Ford Problems

WE CONTACTED Ford on your behalf and it said that, after consulting your dealer, it would cover the full cost of replacing the steering column. Ford said it was the first it had heard of such a problem with the Focus and would refer the problem to its European counterpart for investigation.

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.

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.

Could be. Try to isolate the problem by swapping components between cylinders and see if the problem follows the component. Swap injectors, spark plugs and leads, one component at a time. Check the compression. It sounds more than a blocked injector.

I HAVEN'T heard of major problems, though I have driven three cars -- two sedans and a BF cab-chassis -- with the e-gas engine and all have been slightly different in the way they drive. The first car, a BA sedan, was quite good with few flaws. The second, a BF sedan, wasn't good at all. It stalled, flamed out, idled roughly and generally wasn't pleasant to drive. The third, a BF II XR6 cab-chassis, fell between the two sedans. It didn't stall and didn't flame out, but it was lethargic on acceleration. The Ford LPG system is old technology, which is why it's so variable. Though Ford will be aghast at this suggestion, I'd buy a regular Falcon ute and have it fitted with a sequential gas-injection dual-fuel system. SGI is better technology.

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.

IF IT'S a fresh engine, you would be wise to use a running-in oil for the first 500km, then switch to a 20W/50 mineral oil. Valvoline makes a running-in oil that you can buy at any retail shop. You could perhaps use a Penrite oil after that.

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.

IT WOULD seem the tank tester is at fault, but you need to establish what the problem is before you can lay blame. It's normal for the LPG tank to be removed from the car to be tested, so I would suggest there has been some mistake made when the tank was reinstalled. If the tester isn't co-operative, take the car to an LPG specialist and have them find the cause of the problem. If it can be shown the tester caused it, send him the bill for the repairs.

I'M NOT aware of after-market smaller wheels and you have to ensure any spare has the correct rating for your car. Latex tyre repair kits sold at auto stores will suffice if you have a puncture.