Should you start to slide while driving onsnowy or icy roads, turn the steering wheelin the direction of the slide until you regaincontrol.
Avoid sudden applications of power andquick changes of direction on snow andice. Apply the accelerator slowly andsteadily when starting from a full stop.
Avoid sudden braking as well. Although anAWD vehicle may accelerate better thana two-wheel drive vehicle in snow and ice,it won’t stop any faster, because as in othervehicles, braking occurs at all four wheels.Do not become overconfident as to roadconditions.
Make sure you allow sufficient distancebetween you and other vehicles forstopping. Drive slower than usual andconsider using one of the lower gears. Inemergency stopping situations, apply thebrake steadily. Since your vehicle isequipped with a four wheel (ABS), do not“pump” the brakes. See Hints on DrivingWith Anti-Lock Brakes (page 164).
Maintenance and Modifications
The suspension and steering systems onyour vehicle have been designed andtested to provide predictable performancewhether loaded or empty and durable loadcarrying capability. For this reason, FordMotor Company strongly recommends thatyou do not make modifications such asadding or removing parts (such as loweringkits or stabilizer bars) or by usingreplacement parts not equivalent to theoriginal factory equipment.
Any modifications to a vehicle that raisethe center of gravity can make it more likelythe vehicle will rollover as a result of a lossof control. Ford Motor Companyrecommends that caution be used withany vehicle equipped with a high load ordevice (such as ladder or luggage racks).
Failure to maintain your vehicle properlymay void the warranty, increase your repaircost, reduce vehicle performance andoperational capabilities and adverselyaffect driver and passenger safety.Frequent inspection of vehicle chassiscomponents is recommended if the vehicleis subjected to off-highway usage.
163
Taurus (CPH) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Vehicle modifications involvingbraking system, aftermarket roofracks, suspension, steering system,tire construction and wheel and tire sizemay change the handling characteristicsof your vehicle and may adversely affectthe performance of the electronic stabilitycontrol system. In addition, installing anystereo loudspeakers may interfere withand adversely affect the electronic stabilitycontrol system. Install any aftermarketstereo loudspeaker as far as possible fromthe front center console, the tunnel, andthe front seats in order to minimize the riskof interfering with the electronic stabilitycontrol sensors. Reducing theeffectiveness of the electronic stabilitycontrol system could lead to an increasedrisk of loss of vehicle control, vehiclerollover, personal injury and death.
Remember that even advancedtechnology cannot defy the laws ofphysics. It’s always possible to losecontrol of a vehicle due to inappropriatedriver input for the conditions. Aggressivedriving on any road condition can causeyou to lose control of your vehicleincreasing the risk of personal injury orproperty damage. Activation of theelectronic stability control system is anindication that at least some of the tireshave exceeded their ability to grip the road;this could reduce the operator’s ability tocontrol the vehicle potentially resulting ina loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,personal injury and death. If your electronicstability control system activates, SLOWDOWN.
The system automatically turns on eachtime you switch the ignition on.
If a fault occurs in either the stabilitycontrol or the traction control system, youmay experience the following conditions:
•The stability and traction control lightilluminates steadily.
•The stability control and tractioncontrol systems do not enhance yourvehicle's ability to maintain traction ofthe wheels.
If a driving condition activates either thestability control or the traction controlsystem you may experience the followingconditions:
•The stability and traction control lightflashes.
•Your vehicle slows down.
•Reduced engine power.
•A vibration in the brake pedal.
•The brake pedal is stiffer than usual.
•If the driving condition is severe andyour foot is not on the brake, the brakepedal may move as the system applieshigher brake force.
The stability control system has severalfeatures built into it to help you maintaincontrol of your vehicle:
Electronic Stability Control
The system enhances your vehicle’s abilityto prevent skids or lateral slides byapplying brakes to one or more of thewheels individually and, if necessary,reducing engine power.
Traction Control
The system enhances your vehicle’s abilityto maintain traction of the wheels bydetecting and controlling wheel spin. SeeUsing Traction Control (page 166).
167
Taurus (CPH) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Stability Control
The system uses three types of guides tohelp you see what is behind your vehicle:
•Active guidelines (if equipped): Showthe intended path of your vehicle whenreversing.
•Fixed guidelines: Show the actual pathyour vehicle is moving in while reversingin a straight line. This can be helpfulwhen backing into a parking space oraligning your vehicle with anotherobject behind you.
•Centerline: Helps align the center ofyour vehicle with an object (forexample, a trailer).
Note:When towing, the camera only seeswhat you are towing. This might not provideadequate coverage as it usually provides innormal operation and some objects mightnot be seen. In some vehicles, the guidelinesmay disappear when you connect the trailertow connector.
The camera may not operate correctlyunder the following conditions:
•Nighttime or dark areas if one or bothreverse lamps are not operating.
