Ford Falcon 2005 Problems

I WOULDN'T buy the BA Falcon with the dedicated LPG system. It's old LPG technology and suffers stalling, stumbling, surging and lack of performance unless it's well maintained. A better alternative is to buy a regular BA wagon and have it converted to dual fuel using one of the latest gas-injection systems that have no drive-ability problems. I get too many complaints about the Falcon to recommend it. The VZ wagon was available with a dual-fuel LPG system developed by IMPCO and using a gas-injection system. That is a good way to go, but I wouldn't recommend buying a VZ wagon and having it converted, because there are said to be problems with the regular Alloytec engine when running on LPG. The Mazda6 is a good car with a good reputation for reliability, as is the Corolla, and I'd be happy to buy either.

THE clunking is usually from the diff, which is a known problem on the XR6, but we've heard from another reader, Clyde Wolfenden, that Ford has a fix for this problem in the form of revised auto trans shift points. He reckons this fixed his car, so you might check with your dealer about having it done to yours.

I HAVE heard Ford is having problems with the cylinder heads on the V8 and has been replacing them on problem cars. It seems it's related to the head on the left bank. I would press your dealer to check with Ford because your car clearly has a problem.

FORD modifies the six-cylinder engine to suit LPG. It uses hardened valves and valve seats, which are the main areas of concern with an LPG engine, and the heavier conrods from the XR6 Turbo engine. The LPG engine also has a higher compression, 10.7 to one compared with 9.7 for the petrol engine. Without the modifications, the experience in the field is that a normal petrol engine running a dual-fuel system from the aftermarket needs a head rebuild at about 100,000km.

WE ASKED tyre expert Russell Stuckey for his opinion. The Dunlop SP9000, SP Sportmaxx and Goodyear GSD3 all deliver good road holding and are fitted as original equipment, which is a good guide to the quality of a tyre.

TAXABLE horsepower does not reflect developed horsepower. It's a calculated figure based on engine bore size, number of cylinders and a presumption of engine efficiency. This measure was instituted by the Royal Automobile Club in Britain and used to denote the power. As new engines became more efficient, it was no longer a useful measure, but kept in use by UK regulations which used the rating for tax purposes.

RENAULT doesn't market a diesel engine here, so rule that out. You could consider a VW Golf diesel. Both the Peugeot and VW diesels are well built, reliable and economical so that would probably be the best overall option.

FORD offered a dedicated LPG engine in AU, not a dual-fuel system, so it's likely yours was a dealer-fit system. The warranty in your case should be provided by the dealer or the company that did the installation. Go to them. The waxy build-up can be drained. Your dealer should be equipped to do it.