wheel FORD TAURUS 2017 Owner's Manual

SITTING IN THE CORRECT
POSITION
WARNINGS
Sitting improperly, out of position orwith the seatback reclined too farcan take weight off the seat cushionand affect the decision of the passengersensing system, resulting in serious injuryor death in the event of a crash. Always situpright against your seat back, with yourfeet on the floor.
Do not recline the seatback as thiscan cause the occupant to slideunder the safety belt, resulting inserious injury in the event of a crash.
Do not place objects higher than theseatback to reduce the risk of seriousinjury in the event of a crash or duringheavy braking.
When you use them properly, the seat,head restraint, safety belt and airbags willprovide optimum protection in the eventof a crash.
We recommend that you follow theseguidelines:
•Sit in an upright position with the baseof your spine as far back as possible.
•Do not recline the seatback more than30 degrees.
•Adjust the head restraint so that thetop of it is level with the top of yourhead and as far forward as possible.Make sure that you remaincomfortable.
•Keep sufficient distance betweenyourself and the steering wheel. Werecommend a minimum of 10 in(25 cm) between your breastbone andthe airbag cover.
•Hold the steering wheel with your armsslightly bent.
•Bend your legs slightly so that you canpress the pedals fully.
•Position the shoulder strap of thesafety belt over the center of yourshoulder and position the lap straptightly across your hips.
Make sure that your driving position iscomfortable and that you can maintain fullcontrol of your vehicle.
HEAD RESTRAINTS
WARNINGS
Fully adjust the head restraint beforeyou sit in or operate your vehicle. Thiswill help minimize the risk of neckinjury in the event of a crash. Do not adjustthe head restraint when your vehicle ismoving.
The head restraint is a safety device.Whenever possible it should beinstalled and properly adjusted whenthe seat is occupied.
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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WARNINGS
Always fully apply the parking brakeand make sure you shift into park (P).Switch the ignition off and removethe key whenever you leave your vehicle.
Do not apply the brake pedal andaccelerator pedal simultaneously.Applying both pedals simultaneouslyfor more than a few seconds will limitengine performance, which may result indifficulty maintaining speed in traffic andcould lead to serious injury.
Understanding the Positions ofYour Automatic Transmission
Putting your vehicle in gear:
1. Fully press down the brake pedal.
2.Press and hold the button on the frontof the selector lever.
3.Move the selector lever into the desiredgear.
4. Release the button and yourtransmission will remain in the selectedgear.
Park (P)
This position locks the transmission andprevents the wheels from turning.
Reverse (R)
With the selector lever in reverse (R), yourvehicle will move backward. Always cometo a complete stop before shifting into andout of reverse (R).
Neutral (N)
With the selector lever in neutral (N), yourvehicle can be started and is free to roll.Hold the brake pedal down while in thisposition.
Drive (D)
Drive (D) is the normal driving position forthe best fuel economy. The overdrivefunction allows automatic upshifts anddownshifts through gears one through six.
Sport (S)
Moving the selector lever to sport (S):
•Provides additional grade (engine)braking and extends lower gearoperation to enhance performance foruphill climbs, hilly terrain ormountainous areas. This will increaseengine RPM during engine braking.
•Provides additional lower gearoperation through the automatictransmission shift strategy.
•Gears are selected more quickly andat higher engine speeds.
SelectShift Automatic™Transmission
Your SelectShift automatic transmissiongives you the ability to manually changegears.
If equipped with a toggle on theselector lever:
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•Press the (+) button to upshift.
•Press the (-) button to downshift.
If equipped with steering wheelpaddles:
•Pull the right paddle (+) to upshift.
•Pull the left paddle (-) to downshift.
With your vehicle in drive (D), the paddleshifters provide temporary manual control.They allow you the ability to shift gearsquickly, without taking your hands off thesteering wheel. You can achieve extensivemanual control by moving the selectorlever to sport (S).
The system determines when temporarymanual control is no longer in use andreturns to automatic control.
