airbag off FORD TAURUS 2007 4.G Owners Manual

Seating and Safety Restraints 77
Seating 77
Safety restraints 81
Airbags 97
Child restraints 107
Tires, Wheels and Loading 120
Tire Information 120
Tire Inflation 122
Vehicle loading 134
Trailer towing 140
Recreational towing 143
Driving 144
Starting 144
Brakes 148
Traction control 150
Transmission operation 152
Roadside Emergencies 157
Getting roadside assistance 157
Hazard flasher switch 159
Fuel pump shut-off switch 159
Fuses and relays 160
Changing tires 166
Lug Nut Torque 171
Jump starting 172
Wrecker towing 177
Customer Assistance 178
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 184
Cleaning 185
Table of Contents
2
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)

MANUAL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM
(IF EQUIPPED)
1.Temperature selection:
Controls the temperature of the
airflow in the vehicle.
2.Passenger airbag indicator
light:Refer toFront passenger
sensing systemin theSeating and
Safety Restraintschapter.
3.Air flow selections:Controls
the direction of the airflow in the vehicle. See the following for a brief
description on each control.
MAX A/C:Distributes recirculated air through the instrument panel
registers to cool the vehicle. This re-cooling of the interior air is more
economical and efficient. Recirculated air may also help reduce
undesirable odors from entering the vehicle.
A/C:Distributes outside air through the instrument panel vents to cool
the vehicle.
:Distributes outside air through the instrument panel vents.
OFF:Outside air is shut out and the climate system is turned off.
:Distributes air through the instrument panel and floor vents.
:Distributes air through the floor vents.
:Distributes air through the windshield defroster vents and floor
vents.
:Distributes outside air through the windshield defroster vents. Can
be used to clear the windshield of fog and thin ice.
4.Fan speed adjustment:Controls the volume of air circulated in the
vehicle.
5.Rear defroster control:Press
to activate/deactivate the rear
window defroster. For more
information, refer toRear window defrosterlater in this chapter.
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Climate Controls
23

AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
1.OFF:Outside air is shut out and
the climate control system is turned
off.
2.A/C:Press to activate/deactivate air conditioning. Use with the
recirculated air to improve cooling performance and efficiency. Engages
automatically in the AUTO,F
(defrost) and(floor/defrost)
modes.
3.Passenger airbag off:Refer toFront passenger sensing systemin
theSeating and Safety Restraintschapter.
4.
Recirculated air:Press to activate/deactivate air circulation in
cabin. Recirculated air may reduce the amount of time to cool down the
vehicle and may also help reduce undesired odors from reaching the
interior of the vehicle. Recirculation can be engaged manually in any
airflow selection exceptF
(defrost). Recirculation may turn off
automatically in all airflow selections.
5.Temperature control:Press to
increase or decrease the
temperature in the cabin.Note:The
recommended vehicle cabin setting is between 72°F (22°C) and 75°F
(24°C).
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Climate Controls
25

To reduce the risk of possible serious injury: Do not hang objects
off seat back or stow objects in the seatback map pocket (if
equipped) when a child is in the front passenger seat. Do not place
objects underneath the front passenger seat or between the seat and
the center console (if equipped). Check the “passenger airbag off” or
“pass airbag off” indicator lamp for proper airbag status. Refer toFront
passenger sensing systemsection for additional details. Failure to
follow these instructions may interfere with the front passenger seat
sensing system.
The control is located on the outboard side of the seat cushion.
Press to raise or lower the front
portion of the seat cushion.
Press to raise or lower the rear
portion of the seat cushion.
Press the control to move the seat
forward, backward, up or down.
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
80

•Driver’s seat position sensor.
•Front crash severity sensor.
•Front passenger sensing system
•“Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp
•Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors.
•Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
•The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), safety belt
pretensioners, front safety belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, front passenger sensing system, and indicator lights.
How does the Personal Safety Systemwork?
The Personal Safety System
can adapt the deployment strategy of your
vehicle’s safety devices according to crash severity and occupant
classification and conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors
provides information to the Restraints Control Module (RCM). During a
crash, the RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and/or either
none, one, or both stages of the dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
based on crash severity and occupant classification and conditions.
The fact that the pretensioners or airbags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with
the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety System
determined
the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not
appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front airbags are designed
to activate in frontal and near-frontal collisions (not rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts) unless the collision causes sufficient
longitudinal deceleration. The pretensioners are designed to activate in
frontal and near-frontal collisions, and in side collisions when the vehicle
is equipped with side airbags.
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
The dual-stage airbags offer the capability to tailor the level of airbag
inflation energy. A lower, less forceful energy level is provided for more
common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher energy level is used for
the most severe impacts. Refer toAirbag Supplemental Restraints
section in this chapter.
Front crash severity sensor
The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the
severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable
information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
82

