User manual FORD TAURUS-1998

[. . . ] Contents Before driving Introduction Instrumentation Controls and features Seating and safety restraints Starting and driving Starting Driving Roadside emergencies Servicing Maintenance and care Capacities and specifications Reporting safety defects Index 128 176 185 186 85 90 109 2 4 16 55 All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system or translation in whole or part is not permitted without written authorization from Ford Motor Company. Copyright 1998 Ford Motor Company 1 Introduction ICONS Indicates a safety alert. Indicates vehicle information related to recycling and other environmental concerns will follow. [. . . ] · We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this braking technique. However, avoid taking any unnecessary risks. 91 Driving Parking brake Apply the parking brake whenever the vehicle is parked. To set the parking brake, press the parking brake pedal down until the pedal stops. The BRAKE warning !P lamp in the instrument cluster illuminates and BRAKE remains illuminated (when the ignition is turned ON) until the parking brake is released. Always set the parking brake fully and make sure that the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park). However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the rear brakes, the vehicle's stopping distance will increase greatly and the handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected. 92 Driving Pull the release lever to release the brake. Driving with the parking brake on will cause the brakes to wear out quickly and reduce fuel economy. STEERING Your vehicle is equipped with power steering. To prevent damage to the power steering pump: · Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme right or the extreme left for more than a few seconds when the engine is running. · Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering pump fluid level. If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned off), you can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes more effort. If the steering wanders or pulls, the condition could be caused by any of the following: · underinflated tire(s) on any wheel(s) · high crown in center of road · high crosswinds · wheels out of alignment · loose or worn components in steering linkage 93 Driving SEMI-ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL (TAURUS SHO ONLY) Firm shock absorber performance enhances ride and handling during certain road conditions. The shock absorber is returned to a softer performance when driver or road induced motion ceases. AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE OPERATION Brake-shift interlock This vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock feature that prevents the gearshift from being moved from P (Park) unless the brake pedal is pressed. If you cannot move the gearshift out of P (Park) with the brake pedal depressed: 1. Apply the parking brake, turn ignition key to LOCK, then remove the key. If it is necessary to use the above procedure to move the gearshift, it is possible that a fuse has blown and the vehicle's brakelamps may not be operating properly. Do not drive your vehicle until you verify that the brakelamps are working. If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow it may be rocked out by shifting from forward and reverse gears, stopping between shifts, in a steady pattern. Do not rock the vehicle for more than a few minutes, because it could damage the vehicle. 94 Driving Always set the parking brake fully and make sure the gearshift is latched in P (Park). Driving with an automatic overdrive transaxle (column or console gearshift without O/D off switch) Your automatic overdrive transaxle provides fully automatic operation in (Overdrive) either or D (Drive). Driving with the shift selector in gives the best fuel economy for normal driving conditions. [. . . ] ONLY) If you believe that your vehicle has a defect that could cause a crash, or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Ford Motor Company. If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in individual problems between you, your dealer or Ford Motor Company. To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1­800­424­9393 (202­366­0123 in the Washington D. C. [. . . ]