Ford Taurus 1996 Owner's Manual

Table of Contents

Introductory Information ............................. 1

Safety Restraints ............................................ 9

Starting Your Taurus .................................. 59

Warning Lights and Gauges ..................... 71

Instrument Panel Controls ........................ 91

Steering Column Controls ...................... 115

Features ........................................................ 125

Electronic Sound Systems ....................... 169

Driving Your Taurus ................................ 191

Roadside Emergencies .............................. 217

Customer Assistance ................................. 237

Reporting Safety Defects ......................... 244

Accessories .................................................. 249

Servicing Your Taurus ............................. 255

Quick Index ................................................ 341

Index ............................................................. 357

Service Station Information .................... 380

Introductory Information

At Ford Motor Company, excellence is the continuous commitment to achieve the best result possible. It is dedication to learning what you want, determination to develop the right concept, and execution of that concept with care, precision, and attention to detail. In short, excellence means being the standard by which others are judged.

Our Guiding Principles

Quality comes first. For your satisfaction, the

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quality of our products and services must be our number one priority.

You are the focus of everything we do. Our

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work must be done with you in mind, providing better products and services than our competition.

Continuous improvement is essential to our

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success. We must strive for excellence in everything we do: in our products — in their safety and value — and in our services, our human relations, our competitiveness, and our profitability.

Employee involvement is our way of life.

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We are a team. We must treat one another with trust and respect.

Dealers and suppliers are our partners. We

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must maintain mutually beneficial relationships with dealers, suppliers, and our other business associates.

Integrity is never compromised. Our conduct

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worldwide must be pursued in a manner that is socially responsible and commands respect for its integrity and for its positive contributions to society.

This Guide

Congratulations on the purchase of your new vehicle. This guide has information about the equipment and the options for your new vehicle. You may not have bought all of the options available to you. If you do not know which information applies to your vehicle, talk to your dealer.

This guide describes equipment and gives specifications for equipment that was in effect when this guide was approved for printing. Ford may discontinue models or change specifications or design without any notice and without incurring obligation.

NOTES and WARNINGS

NOTES give you additional information about

the subject matter you are referencing. WARNINGS remind you to be especially careful

in those areas where carelessness can cause damage to your vehicle or personal injury to yourself, your passengers or other people. Please read all WARNINGS carefully.

RWARNING

Finding Information in This Guide

After you have read this guide once, you will probably return to it when you have a specific question or need additional information. To help you find specific information quickly, you can use the Quick Index or the Index.

The Quick Index at the end of the book provides a page number following each item which indicates where detailed information can be found.

To use the Index, turn to the back of the book and search in the alphabetical listing for the word that best describes the information you need. If the word you chose is not listed, think of other related words and look them up. We have designed the Index so that you can find information under a technical term.

Canadian Owners — French Version

French Owner Guides can be obtained from your dealer or by writing to Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, Service Publications, P.O. Box 1580, Station B, Mississauga, Ontario L4Y 4G3.

Record Booklet

The Maintenance Schedule and Record booklet lists the services that are most important for keeping your vehicle in good condition. A record log is also provided to help you keep track of all services performed.

Your vehicle is covered by three types of warranties: Basic Vehicle Warranty, Extended

Warranties on certain parts, and Emissions Warranties.

Read your Warranty Information Booklet carefully to find out about your vehicle’s warranties and your basic rights and responsibilities.

If you lose your Warranty Information Booklet, you can get a new one free of charge. Contact any Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer, or refer to the addresses and phone numbers on the first page of this owner guide.

Buying a Ford Extended Service Plan

If you bought your vehicle in the U.S., you can buy a Ford Extended Service Plan for your vehicle. This optional contract provides service protection for a longer period of time than the basic warranty that comes with your vehicle.

You do not have to buy this option when you buy your vehicle. However, your option to purchase the Ford Extended Service Plan runs out after 18 months or 18,000 miles. See your dealer for more details about the Ford Extended Service Plan.

