Ford Taurus Owners Manual: Economical driving

Fuel economy is affected by several things, such as how you drive, the conditions you drive under and how you maintain your vehicle.

There are some things to keep in mind that may improve your fuel economy: • Accelerate and slow down in a smooth, moderate fashion.

• Drive at steady speeds without stopping.

• Anticipate stops; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.

• Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.

• Close the windows for high-speed driving.

• Drive at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15% less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).

• Keep the tires properly inflated and use only the recommended size.

• Use the recommended engine oil.

• Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance.

There are also some things you may not want to do because they may reduce your fuel economy: • Sudden or hard accelerations.

• Rev the engine before turning it off.

• Idle for periods longer than one minute.

• Warm up your vehicle on cold mornings.

• Use the air conditioner or front defroster.

• Use the speed control in hilly terrain.

• Rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving.

• Drive a heavily loaded vehicle or tow a trailer.

• Carry unnecessary weight (approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 pounds [180 kilograms] of weight carried).

• Add particular accessories to your vehicle (e.g.; bug deflectors, rollbars or light bars, running boards, ski racks).

• Drive with the wheels out of alignment.

    Driving Hints
    BREAKING-IN You need to break in new tires for approximately 300 miles (480 kilometers). During this time, your vehicle may exhibit some unique driving characteristics. Avoid driving too fast durin ...

    Driving through water
    WARNING: Drive through water in an emergency only, and not as part of normal driving. WARNING: Engine damage can occur if water enters the air filter. Note: Driving through deep water may allow wa ...

    Other materials:

    Power windows
    WARNING: Do not leave children unattended in your vehicle and do not let children play with the power windows. They may seriously injure themselves. WARNING: When closing the power windows, you should verify they are free of obstructions and make sure that children and pets are not in the proxi ...

    Jacking and Lifting
     WARNING: When jacking or lifting the vehicle, block all wheels remaining on the ground. Set the parking brake if the rear wheels will remain on the ground. These actions help prevent unintended vehicle movement. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious personal injury. &nb ...

    USB port
    WARNING: Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehicle control, crash and injury. We strongly recommend that you use extreme caution when using any device that may take your focus off the road. Your primary responsibility is the safe operation of your vehicle. We recommend against the u ...