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:

    Traction Control
    PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION The traction control system helps avoid drive wheel spin and loss of traction. If your vehicle begins to slide, the system applies the brakes to individual wheels and, when needed, reduces engine power at the same time. If the wheels spin when accelerating on slippery ...

    Fuel consumption
    Filling the Tank The advertised capacity is the indicated capacity and the empty reserve combined. Indicated capacity is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty reserve is the amount of fuel in the tank after the fuel gauge indica ...

    Safety Warnings
    Review carefully the General Service Health and Safety Precautions below before beginning any repair. Following these general service warnings are specific system warnings that must be carefully reviewed before beginning work on any listed system. General Service Health and Safety Precautions & ...