
1.Power control:Press to turn the FES (Family Entertainment
System) ON/OFF.
2.Cursor controls:Use in various active menus to advance the cursor
up/down/left/right. When not in a Menu, the left and right cursor controls
decrease and increase the display brightness.
3.DISPLAY:Press to access the on-screen display of the FES functions
and adjustments.
4.RETURN:Press to return to the previous menu screen.
5.ANGLE(DVD dependent): Press to select the angle to view the
scene.
6.Channel A/B:Press to select either A or B headphones and then use
the MEDIA control to select the desired playing media for the
headphones.
7.VOL (Volume):When in Single Play, press to increase (
)or
decrease (
) the volume over all speakers. When in Dual Play, press
to increase (
) or decrease () the volume for the wired
headphones.
2008 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
51

Wired headphones
Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle and do not let
children operate the system while unsupervised. If wired
headphones or auxiliary systems are used, children may become
entangled in the cords and seriously injure themselves.
You may purchase wired headphones for your FES (Family
Entertainment System). Plug them into the 3.5 mm headphone jack(s)
located on the left and right sides of the system. (Channel A is located
on the left side and Channel B is located on the right side.) These
headphones will be active when in Dual Play mode.
To listen to the audio on wired headphones (not included), connect the
wired headphones into the headphone jacks on the sides of the DVD
system. The wired headphone jack for Channel A is located on the left
side of the FES and is labeled
A. Headphones plugged into this
headphone jack will hear audio from the audio source selected to be the
Channel A source. The wired headphone jack for Channel B is located on
the right side of the FES and is labeled
B. Headphones plugged into
this headphone jack will hear audio from the audio source selected to be
the Channel B source.
Adjust the headphone volume using
the volume control on the DVD
system.
Operation
Single play/Dual play
Your DVD and audio system work together with the infrared headphones
and wired headphones (not included) to enable the front and rear seat
passengers to listen to a variety of sources a variety of ways.
Single Play:Single play consists of all occupants in the vehicle listening
to the same playing media over the front and rear speakers. When the
DVD system is on, and the same source is playing through the front and
rear speakers, SINGLE PLAY will appear in the front radio display.
Dual Play:Dual play is when the rear seat passengers choose to listen
to a different playing media than the front seat passengers. With the
DVD and Rear Seat Controls turned ON, the rear seat passengers may
choose to listen to the radio, CD, MP3, DVD, or DVD-AUX media sources
2008 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
57

over headphones while the front speakers play the chosen selection for
the front audio system, they may listen to another over the headphones.
DUAL PLAY will appear in the radio display.
When both the front seat passengers and the rear seat passengers listen
to the same audio source, SHARED MODE will appear on the radio.
Note:If the front seat passengers are listening to the radio, the rear seat
passengers can also listen to the radio, however they will be limited to
listening to the same radio channel.
Press
/on the DVD player to
listen to audio over the headphones.
The headphone control will now be active and a green light next to the
A or B headphone control buttons will illuminate. The system can output
two different audio sources over the headphones. These are called
Channel A and Channel B. Both Channel A and Channel B can be
listened to on the wired headphones (not included) or on the infrared
(IR) wireless headphones.
Press the Headphone Control button
A to change the audio source for
Channel A.
Press MEDIA to change the audio
source for Channel A. This
information will display on the DVD
system screen.
Press the Headphone Control button
B to change the audio source for
Channel B.
Press MEDIA to change the audio source for Channel B. This information
will display on the DVD system screen. Channel B can listen to either
the DVD media or the DVD system auxiliary inputs (DVD-AUX).
Operation with an aftermarket audio system
(Headphone only mode)
When the Family Entertainment System (FES) detects that the original
radio supplied by Ford Motor Company has been removed from the
vehicle, the Family Entertainment System will work in a state referred to
as “Headphone Only Mode”.
2008 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
58

Aspect ratio
Select ASPECT RATIO to select the
viewing size and shape of the video
displayed on the LCD screen. This is
disc dependent.
You can select from: WIDE, LETTER
BOX or PAN SCAN. Once you have
made your selection, press ENTER
to confirm. The LCD screen display
will immediately change to your
selection after the system resumes
playback of the DVD. The system
default is WIDE (16:9). This is disc
dependent.
Language
Select LANGUAGE to select the
language you would like to use for
audio output (English, Spanish,
French). This is disc dependent.
Once you have made your selection,
press ENTER to confirm. The
system default is English.
2008 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
60

Playing a DVD
1. Ensure that the vehicle ignition is in the RUN or ACCESSORY
position.
2. Ensure that the navigation system is on.
3. Insert a DVD label-side up into the system.
4. Use the DVD bezel controls to:
Press to play or pause a DVD.
Press to stop or eject a DVD.
Press and release to go to the
previous chapter. Press and hold for
a fast reverse search.
Press and release to go to the next
chapter. Press and hold for a fast
forward search.
Press when not in menu mode to
adjust brightness, or when in menu
mode to navigate through the menu
selections.
Press to adjust volume levels.
Slow play
1. With a DVD playing, press pause.
2. Press and hold the reverse or
advance button to enter into slow
play mode. Once in slow play mode,
press and release the reverse or advance button repeatedly to cycle
through 1/4 and 1/2. These will display on the status bar on top of the
screen as the screens cycle through at this rate.
2008 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
64

