Ford Taurus 2010 Owners Manual
Have a look at the manual Ford Taurus 2010 Owners Manual online for free. It’s possible to download the document as PDF or print. UserManuals.tech offer 41 Ford manuals and user’s guides for free. Share the user manual or guide on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
Low Tire Pressure Warning LightPossible causeCustomer Action Required Flashing Warning LightSpare tire in useYour temporary spare tire is in use. Repair the damaged road wheel and re-mount it on the vehicle to restore system functionality. For a description of how the system functions under these conditions, refer toWhen your temporary spare tire is installedin this section. TPMS malfunctionIf your tires are properly inflated and your spare tire is not in use and the TPMS warning light still flashes, contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible. When inflating your tires When putting air into your tires (such as at a gas station or in your garage), the Tire Pressure Monitoring System may not respond immediately to the air added to your tires. It may take up to two minutes of driving over 20 mph (32 km/h) for the light to turn OFF after you have filled your tires to the recommended inflation pressure. How temperature affects your tire pressure The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) monitors tire pressure in each pneumatic tire. While driving in a normal manner, a typical passenger tire inflation pressure may increase approximately 2 to 4 psi (14 to 28 kPa) from a cold start situation. If the vehicle is stationary over night with the outside temperature significantly lower than the daytime temperature, the tire pressure may decrease approximately 3 psi (21 kPa) for a drop of 30°F (17°C) in ambient temperature. This lower pressure value may be detected by the TPMS as being significantly lower than the recommended inflation pressure and activate the TPMS warning for low tire pressure. If the low tire pressure warning light is ON, visually check each tire to verify that no tire is flat. (If one or more tires are flat, repair as necessary.) Check air pressure in the road tires. If any tire is under-inflated, carefully drive the vehicle to the nearest location where air can be added to the tires. Inflate all the tires to the recommended inflation pressure. Tires, Wheels and Loading 221 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)
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 are below 40°F (5°C) or in snow / ice conditions. If you must drive in those conditions, Ford recommends using Mud & Snow (M+S or M/S), All-season or Snow tires. VEHICLE LOADING – WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s Tire Label or Safety Compliance Certification Label: Base Curb Weight– is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or optional equipment. Vehicle Curb Weight– is the weight of your new vehicle when you picked it up from your authorized dealer plus any aftermarket equipment. Tires, Wheels and Loading 223 2010 Taurus(500) Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing USA(fus)
Payload– is the combined weight of cargo and passengers that the vehicle is carrying. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found on the Tire Label on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door (vehicles exported outside the US and Canada may not have a Tire Label). Look for“THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR XXX lb.”for maximum payload. The payload listed on the Tire Label is the maximum payload for the vehicle as built by the assembly plant. If any aftermarket or authorized-dealer installed equipment has been installed on the vehicle, the weight of the equipment must be subtracted from the payload listed on the Tire Label in order to determine the new payload. WARNING:The appropriate loading capacity of your vehicle can be limited either by volume capacity (how much space is available) or by payload capacity (how much weight the vehicle should carry). Once you have reached the maximum payload of your vehicle, do not add more cargo, even if there is space available. Overloading or improperly loading your vehicle can contribute to loss of vehicle control and vehicle rollover. Tires, Wheels and Loading 224 2010 Taurus(500) Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing USA(fus)
Example only: Cargo Weight– includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight, including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load weight is also part of cargo weight. Tires, Wheels and Loading 225 2010 Taurus(500) Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing USA(fus)
GAW (Gross Axle Weight)– is the total weight placed on each axle (front and rear) – including vehicle curb weight and all payload. GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)– is the maximum allowable weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear).These numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label located on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door. The total load on each axle must never exceed its GAWR. Note:For trailer towing information refer toTrailer towingfound in this chapter or theRV and Trailer Towing Guideprovided by your authorized dealer. GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)– is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo + passengers. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)– is the maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including all options, equipment, passengers and cargo).The GVWR is shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label located on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door. The GVW must never exceed the GVWR. Tires, Wheels and Loading 226 2010 Taurus(500) Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing USA(fus)
