Ford Problems

The important thing to remember is that you can question the advice you receive. If you're ever unsure of what you are being told question it; ask the mechanic or dealer to explain o show you why a particular service is needed.

I agree that it is good of Ford to repaint your car at no cost to you, but then again isn't that what you would expect when a company puts out a flawed product as Ford did with those they painted 'Shockwave'. Yours is just one of many Ford has had to repaint because of problems with that colour.

No, there’s no need to recalibrate the stability control system when changing tyres.

We also heard from another reader who told us the diff bushes were the likely cause of the knock and that they are a common failure in that model.

'Breaking in', sometimes also called 'running in', is the period when components in the engine, like the rings and bearings, work in the surfaces they are in contact with. That's the rings with the cylinder bores, the bearings with the crankshaft, the cam bearings with the camshaft etc. It's best in that time that you don't drive it hard under load or at high speed, and it's a good idea to vary the engine speed so you're not driving it at the same speed all the time. Engines in today's new cars don't need much running in at all, according to the carmakers, but older engines do and it's a good idea to give them 1000 to 1500 km to settle in. Swap oils at the end of that period and you could use a 20W-50 oil at that time.

We have had quite a number of reports of vibrations in Falcons, but yours is the first report we have received of a tailshaft actually breaking. As you rightly say it's potentially dangerous and anyone who has a vibration in their cars would be well advised to have the tailshaft in the car checked.

We have had reports of problems with window seals on the Territory in the past, but not for some time. I don’t believe Ford had a recall for them, but I would talk to a Ford dealer about what action might be taken to address your problem.

It’s starting and running on LPG, so you would think the problem is on the petrol side. You need to check the petrol supply. Start by making sure the system is operational when you switch over to petrol; make sure there isn’t a problem with the switching in the first place. If that is working correctly then check the fuel pump, fuel pressure and injectors etc.

It's always a concern when using a non-factory service outlet that you could miss out on recalls or updates issued by the factory. My feeling is that non-factory service outlets are capable of doing the basic servicing, but I'm not convinced they keep up to date with the changes that take place, sometimes automatically by carmakers and their dealers without any advice to the wider community. But I would also say in your case that as your car is out of warranty that you could have it serviced at a non-factory outlet without too much risk of losing out in any way. I would also suggest that you discuss your concern with the outlet you are considering using.

Thanks for the tip about the brake master cylinder; it's something worth considering by anyone with a vibration they can't fix.