
MESSAGE CENTER
Your vehicle’s message center allows you to configure/personalize certain
vehicle options to suit your needs.
The message center is also capable of monitoring many vehicle systems
and will alert you to potential vehicle problems and various conditions
with an informational message followed by a long indicator chime.
The message center display is located in the instrument cluster.
Info
Press the INFO button repeatedly to
cycle through the following features:
TRIP A/B
Registers the distance of individual journeys. Press and release INFO
until the A or B trip appears in the display (this represents the trip
mode). Press and hold RESET until it resets.
Refer toUNITSlater in this section to switch the display from Metric to
English.
MYKEY MILES (km) (If programmed)
For more information, refer toMyKey™in theLocks and Security
chapter.
MILES (km) TO E
This displays an estimate of approximately how far you can drive with
the fuel remaining in your tank under normal driving conditions.
Remember to turn the ignition off when refueling to allow this feature to
correctly detect the added fuel.
LOW FUEL LEVEL will display when you have approximately 50 miles
(80 km), to empty. Press RESET to clear this warning message. It will
return at approximately 25 miles (40 km), 10 miles (16 km) and 0 miles
(0 km) miles to empty.
Distance to empty is calculated using a running average fuel economy,
which is based on your recent driving history of 500 miles (800 km).
This value is not the same as the average fuel economy display. The
running average fuel economy is re-initialized to a factory default value if
the battery is disconnected.
AVG MPG (L/100km)
Average fuel economy displays your average fuel economy in miles/gallon
or liters/100 km.
Instrument Cluster
19
2010 Taurus(500)
Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing
USA(fus)

If you calculate your average fuel economy by dividing distance traveled
by gallons of fuel used (liters of fuel used by 100 kilometers traveled),
your figure may be different than displayed for the following reasons:
•Your vehicle was not perfectly level during fill-up
•Differences in the automatic shut-off points on the fuel pumps at
service stations
•Variations in top-off procedure from one fill-up to another
•Rounding of the displayed values to the nearest 0.1 gallon (liter)
1. Drive the vehicle at least 5 miles (8 km) with the speed control
system engaged to display a stabilized average.
2. Record the highway fuel economy for future reference.
It is important to press the RESET button (press and hold RESET for
two seconds in order to reset the function) after setting the speed
control to get accurate highway fuel economy readings.
For more information refer toEssentials of good fuel economyin the
Maintenance and Specificationschapter.
MPG (L/km)
This displays instantaneous fuel economy as a bar graph ranging from↓
poor economy to↑excellent economy.
Your vehicle must be moving to calculate instantaneous fuel economy.
When your vehicle is not moving, this function shows↓, one or no bars
illuminated. Instantaneous fuel economy cannot be reset.
TIMER
Timer displays the trip elapsed drive time.
To operate, do the following:
1. Press and release RESET in order to start the timer.
2. Press and release RESET to pause the timer.
3. Press and hold RESET until the timer resets.
Blank Screen
The message center display will be blank after cycling through all of the
Info menu items.
Instrument Cluster
20
2010 Taurus(500)
Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing
USA(fus)

System check and vehicle feature customization
Press the SETUP button repeatedly
to cycle the message center through
the following features:
RESET FOR SYSTEM CHECK
When this message appears, press RESET and the message center will
begin to cycle through the following systems and provide a status of the
item if needed.
Note:Some systems show a message only if a condition is present.
1. OIL LIFE
2. WASHER FLUID LEVEL
3. DOOR AJAR STATUS
4. TRUNK AJAR/CLOSED
5. BRAKE SYSTEM
6. TIRE PRESSURE
7. BLIND SPOT SYSTEM (if equipped)
8. CROSS TRAFFIC SYSTEM (if equipped)
9. FUEL LEVEL
10. MYKEY DISTANCE (If MyKey™ is programmed)
11. MYKEY(S) PROGRAMMED
12. ADMIN KEYS PROGRAMMED
OIL LIFE
This displays the remaining oil life.
An oil change is required whenever indicated by the message center and
according to the recommended maintenance schedule. USE ONLY
RECOMMENDED ENGINE OILS.
To reset the oil monitoring system to 100% after each oil change
(approximately 7,500 miles [12,000 km] or 12 months) perform the
following:
1. Press and release SETUP to display “OIL LIFE XXX% HOLD RESET =
NEW”.
2. Press and hold RESET for two seconds and release to reset the oil life
to 100%.
Note:To change oil life 100% miles value from 7,500 miles (12,000 km)
or 12 months to another value, proceed to Step 3.
Instrument Cluster
21
2010 Taurus(500)
Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing
USA(fus)

