1999 FORD TAURUS engine

on the skin, promptly wash skin thoroughly with
soap and water. Consult a physician immediately
if you experience an adverse reaction.
When refueling always shut the engine off
and never allow sparks or open flames near
the filler neck. Never smoke while refueling. Fuel
vapor is extremely hazardous under certain
conditions. Care should be taken to avoid inhaling
excess fumes.
The flow of fuel through a fuel pump nozzle
can produce static electricity, which can
cause a fire if fuel is pumped into an ungrounded
fuel container.
Use the following guidelines to avoid static build-up
when filling an ungrounded fuel container:
²Place approved fuel container on the ground.
²DO NOT fill a fuel container while it is in the
vehicle.
²Keep the fuel pump nozzle in contact with the
fuel container while filling.
²DO NOT use a device that would hold the fuel
pump handle in the fill position.
Fuel Filler Cap
Your fuel tank filler cap has an indexed design with
a 1/8 turn on/off feature.
When fueling your vehicle:
1. Turn the engine off.
2. Carefully turn the filler cap counterclockwise 1/8
of a turn until it stops.
3. Pull to remove the cap from the fuel filler pipe.
4. To install the cap, align the tabs on the cap with
the notches on the filler pipe.
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167

5. Turn the filler cap clockwise 1/8 of a turn until it
stops.
If the ªService Engine Soon/Check Engineº indicator
comes on and stays on when you start the engine,
the fuel filler cap may not be properly installed.
Turn off the engine, remove the fuel filler cap, align
the cap properly and reinstall it.
If you must replace the fuel filler cap, replace
it with a fuel filler cap that is designed for
your vehicle. The customer warranty may be
void for any damage to the fuel tank or fuel
system if the correct genuine Ford or
Motorcraft fuel filler cap is not used.
The fuel system may be under pressure. If
the fuel filler cap is venting vapor or if you
hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops before
completely removing the fuel filler cap. Otherwise,
fuel may spray out and injure you or others.
If you do not use the proper fuel filler cap,
excessive pressure or vacuum in the fuel
tank may damage the fuel system or cause the fuel
system to work improperly in a collision, which
may result in possible personal injury.
Choosing the right fuel
Use only UNLEADED FUEL. The use of leaded fuel
is prohibited by law and could damage your vehicle.
Do not use fuel containing methanol. It can damage
critical fuel system components.
Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel or fuel
additives with metallic compounds, including
manganese-based compounds containing MMT.
Repairs to correct the effects of using a fuel for
which your vehicle was not designed may not be
covered by your warranty.
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168

Octane recommendations
3.0L V6 Vulcan and 3.0L DOHC V6 Duratec
engines
Your vehicle is
designed to use
ªRegularº unleaded
gasoline with an
(R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. We do not recommend
the use of gasolines labeled as ªRegularº that are
sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in high
altitude areas.
Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes
knocks lightly. However, if it knocks heavily under
most driving conditions while you are using fuel with
the recommended octane rating, see your dealer or
a qualified service technician to prevent any engine
damage.
3.4L-32V V8 SHO engine
Your vehicle is
designed to use
ªPremiumº gasoline
with an (R+M)/2
octane rating of 91 or higher for optimum
performance. The use of gasolines with lower octane
ratings may degrade performance. We do not
recommend the use of gasolines labeled as
ªPremiumº in high altitude areas that are sold with
octane ratings of less than 91.
Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes
knocks lightly. However, if it knocks heavily under
most driving conditions while you are using fuel with
the recommended octane rating, see your dealer or
a qualified service technician to prevent any engine
damage.
87(R+M)/2 METHOD
91(R+M)/2 METHOD
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169

Fuel quality
If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or
hesitation driveability problems during a cold start, try
a different brand of gasoline. ªPremiumº unleaded
gasoline should not be used (particularly in the United
States) if ªRegularº unleaded gasoline is recommended
because it may cause these problems to become more
pronounced. If the problems persist, see your dealer or
a qualified service technician.
It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket
products to your fuel tank if you continue to use a
high quality fuel.
Cleaner air
Ford approves the use of gasolines to improve air
quality, including reformulated gasolines that contain
oxygenates up to 10% ethanol or 15% MTBE.
Running out of fuel
Avoid running out fuel because this situation may
have an adverse affect on powertrain components.
If you have run out of fuel:
²You may need to crank the engine several times
after refueling before the system starts to pump
the fuel from the tank to the engine.
²Your ªService Engine Soonº indicator may come
on. For more information on the ªService Engine
Soonº indicator, refer to theInstrumentation
chapter.
Fuel Filter
For fuel filter replacement, see your dealer or a
qualified service technician. Refer to the Scheduled
Maintenance Guide for the appropriate intervals for
changing the fuel filter.
Replace the fuel filter with an authorized
Motorcraft part. The customer warranty may
be void for any damage to the fuel system if an
authorized Motorcraft fuel filter is not used.
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170

