Ford Problems

It does seem a lot of money to do the work needed, but before drawing any conclusions, check the quote and establish exactly what it is you are being charged for. With that information you could approach other mechanics and have them quote on the job.

There was a change in 2007 from a four-speed auto to a six-sped auto. The four-speed had a dipstick, check your owner's manual for the location, but the six-speed didn't. You need to take that to a dealer or an auto transmission specialist to have it done.

A recalibration using a chip would probably help, but I don't believe there is one available for your car. I would be giving it a tune-up, service the LPG system, and replace the spark plugs and leads, to make sure the car is running at its best.

The fuel consumption is maybe a little too high, I reckon 11-12 L/  100 km would be closer to what you should get, but a lot depends on the load you carrying, the speeds you drive at, the traffic density etc, which makes it hard to be too specific. As for the engine I reckon you need to have it thoroughly checked over, it doesn't sound healthy to me.

It could be anything from a faulty computer to a sensor malfunction or even a dodgy wiring connector. It's best to get it checked by a dealer as you say you will do.

Take it to an auto transmission specialist and get another opinion. If it is a failed solenoid as the code suggests it's possible to replace the solenoid, and it then shouldn't cost more than around $1000.

It is good practice to run approximately 20 litres of petrol per month to keep the petrol volatile. The reason it's recommended you maintain a quarter of a tank of petrol is to protect the fuel system components such as the petrol pump, which may remain active during operation on LPG.

It's impossible to say what's wrong with the car without running a diagnostic check on it, so get it to a dealer to have that done. I doubt that it would cost you anything as the car is still under warranty.

The clutch issue is not confined to the Ranger, other brands suffer the same problems, which suggests that the clutches used are marginal for towing. Your experience is not unusual, and should be a warning to everyone else looking to buy a ute to tow with. The normal fix is to install a heavy-duty aftermarket clutch, as you have done. Unfortunately carmakers have an out, in that they state quite clearly that the clutch is not covered by the warranty, and it's difficult to say what kilometres you should expect to get from a clutch before it would need replacing.

The BA is well out of warranty, so the issue of being fixed under warranty doesn't come up, and it's doubtful that Ford would have automatically changed the head on the basis of a maybe. The best thing to do now is to repair the head.