Ford Falcon 2004 Problems

DON'T assume anything. You'd have to check the accuracy of the GPS unit with the maker, and like all instruments it will have a tolerance. It will not be 100 per cent accurate. Same with the overhead advisory signs. They are a guide only, and their accuracy varies from day to day, depending on when they were checked and calibrated. Again, they are not 100 per cent accurate. Now to your speedo. You are correct in your assertion that the ADR requires speedo readings to be within a band of plus or minus 10 per cent of the speed when the car is travelling at more than 40km/h. On that basis your Falcon is quite accurate, and the Beetle is also within the required band. The critical thing, if we assume the GPS and advisory speed sign are accurate, is that neither understates the speed. That is, if you drove at an indicated 100km/h in either car you would be under the speed limit. By the way, there is a proposal to change the ADR in 2006 requiring speedo readings to be accurate to within a band of zero plus 5 per cent, ensuring no speedo will indicate a speed above that which the vehicle is travelling.

YOUR poptop would probably weigh about 1500kg when loaded, so that's the weight you need to consider when buying a vehicle. In my view it comes down to where you want to go when travelling, and what you want to do with the vehicle for the rest of the year. If you stick predominantly to the blacktop on your travels, then a regular Commodore or Falcon is probably the best way to go. Both will easily tow your poptop, are comfortable and will give you reasonable fuel consumption. An X-Trail will tow up to 2000kg if the trailer has brakes, so that will also handle your poptop. A recent experience with a 3.0-litre Subaru Outback, rated to tow 1800kg, showed that when it was towing a 1200kg camper trailer the fuel consumption rose about 30 per cent, and rose even more when towing a camper weighing close to its rated tow capacity. That said, the Outback would be a great compromise for round-town use and towing capacity.

THE LPG gas engine in the BA has stronger connecting rods than the standard Falcon six. They're the same rods as in the new FPV Typhoon and were put in the gas engine because in at least one instance in development a rod was bent after a back-fire. I haven't heard of a widespread problem in service.

WHAT conditions produce the vibration? Does it occur at certain speeds, under acceleration, while at constant speed, even slowing? If the dealer, having checked or replaced everything possible, cannot find the cause, I would suggest you pursue it directly with Ford. Call its customer-help people.

THE BA's brakes were significantly upgraded form the AUIII. The pads are larger, the disc rotors are larger -- 11 mm at the front and 16 mm at the rear -- and the calipers are 40 per cent stiffer, so many factors are affecting what you feel. That should result, as Ford claims, in better braking performance, increased pad life, reduced fade and more solid pedal feel.

FORD customer service checked their records and are satisfied your brakes are operating within specification. They say brake squeal during light to moderate stops does not affect the function of the brakes and is normal for the high-performance premium system. Other readers might like to tell us of their experiences.

THE BA XR6s you are seeing in used-car lots may be ex-lease cars that have been turned over after the lease has expired. There's no other explanation. The car is sound and a good buy if you make sure you get one that hasn't been flogged by an uncaring owner.

CHECK to see if the film is on the outside or inside of the screen. It could be a build-up of plasticiser from the plastic interior trim parts and things such as cigarette smoke on the inside of the screen. A windscreen cleaner available from a servo or auto accessories store, should remove any oily film.