2002 FORD TAURUS brake

Batteries normally produce explosive gases which can cause
personal injury. Therefore, do not allow flames, sparks or lighted
substances to come near the battery. When working near the battery,
always shield your face and protect your eyes. Always provide proper
ventilation.
When lifting a plastic-cased battery, excessive pressure on the
end walls could cause acid to flow through the vent caps,
resulting in personal injury and/or damage to the vehicle or battery.
Lift the battery with a battery carrier or with your hands on opposite
corners.
Keep batteries out of reach of children. Batteries contain sulfuric
acid. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Shield your eyes
when working near the battery to protect against possible splashing of
acid solution. In case of acid contact with skin or eyes, flush
immediately with water for a minimum of 15 minutes and get prompt
medical attention. If acid is swallowed, call a physician immediately.
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and
lead compounds.Wash hands after handling.
Because your vehicle's engine is electronically controlled by a computer,
some control conditions are maintained by power from the battery. When
the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must
relearn its idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and
performance. To begin this process:
1. With the vehicle at a complete stop, set the parking brake.
2. Put the gearshift in P (Park), turn off all accessories and start the
engine.
3. Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature.
4. Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
5. Turn the A/C on and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
6. With your foot on the brake pedal and with the A/C on, put the
vehicle in D (Drive) and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
7. Drive the vehicle to complete the relearning process.
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206

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.
²You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs.
Unnecessary shifting of this type 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.
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 specificationsin
this chapter.
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
0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
²Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/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.
Maintenance and Specifications
221

BRAKE FLUID
Checking and adding brake fluid
Brake fluid should be checked and
refilled as needed. Refer to the
scheduled maintenance guide for
the service interval schedules.
1. Clean the reservoir cap before
removal to prevent dirt or water
from entering the reservoir.
2. Visually inspect the fluid level.
3. If necessary, add brake fluid from
a clean un-opened container until
the level reaches MAX. Do not fill
above this line.
4. Use only a DOT 3 brake fluid
certified to meet Ford specification ESA-M6C25±A. Refer toLubricant
specificationsin this chapter.
Brake fluid is toxic. If brake fluid contacts the eyes, flush eyes
with running water for 15 minutes. Seek medical attention if
irritation persists. If taken internally, drink water and induce vomiting.
Seek medical attention immediately.
If you use a brake fluid that is not DOT 3, you will cause
permanent damage to your brakes.
Do not let the reservoir for the master cylinder run dry. This
may cause the brakes to fail.
MAX
Maintenance and Specifications
225

TRANSMISSION FLUID
Checking automatic transmission fluid
Refer to your scheduled maintenance guide for scheduled intervals for
fluid checks and changes. Your transaxle does not consume fluid.
However, the fluid level should be checked if the transaxle is not working
properly, i.e., if the transaxle slips or shifts slowly or if you notice some
sign of fluid leakage.
Automatic transmission fluid expands when warmed. To obtain an
accurate fluid check, drive the vehicle until it is warmed up
(approximately 30 km [20 miles]). If your vehicle has been
operated for an extended period at high speeds, in city traffic
during hot weather or pulling a trailer, the vehicle should be
turned off for about 30 minutes to allow fluid to cool before
checking.
1. Drive the vehicle 30 km (20 miles) or until it reaches normal operating
temperature.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and engage the parking brake.
3. With the parking brake engaged and your foot on the brake pedal,
start the engine and move the gearshift lever through all of the gear
ranges. Allow sufficient time for each gear to engage.
4. Latch the gearshift lever in P (Park) and leave the engine running.
5. Remove the dipstick, wiping it clean with a clean, dry lint free rag. If
necessary, refer toIdentifying components in the engine compartment
in this chapter for the location of the dipstick.
6. Install the dipstick making sure it is fully seated in the filler tube.
7. Remove the dipstick and inspect the fluid level. The fluid should be in
the designated areas for normal operating temperature.
Low fluid level
Do not drive the vehicle if the fluid
level is at the bottom of the dipstick
and the outside temperatures are
above 10ÉC (50ÉF).
DON’T ADD IF IN CROSSHATCH AREA--CHECH WHEN HOT-IDLING
Maintenance and Specifications
226

