Ford 1996 Taurus Manual page 193

Always set the parking brake fully and
make sure the gearshift is securely latched
in P (Park).
Never leave your vehicle unattended
while it is running.
You can tell a column-mounted gearshift is
securely latched in P (Park) if you cannot move
it without pulling it toward you and rotating it
downward.
Driving with an Automatic
Overdrive Transaxle (Column or
Console Gearshift with O/D OFF
Switch)
Your automatic overdrive transaxle provides
fully automatic operation in either D (Overdrive)
or with the O/D OFF Switch depressed. Driving
with the shift selector in D (Overdrive) gives the
best fuel economy for normal driving conditions.
For manual control, start in 1 (First) and then
shift manually.
Putting Your Vehicle in Gear
You must push in the thumb button to move the
console-mounted gearshift to the position you
choose.
To move the gearshift out of P (Park), the
ignition must be turned from the locked position
to either the OFF or the ON position.
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