Ford Taurus X (2009 year). Manual — part 59

following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.

WARNING: The Tire Pressure Monitoring System is NOT a
substitute for manually checking tire pressure. The tire pressure

should be checked periodically (at least monthly) using a tire gauge,
see Inflating your tires in this chapter. Failure to properly maintain
your tire pressure could increase the risk of tire failure, loss of control,
vehicle rollover and personal injury.

Changing tires with TPMS

Each road tire is equipped with
a tire pressure sensor fastened
to the inside rim of the wheel.
The pressure sensor is covered
by the tire and is not visible
unless the tire is removed. The
pressure sensor is located
opposite (180 degrees) from the
valve stem. Care must be taken
when changing the tire to avoid
damaging the sensor. It is
recommended that you always have
your tires serviced by an authorized
dealer.

The tire pressure should be checked
periodically (at least monthly) using
an accurate tire gauge, refer to
Inflating your tires in this chapter.

Understanding your Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System measures pressure in your four
road tires and sends the tire pressure readings to your vehicle. The Low
Tire Pressure Warning Lamp will turn ON if the tire pressure is
significantly low. Once the light is illuminated, your tires are under
inflated and need to be inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended tire
pressure. Even if the light turns ON and a short time later turns OFF,
your tire pressure still needs to be checked. Visit www.checkmytires.org
for additional information.

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When your temporary spare tire is installed

When one of your road tires needs to be replaced with the temporary
spare, the TPMS system will continue to identify an issue to remind you
that the damaged road wheel/tire needs to be repaired and put back on
your vehicle.

To restore the full functionality of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System,
have the damaged road wheel/tire repaired and remounted on your
vehicle. For additional information, refer to Changing tires with TPMS
in this section.

When you believe your system is not operating properly

The main function of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System is to warn you
when your tires need air. It can also warn you in the event the system is
no longer capable of functioning as intended. Please refer to the
following chart for information concerning your Tire Pressure Monitoring
System:

Low Tire
Pressure
Warning
Light

Possible
cause

Customer Action Required

Solid Warning
Light

Tire(s)
under-
inflated

1. Check your tire pressure to ensure tires
are properly inflated; refer to Inflating your
tires in this chapter.
2. After inflating your tires to the manufac-
turer’s recommended inflation pressure as
shown on the Tire Label (located on the
edge of driver’s door or the B-Pillar), the
vehicle must be driven for at least two min-
utes over 20 mph (32 km/h) before the light
will turn OFF.

Spare tire
in use

Your temporary spare tire is in use. Repair
the damaged road wheel/tire and reinstall it
on the vehicle to restore system functional-
ity. For a description on how the system
functions, refer to When your temporary
spare tire is installed in this section.

TPMS
malfunc-
tion

If your tires are properly inflated and your
spare tire is not in use and the light remains
ON, contact your authorized dealer as soon
as possible.

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Low Tire
Pressure
Warning
Light

Possible
cause

Customer Action Required

Flashing
Warning
Light

Spare tire
in use

Your temporary spare tire is in use. Repair
the damaged road wheel and re-mount it on
the vehicle to restore system functionality.
For a description of how the system func-
tions under these conditions, refer to When
your temporary spare tire is installed in
this section.

TPMS
malfunc-
tion

If your tires are properly inflated and your
spare tire is not in use and the TPMS warn-
ing light still flashes, contact your autho-
rized dealer as soon as possible.

When inflating your tires

When putting air into your tires (such as at a gas station or in your
garage), the Tire Pressure Monitoring System may not respond
immediately to the air added to your tires.

It may take up to two minutes of driving over 20 mph (32 km/h) for the
light to turn OFF after you have filled your tires to the recommended
inflation pressure.

How temperature affects your tire pressure

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) monitors tire pressure in
each pneumatic tire. While driving in a normal manner, a typical
passenger tire inflation pressure may increase approximately 2 to 4 psi
(14 to 28 kPa) from a cold start situation. If the vehicle is stationary
over night with the outside temperature significantly lower than the
daytime temperature, the tire pressure may decrease approximately 3 psi
(20.7 kPa) for a drop of 30° F (16.6°C) in ambient temperature. This
lower pressure value may be detected by the TPMS as being significantly
lower than the recommended inflation pressure and activate the TPMS
warning for low tire pressure. If the low tire pressure warning light is
ON, visually check each tire to verify that no tire is flat. (If one or more
tires are flat, repair as necessary.) Check air pressure in the road tires. If
any tire is under-inflated, carefully drive the vehicle to the nearest
location where air can be added to the tires. Inflate all the tires to the
recommended inflation pressure.

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SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS

WARNING: Snow tires must be the same size, load index, speed
rating as those originally provided by Ford. Use of any tire or

wheel not recommended by Ford can affect the safety and
performance of your vehicle, which could result in an increased risk of
loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
Additionally, the use of non-recommended tires and wheels could
cause steering, suspension, axle or transfer case/power transfer unit
failure.

The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains. If you need to use chains, it is recommended that steel
wheels (of the same size and specifications) be used, as chains may chip
aluminum wheels.

Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
• Use only SAE class “S” cables or equivalent on the front axle for

P215/65R17 equipped vehicles. SAE class “S” chains or other
conventional link chains may cause damage to the vehicles wheel
house and/or body. Use of optional spike type traction devices or
equivalent is also acceptable.

• Do not install tire chains, cables, or optional traction devices on the

rear tires. This could cause damage to the vehicle’s wheel house or
body.

• Do not use tire chains, cables, or optional traction devices with

optional P225/60R18 tires.

• Install cable chains securely, verifying that the cables do not touch any

wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.

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