allows your Personal Safety System
to distinguish between different
levels of crash severity and modify the deployment strategy of the
dual-stage airbags and safety belt pretensioners.
Driver’s seat position sensor
The driver’s seat position sensor allows your Personal Safety System
to
tailor the deployment level of the driver dual-stage airbag based on seat
position. The system is designed to help protect smaller drivers sitting
close to the driver airbag by providing a lower airbag output level.
Front passenger sensing system
For airbags to do their job they must inflate with great force, and this
force can pose a potentially deadly risk to occupants that are very close
to the airbag when it begins to inflate. For some occupants, like infants
in rear-facing child seats, this occurs because they are initially sitting
very close to the airbag. For other occupants, this occurs when the
occupant is not properly restrained by safety belts or child safety seats
and they move forward during pre-crash braking. The most effective way
to reduce the risk of unnecessary injuries is to make sure all occupants
are properly restrained. Accident statistics suggest that children are
much safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in
the front.
Air bags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.NEVERplace a
rear-facing child seat in front of an active air bag. If you must
use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the
way back.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
The front passenger sensing system can automatically turn off the
passenger front airbag. The system is designed to help protect small
(child size) occupants from airbag deployments when they are
improperly seated or restrained in the front passenger seat contrary to
proper child-seating or restraint usage recommendations. Even with this
technology, parents areSTRONGLYencouraged to always properly
restrain children in the rear seat. The sensor also turns off the airbag
when the passenger seat is empty to prevent unnecessary replacement of
airbag(s) after a collision.
When the front passenger seat is occupied and the sensing system has
turned off the passenger’s frontal airbag, the “pass airbag off” indicator
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
83

will light and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal
airbag is off. SeeFront passenger sensing systemin the airbags section
of this chapter.
Front safety belt usage sensors
The front safety belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger safety belts are fastened. This information
allows your Personal Safety System
to tailor the airbag deployment and
safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Refer toSafety Beltsection in this chapter.
Front safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners are designed to tighten the front outboard
safety belts firmly against the occupant’s body during a collision. This
maximizes the effectiveness of the safety belt and removes any slack
from the safety belt to improve protection. The safety belt pretensioners
can be either activated alone or, if the collision is of sufficient severity,
together with the airbags.
Front safety belt energy management retractors
The front outboard safety belt energy management retractors allow
webbing to be pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled
manner in response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps
reduce the risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by
limiting the load on the occupant. Refer toSafety Beltsection in this
chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety Systemis operational
The Personal Safety System
uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to theWarning lights and chimessection in theInstrument Cluster
chapter. Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System
is not
required.
The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, and the driver
seat position sensor. In addition, the RCM also monitors the restraints
warning light in the instrument cluster. A difficulty with the system is
indicated by one or more of the following.
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
84

Reasons given... Consider...
“I have an airbag” Airbags offer greater protection when
used with safety belts. Frontal airbags
are not designed to inflate in rear and
side crashes or rollovers.
“I’d rather be thrown clear” Not a good idea.Peoplewho are
ejected are 40 times more likely
to DIE.Safety belts help prevent
ejection, WE CAN’T “PICK OUR
CRASH”.
Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to avoid the
BeltMinderchime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase the
risk of injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the
BeltMinderfeature please follow the directions stated below.
One time disable
If at any time the driver/front passenger quickly buckles then unbuckles
the safety belt for that seating position, the BeltMinderis disabled for
the current ignition cycle. The BeltMinderfeature will enable during the
same ignition cycle if the occupant buckles and remains buckled for
approximately 30 seconds. Confirmation is not given for the one time
disable.
Deactivating/activating the BeltMinderfeature
The driver and front passenger BeltMinderare
deactivated/activated independently. When deactivating/activating
one seating position, do not buckle the other position as this will
terminate the process.
Read Steps1-4thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
Note: The driver and front passenger BeltMinderfeatures must be
disabled/enabled separately. Both cannot be disable/enabled during the
same key cycle.
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
95

The driver and front passenger BeltMinderfeatures can be
deactivated/activated by performing the following procedure:
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
•The parking brake is set
•The gearshift is in P (Park) (automatic transmission)
•The ignition switch is in the OFF position
•The driver and front passenger safety belts are unbuckled
To reduce the risk of injury, do not deactivate/activate the
BeltMinderfeature while driving the vehicle.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN (or ON) position. (DO NOT
START THE ENGINE)
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off. (Approximately 1
minute)
•Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, at a moderate speed, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt 9 times, ending in the unbuckled state.
(Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.)
•After Step 3, the restraint system warning light (airbag light) will be
turned on for three seconds.
4. Within 10 seconds of the light turning on, at a moderate speed, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt.
•This will disable the BeltMinderfeature for that seating position if it
is currently enabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning
light will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds.
•This will enable the BeltMinderfeature for that seating position if it
is currently disabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning
light will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds, followed by 3
seconds with the light off, then followed by the restraint system
warning light flashing 4 times per second for 3 seconds again.
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
96

AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
The airbag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is designed to work in
conjunction with the safety belts to help protect the driver and front
outboard passenger from certain upper body injuries. The term
“supplemental restraint” means the airbags are intended as a supplement
to the safety belts. Airbags alone cannot protect as well as airbags plus
safety belts in impacts for which the airbags are designed to deploy, and
airbags do not offer any protection in crashes for which they do not
deploy.
The airbag supplemental restraint system consists of:
•driver and passenger dual stage airbag modules (which include the
inflators and airbags).
•side airbags (if equipped). Refer toSide airbag systemlater in this
chapter.
•one or more impact and safing sensors.
•the same indicator light, RCM (restraints control module) and
diagnostic unit used for the Personal safety system.
•Front passenger sensing system. Refer toFront passenger sensing
systemlater in this chapter.
•“Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp. Refer to
Front passenger sensing systemlater in this chapter.
The airbag supplemental restraints are an integral part of the Personal
Safety System. They are designed to be deployed in cases where the
Personal Safety System has determined the occupant conditions and
crash severity are appropriate to activate these devices. Refer to the
Personal Safety Systemsection in this chapter.
2007 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
97