If you purchased a Canadian vehicle and did not take advantage of the Ford Extended Service Plan at the time of purchase, you may still be eligible. See your dealer for the details.

Your new vehicle goes through an adjustment or break-in period during the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) that you drive it. During the break-in period, you need to pay careful attention to how you drive your vehicle.

Avoid sudden stops. Because your vehicle

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has new brake linings, you should take these steps:

— Watch traffic carefully so that you can

anticipate when to stop. — Begin braking well in advance. — Apply the brakes gradually.

The break-in period for new brake linings lasts for 100 miles (160 km) of city driving or 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of highway driving.

Use only the type of engine oil that Ford

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recommends. See Engine oil recommendations in the Index. Do not use special “break-in” oils.

Safety Labels

There are labels, decals and tags on your vehicle to alert you about possible hazards. The signal word on the label tells you the degree of hazard and is used in the following ways:

DANGER: Used to indicate the presence of a

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hazard which will cause severe personal injury or death if the warning is ignored.

WARNING: Used to indicate the presence of

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a hazard which can cause severe personal injury or death if the warning is ignored.

CAUTION: Used to indicate the presence of a

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hazard which will or can cause minor personal injury or property damage if the warning is ignored.

Vehicle

Pollen, bird droppings and tree sap can damage the paint, especially in hot weather. Wash your vehicle as often as necessary to keep it clean.

Take similar precautions if your vehicle is exposed to chemical industrial fallout.

Paint damage resulting from fallout is not related to a defect in paint materials or workmanship and therefore is not covered by warranty. Ford, however, believes that continual improvement in customer satisfaction is a high priority. For this reason, Ford has authorized its dealers to repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of new vehicles damaged by environmental fallout within 12 months or 12,000 miles (20,000 km) of purchase, whichever comes first. Customers may be required to bring their vehicle in for inspection by a Ford representative.

Washing and Polishing Your Vehicle

Wash the outside of your vehicle, including the underside, with a cleaner made for washing cars. If your vehicle has clear-coat, make sure that the cleaner is recommended for clear-coat.

DO NOT:

Wash your vehicle with hot water

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Wash your vehicle while it sits in direct

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sunlight Wash your vehicle while the body is hot

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Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits and protect the finish.

Cleaning Chrome and Aluminum Parts

Wash chrome and aluminum parts with a mild detergent. Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, fuel or strong detergents.

Cleaning Plastic Parts

Some of your vehicle’s exterior trim parts are plastic. Clean with a tar and road oil remover if necessary. Use a vinyl cleaner for routine cleaning.

Do not clean plastic parts with thinners, solvents or petroleum-based cleaners.

If you have your vehicle rustproofed, remove oversprayed rustproofing with a tar and road oil remover. If rustproofing is not removed from plastic and rubber parts, it can cause deterioration.

Safety Restraints

The use of safety belts helps to restrain you and your passengers in case of a collision. In most states and in Canada the law requires their use.

Safety belts provide best restraint when:

the seatback is upright

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the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched)

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the lap belt is snug and low on the hips

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the shoulder belt is snug against the chest

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the knees are straight forward

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To help you remember to fasten your safety belt, a warning light may come on and a chime may sound. See Safety Belt Warning Light and Chime in the Warning Lights and Gauges chapter.

See the following sections in this chapter for directions on how to properly use these safety belts. Also see Safety Restraints for Children in this chapter for special instructions about using safety belts for children.

RWARNING

It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly.

RWARNING

Make sure that you and your passengers wear safety belts. Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.

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Never wear the shoulder belt under the arm. Never swing it around the neck over the inside shoulder. Never use a single belt for more than one person or across more than one seating position. Each seating position in your vehicle has a specific safety belt assembly which is made up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed to be used as a pair. Failure to follow these precautions could increase the risk and/or severity of injury in a collision.

RWARNING

Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware should be inspected by a qualified technician after any collision. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.

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To reduce the risk of serious injury in a collision, children should always ride with the seatback upright.

RWARNING

Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision.

