•Carry unnecessary weight (approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for
every 400 pounds [180 kilograms] of weight carried).
• Add particular accessories to your vehicle (e.g.; bug deflectors,
rollbars or 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.
Driving Hints255
2015 Taurus
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2014
USA(fus)
Safety Practices
WARNING:If your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, or sand, 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 is 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 the 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 are 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 vehicles and those with an independent rear
suspension may require alignment of all four wheels.
The tires should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
332 Wheels and Tires
2015 Taurus
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2014
USA(fus)
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 and
wheel assembly. A dissimilar spare tire and wheel assembly is defined as
a spare tire or wheel that is different in brand, size or appearance from
the road tires and wheels. If you have a dissimilar spare tire and wheel
assembly, 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 maintenance information) will help your tires wear more
evenly, providing better tire performance and longer tire life.
•Front-wheel drive/All-wheel drive
vehicles (front tires at left of
diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
USING SUMMER TIRES
Your Taurus SHO may be equipped with summer tires to provide
superior performance on wet and dry roads. Summer tires do not have
the Mud and Snow (M+S or M/S) tire traction rating on the tire side
wall. Since summer tires do not have the same traction performance as
All-season or Snow tires, Ford does not recommend using summer tires
when temperatures drop to approximately 40°F (5°C) or below
(depending on tire wear and environmental conditions) or in snow/ice
conditions. Like any tire, summer tire performance is affected by tire
wear and environmental conditions. If you must drive in those
conditions, Ford recommends using Mud and Snow (M+S, M/S),
All-season or Snow tires.
Wheels and Tires 333
2015 Taurus
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2014
USA(fus)
Setting a destination by
voice ...........................................503
Settings ......................................487
Setting the clock ...............373, 487
Side air curtain ...........................52
Side-curtain airbags system .......52
SIRIUS® satellite radio ....373, 454
SIRIUS satellite radio voice
commands .................................456
SIRIUS Travel Link ...................479
SIRIUS Travel Link voice
commands .................................481
SOS Post Crash Alert .................44
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................356, 363
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................358
Stability system .........................199
Starting your vehicle ................166jump starting ..........................260
push button start system .......165
Steering wheel ............................81 controls ......................................83
tilting .........................................81
Sunshade ...................................101
Sun visor ....................................100
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) (see airbags) ....................45
Supported media file types ......464
Supported player, media
formats and metadata
information ................................464
SYNC® customer
support ..............................390, 438
SYNC® Services ................413, 475 System settings .........................490
T
Temperature control
(see Climate control) ......130–131,
133, 135, 499
Temporary mobility kit .............345
Text messaging .................401, 471
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) ....................................499
Towing .......................247, 251–252 recreational towing .................252
trailer towing ..........................247
wrecker ....................................251
Traction control ........................197
Traffic, Directions and
Information ................................413
Traffic preferences ...................506
556 Index
2015 Taurus
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2014
USA(fus)