•Mud, water or debris obstructs thecamera's view. Clean the lens with asoft, lint-free cloth and non-abrasivecleaner.
•The rear of your vehicle is hit ordamaged, causing the camera tobecome misaligned.
Active Guidelines (If Equipped)
Note:Active guidelines are only shown withfixed guidelines while your vehicle is inreverse (R).
Active guidelineA
CenterlineB
Fixed guideline: Green zoneC
Fixed guideline: Yellow zoneD
Fixed guideline: Red zoneE
Rear bumperF
To use active guidelines, turn the steeringwheel to point the guidelines toward anintended path. If you change the steeringwheel position while reversing, your vehiclemight deviate from the original intendedpath.
The fixed and active guidelines fade in andout depending on the steering wheelposition. The active guidelines do notdisplay when the steering wheel positionis straight.
176
Taurus (CPH) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Parking AidsABCD
F
E
E142436
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Cruise control lets you maintain a setspeed without keeping your foot on theaccelerator pedal. You can use cruisecontrol when your vehicle speed is greaterthan 20 mph (30 km/h).
USING CRUISE CONTROL
WARNINGS
Do not use cruise control on windingroads, in heavy traffic or when theroad surface is slippery. This couldresult in loss of vehicle control, seriousinjury or death.
When you are going downhill, yourvehicle speed may increase abovethe set speed. The system will notapply the brakes. Change down a gear toassist the system in maintaining the setspeed. Failure to do so could result in lossof vehicle control, serious injury or death.
Note:Cruise control will disengage if thevehicle speed decreases more than 10 mph(16 km/h) below the set speed while drivinguphill.
The cruise controls are on the steeringwheel.
Switching Cruise Control On
Press and release ON.
The indicator appears in theinstrument cluster.
Setting the Cruise Speed
1. Drive to desired speed.
2. Press and release SET+ or SET-.
3. Take your foot off the acceleratorpedal.
The indicator changes color in theinstrument cluster.
Changing the Set Speed
•Press and release Set+ or Set-. Whenyou select km/h as the displaymeasurement in the informationdisplay the set speed changes inapproximately 2 km/h increments.When you select mph as the displaymeasurement in the informationdisplay the set speed changes inapproximately 1 mph increments.
•Press and hold Set+ or Set- toincrease or decrease the set speed.Release the control when you reachthe desired speed.
•Press the accelerator or brake pedaluntil you reach the desired speed. Pressand release Set+ or Set-.
Note: If you accelerate by pressing theaccelerator pedal, the set speed will notchange. When you release the acceleratorpedal, your vehicle returns to the speed thatyou previously set.
Canceling the Set Speed
Press and release CNCL or tap the brakepedal. The set speed does not erase.
Resuming the Set Speed
Press and release RES.
178
Taurus (CPH) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Cruise ControlE173592 E71340
Note:Large contrasts in lighting can limitsensor performance.
Note:The system works above 40 mph(64 km/h).
Note:The system works as long as thecamera can detect one lane marking.
Note:When Aid mode is on and the systemdetects no steering activity for a shortperiod, the system will alert you to put yourhands on the steering wheel. The systemmay detect a light grip or touch on thesteering wheel as hands off driving.
The system notifies you to stay in your lanethrough the steering system and theinstrument cluster display when the frontcamera detects an unintentional drift outof your lane is likely to occur. The systemautomatically detects and tracks the roadlane markings using a camera mountedbehind the interior rear view mirror.
Switching the System On and Off
Note:The system on or off setting is storeduntil it is manually changed, unless a MyKeyis detected. If the system detects a MyKeyit defaults to on and the mode is set to Alert.
Note:If a MyKey is detected, pressing thebutton will not affect the on or off status ofthe system.
Press the button located on thecenter console to switch thesystem on or off.
System Settings
The system has optional setting menusavailable. To view or adjust the settings,See General Information (page 89). Thesystem stores the last-known selection foreach of these settings. You do not need toreadjust your settings each time you turnon the system.
Mode (if equipped): This setting allowsyou to select which of the system featuresyou can enable.
Alert only – Provides a steering wheelvibration when the system detects anunintended lane departure.
Note:Some vehicles are equipped with thealert function only.
Aid only (if equipped) – Provides anassistance steering torque input towardthe lane center when the system detectsan unintended lane departure.
188
Taurus (CPH) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Driving AidsE173233 E165515 E165516
AlertA
AidB
Alert + Aid (if equipped) – Provides anassistance steering torque input towardthe lane center. If your vehicle continuesdrifting out of the lane, the system providesa steering wheel vibration.
Note:The alert and aid diagrams illustrategeneral zone coverage. They do not provideexact zone parameters.
Intensity (if equipped): This settingaffects the intensity of the steering wheelvibration used for the alert and alert + aidmodes. This setting does not affect the aidmode.