Upshift to the recommended shift speedsaccording to the following chart:
Upshifts when accelerating (recom-mended for best fuel economy)
Shift from:
15 mph (24 km/h)1 - 2
25 mph (40 km/h)2 - 3
40 mph (64 km/h)3 - 4
45 mph (72 km/h)4 - 5
50 mph (80 km/h)5 - 6
The instrument cluster will display theselected gear that you are currently in anda shift indicator arrow to assist inoptimizing shifting.
SelectShift will automatically make someshifts for you in the event that your enginespeed is running at too high, or too low anRPM.
Note:Engine damage may occur ifexcessive engine revving is held withoutshifting.
Brake-Shift Interlock
WARNINGS
Do not drive your vehicle until youverify that the brake lamps areworking.
When doing this procedure, you needto take the transmission out of park(P) which means your vehicle canroll freely. To avoid unwanted vehiclemovement, always fully apply the parkingbrake prior to doing this procedure. Usewheels chocks if appropriate.
If the parking brake is fully released,but the brake warning lamp remainsilluminated, the brakes may not beworking properly. Have your vehiclechecked as soon as possible.
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USING ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (If
Equipped)
All-wheel drive uses all four wheels topower the vehicle. This increases traction,enabling you to drive over terrain and roadconditions that a conventional two-wheeldrive vehicle cannot. The AWD system isactive all the time and requires no inputfrom the operator.
Note:Your AWD vehicle is not intended foroff-road use. The AWD feature gives yourvehicle some limited off-road capabilitiesin which driving surfaces are relatively level,obstruction-free and otherwise similar tonormal on-road driving conditions.Operating your vehicle under other thanthose conditions could subject the vehicleto excessive stress which might result indamage which is not covered under yourwarranty.
Note: The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) inTaurus SHO™ performance packagevehicles does not require any normalscheduled maintenance. The system iselectronically monitored and notifies thedriver of required service by displaying themessage Change AWD Power TransferUnit Lube in the information display. ThePTU lubricant will be more likely to requirea fluid change if the vehicle has experiencedextended periods of extreme or severe dutycycle driving. Do not check or change thePTU lubricant unless the unit shows signsof leakage or a message indicating requiredservice is displayed. Contact an authorizeddealer for service if the PTU was submergedin water and to reset the PTU lube lifemonitor.
Note:When an AWD system fault ispresent, the warning Check AWD displaysin the information display. The AWD systemis not functioning correctly and defaultedto front-wheel drive. When this warningdisplays, have your vehicle serviced at anauthorized dealer.
Note: The AWD OFF message may alsoappear in the information display if the AWDsystem overheats and defaults tofront-wheel drive. This may occur if thevehicle is operated in extreme conditionswith excessive wheel slip, such as deepsand. To resume normal AWD function assoon as possible, stop the vehicle in a safelocation and stop the engine for at least 10minutes. After the engine has beenrestarted and the AWD system hasadequately cooled, the AWD OFF messagewill turn off and normal AWD functionreturns. If the engine is not stopped, theAWD OFF message turns off when thesystem cools and normal AWD functionreturns.
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All-Wheel Drive Messages
Action / DescriptionAWD Messages
Displays if the AWD system disables toprotect itself. This may occur if you operatethe vehicle after installing the compactspare tire, if the system is overheating or ifthere is an issue with another vehiclesystem that prevents the AWD system from
AWD OFF
operating. The AWD system resumesnormal operation and clears this messageafter you install the road tire and you switchthe ignition on and off, or after you allowthe system to cool. If this message remainson, have a qualified technician service yourvehicle to repair other vehicle systems.
Displayed in conjunction with the power-train malfunction/reduced power lightwhen the system is not operating properly.If the warning stays on or continues tocome on, contact your authorized dealeras soon as possible.
Check AWD
Displayed when the system needs its powertransfer unit lubrication changed. Thismessage may be set if the vehicle hasexperienced extended periods of extreme/severe duty cycle driving.
