Ford Problems

Prices of second-hand vehicles like the Ranger are high right now, mainly because there are such long waiting lists for new vehicles. When that happens, people who want their car now start looking at the second-hand market. At which point, simple supply and demand mechanics dictate that prices rise.

Even though the Ranger isn’t as badly affected as some makes and models, there’s still an average waiting time of two or three months for a brand-new Ranger (depending on specification). Which is why there’s a strong market for a second-hand example like yours that has been looked after and serviced properly. The low kilometres showing also puts a vehicle like yours on to the short-list of a brand-new buyer being forced to look for a second-hand car.

Prices right now for a vehicle matching yours seem to be anywhere from a low of $48,000 up to about $60,000, although whether the selling asking the higher figure will achieve that is another matter. Either way, though, you’d probably start the bidding at around the low-$50s for a quick sale. As an aside, while the accessories, mileage and service history all play well for your car, the extended warranty (protection plan as it was sold to you) probably won’t add a single cent. That’s because these dealer-supplied extended warranties are rubbish (rarely covering anything meaningful) and often are not even transferable to the next owner anyway.

This will come down to what roof-rack system you choose. Good quality brands have load limits of 80 to 100kg, and that’s a fair bit of weight to be placing up high on the roof of an already high vehicle like the Territory. By using all that capacity, you’ll be moving the vehicle’s overall centre of gravity and that can have an effect on handling and stability, particularly in a cross-wind. You’ll also use more fuel even when the roof rack is empty. The rule of thumb is to always put the lightest gear on the roof.

The importation paperwork and costs will vary from state to state, so you need to check with your home state’s authorities on what’s required. Your chosen shipping company might be able to help you with this, but make sure you check it all out at the Australia Border Force website (abf.gov.au).

While your budget rules out the latest shape Mustangs and the early classic models, you might just find a 1980s Fox-body Mustang or a 1990s model that’s already on the road here. Doing it that way, you stand to wind up with a better car than a cheapie from the States that will swallow several thousands of your budget dollars just to land it here. Which is another way of asking why you’d import something that was already available here?

Even if you still want to import a Mustang, be aware that you’ll be up for costs including (but not limited to) pre-shipment costs (removal of asbestos and steam cleaning) freight and insurance, all government charges and duties, storage charges, customs broker’s fees, wharf and transport charges and processing fees. And that’s before we even get to the modifications you might have to make to the vehicle to make it legal to drive in Australia. And did we mention that, right now, global supply-chain problems are holding up literally thousands of containers on the docks in the US?

Perhaps the one advantage you have is that, as a temporary resident, you can (under some conditions) import a car for a limited time (up to 12 months) without paying duties and taxes.

The newer the car, the more economical it’s likely to be in the real world. If you’re chasing outright fuel economy (and that’s a powerful argument with current fuel prices) then a conventional hatch is likely to be a little more frugal than an SUV of the same size thanks to the latter’s higher ride height (for reduced aerodynamic efficiency) and chunkier tyres.

A CVT transmission arguably offers a more efficient solution, but not everybody likes the way a CVT feels to drive. The other choice to make is whether to go petrol or diesel or even hybrid.

Since you’re driving is largely suburban, I reckon that rules out a diesel as you’re likely to have ongoing issues with the vehicle’s emissions control system which won’t appreciate that sort of use. Diesels are better for country running, and that’s just the way it is. A diesel car is also likely to cost a bit more to service over the years.

That leaves petrol and it’s a fact that the newer petrol engines are a lot closer to diesels in terms of outright fuel economy. But if you really want to save fuel costs in a suburban car, then a petrol-electric hybrid is the solution. These will cost more to buy, but with 40km a day, you’ll probably get that money back in a reasonable timeframe.

Look at the South Korean makes (Hyundai and Kia) as both brands have a large range of SUVs and still – unlike some brands – still bother with conventional hatchbacks. Check out Toyota, too, which has a good history in hybrid small cars.

This is an issue that continues the haunt Ford even after it paid millions of dollars in fines levied by the ACCC for way it conducted itself in the face of the dual-clutch transmission fiasco. Fundamentally, about half the Fords delivered in Australia with the Powershift transmission, experienced either problems or outright transmission failures. Some of them on multiple occasions.

