Ford 2009 Taurus Owner's Manual page 244

Driving
D (Drive) with Overdrive Cancel and Grade Assist
Pressing the transmission control
switch on the side of the gearshift
lever activates two features at the
same time: Overdrive Cancel and
Grade Assist.
1. Overdrive Cancel
• Overdrive is deactivated.
• The transmission operates in gears one through five.
• The O/D OFF lamp in the
instrument cluster is illuminated.
2. Grade Assist
• Improves driving experience in hilly terrain or mountainous areas by
providing additional grade (engine) braking and extends lower gear
operation on uphill climbs.
• Provides additional engine braking through the automatic transmission
shift strategy which reacts to vehicle inputs (vehicle acceleration,
accelerator pedal, brake pedal and vehicle speed).
• Allows the transmission to select gears that will provide the desired
engine braking based on the vehicle inputs mentioned above. This will
increase engine RPM during engine braking.
Overdrive Cancel with Grade Assist is designed to provide optimal gear
selection in hilly terrain or mountainous areas. It is recommended that
you return to O/D (overdrive mode) on flat terrain to provide the best
fuel economy and transmission function.
To return to O/D (overdrive mode), press the transmission control switch
again.
• The O/D OFF lamp in the instrument cluster will not be illuminated.
244
2009 Taurus (500)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
O/D
OFF