Change AWD Power Transfer Unit Lube1
1 Taurus SHO Performance Package only.
Operating AWD Vehicles WithSpare Tires
A spare tire of a different size other thanthe tire provided should never be used. TheAWD system may disable automaticallyand enter front-wheel drive only mode toprotect driveline components if a non-fullsized tire is installed. This condition maydisplay an AWD OFF message in theinformation display. If there is an AWD OFFmessage in the information display fromusing a non-full sized spare tire, thisindicator should turn off after reinstallingthe repaired or replaced normal road tire
and cycling the ignition off and on. It isrecommended to reinstall the repaired orreplaced road tire as soon as possible.Major dissimilar tire sizes between the frontand rear axles (for example, 17 inch lowprofile tires on the front axle and 22 inchhigh profile tires on the rear axle) couldcause the AWD system to stop functioningand default to front-wheel drive or damagethe AWD system.
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Operating AWD Vehicles WithMismatched Tires
WARNINGS
Only use replacement tires andwheels that are the same size, loadindex, speed rating and type (suchas P-metric versus LT-metric or all-seasonversus all-terrain) as those originallyprovided by Ford. The recommended tireand wheel size may be found on either theSafety Compliance Certification Label(affixed to either the door hinge pillar,door-latch post, or the door edge thatmeets the door-latch post, next to thedriver's seating position), or the Tire Labelwhich is located on the B-Pillar or edge ofthe driver's door. If this information is notfound on these labels, then you shouldcontact your authorized dealer as soon aspossible. Use of any tire or wheel notrecommended by Ford can affect thesafety and performance of your vehicle,which could result in an increased risk ofloss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,personal injury and death.
The use of non-recommended tiresand wheels could cause steering,suspension, axle, transfer case orpower transfer unit failure. If you havequestions regarding tire replacement,contact your authorized dealer as soon aspossible.
Major dissimilar tire sizes between the frontand rear axles (for example, 17 inch lowprofile tires on the front axle and 22 inchhigh profile tires on the rear axle) couldcause the AWD system to stop functioningand default to front-wheel drive or damagethe AWD system. However, the AWDsystem is capable of tolerating anycombination of new and worn tires of thesame original tire size. For example, using3 worn tread tires and 1 new tread tire allof the same original tire size, can betolerated by the AWD system.
Driving In Special Conditions WithAll-Wheel Drive (AWD)
AWD vehicles are equipped for driving onsand, snow, mud and rough roads and haveoperating characteristics that aresomewhat different from conventionalvehicles, both on and off the highway.
When driving at slow speeds in deep sandunder high outside temperatures, use a lowgear when possible. Lower gear operationwill maximize the engine and transmissioncooling capability.
Under severe operating conditions, the A/Cmay cycle on and off to protectoverheating of the engine.
Basic operating principles in specialconditions
•Drive slower in strong crosswinds whichcan affect the normal steeringcharacteristics of your vehicle.
•Be extremely careful when driving onpavement made slippery by loose sand,water, gravel, snow or ice.
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If Your Vehicle Goes Off the Edge of thePavement
•If your vehicle goes off the edge of thepavement, slow down, but avoid severebrake application, ease the vehicleback onto the pavement only afterreducing your speed. Do not turn thesteering wheel too sharply whilereturning to the road surface.
•It may be safer to stay on the apron orshoulder of the road and slow downgradually before returning to thepavement. You may lose control if youdo not slow down or if you turn thesteering wheel too sharply or abruptly.
•It often may be less risky to strike smallobjects, such as highway reflectors,with minor damage to your vehiclerather than attempt a sudden return tothe pavement which could cause thevehicle to slide sideways out of controlor rollover. Remember, your safety andthe safety of others should be yourprimary concern.
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
WARNINGS
Always fully apply the parking brakeand make sure you shift into park (P).Switch the ignition off and removethe key whenever you leave your vehicle.
If the parking brake is fully released,but the brake warning lamp remainsilluminated, the brakes may not beworking properly. Have your vehiclechecked as soon as possible.
