2005 Ford Taurus Owner Guide 4th Printing - Page 228

Maintenance and Specifications Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop. Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy. Slow down gradually. Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15% less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]). Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy. Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy. You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs. Unnecessary shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel economy. Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may reduce fuel economy. Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel economy. Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving. • • • Maintenance • Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size. • Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel economy. • Use recommended engine oil. Refer to Lubricant specifications in this chapter. • Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks found in scheduled maintenance information. Conditions • Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy at any speed. • Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried). • Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may reduce fuel economy. • Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy. • Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first 8-10 miles (12-16 km) of driving. 228 2005 Taurus (tau) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA (fus)