Make sure that all replacement tires are of the same size, type,
load-carrying capacity and tread design (e.g., ªAll Terrainº, etc.),
as originally offered by Ford.
Failure to follow these precautions may adversely affect the
handling of the vehicle and make it easier for the driver to lose
control and roll over.
Tires that are larger or smaller than your vehicle's original tires may also
affect the accuracy of your speedometer.
SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Snow tires must be the same size and grade as the tires you
currently have on your vehicle.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains. If you need to use snow tires and chains, it is
recommended that steel wheels are used of the same size and
specifications as those originally installed.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
²Use only cable type chains offered by Ford as an accessory or
equivalent. SAE class ªSº or other conventional link type chains may
cause damage to the vehicle's wheel house and/or body.
²Install cable chains securely, verifying that the cables do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
²Drive cautiously. If you hear the cables rub or bang against your
vehicle, stop and re-tighten the cables. If this does not work, remove
the cables to prevent damage to your vehicle.
²If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
²Remove the tire cables when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire cables on dry roads.
²The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when
using snow tires and cables.
²Do not exceed 48 km/h (30 mph) with tire cables on your vehicle.
Maintenance and Specifications
231

REFILL CAPACITIES
Fluid Ford Part
NameApplication Capacity
Brake fluid Motorcraft
High
Performance
DOT 3 Motor
Vehicle Brake
FluidAll Fill to line on
reservoir
Engine
coolant
1Motorcraft
Premium
Engine Coolant
(green-colored)
orMotorcraft
Premium Gold
Engine Coolant
(yellow-colored)3.0L V6 Vulcan
engine11.0L
(11.6 quarts)
3.0L V6 Duratec
engine10.0L
(10.6 quarts)
Engine oil
(includes filter
change)Motorcraft SAE
5W-20 Super
Premium
Motor Oil3.0L V6 Vulcan
engine4.25L
(4.5 quarts)
3.0L V6 Duratec
engine5.2L
(5.5 quarts)
Fuel tank
capacityN/A All vehicles 68.1L
(18.0 gallons)
Power steering
fluidMotorcraft
MERCONt
AT F3.0L V6 Vulcan
engineFill to line on
reservoir
3.0L V6 Duratec
engineFill to line on
reservoir
Automatic
transaxle -
4F50NMotorcraft
MERCONtV
AT F3.0L V6 Vulcan
engine12.8L
(13.5 quarts)
3.0L V6 Duratec
engine12.7L
(13.4 quarts)
Automatic
transaxle -
AX4SMotorcraft
MERCONtV
AT F3.0L V6 Vulcan
engine11.6L
(12.2 quarts)
Windshield
washer fluid -
FrontUltra-Clear
Windshield
Washer
ConcentrateAll 2.8L
(94.7 oz.)
Maintenance and Specifications
233

Fluid Ford Part
NameApplication Capacity
Windshield
washer fluid -
RearUltra-Clear
Windshield
Washer
ConcentrateWagon 1.8L
(60.9 oz.)
1Add the coolant type originally equipped in your vehicle.
LUBRICANT SPECIFICATIONS
ItemsFord Part
Name or
equivalentFord Part
NumberFord
Specification
Brake fluid Motorcraft High
Performance
DOT 3 Motor
Vehicle Brake
FluidPM-1 ESA-M6C25-A
and DOT 3
Door latch, hood
latch, auxiliary
hood latch, seat
tracks, trunk
and liftgate
latchesMulti-Purpose
GreaseXG-4 or
F5AZ-19G209-AAESR-M1C159-A
Lock cylinders Penetrating and
Lock LubricantMotorcraft XL-1 none
Automatic
transaxle (AX4S
and 4F50N
1)Motorcraft
MERCONtV
AT FXT-5-QM
MERCONtV
Engine oil Motorcraft SAE
5W-20 Super
Premium Motor
OilXO-5W20-QSP WSS-M2C153-H
and API
Certification
Mark
Constant
velocity jointsCV Joint Grease
(High Temp.)XG-5 WSS-M2C258±A1
Maintenance and Specifications
234

Vehicle identification number
The vehicle identification number is
attached to a metal tag and is
located on the driver side
instrument panel. (Please note that
in the graphic XXXX is
representative of your vehicle
identification number.)
1. World manufacturer identifier
2. Brake type and gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR)
3. Vehicle line, series, body type
4. Engine type
5. Check digit
6. Model year
7. Assembly plant
8. Production sequence number
Engine number
The engine number (the last eight numbers of the vehicle identification
number) is stamped on the engine block, frame and transaxle.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Maintenance and Specifications
239