•Low
•Normal
•High
System Display
When you switch on the system, anoverhead graphic of a vehicle with lanemarkings will display in the informationdisplay. If you select aid mode when youswitch on the system, a separate whiteicon will also appear or in some vehiclesarrows will display with the lane markings.
When you switch off the system, the lanemarking graphics will not display.
While the system is on, the color of thelane markings will change to indicate thesystem status.
Gray: Indicates that the system istemporarily unable to provide a warningor intervention on the indicated side(s).This may be because:
•Your vehicle is under the activationspeed.
•The turn indicator is active.
•Your vehicle is in a dynamic maneuver.
189
Taurus (CPH) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Driving AidsE165517 E151660
Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing upto get the feel of your vehicle-trailercombination before starting on a trip.When turning, make wider turns so thetrailer wheels clear curbs and otherobstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
•Do not drive faster than 70 mph(113 km/h) during the first 500 mi(800 km).
•Do not make full-throttle starts.
•Check your hitch, electrical connectionsand trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughlyafter you have traveled 50 mi (80 km).
•When stopped in congested or heavytraffic during hot weather, place thegearshift in position P to aid engine andtransmission cooling and to help A/Cperformance.
•Turn off the speed control with heavyloads or in hilly terrain. The speedcontrol may turn off automaticallywhen you are towing on long, steepgrades.
•Shift to a lower gear when driving downa long or steep hill. Do not apply thebrakes continuously, as they mayoverheat and become less effective.
•If your transmission is equipped with aGrade Assist or Tow/Haul feature, usethis feature when towing. This providesengine braking and helps eliminateexcessive transmission shifting foroptimum fuel economy andtransmission cooling.
•Allow more distance for stopping witha trailer attached. Anticipate stops andbrake gradually.
•Avoid parking on a grade. However, ifyou must park on a grade:
1. Turn the steering wheel to point yourvehicle tires away from traffic flow.
2. Set your vehicle parking brake.
3. Place the automatic transmission inposition P.
4. Place wheel chocks in front and backof the trailer wheels. (Chocks notincluded with vehicle.)
Launching or Retrieving a Boat orPersonal Watercraft (PWC)
Note:Disconnect the wiring to the trailerbefore backing the trailer into the water.
Note:Reconnect the wiring to the trailerafter removing the trailer from the water.
When backing down a ramp during boatlaunching or retrieval:
•Do not allow the static water level torise above the bottom edge of the rearbumper.
•Do not allow waves to break higherthan 6 in (15 cm) above the bottomedge of the rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow water toenter vehicle components:
•Causing internal damage to thecomponents.
•Affecting driveability, emissions, andreliability.
Replace the rear axle lubricant anytimethe rear axle has been submerged in water.Water may have contaminated the rearaxle lubricant, which is not normallychecked or changed unless a leak issuspected or other axle repair is required.
209
Taurus (CPH) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Towing
BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires forapproximately 300 mi (480 km). Duringthis time, your vehicle may exhibit someunusual driving characteristics.
Avoid driving too fast during the first1,000 mi (1,600 km). Vary your speedfrequently and change up through thegears early. Do not labor the engine.
Do not tow during the first 1,000 mi(1,600 km).
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Your fuel economy is affected by severalthings, such as how you drive, theconditions you drive under, and how youmaintain your vehicle.
You may improve your fuel economy bykeeping these things in mind:
•Accelerate and slow down in a smooth,moderate fashion.
•Drive at steady speeds withoutstopping.
•Anticipate stops; slowing down mayeliminate the need to stop.
•Combine errands and minimizestop-and-go driving.
•Close the windows for high-speeddriving.
•Drive at reasonable speeds (travelingat 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15% lessfuel than traveling at 65 mph [105km/h]).
•Keep the tires properly inflated and useonly the recommended size.
•Use the recommended engine oil.
•Perform all regularly scheduledmaintenance.
Avoid these actions; they reduce your fueleconomy:
•Sudden accelerations or hardaccelerations.
•Revving the engine before turning it off.
•Idle for periods longer than one minute.
•Warm up your vehicle on coldmornings.
•Use the air conditioner or frontdefroster.
•Use the speed control in hilly terrain.
•Rest your foot on the brake pedal whiledriving.
•Drive a heavily loaded vehicle or tow atrailer.
•Carry unnecessary weight(approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] islost for every 400 lb [180 kilogram] ofweight carried).
•Driving with the wheels out ofalignment.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing atrailer may reduce fuel economy at anyspeed.
•Adding certain accessories to yourvehicle (for example bug deflectors,rollbars, light bars, running boards, skiracks or luggage racks) may reducefuel economy.
•To maximize the fuel economy, drivewith the tonneau cover installed (ifequipped).
•Using fuel blended with alcohol maylower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lowertemperatures during the first 8–10miles (12–16 kilometers) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improvedfuel economy as compared to drivingon hilly terrain.
211
Taurus (CPH) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Driving Hints