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:

    Part numbers
    1 Refer to scheduled maintenance information for the appropriate intervals for changing the spark plugs. Note: Replace the spark plugs with ones that meet Ford material and design specifications for your vehicle, such as Motorcraft® or equivalent replacement parts. The customer warranty may ...

    Child restraint and safety belt maintenance
    Inspect the vehicle safety belts and child safety seat systems periodically to make sure they work properly and are not damaged. Inspect the vehicle and child seat safety belts to make sure there are no nicks, tears or cuts. Replace if necessary. All vehicle safety belt assemblies, including ret ...

    Universal Garage Door Opener (If Equipped)
    HomeLink® wireless control system WARNING: Make sure that the garage door and security device are free from obstruction when you are programming. Do not program the system with the vehicle in the garage. WARNING: Do not use the system with any garage door opener that does not have the safety s ...