Do not spin the wheels at over34 mph (55 km/h). The tires may failand injure a passenger or bystander.
Note:Do not rock the vehicle if the engineis not at normal operating temperature ordamage to the transmission may occur.
Note:Do not rock the vehicle for more thana few minutes or damage to thetransmission and tires may occur or theengine may overheat.
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow itmay be rocked out by shifting betweenforward and reverse gears, stoppingbetween shifts, in a steady pattern. Presslightly on the accelerator in each gear.
If your vehicle is equipped withAdvanceTrac® with Roll StabilityControl™, it may be beneficial todisengage the AdvanceTrac® with RollStability Control™ system whileattempting to rock the vehicle.
Emergency Maneuvers
•In an unavoidable emergency situationwhere a sudden sharp turn must bemade, remember to avoid"over-driving" your vehicle (that is, turnthe steering wheel only as rapidly andas far as required to avoid theemergency). Excessive steering willresult in less vehicle control, not more.Additionally, smooth variations of theaccelerator and/or brake pedalpressure should be utilized if changesin vehicle speed are called for. Avoidabrupt steering, acceleration or brakingwhich could result in an increased riskof loss of vehicle control, vehiclerollover and/or personal injury. Use allavailable road surface to return thevehicle to a safe direction of travel.
•In the event of an emergency stop,avoid skidding the tires and do notattempt any sharp steering wheelmovements.
•If the vehicle goes from one type ofsurface to another (that is, fromconcrete to gravel) there will be achange in the way the vehicle respondsto a maneuver (steering, accelerationor braking). Again, avoid these abruptinputs.
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Sand
Most of the time traction control improvestire traction by managing wheel slipthrough Brake, Engine, and AWDcalibrations. However, during low speeddriving, disabling traction control in deepsand can help keep the wheels moving tomaintain vehicle momentum.
When driving over sand, try to keep all fourwheels on the most solid area of the trail.Avoid reducing the tire pressures but shiftto a lower gear and drive steadily throughthe terrain. Apply the accelerator slowlyand avoid spinning the wheels.
Do not drive your vehicle in deep sand foran extended period of time. This couldcause the AWD system to overheat anddefault to front-wheel drive. If this occurs,an AWD OFF message displays in theinformation display. To resume normalAWD function as soon as possible, stopthe vehicle in a safe location and stop theengine for at least 10 minutes. After theengine has been restarted and the AWDsystem has adequately cooled, the AWDOFF message turns off and normal AWDfunction returns. In the event the engine isnot stopped, the AWD OFF message turnsoff when the system cools and normalAWD function returns.
When driving at slow speeds in deep sandunder high outside temperatures, use L(Low) gear when possible. L (Low) gearoperation will maximize the engine andtransmission cooling capability.
Under severe operating conditions, the A/Cmay cycle on and off to protectoverheating of the engine.
Avoid excessive speed because vehiclemomentum can work against you andcause the vehicle to become stuck to thepoint that assistance may be required fromanother vehicle. Remember, you may beable to back out the way you came if youproceed with caution.
Mud and Water
If you must drive through high water, driveslowly. Traction or brake capability maybe limited.
When driving through water, determine thedepth; avoid water higher than the bottomof the wheel rims (for cars) or the bottomof the hubs (for trucks) (if possible) andproceed slowly. If the ignition system getswet, the vehicle may stall.
Once through water, always try the brakes.Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle aseffectively as dry brakes. Drying can beimproved by moving your vehicle slowlywhile applying light pressure on the brakepedal.
Be cautious of sudden changes in vehiclespeed or direction when you are driving inmud. Even AWD vehicles can lose tractionin slick mud. As when you are driving oversand, apply the accelerator slowly andavoid spinning your wheels. If the vehicledoes slide, steer in the direction of the slideuntil you regain control of the vehicle.
After driving through mud, clean off residuestuck to rotating driveshafts and tires.Excess mud stuck on tires and rotatingdriveshafts causes an imbalance thatcould damage drive components.
Note:Driving through deep water maydamage the transmission.