The B headphone jack (5) is located
on the right side of the DVD system.
Plug in wired headphones (not
included) here.
Note:The B headphones can only
access DVD and AUX modes. They
cannot access radio sources.
Audio displays
Your DVD system interacts closely with the front audio system. Status
messages will appear in the radio display showing the DVD status. Some
possible radio display messages:
•SINGLE PLAY or DUAL PLAY
•DVD LOAD
•DVD MENU
•DVD STOP
Audio interaction
You can then also use the front audio controls to advance, reverse, play
and pause a DVD. While a DVD is playing you may use the following
controls on the front radio:
•SEEK: Press to advance to the previous (
) or next () DVD
chapters.
•
: Press to play a DVD or to pause the DVD.
When the radio displays “DVD MENU”, press PLAY on the radio
(memory preset #6), to play the disc.
Parental control for the DVD system
Your Family Entertainment System (FES) allows you to have control
over the rear seat controls in a few different ways. The DVD system is
automatically activated when the vehicle ignition is ON, which allows the
rear seat passengers to use the DVD system.
There are three levels of control of
the FES buttons. The states are
FULL (enabled), LOCAL or
LOCKED (disabled). To change the level of control, press the memory
preset controls 3 and 5 simultaneously on the front audio controls. The
control level will cycle each time the buttons are pressed simultaneously.
The three states are described as:
2008 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
66

Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle and do not let
children operate the system while unsupervised. If wired
headphones or auxiliary systems are used, children may become
entangled in the cords and seriously injure themselves.
The front glass on the liquid crystal display (LCD) flip-down
screen may break when hit with a hard surface. If the glass
breaks, do not touch the liquid crystalline material. In case of contact
with skin, wash immediately with soap and water.
The driver should not attempt to operate any function of the
DVD system while the vehicle is in motion. Give full attention to
driving and to the road. Pull off the road in a safe place before
inserting or extracting DVDs from the system. A remote control is
included in the system to allow the rear seat occupants to operate the
FES functions without distracting the driver.
Do not expose the liquid crystal display (LCD) flip-down screen
to direct sunlight or intensive ultraviolet rays for extensive
periods of time. Ultraviolet rays deteriorate the liquid crystal.
Be sure to review User Manuals for video games and video game
equipment when used as auxiliary inputs for your Family Entertainment
System (FES).
Do not operate video games or video equipment if the power cords
and/or cables are broken, split or damaged. Carefully place cords and/or
cables where they will not be stepped on or interfere with the operation
of seats and/or compartments.
Disconnect video games and video equipment power cords and/or cables
when not in use.
Avoid touching auxiliary input jacks with your fingers. Do not blow on
them or allow them to get wet or dirty.
Do not clean any part of the DVD player with benzene, paint thinner or
any other solvent.
Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Compliance
Changes or modifications not approved by Ford Lincoln-Mercury could
void user’s authority to operate the equipment. This equipment has been
tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
2008 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
68

Cleaning the liquid crystal display (LCD) flip-down screen
Clean the display screen by applying a small amount of water or any
ammonia-based household glass cleaner directly to a soft cloth. Rub the
screen gently until the dust, dirt or fingerprints are removed. Do not
spray the screen directly with water or glass cleaning solvents. Overspray
from these fluids could drip down into the internal electronics of the
screen and cause damage. Do not apply excessive pressure while
cleaning the screen.
Cleaning DVD and CD discs
Inspect all discs for contamination before playing. If necessary, clean
discs only with an approved DVD and CD cleaner and wipe from the
center out to the edge. Do not use circular motion.
Compatibility with aftermarket audio systems (headphone only
mode)
When the Family Entertainment System (FES) detects that the original
radio supplied by Ford Motor Company has been removed from the
vehicle, the FES will work in a state referred to as “Headphone Only
Mode.” This mode allows the FES to operate as a standalone system,
without interface to the radio.
While operating in Headphone Only Mode, the system will have limited
functionality.
•The system will only output audio to the headphones. It will not be
capable of providing audio to the speakers.
•The available sources in FES Headphone Only Mode are DVD-DISC
and DVD-AUX, regardless of headphone channel (A or B).
•When a disc is inserted into the FES while in Headphone Only Mode,
both headphone channels (A and B) will be connected to FES-DISC.
NAVIGATION SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Navigation System. Refer to the
Navigation supplementfor further information.
SYNC™ SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle may be equipped with SYNC™, a state of the art
multi-media system with special phone and media features. Refer to your
SYNC supplementfor further information.
2008 Taurus(tau)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
70