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Lock the doors of your vehicle before driving to lessen the risk of the door coming open in a collision.

Belts

While your vehicle is in motion, the combination lap and shoulder belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you brake hard, turn hard, or if your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the lap/shoulder belt locks and helps reduce your forward movement.

After you get into your vehicle, close the door and lock it. Then adjust the seat to the position that suits you best.

Pull the combination lap/shoulder belt from the retractor so that the shoulder portion of the belt crosses your shoulder and chest. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If it is, remove the twist. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on tongue.

Fastening the front seat combination lap and shoulder belt

NOTE: Be sure to read and understand

Important Safety Belt Information at the beginning of this chapter.

Unfastening the combination lap and shoulder belts — front and rear outboard seating positions

While the belt retracts, guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it from striking you or the vehicle.

Safety Belts for Front Outboard Passenger and Rear Outboard Seating Positions (Except Wagon Rear-Facing Seat)

Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder safety belt for the front seat outboard passenger and rear outboard passengers.

Dual locking mode retractors operate in two ways:

Vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode

In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor will allow the occupant freedom of movement, locking tight only on hard braking, hard cornering or impacts of approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) or more. The retractor can also be made to lock by pulling the belt out quickly.

Automatic locking mode

In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor will be automatically locked and will remain locked when the combination lap/shoulder safety belt is buckled, and does not allow the occupant freedom of movement. This mode provides the following:

A tight lap/shoulder belt on the occupant.

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Child safety seat installation.

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RWARNING

Rear-facing infant seats should never be placed in the front seats.

This mode must be used when installing a child safety seat on the front passenger seat and rear outboard seats where dual locking retractors are provided.

To switch the retractor from the emergency locking mode to the automatic locking mode, perform the following steps:

1. Buckle the lap/shoulder combination belt.

2. Grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and pull downward until all of the belt is extracted and, when allowed to retract, a clicking sound is heard. At this time, the belt retractor is in the automatic locking mode (child restraint mode).

3. A clicking sound will continue to be heard as the belt is allowed to retract. This indicates that the retractor is in the automatic locking mode.

NOTE: When the combination lap/shoulder

belt is unbuckled and allowed to retract completely, the retractor will switch to the vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode. See the detailed instructions under Safety Seats for Children in this chapter.

Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment

Driver and right front passenger

You can adjust the shoulder belt height to one of five (5) positions.

To adjust the belt down, pinch the release button. To adjust the belt up, slide the adjuster up. (You do not have to pinch the release button.)

Make sure the adjuster is firmly in one of the five positions. The belt should be adjusted up or down until the belt rests on your shoulder near your neck.

The shoulder belt height adjuster

RWARNING

Position the shoulder belt height adjuster so that the belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Be sure the shoulder belt is properly positioned on your shoulder each time you use the belt. If the shoulder belt is off your shoulder, on your upper arm or neck, there is a greater risk of severe injury in a collision.

Safety Belts for Rear-Facing Occupants (Wagon)

RWARNING

Never use child safety seats in the third seat of a wagon.

Your vehicle is equipped with safety seat belts containing an adjust tongue at the rear-facing seating positions.

When the adjust tongue of the lap/shoulder combination seat belt is latched into the buckle, the tongue will allow the lap portion to become shorter, but locks the webbing in place to restrict it from becoming longer.

Before you can reach and latch a combination lap and shoulder belt having an adjust tongue into the buckle, you may have to lengthen the lap belt portion of it. To lengthen the lap belt, pull some webbing out of the shoulder belt retractor. While holding the webbing below the tongue, grasp the tongue so that it is parallel to the webbing and slide the tongue upward. Provide enough lap belt length so that the tongue can reach the buckle.

To fasten the belt, pull the combination lap and shoulder belt from the retractor so that the shoulder belt portion of the safety belt crosses your shoulder and chest. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If the belt is twisted remove the twist. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle for your seating position until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on the tongue.

RWARNING

The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as possible around the hips, not around the waist.