System warnings
System warnings alert you to possible problems or malfunctions in your
vehicle’s operating systems.
In the event of a multiple warning situation, the message center will
cycle the display to show all warnings by displaying each one for four
seconds.
The message center will display the last selected feature if there are no
more warning messages.
Types of messages and warnings:
•Some messages will appear briefly to inform you of something you
may need to take action on or be informed of.
•Some messages will appear once and then again when the vehicle is
restarted.
•Some messages will reappear after clearing or being reset if a problem
or condition is still present and needs your attention.
•Some messages can be acknowledged and reset by pressing RESET.
This allows you to use the full message center functionality by clearing
the message.
DRIVER DOOR AJAR— Displayed when the driver’s door is not
completely closed.
PASSENGER DOOR AJAR— Displayed when the passenger side door
is not completely closed.
REAR LEFT DOOR AJAR— Displayed when the rear left door is not
completely closed.
REAR RIGHT DOOR AJAR— Displayed when the rear right door is
not completely closed.
PARK BRAKE ENGAGED— Displayed when the parking brake is set,
the engine is running and the vehicle is driven more than 3 mph
(5 km/h). If the warning stays on after the parking brake is released,
contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
XXX MILES TO E FUEL LEVEL LOW— Displayed as an early
reminder of a low fuel condition.
CHECK FUEL FILL INLET— Displayed when the fuel fill inlet may
not be properly closed. Refer toEasy Fuel™ “no cap” fuel systemin
theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM— Displayed when the brake system needs
servicing. If the warning stays on or continues to come on, contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
Instrument Cluster
24
2010 Taurus(500)
Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Automatic dimming interior rear view mirror (if equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with an interior rear view mirror that has
an auto-dimming function. The electronic day/night mirror will change
from the normal (high reflective) state to the non-glare (darkened) state
when bright lights (glare) reach the mirror. When the mirror detects
bright light from behind the vehicle, it will automatically adjust (darken)
to minimize glare.
The mirror will automatically return to the normal state whenever the
vehicle is placed in R (Reverse) to ensure a bright clear view when
backing up.
Do not block the sensors on the front and back of the interior
rear view mirror since this may impair proper mirror
performance.
Do not clean the housing or glass of any mirror with harsh
abrasives, fuel or other petroleum-based cleaning products.
Note:If equipped with a rear view camera system, a video image will be
displayed in the mirror or the navigation system display (if equipped)
when the vehicle is put in R (Reverse). Refer toRearview camera
systemin theDrivingchapter.
EXTERIOR MIRRORS
Power side view mirrors
WARNING:Do not adjust the mirror while the vehicle is in
motion.
To adjust your mirrors:
1. Rotate the control clockwise to
adjust the right mirror and rotate
the control counterclockwise to
adjust the left mirror.
2. Move the control in the direction
you wish to tilt the mirror.
3. Return to the center position to lock mirrors in place.
Heated mirrors (if equipped)
Both mirrors are heated automatically to remove ice, mist and fog when
the rear window defrost is activated.
Do not remove ice from the mirrors with a scraper or attempt to
readjust the mirror glass if it is frozen in place. These actions
could cause damage to the glass and mirrors.
Driver Controls
83
2010 Taurus(500)
Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Note:To program MyKey™ features, refer toMyKey™in this chapter.
MYKEY™
The MyKey™ feature allows you to program a restricted driving mode to
promote good driving habits. All but one of the keys programmed to the
vehicle can be activated as a MyKey™. The key will remain restricted
until MyKey™ is disabled. Any remaining keys are referred to as an
“Administrator key” or Admin key. The Admin key can be used to create
a MyKey™, program optional MyKey™ settings, and disable the
MyKey™ feature. When the MyKey™ feature is enabled the user can use
System Check in the message center to see how many MyKeys and
Admin keys are programmed to the vehicle, and how many total miles
have been driven with the MyKey™ active.
MyKey™ Restricted Features
Standard settings – These settings cannot be changed
•The audio system will be muted whenever Belt-Minderis activated
until the safety belts are buckled. Refer to theSeating and Safety
Restraintschapter for a detailed description of Belt-Minder
operation.
•Low fuel warnings are displayed in the message center followed by a
chime when the Distance to Empty value reaches 75 miles (120 km).
•The Reverse sensing system, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS)
with Cross Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Warning cannot be
turned off.
Optional settings – These settings can be changed
•Vehicle speed is limited to 80 mph (130 km/h). Visual warnings are
displayed followed by a chime when the vehicle speed has reached
80 mph (130 km/h).
•Visual warnings are displayed followed by a chime when a preselected
vehicle speed of 45, 55 or 65 mph (75, 90, or 105 km/h) is exceeded
•The maximum volume of the audio system is limited to 45%. MYKEY
VOLUME LIMITED will be displayed in the radio or (if equipped)
navigation screen when attempting to exceed the limited volume
•The AdvanceTracsystem cannot be turned off. When this optional
setting is on, the MyKey™ user will not be able to deactivate the
system.Note:It may be beneficial to deactivate the AdvanceTrac
system if the vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, or sand.
Locks and Security
134
2010 Taurus(500)
Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing
USA(fus)

TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires
of a different size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label, you should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s handling
and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator
to indicate when the system is not operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function properly.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System complies with part 15 of the FCC
rules and with RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the
Tires, Wheels and Loading
218
2010 Taurus(500)
Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing
USA(fus)

SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
WARNING:Snow tires must be the same size, load index, speed
rating as those originally provided by Ford. Use of any tire or
wheel not recommended by Ford can affect the safety and
performance of your vehicle, which could result in an increased risk of
loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
Additionally, the use of non-recommended tires and wheels could
cause steering, suspension, axle or transfer case/power transfer unit
failure.
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 chains, it is recommended that steel
wheels (of the same size and specifications) be used, as chains may chip
aluminum wheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
•Use only SAE classScables or equivalent on P235/60R17 or
P235/55R18 tires on the front tires only. SAE classSchains or other
conventional link chains may cause damage to the vehicle’s wheel
house and/or body. Use of optional spike spider type traction devices
or equivalent is also acceptable.
•Do not install tire chains, cables, or optional traction devices on the
rear tires. This could cause damage to the vehicle’s wheel house or
body.
•Do not use tire chains, cables, or optional traction devices with
optional P255/45R19 or 245/45R20 tires.
•Install tire cables securely, verifying that the tire cables do not touch
any wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
•Drive 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.
•If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
•Remove the tire cables when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire cables on dry roads.
•The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when
using snow tires and chains.
•Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) with tire cables on your vehicle.
Tires, Wheels and Loading
222
2010 Taurus(500)
Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing
USA(fus)