Ford Courier Problems

The recommended change interval is every 120,000 km, and the cost is around $460.

147,000 km out of a clutch when you’re towing every day is a pretty good result, so I wouldn’t complain about that. There’s very little difference in terms of towing between and auto and a manual, but by rights you should have had an auto serviced twice in the distance you’ve done in the Courier and that servicing would have been more expensive than the cost of replacing the clutch in your manual.

It’s not likely to be an ongoing problem once you repair or replace the radiator, assuming that is the problem. I would check for other issues, like a blown radiator hose or clamp. There are no other major issues with the Courier that you need to be concerned with, but you do need to understand that it is an old vehicle and old vehicles can break down.

I understand you can fit a new lock barrel without any other problems.

You need a 5/8 plug spanner.

The rule of thumb is that a vehicle would use around 20 per cent more LPG than it would use of running on petrol. On average a 1996 Ford Courier would do around 12.5L/100 km on petrol, which means it should do around 15L/100 km, or 6.6km/litre, on gas. On that basis yours is thirsty. On your second question, yes you would expect a car with fuel injection to be more economical than one with a carburetor.

That’s usually caused by insufficient air passing through the radiator core. Check the core to make sure it isn’t clogged with bugs, and make sure there’s nothing in front of the radiator that might be cutting the airflow, such as a bullbar, driving lights, or other gear that guys sometimes mount in front of the grille.

THE Courier is fundamentally sound, so you should concentrate on things such as condition, odometer reading, and signs of bush bashing or having been crashed.

I would go back to the local mechanic and discuss the issue with him. As you say you have spent $1600 with him without any success, but I doubt that you will find the fault on diagnostic equipment. That really only shows a problem when it's showing all the time, not when it's an intermittent problem as it appears to be. It's most likely to be a faulty connection or a faulty sensor.