ESSENTIALS OF GOOD FUEL ECONOMY
Measuring techniques
Your best source of information about actual fuel
economy is you, the driver. You must gather
information as accurately and consistently as
possible. Fuel expense, frequency of fillups or fuel
gauge readings are NOT accurate as a measure of
fuel economy. We do not recommend taking fuel
economy measurements during the first 1 600 km
(1 000 miles) of driving (engine break-in period).
You will get a more accurate measurement after
3 000 km±5 000 km (2 000 miles-3 000 miles).
Filling the tank
The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your
vehicle is equal to the rated refill capacity of the fuel
tank as listed in theRefill Capacitieschart in this
ªOwner Guideº. The advertised capacity is the
amount of the Indicated Capacity and the Empty
Reserve combined. Indicated Capacity is the
difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a
tank when the fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty
Reserve is the small amount of usable fuel remaining
in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty.
The amount of Empty Reserve varies and
should not be relied upon to increase driving
range. When refueling your vehicle after the
fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be
able to refuel the full amount of the advertised
capacity of the fuel tank due to the empty
reserve still present in the tank.
For consistent results when filling the fuel tank:
²Use the same filling rate setting (low Ð medium
Ð high) each time the tank is filled.
²Allow three automatic click-offs when filling.
²Always use fuel with the recommended octane
rating.
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171

Driving style Ð good driving and fuel economy
habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you
may be able to change a number of variables and
improve your fuel economy.
Habits
²Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10%
savings in fuel.
²Steady speeds without stopping will usually give
the best fuel economy.
²Idling for long periods of time (greater than one
minute) may waste fuel.
²Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate
the need to stop.
²Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel
economy.
²Slow down gradually.
²Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 88 km/h
[55 mph] uses 15% less fuel than traveling at
105 km/h [65 mph]).
²Revving the engine before turning it off may
reduce fuel economy.
²Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce
fuel economy.
²Using speed control (if equipped) may improve
fuel economy. Speed control can help maintain a
constant speed and reduce speed changes. You
may want to turn off the speed control in hilly
terrain as unnecessary shifting between third and
fourth gears may occur and could result in
reduced fuel economy.
²Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not
required and may reduce fuel economy.
²Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving
may reduce fuel economy.
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173

²Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go
driving.
Maintenance
²Keep tires properly inflated and use only
recommended size.
²Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of
alignment will reduce fuel economy.
²Use recommended engine oil. Refer toLubricant
Specifications.
²Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance
items. Follow the recommended maintenance
schedule and owner maintenance checks found in
your vehicle Scheduled Maintenance Guide.
Conditions
²Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may
reduce fuel economy at any speed.
²Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel
economy (approximately 2 km/h [1 mpg] is lost
for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
²Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for
example bug deflectors, rollover/light bars,
running boards, ski/luggage racks) may reduce
fuel economy.
²Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel
economy.
²Fuel economy may decrease with lower
temperatures during the first 12±16 km
(8±10 miles) of driving.
²Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel
economy as compared to driving on hilly terrain.
²Transmissions give their best fuel economy when
operated in the top cruise gear and with steady
pressure on the gas pedal.
²Close windows for high speed driving.
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174

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.
Illumination of the charging system warning light,
ªService Engine Soonº light or the temperature
warning light, fluid leaks, strange odors, smoke or
loss of oil pressure, could indicate that the emission
control system is not working properly.
Exhaust leaks may result in entry of harmful
and potentially lethal fumes into the
passenger compartment.
Do not make any unauthorized changes to your
vehicle or engine. By law, vehicle owners and anyone
who manufactures, repairs, services, sells, leases,
trades vehicles, or supervises a fleet of vehicles are
not permitted to intentionally remove an emission
control device or prevent it from working.
Information about your vehicle's emission system is
on the Vehicle Emission Control Information Decal
located on or near the engine. This decal identifies
engine displacement and gives some tune up
specifications.
Please consult your ªWarranty Guideº for complete
emission warranty information.
Readiness for Inspection/Maintenance (I/M)
testing
In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to
pass an I/M test of the on-board diagnostics system.
If your ªCheck Engine/Service Engine Soonº light is
on, refer to the description in theWarning Lights
and Chimessection of theInstrumentation
chapter. Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test with
the ªCheck Engine/Service Engine Soonº light on.
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176