Ask The Guide

It sounds like a problem with the dual-clutch transmissions electronic control, so take the car to a Ford dealer and have it assessed. Turning the engine off and then restarting it again will often reboot the computer and fix the problem in the short term, but there is an underlying issue that needs to be fixed.

It wouldn’t be a straight forward take one out and put another in sort of job, it would fiddly, but I’m sure it could be done. Look around for a specialist in that area.

If it is the water pump as the VW people have diagnosed then I doubt you would have any claim. Water pumps do wear out like any mechanical component, and yours is six years old.

The car you want will need to have a towing rating of 3500 kg, which cuts the field down considerably. Your best bet is probably a used Toyota Landcruiser, it would tow your caravan, and parts are readily available in most parts of the country.

If it’s got a manual transmission the towing capacity is 2000 kg and the GVM is 2155 kg; if it’s an auto the towing capacity is 1650 kg.

You can’t, the transmission is sealed and there’s no provision for checking it.

If it’s a diesel engine the change interval is every 10 years or 200,000 km, but if it is a petrol engine it is eight years or 160,000 km.

You could try to get one from a dealer, or an auto parts shop such as Bursons, or try a wrecking yard for a second hand one.

It’s not possible to say what is causing the noise, it could be engine or driveline related, and without actually being able to hear it there’s no way of accurately diagnosing it. Have it checked by a mechanic, who should be able to quickly determine the cause of the problem.

A number of vehicles of your vintage using that engine suffered from a lack of oil pressure due to accumulated contamination on the oil pickup. Remove the oil drain plug and inspect the oil pickup and make sure it isn’t clogged up with accumulated crud that could affect the oil pressure.