2009 Ford Falcon Pricing and Specs

The triangle symbol is universally used in the car world to suggest a problem. So, more universally, is the colour red. The combination of these is a sign that something, somewhere in your car, all is not well. Actually, on that model Falcon, the warning triangle will be lit as a yellow light for mild problems, and only switches to red for a major issue. Which is what you clearly have. This could be a major safety issue, so don’t ignore it.

You can either have a workshop or Ford dealer check this out for you, but the first step is to press the 'SEL' button which should take you to an information screen with more details about what the car thinks is wrong with itself. After that, it’s an electronic scan to home in on the problem.

A good multi-grade oil is what you’re after; one that is thin enough to circulate and protect quickly in cold conditions, but also able to cope with the heat and stress inferred by a turbocharged engine in hot conditions. Options include a 5W30 oil or even a 10W40, but make sure that the API rating is suitable for your car. The correct API rating ensures that the oil is of a sophistication in keeping with the technology in your engine.

The other critical piece of advice is to use a quality oil from a reputable brand. Ignore the supermarket-shelf stuff and, if you’re having the car serviced at a workshop, don’t forget to ask what brand and grade of oil it intends to use. A fully synthetic oil will cost more but will offer more protection for an engine such as the hard-working turbomotor in an XR6T.

There’s no issue with the chain, they rarely break, but they can wear over time. If it does wear it usually becomes noisy, which in itself is not a problem. If it gets too bad the timing can be affected, and it’s best them to replace the chain.