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:

    Using cruise control
    WARNING: Do not use cruise control in heavy traffic, on winding roads or when the road surface is slippery. This could result in loss of vehicle control, serious injury or death. WARNING: When you are going downhill, your vehicle speed may increase above the set speed. The system will not apply ...

    General Procedures
    Safety Belt Cleaning  WARNING: Do not bleach or re-dye the safety belt webbing, as the webbing may weaken. Failure to follow this instruction may increase the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.Clean the safety belt webbing only with a mild soap solution recommended f ...

    Brakes
    GENERAL INFORMATION Note: Occasional brake noise is normal. If a metal-to-metal, continuous grinding or continuous squeal sound is present, the brake linings may be worn out. Have them inspected by an authorized dealer. If your vehicle has continuous vibration or shudder in the steering wheel wh ...