Ford Falcon Gearbox & Transmission Problems

All vehicles with automatic transmissions are fitted with a safety device that prevents the starter from engaging unless the transmission is in Neutral or Park. The device, usually a switch on the transmission, is connected to the ignition. If the car is in gear, you can switch the ignition on, but the starter won't engage when you try to start the engine. The dash lights normally go out when the ignition switch is moved to the start position. Though you have had the neutral-start safety switch checked, I would suggest you have it checked again to see if it is correctly installed and adjusted. Also check the alignment of the shifter and the wiring to make sure there are no loose or bad connections. The fact you can tap the shift to make it work suggests the fault is a mechanical one. If you can get the same result by moving the shift lever just slightly back or forth, you can be almost sure it's an adjustment problem.

IT COULD be one of a number of things, but it is most likely the pressure control solenoid in the valve body, experts at AW Automatics say.

WE HAVEN'T had any other reports of this problem, but Ford says it could be due to the tyres, as you suggest. Their response to your problem was: The new Dunlop SP3000 tyres on BA XRs have a unique sidewall construction. On cold mornings it is possible to detect a slight vibration from cold flat spots which, after a couple of kilometres' driving, are gone.

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.