Ford Falcon Problems

Consult another auto transmission specialist and get his opinion. If you weren't happy with the advice you were getting from your doctor, you would get a second opinion. That's what you should do in this case.

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.

UNFORTUNATELY, there isn't a modern gas-injection system available for your model, so it will be an old throttle-valve type that has been used for years in taxis and private cars. It works well, gives little trouble, and will deliver the economy you want. It's best to talk to a reputable installer and get his advice and, if possible, to talk to other owners who have fitted the same system to AU Falcons.

WATER leaks can be hard to trace and there are many potential causes. I know of one BA Falcon with a leak that even Ford's engineers couldn't trace. It was so bad the company was prepared to take the car back and exchange it for another one. That was a new car, not one like yours that's done a few ks. The windscreen is a possibility, particularly if the car has had a windscreen replaced, so look there. Sometimes the windscreen flange can rust, causing a leak. Strip out the carpets and other bits and pieces that can easily be removed and drive it through a car wash or hose it down while watching for the leak, That might allow you to trace it back to the source.

Like all oils and fluids, the power steering fluid goes off in time. Power steering fluid works quite hard. I would have it changed and the system flushed at the same time.

THE rule of thumb with LPG is it will use 15-20 per cent more litres of LPG than it would petrol, and that seems to be true of your car around town. But like you I would expect a little less, probably about 12 litres/100 km, on the open highway. Go back to your installer and see if it can retune it to achieve a better result on the highway.

THE most common cause for an LPG engine to stall is a stray spark igniting the gas in the intake manifold. When that happens it can take some time for enough gas to accumulate in the engine again for it to refire. I would have the fuel and ignition systems thoroughly checked. I would first replace the spark-plug leads.

YOU'RE right, it is dreadful. It's probably running overly rich because of a malfunction in the electronic system. But before you start digging, make sure all is well with the basic engine tune. If that is in order, start looking at the sensors that tell the engine's computer how much fuel it needs to feed in, particularly the oxygen sensors in the exhaust.

I find the advice you received most interesting. To suggest an oil cooler would cause ``the system'', whatever that means, to overheat is contrary to industry advice. This says fitting an external transmission oil cooler is good insurance if you plan to tow in hot weather over long distances. I do agree your warranty would be affected. It would no longer cover parts modified to fit the cooler, but an installer should provide a warranty to cover this work.

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.