Ford Problems

SOUNDS like you have beefs with Ford and the dealer. The water leaks really sound more like a build quality issue that should be covered by Ford's factory warranty. The damage done by your dealer needs to be addressed by your dealer. It sounds like they have tried to correct the problems on your car, but not to your satisfaction. Any problem with the car itself is an issue to be taken up with Ford, but any problem caused by the dealer has to be dealt with at that level. If you're unhappy with the dealer contact the VACC and complain to them. If you don't get any satisfaction, your next option is legal action.

FALCON coupes are highly prized as collector cars, even modified ones like yours, so it is worth keeping. I'm not aware of a hybrid-drive system you could fit to it, other than gutting a Toyota Prius and installing the system from that. LPG is probably your best solution at present.

SHELL has been having issues with its LPG. There has been too much residue and it has been causing problems with cars. Have the converter cleaned and try another brand of gas.

HAVE you checked the engine to see if it is coming from there? It sounds awfully like the engine itself, perhaps a faulty valve lifter, because it goes away when the engine warms up. An engine noise might sound like it's coming from under the dash.

YOURS is the sort of car private buyers seek and are often prepared to pay a little extra for, but don't expect to get any more from a dealer than you would for a higher-mileage car in lesser condition. If you advertise it privately, try for $17,500 -- a dealer would probably offer you $12,000 as a trade-in.

IT'S certainly an option. If you bought a two or three-year-old Falcon for $15,000 and installed a gas-injection system you would have $19,000 or so invested in it, against the cost of the Corolla or Mazda. The cost of running the Falcon on gas would be a little less than the cost of running the small car so I would believe you would be in front. Think also of buying a used E-Gas Falcon, which might be an even better bet.

THANKS for the report. As you say, drivers of LPG-powered vehicles should be aware of these problems and perhaps not be so quick to blame Shell. We have also heard from Shell (below). LPG with a higher-than-normal level of residue was delivered to some parts of Victoria from our facility in Lara, west of Melbourne. As a result, motorists who purchased gas from certain retail service stations (including some which are not Shell-branded) from June 17-28 could have experienced problems with their vehicles, such as cold starting or rough running. The quality issue was quickly resolved and the Shell LPG supplied since that time is fit for purpose. We have been asking customers whose vehicles have been affected to contact our customer service centre on 13 16 18 to discuss the problems they have encountered. Claire Wilkinson, Shell senior media adviser APPRECIATE your advice. Hopefully motorists running LPG-powered cars will be reassured the LPG they buy will cause no further problems.

THE five-star crash rating applies only to Ford FG sedans with petrol engines, it does not apply to the utes or the E-Gas models. This is because none of these have electronic stability control. The utes will get ESP within the next month or two and Ford has told us the E-Gas cars will get electronic stability control in 2009. What Ford did not say was that the E-Gas system will be updated to the new injection system, but it is fair to make the suggestion that it will be, as that is the system needed for the electronic stability control to work.

INTERNAL combustion engines can be run on CNG, but it's not as simple as filling your tank with natural gas and driving away. I have heard that it is possible to buy a pump that can be used to tap into your gas supply, but I wouldn't recommend it without doing your homework.

THE two types are the older Venturi/mixer system that has been around for 30 years or more and done a pretty good job. It will save fuel, but you will lose power and the driveability won't be as good. The other system is gas-injection, used on most modern cars like yours. It will give you the fuel savings, you won't lose power, and the driveability will be better than with the old system. The downside to the injection system is it's more expensive. You could fit an old Venturi/mixer system for about $2500, but an injection system will cost about $4500. I would recommend the injection system even though it costs more. Shop around to find the best installer in your area. Look for brands like Eurogas, Impco, Global Autogas, Speedy Gas, Apollo and so on -- they're all well-respected.