2013 FORD TAURUS wheel alignment

•Drive a heavily loaded vehicle or tow a trailer.
•Carry unnecessary weight (approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for
every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Add particular accessories to your vehicle (e.g. bug deflectors,
rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski racks).
•Drive with the wheels out of alignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
WARNING:Drive through water in an emergency only, and not
as part of normal driving.
WARNING:Engine damage can occur if water enters the air
filter.
Note:Driving through deep water may allow water into the transmission
or air intake and can cause internal vehicle damage or cause it to stall.
Note:Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your
vehicle slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal.
If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly. Never drive through water that is higher than the bottom of the
wheel rims (for cars) or the bottom
of the hubs (for trucks).
When driving through water,
traction or brake capability may be
limited. Also, water may enter your
engine’s air intake and severely
damage your engine or your vehicle
may stall.
Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle
as quickly as dry brakes.
254Driving Hints
2013 Taurus
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Safety Practices
WARNING:If your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., do not
rapidly spin the tires; spinning the tires can tear the tire and cause
an explosion. A tire can explode in as little as three to five seconds.
WARNING:Do not spin the wheels at over 35 mph (56 km/h).
The tires may fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
Driving habits have a great deal to do with your tire mileage and safety.
•Observe posted speed limits
•Avoid fast starts, stops and turns
•Avoid potholes and objects on the road
•Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a curb when parking
Highway hazards
No matter how carefully you drive there’s always the possibility that you
may eventually have a flat tire on the highway. Drive slowly to the closest
safe area out of traffic. This may further damage the flat tire, but your
safety is more important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you
suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your
speed. Drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road. Stop and
inspect the tires for damage. If a tire is under-inflated or damaged,
deflate it, remove wheel and replace it with your spare tire and wheel. If
you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the nearest repair
facility or tire dealer to have the vehicle inspected.
Tire and Wheel Alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can cause the front end of your
vehicle to become misaligned or cause damage to your tires. If your vehicle
seems to pull to one side when you’re driving, the wheels may be out of
alignment. Have an authorized dealer check the wheel alignment periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or the rear can cause uneven and rapid
treadwear of your tires and should be corrected by an authorized dealer.
Front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicles and those with an independent rear
suspension (if equipped) may require alignment of all four wheels.
332Wheels and Tires
2013 Taurus
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

The tires should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
Tire Rotation
Note:If your tires show uneven wear ask an authorized dealer to check
for and correct any wheel misalignment, tire imbalance or mechanical
problem involved before tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may be equipped with a dissimilar spare tire/wheel. A
dissimilar spare tire/wheel is defined as a spare tire and/or wheel that is
different in brand, size or appearance from the road tires and wheels. If
you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel it is intended for temporary use
only and should not be used in a tire rotation.
Note:After having your tires rotated, inflation pressure must be checked
and adjusted to the vehicle requirements.
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
Scheduled Maintenancechapter) will help your tires wear more evenly,
providing better tire performance and longer tire life.
•Front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicles
(front tires at top of diagram)
•All-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles
(front tires at top of diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
Wheels and Tires333
2013 Taurus
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

SecuriCode keyless entry
system .......................................... 73
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system .......................................... 77
Selecting your media source
(USB, Line in, BT audio) ......... 420
Sending new text messages ..... 477
Setting a destination ................ 504
Setting a destination
by voice ..................................... 505
Setting the clock ............... 130, 492
Setting your wallpaper ............. 492
Side air curtain ........................... 51
Side-curtain airbags system ....... 51
SIRIUSsatellite radio ..... 130, 458
SIRIUS satellite radio voice
commands ................................. 460
SIRIUS Travel Link ................... 485
SIRIUS Travel Link voice
commands ................................. 486
SOS Post Crash Alert ................. 44
Spark plugs,
specifications ..................... 354, 360
Specification chart,
lubricants ................................... 356
Stability system ......................... 209
Starting your vehicle ................ 179
jump starting .......................... 259
push button start system ....... 177
Steering wheel ............................ 81
controls ...................................... 83
tilting ......................................... 81
Sunshade ................................... 100
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) (see airbags) .................... 45Supported media file types ...... 471
Supported player, media
formats and metadata
information ................................ 471
SYNCcustomer support ......... 390
SYNCServices ................. 413, 481
System settings ......................... 494
T
Temperature control
(see Climate control) ...... 142, 144,
146, 148, 501
Temporary mobility kit ............. 345
Text messaging ................. 401, 477
Text messaging (sending,
downloading, deleting) ..... 401, 403
Tilt steering wheel ...................... 81
Tires ........................... 318–319, 339
alignment ................................ 332
care .......................................... 318
changing .......................... 339, 341
checking the pressure ............ 328
inflating ................................... 326
label ......................................... 325
replacing .................................. 330
rotating .................................... 333
safety practices ....................... 332
sidewall information ............... 321
snow tires and chains ............ 334
spare tire ................................. 339
Temporary mobility kit .......... 345
terminology ............................. 319
tire grades ............................... 319
treadwear ........................ 318, 328
Touchscreen features
(climate) .................................... 501
540Index
2013 Taurus
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)