Ford Taurus Owners Manual: Cleaning the engine

Engines are more efficient when they are clean because grease and dirt buildup keep the engine warmer than normal.

When washing: • Take care when using a power washer to clean the engine. The high-pressure fluid could penetrate the sealed parts and cause damage.

• Do not spray a hot engine with cold water to avoid cracking the engine block or other engine components.

• Spray Motorcraft Engine Shampoo and Degreaser on all parts that require cleaning and pressure rinse clean. In Canada, use Motorcraft Engine Shampoo.

• Never wash or rinse the engine while it is hot or running; water in the running engine may cause internal damage.

• Never wash or rinse any ignition coil, spark plug wire or spark plug well, or the area in and around these locations.

• Cover the battery, power distribution box, and air filter assembly to prevent water damage when cleaning the engine.

    Repairing minor paint damage
    Your authorized dealer has touch-up paint to match your vehicle’s color. Take your color code (printed on a sticker in the driver’s door jamb) to an authorized dealer to make sure you get the ...

    Cleaning the windows and wiper blades
    The windows and wiper blades should be cleaned regularly. If the wipers do not wipe properly, substances on the vehicle’s glass or the wiper blades may cause squeaking or chatter noise from the bl ...

    Other materials:

    Removal and Installation
    Safety Belt Anchor and Pretensioner Special Tool(s) Removal and Installation  WARNING: All safety belt components must be inspected and corrected as part of any collision repair. Inspect all safety belt components as prescribed by Safety Belt Inspection and Repair After a Collision found in ...

    Starting and Stopping the Engine
    GENERAL INFORMATION WARNING: Extended idling at high engine speeds can produce very high temperatures in the engine and exhaust system, creating the risk of fire or other damage. WARNING: Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle on dry grass or other dry ground cover. The emission system heats ...

    Rear seats
    Split-folding Rear Seat WARNING: Before returning the seatback to its original position, make sure that cargo or any objects are not trapped behind the seatback. After returning the seatback to its original position, pull on the seatback to make sure that it has fully latched. An unlatched seat ...