Ford Falcon 2001 Problems

Without knowing what your criteria is, it's hard to recommend a car to you, George. By all means go for a V8 if you need to tow a trailer for work or pleasure, though there's no lack of grunt with the six-cylinder engines on that front either. I would choose a six, and probably a Commodore, based on its better resale than the AU III, and go for a VX rather than a VT simply because it is a newer model and will have fewer kilometres on it. They are both reliable, so there's no real difference between them in terms of reliability.

THE Falcon will convert and run on LPG, and you will ultimately save at the bowser once you've recovered the cost of installing the system. The Federal Government plans to add excise to LPG from 2011, but will cap it at 12.5 cents a litre, which is a long way short of the 38 cents a litre we pay on petrol. It will remain a good deal. To find out about the best system for your car, talk to the installers who should be able to tell you about the merits of the systems they sell, and ask them to talk to owners who have the systems fitted to their cars so you can get a second opinion.

ACCORDING to Mark Lynch of Carcool Airconditioning, the problem is caused by a small vacuum leak in the heater control system. When driving normally the engine supplies enough vacuum to overcome the leak. But when you accelerate hard the engine vacuum drops to zero, which allows the system to default to demist. Firstly, try driving the car with the heater set to warm. If it is OK the fault is in the heater tap, if not it is behind the dash. A quick fix can sometimes be achieved by fitting a vac check valve at the engine supply hose.

THE recall, applying to AUI and AUII Falcons built between June 1, 1998, and May 22, 2001, relates to a steering rack mounting stud. Ford says over-tightening of the stud could cause the stud to loosen. In extreme cases, the stud may fail and affect steering. Two cases of loose studs and one case of a missing stud have been reported, but Ford is recalling all cars to take precautionary action. Vehicles built in the period outlined used a Loctite threadlocking compound, which could be degraded if the stud was over-tightened. Vehicles built after May 22, 2001, are not affected.

I DON'T believe we ever said the AU I is a bad car. What it does have is poor resale value, which makes it a poor buy, and we have said that. We have also criticised its styling, but that's a matter of opinion. You're entitled to yours.

IT IS a common problem. You have contacted Ford's customer assistance number and that is what I would recommend you do if you feel you should get some compensation. Though your car's warranty will have expired, I believe there is an ethical responsibility to provide some cover for serious problems. Go back to the customer assistance people and insist on getting some help. Beyond that, fit an external oil cooler so you won't have the problem again.

Generally the Falcon auto gives little trouble. Geoff Clay, of CPA Automatics, says irregular servicing can result in a blocked filter, which can then cause the pump to work harder to get the fluid through which often results in a noise like you describe. It's not possible to say the Falcon is better than the Commodore, or vice versa, as each has strengths and weaknesses. I would say the build quality of both is about the same, the performance of the Falcon is slightly better, basically because its six-cylinder engine is marginally larger, but the Commodore has lower fuel consumption.

Cars Guide reader Stuart Shiell says he's seen a similar problem on EF and EL Falcons. He suggests it could be because the engine is not getting up to temperature, which causes the electronics to over-fuel the engine. Or the muffler could be blocked, causing the catalytic converter to overheat. He says the more common fault has been not getting up to temp.

YOU would recoup the cost of installation in 18 months to two years, which makes it worthwhile, particularly if you plan to keep the ute for a few years.

THE AU 3 XR8, introduced in May 2001, had a sportier body kit, 220kW V8 engine, clear side indicator lenses and a dot matrix windscreen. The TE50 was built by Tickford, the predecessor of today's Ford Performance Racing. Its V8 engine was stroked to produce 5.6 litres, and it put out 250kW and 500Nm. The model released in tandem with the Series III Falcon had new front and rear styling, a chrome grille, side skirts and a rear bumper.