If the front or rear axle is submerged inwater, have the power transfer unit (PTU)or rear axle serviced by an authorizeddealer.
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“Tread Lightly” is an educational programdesigned to increase public awareness ofland-use regulations and responsibilitiesin our nations wilderness areas. Ford MotorCompany joins the U.S. Forest Service andthe Bureau of Land Management inencouraging you to help preserve ournational forest and other public and privatelands by “treading lightly.”
Driving on Hilly or Sloping Terrain
Note:Avoid driving crosswise or turning onsteep slopes or hills. A danger lies in losingtraction, slipping sideways and possiblyrolling over. Whenever driving on a hill,determine beforehand the route you willuse. Do not drive over the crest of a hillwithout seeing what conditions are on theother side. Do not drive in reverse over a hillwithout the aid of an observer.
Although natural obstacles may make itnecessary to travel diagonally up or downa hill or steep incline, you should alwaystry to drive straight up or straight down.
When climbing a steep slope or hill, startin a lower gear rather than downshifting toa lower gear from a higher gear once theascent has started. This reduces strain onthe engine and the possibility of stalling.
If you do stall out, do not try to turnaroundbecause you might roll over. It is better toback down to a safe location.
Apply just enough power to the wheels toclimb the hill. Too much power will causethe tires to slip, spin or lose traction,resulting in loss of vehicle control.
Descend a hill in the same gear you woulduse to climb up the hill to avoid excessivebrake application and brake overheating.Do not descend in neutral; instead,disengage overdrive or manually shift to alower gear. When descending a steep hill,avoid sudden hard braking as you couldlose control. The front wheels have to beturning in order to steer the vehicle.
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, thereforeapply the brakes steadily. Do not “pump”the brakes.
Driving on Snow and Ice
WARNING
If you are driving in slipperyconditions that require tire chains orcables, then it is critical that you drivecautiously. Keep speeds down, allow forlonger stopping distances and avoidaggressive steering to reduce the chancesof a loss of vehicle control which can leadto serious injury or death. If the rear end ofyour vehicle slides while cornering, steer inthe direction of the slide until you regaincontrol of your vehicle.
Note:Excessive tire slippage can causedriveline damage.
AWD vehicles have advantages over 2WDvehicles in snow and ice but can skid likeany other vehicle.
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Should you start to slide while driving onsnowy or icy roads, turn the steering wheelin the direction of the slide until you regaincontrol.
Avoid sudden applications of power andquick changes of direction on snow andice. Apply the accelerator slowly andsteadily when starting from a full stop.
Avoid sudden braking as well. Although anAWD vehicle may accelerate better thana two-wheel drive vehicle in snow and ice,it won’t stop any faster, because as in othervehicles, braking occurs at all four wheels.Do not become overconfident as to roadconditions.
Make sure you allow sufficient distancebetween you and other vehicles forstopping. Drive slower than usual andconsider using one of the lower gears. Inemergency stopping situations, apply thebrake steadily. Since your vehicle isequipped with a four wheel (ABS), do not“pump” the brakes. See Hints on DrivingWith Anti-Lock Brakes (page 164).
Maintenance and Modifications
The suspension and steering systems onyour vehicle have been designed andtested to provide predictable performancewhether loaded or empty and durable loadcarrying capability. For this reason, FordMotor Company strongly recommends thatyou do not make modifications such asadding or removing parts (such as loweringkits or stabilizer bars) or by usingreplacement parts not equivalent to theoriginal factory equipment.
Any modifications to a vehicle that raisethe center of gravity can make it more likelythe vehicle will rollover as a result of a lossof control. Ford Motor Companyrecommends that caution be used withany vehicle equipped with a high load ordevice (such as ladder or luggage racks).
Failure to maintain your vehicle properlymay void the warranty, increase your repaircost, reduce vehicle performance andoperational capabilities and adverselyaffect driver and passenger safety.Frequent inspection of vehicle chassiscomponents is recommended if the vehicleis subjected to off-highway usage.
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