Ford’s response of initially ignoring the problem and then blaming its customers stands as a 24-carat example of how not to do things. And the ACCC agreed, fining and condemning the company’s behaviour. Eventually, Ford was forced to offer customers a good deal on the next model Focus which featured a conventional automatic gearbox. Even then, the ACCC’s view was that Ford should have offered a full refund, not a sweetened deal to trade up to the newer model. Simply replacing the problem gearboxes wasn’t a widespread permanent fix as the replacement units would have given precisely the same problems.

If you bought your car second-hand, that’s another problem because, really, the affected cars should have been scrapped, not resold to unsuspecting buyers (another beef the ACCC had with Ford at the time).

I think your first port of call should be to the ACCC who will be able to give you an idea of the current situation as far as the problem goes, and what Ford is currently doing about it. Bear in mind, though, the original problem surfaced many years ago, so you’re a late member of the Powershift club.

This is a pretty common issue of this generation of Falcons. The problem usually occurs if the car’s battery goes flat or has recently been replaced. Sometimes you might get the screen to reboot, but even if it does, the end is often nigh as the unit is dying. It’s worth a shot, though, so try disconnecting the relevant fuse for at least 15 minutes with the ignition turned off. If it comes good after reconnecting the fuse, you might be lucky. But you might also be simply delaying the inevitable.

The problem lies in a circuit-board within the ICC system and the fix is generally to replace the screen for an aftermarket head unit.

This is a bit trickier than removing some stereo systems as the unit was designed specifically to fit in the centre-stack of the car, rather than the more conventional double or single-DIN units that are a bit more universal. Assuming you want to replace the standard Ford stereo with an aftermarket unit, you’ll need to purchase a double-DIN fascia panel that replaces the stock unit and allows for mounting the aftermarket head unit. It’s also extremely unlikely that you’ll be able to separate the CD player from the rest of the stereo, so replacing the whole assembly will be your best option.

To remove the standard stereo, you have to disassemble a fair bit of the interior in terms of the plastic trims. This requires some specialised trim-clip removal tools and you need to be careful as these plastic trim pieces are easily damaged or broken.

Be aware, too, that in some versions of the Escape, the wiring for the passenger’s air-bag runs behind the stereo panel, so unless you know exactly what you’re doing, this is a job best left to the experts. It also goes without saying that you should disconnect the car’s battery before attempting any of this. If you’re still keen, a workshop manual for your specific car will be able to walk you through the process in detail.

A good quality 10W40 engine oil should be perfect for your car, Carol. Always go for a known brand of oil rather than the cheaper, Brand-X supermarket stuff, as quality varies enormously. Keeping clean, fresh oil in your engine is the absolute best piece of preventative maintenance there is.

Don’t forget to change the filter at the same time as there’s just no point putting clean oil through a dirty filter. By the way, the correct oil filter for your car is a Ryco Z9 or brand-equivalent.

These units are well known for giving trouble including buttons not working right through to complete failure of the screen and unit. There are, however, companies that specialise in repairing these units and can replace the problem components to bring the unit back to life.

But even if you go with a second-hand unit from a wrecking yard, it should have been tested to ensure it’s working properly before it’s shipped to you. And if it doesn’t work, a reputable parts recycler will offer to replace it.

The problem you face of course, is what happens when the world’s supply of second-hand Territory commands centres dries up. Again, it shouldn’t be a problem as there are aftermarket units designed specifically to fit the Territory’s dashboard that are better quality, deliver better sound and often include features your car may not have such as Bluetooth and mobile-phone mirroring.

Presumably, you’re talking about a car that is having trouble getting moving from standstill while facing up a hill. This is the result of a lack of power but that lack could be down to a thousand things. You could be looking at an engine with a poor tune or even a transmission with a faulty torque converter that is not allowing the engine to rev up for take-off.

A lot of local cars of a similar age to yours also experience fuel pick-up problems. We’ve seen cases where a split fuel line inside the tank refuses to pick up fuel if the tank is about half full and parked on a hill. So try this experiment: Turn the car around 180 degrees and see if it’s just as reluctant to take off up the same hill in reverse. If the direction the car is facing is the key factor, you’re probably looking at a fuel pick-up issue.