•Example only: WARNING:Exceeding the Safety Compliance Certification Label vehicle weight rating limits could result in substandard vehicle handling or performance, engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious damage to the vehicle, loss of control and personal injury. Tires, Wheels and Loading 227 2010 Taurus(500) Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing USA(fus)
GCW (Gross Combined Weight)– is the weight of the loaded vehicle (GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer. GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)– is the maximum allowable weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer – including all cargo and passengers – that the vehicle can handle without risking damage. (Important: The towing vehicles’ braking system is rated for operation at GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe control of towed vehicles and for trailers where the GCW of the towing vehicle plus the trailer exceed the GVWR of the towing vehicle.The GCW must never exceed the GCWR. Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight– is the highest possible weight of a fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of 10–15% (conventional trailer), and driver only (150 lb. [68 kg]).Consult your authorized dealer (or theRV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your authorized dealer) for more detailed information. WARNING:Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the Safety Compliance Certification Label. WARNING:Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities than the original tires because they may lower the vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the original tires do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations. WARNING:Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could result in serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury. Steps for determining the correct load limit: 1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your vehicle’s placard. Tires, Wheels and Loading 228 2010 Taurus(500) Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing USA(fus)
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle. 3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs. 4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400–750 (5 x 150) = 650 lb.). In metric units (635–340 (5 x 68) = 295 kg.) 5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle. The following gives you a few examples on how to calculate the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity: •Another example for your vehicle with 1,400 lb. (635 kg) of cargo and luggage capacity. You decide to go golfing. Is there enough load capacity to carry you, 4 of your friends and all the golf bags? You and four friends average 220 lb. (99 kg) each and the golf bags weigh approximately 30 lb. (13.5 kg) each. The calculation would be: 1,400 - (5 x 220) - (5 x 30) = 1,400 - 1,100 - 150 = 150 lb. Yes, you have enough load capacity in your vehicle to transport four friends and your golf bags. In metric units, the calculation would be: 635 kg - (5 x 99 kg) - (5 x 13.5 kg) = 635 - 495 - 67.5 = 72.5 kg. •A final example for your vehicle with 1,400 lb. (635 kg) of cargo and luggage capacity. You and one of your friends decide to pick up cement from the local home improvement store to finish that patio you have been planning for the past 2 years. Measuring the inside of the vehicle with the rear seat folded down, you have room for 12-100 lb. (45 kg) bags of cement. Do you have enough load capacity to transport the cement to your home? If you and your friend each weigh 220 lb. (99 kg), the calculation would be: 1,400 - (2 x 220) - (12 x 100) = 1,400 - 440 - 1,200 = - 240 lb. No, you do not have enough cargo capacity to carry that much weight. In metric units, the calculation would be: 635 kg - (2 x 99 kg) - (12 x 45 kg) = 635 - 198 - 540 = -103 kg. You will need to reduce the load weight by at least 240 lb. (104 kg). If you remove 3-100 lb. (45 kg) cement bags, then the load calculation would be: Tires, Wheels and Loading 229 2010 Taurus(500) Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing USA(fus)
1,400 - (2 x 220) - (9 x 100) = 1,400 - 440 - 900 = 60 lb. Now you have the load capacity to transport the cement and your friend home. In metric units, the calculation would be: 635 kg - (2 x 99 kg) - (9 x 45 kg) = 635 - 198 - 405 = 32 kg. The above calculations also assume that the loads are positioned in your vehicle in a manner that does not overload the Front or the Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating specified for your vehicle on the Safety Compliance Certification Label found on the edge of the driver’s door. TRAILER TOWING Your vehicle is capable of towing a trailer up to 1,000 lb. (454 kg) gross trailer weight with a maximum tongue load of 100 lb. (45 kg). Do not tow a trailer until your vehicle has been driven at least 500 miles (800 km). Towing a trailer places an additional load on your vehicle’s engine, transmission, brakes, tires and suspension. Inspect these components carefully after towing. WARNING:Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the certification label. WARNING:Towing trailers beyond the maximum recommended gross trailer weight exceeds the limit of the vehicle and could result in engine damage, transmission damage, structural damage, loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover and personal injury. Preparing to tow Use the proper equipment for towing a trailer and make sure it is properly attached to your vehicle. Contact your authorized dealer or a reliable trailer dealer as soon as possible if you require assistance. Hitches Do not use hitches that clamp onto the vehicle bumper. Use a load carrying hitch. You must distribute the load in your trailer so that 10–15% of the total weight of the trailer is on the tongue. Safety chains Always connect the trailer’s safety chains to the frame or hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. To connect the trailer’s safety chains, cross the chains under the trailer tongue and allow slack for turning corners. Tires, Wheels and Loading 230 2010 Taurus(500) Owners Guide(own2002), 1st Printing USA(fus)