RWARNING

All front and rear seat outboard occupants (including pregnant women) should wear lap and shoulder belts, for optimum protection in a collision.

RWARNING

Failure to follow these precautions could increase the risk and/or severity of injury in a collision. 1) Use the shoulder belt on the outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder belt under the arm. 2) Never swing it around your neck over the inside shoulder. 3) Never use a single belt for more than one person.

Due to folding rear seats, sometimes the buckles and tongues toward the center of the vehicle may be hidden by the rear edge of the seat cushion. Pull them out so they will be accessible.

While you are fastened in the seat belt, the shoulder belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you brake hard, turn hard, or if your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the safety belt will become locked and help reduce your forward movement.

To unfasten the belt, push the red release button on the end of the buckle. This allows the tongue to unlatch from the buckle. While the belt retracts, guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it from striking you or the vehicle.

Unfastening the combination lap and shoulder belts for the rear-facing third seat (wagon)

Center Occupant Rear Safety Belt (Sedan)

The safety belt in the center rear seating position has a detachable shoulder belt.

To attach the shoulder belt to the lap belt, pull the shoulder belt out from the retractor in the seatback and insert the lap belt connecting pin into the wide end of the key-slot on the shoulder belt as shown in Figure 1. Pull the connecting pin into the narrow end of the key-slot until you hear a snap and feel it latch. See Figure 2. Make sure the shoulder belt is securely fastened to the lap belt by pulling up on the shoulder belt.

The reverse side of the lap belt and the detachable shoulder belt

The reverse side of the shoulder belt attached to the lap belt

RWARNING

The rear center lap belt must be tightened separately from the shoulder strap. The lap belt must fit snugly, and as low as possible around the hips. Do not wear around your waist. For information about adjusting the belt, see “LAP BELTS” in this chapter.

Detach the shoulder belt before folding down the passenger side rear seat. To detach the shoulder belt, slide the connecting pin to the wide end of the key-slot and lift the shoulder belt off the connecting pin. As the shoulder belt retracts, guide the belt so that it does not strike you or the vehicle.

The lap belts in the center front seating position (if equipped) and center rear seat do not adjust automatically. You must adjust them to fit snugly and as low as possible around your hips. Do not wear the lap belt around your waist.

The front center seat belt buckle and tongue are stowed in a pocket between the seat cushion and seatback. Remove them from the stowage pocket before fastening.

Pull the belt across your hips and insert the tongue into the correct buckle on your seat until you hear a snap and feel it lock. Make sure the buckle is securely fastened.

If you need to lengthen the belt, unfasten it and tip the belt tongue at a right angle to the belt. Pull the belt tongue over your lap until it reaches the buckle.

If you need to shorten the belt, pull on the loose end of the webbing until the belt fits snugly.

Unfastening the lap belts for the center front and center rear seating positions

To unfasten the belt, push the release button on the end of the buckle. This allows the tongue to unlatch from the buckle.

RWARNING

The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as possible around the hips, not around the waist.

Safety Belt Extension Assembly

For some people, the safety belt may be too short even when it is fully extended. You can add about eight inches (20 cm) to the belt length with a safety belt extension assembly (part number 611C22). Safety belt extensions are available at no cost from your dealer.

This assembly is not for use in the wagon rear-facing seat.

RWARNING

The use of the safety belt extension in the wagon rear-facing seat will increase the risk of personal injury.

Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on the label. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too short for you when fully extended. Do not use extension to change the fit of the shoulder belt across the torso.

RWARNING

Failure to follow these instructions will affect the performance of the safety belts and increase the risk of personal injury.

Check the safety belt systems periodically to make sure that they work properly and are not damaged.

All safety belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket assemblies (if equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after any collision. Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and a qualified technician finds that the belts do not show damage and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.

Cleaning the Safety Belts

Clean the safety belts with any mild soap solution that is recommended for cleaning upholstery or carpets. Do not bleach or dye the belt webbing because this may weaken it.

