facing seat
against the vehicle seatback, armrests or console.
Rear-facing infant seats must always be secured
in the rear seat.
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RWARNING
Do not place objects or mount equipment
on or near the air bag cover on the
steering wheel or in front seat areas that
may come in contact with a deploying air
bag. Failure to follow this instruction may
increase the risk of personal injury in the
event of a collision.
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For further information about the proper
mounting of equipment in the front seat of this
vehicle, please refer to Ford's brochure entitled
Some Important Information About Air Bag
Supplemental Restraint Systemwhich can be
obtained by calling Helm Inc. at 1-800-782-4356.
Ask for brochure FPS-8602.
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For additional important safety information on
the proper use of seat belts, child seats, and
infant seats, please read the other sections of this
chapter of the Owner Guide, especially sections
entitledSafety Belts for ChildrenandSafety Seats
for Children.
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33 %
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Safety Seats for Children
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Use a safety seat that is recommended for the
size and weight of the child. Always follow the
safety seat manufacturer's instructions when
installing and using the safety seat.
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Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat
having a top tether strap. Install the child safety
seat in a seating position which is capable of
providing a tether anchorage. For more
information on top tether straps seeAttaching
Safety Seats With Tether Strapsin this chapter.
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When installing a child safety seat, be sure to
use the correct safety belt buckle for that seating
position, and make sure the tongue is securely
fastened in the buckle. For a shoulder/lap belt
combination with a sliding tongue, make sure
the retractor is in the automatic locking mode.
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Your vehicle is equipped with a right front
passenger air bag. Air bags deploy with great
force, faster than the blink of an eye. Front
passengers, especially children and small adults,
must never sit on the front edge of the seat,
stand near the glove compartment of the
instrument panel, or lean over near the air bag
cover when the vehicle is moving. All occupants
should sit with their backs against the seatback,
move the seat to the most rearward position if
possible and use the safety belts. Children
weighing less than 40 lbs. (18 kg) always should
use child or infant seats.
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RWARNING
When using forward-facing child seats
move the passenger seat as far back from
the instrument panel as possible. NEVER
SECURE REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS
IN THE FRONT SEAT.
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64
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If the engine idle speed does not slow down
automatically, do not allow your vehicle to idle
for more than 10 minutes. Have the vehicle
checked.
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RWARNING
Extended idling at high engine speeds can
produce very high temperatures in the
engine and exhaust system, creating the
risk of fire or other damage.
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RWARNING
Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle in
dry grass or other dry ground cover. The
emission system heats up the engine
compartment and exhaust system, which
can start a fire.
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If you consistently start your vehicle in subzero
temperatures, use an engine block heater (if
your vehicle has this option).
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Engine Block Heater (If equipped)
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Engine block heaters are strongly recommended
if you live in a region where temperatures reach
-10ÊF (-23ÊC) orbelow. An engine block heater
warms the engine coolant, which improves
starting, warms up the engine faster, and allows
the heater-defrost system to respond quickly.
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[ST10900(ALL)02/95]
To turn the heater on, simply plug it into a
grounded 110-volt outlet. Ford recommends that
you use a 110-volt circuit that is protected by a
ground fault circuit interrupter.
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115
Steering Column Controls
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The controls on the steering column and wheel
are designed to give you easy access to the
controls while you are driving.
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The Turn Signal Lever
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You can use the turn signal lever on the left side
of the steering column to:
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operate the turn signals
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turn the high beams on/off
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flash the lamps
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turn the windshield wipers and washer
on/off
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Turn Signals
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Move the lever up to signal a right turn. Move
it down to signal a left turn. The corresponding
indicator light in the instrument cluster will
flash.
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If the turn signal stays on after you turn, move
the lever back to the center (off) position.
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For lane changes, move the lever far enough to
signal but not to latch. The lever will return to
the off position when you release it.
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High Beams
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To turn on the high beams, turn the headlamp
control knob to the headlamp ON position and
push the turn signal lever away from you until
it latches. When the high beams are ON, the
high beam indicator light on the instrument
panel comes on.
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123 [SC09350(ALL)03/95]
NOTE: When driving uphill, especially with a
heavy load, you may notice your speed
decreasing even if you have the cruise
control set. If the speed drops more
than 8 to 14 mph (13-23 km/h) it is
normal for the automatic cruise control
feature to be cancelled. You may need
to use the accelerator pedal to help
your vehicle maintain the selected
speed when driving up steep grades.
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Resetting the Cruise Control
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To reset the cruise control to alower speed, use
one of the following procedures:
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COASTÐ Press and hold the COAST switch.
Release the switch when the vehicle slows
down to the desired speed.
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Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the vehicle
attains the desired speed, press the SET
ACCEL switch and release it immediately.
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TAP-DOWNÐ Press and then quickly
release the COAST switch. Each time you
ªtapº the switch, the set speed will decrease
by 1 mph (1.6 km/h). Multiple taps will
cause the set speed to decrease in increments
of 1 mph (1.6 km/h). For example, if the
current set speed is 60 mph (96 km/h) 5 taps
of the COAST switch will decrease the
vehicle speed and SET it at 55 mph
(88 km/h).
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If vehicle speed is reduced below 30 mph
(50 km/h) by any of the above methods, then
you must manually accelerate to a speed over
30 mph (50 km/h) and reset the system.
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