System (SRS)

The driver and right front passenger air bags are Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS), provided at these seating positions in addition to the lap/shoulder belt, and are designed to supplement the protection provided to properly belted occupants in moderate to severe frontal collisions. The supplemental air bag system does not provide restraint to the lower body.

The Importance of Wearing Safety Belts

RWARNING

Safety belts must be worn by all vehicle occupants to be properly restrained and help reduce the risk of injury in a collision.

RWARNING

All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always wear their safety belts, even when an air bag Supplemental Restraint System is provided.

There are four very important reasons to use safety belts even with an air bag system. Use your safety belts to:

help keep you in the proper position (away

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from the air bag) when it inflates reduce the risk of harm in rollover, side or

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rear impact collisions, because an air bag is not designed to inflate in such situations

reduce the risk of harm in frontal collisions

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that are not severe enough to activate the supplemental air bag

reduce the risk of being thrown from your

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vehicle

The Importance of Being Properly Seated

In a collision, the air bag must inflate extremely fast to help provide additional protection for you. In order to do this, the air bag must inflate with considerable force. If you are not seated in a normal riding position with your back against the seatback, the air bag may not protect you properly and could possibly hurt you as it inflates.

RWARNING

If a passenger is not properly seated and restrained, an inflating air bag could cause serious injury.

Your vehicle is equipped with a right front passenger air bag. Air bags deploy with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. Front passengers, especially children and small adults, must never sit on the front edge of the seat, stand near the glove compartment of the instrument panel, or lean over near the air bag cover when the vehicle is moving. All occupants should sit with their backs against the seatback, move the seat to the most rearward position if possible and use the safety belts. Children weighing less than 40 lbs. (18 kg) always should use child or infant seats.

RWARNING

Rear-facing infant seats should never be placed in the front seat.

In rear-facing infant seats, the infant’s head is closer to the air bag. The force of the rapidly inflating air bag could push the top of the rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback or center armrests (if so equipped), or center console (if so equipped). REAR-FACING INFANT CARRIERS MUST ALWAYS BE SECURED IN THE REAR SEAT, and other child safety seats and infant seats should be secured in the rear seat whenever possible.

RWARNING

When using forward-facing child seats move the passenger seat as far back from the instrument panel as possible. NEVER SECURE REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS IN THE FRONT SEAT.

The force of the rapidly inflating passenger air bag could push the top of the rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback, armrests or console. Rear-facing infant seats must always be secured in the rear seat.

RWARNING

Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the air bag cover on the steering wheel or in front seat areas that may come in contact with a deploying air bag. Failure to follow this instruction may increase the risk of personal injury in the event of a collision.

For further information about the proper mounting of equipment in the front seat of this vehicle, please refer to Ford’s brochure entitled

Some Important Information About Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System which can be

obtained by calling Helm Inc. at 1-800-782-4356. Ask for brochure FPS-8602.

For additional important safety information on the proper use of seat belts, child seats, and infant seats, please read the other sections of this chapter of the Owner Guide, especially sections entitled Safety Belts for Children and Safety Seats

for Children.

How the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System Operates

The Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System consists of the driver and passenger air bags, impact sensors, a system diagnostic module, a readiness light and tone, and the electrical wiring which connects the components.

The driver air bag is in the center of the steering wheel. The front passenger seat air bag is located in the center of the instrument panel ledge above the glove compartment. Both air bags are designed to stay out of sight until they are activated.

The location of air bags and warning labels

If a collision occurs, the sensors sense the severity of the impact and activate the air bags if necessary. The air bag system is designed to deploy in frontal and front-angled collisions more severe than hitting a parked vehicle (of similar size and weight) head-on at about 28 mph (45 km/h). Because the system senses the crash severity rather than vehicle speed, some frontal collisions at speeds above 28 mph (45 km/h) will not inflate the air bag.

When the sensors activate the system, the air bags inflate rapidly, filling with non-toxic gas mixture in a fraction of a second. Immediately after inflation, the air bags deflate by releasing the gas mixture through vent holes. The whole process takes place in a matter of seconds.

RWARNING

Air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not touch them after inflation.

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