Ford Problems

A lot of cars seem to suffer from this. The fuel seems to back-up in the filler neck, and that’s what causes the bowser to click off (as a safety measure, to prevent fuel being sprayed around the forecourt). There are three things that seem to help with this.

The first is to place the bowser nozzle half way into the car’s fuel neck. Pushing it all the way in will often make the problem worse, and only half poking it in seems to have the effect of allowing the car to swallow the fuel faster without it backing up. The second thing to try is to insert the nozzle and then rotate it 90-degrees to one side or the other. Again, this seems to re-align the nozzle in the filler neck and can help. The third trick is to pull the trigger on the nozzle only part way. That slows the fuel flow down a little, but if it prevents the bowser continually clicking off, it’s still faster.

Modern cars are really susceptible to power `spikes’ when the battery is being reconnected. Often, these power surges can damage electronic equipment and perhaps that’s what’s happened to the unit in your Territory.

If that’s the case, the unit will need to be removed and repaired by a specialist. The worst-case scenario may involve an entire replacement ICC. It could also be that the ICC requires a code to re-boot it after being disconnected from a power source. If that’s the case, a visit to a Ford dealership might be all that is required.

There’s no difference between the petrol engines in the 2011 Fiesta compared with the 2012 model. So, yes, they both require the same timing-belt changes. And yes, the interval is determined by which comes first, the 160,000km or the eight years.

As well as a fix, I’d also be looking for a new auto electrician, Troy. Every one of these problems can, I reckon, be traced back to the car’s body computer, a component that Ford had all sorts of trouble with in its Australian made cars over the years. It’s a well known problem, can be an intermittent one and will definitely produce the glitches you’re seeing. A new body computer can also often mean a new key which has to be electronically coded to the computer before anything will work again.

If you can’t see coolant on the ground where the car has been parked, you need to start a more thorough investigation. Your car is now 17 years old, so every hose, clip, clamp and junction that carries coolant is a prime suspect to be the cause.

The lack of any evidence could mean that the coolant is only disappearing when the engine is running and/or the engine is hot and the coolant is under pressure. So a close check of things with the car up to temperature and idling is a good start. Don’t forget, though, that a running engine has all sorts of belts and fans to get tangled in, and that the coolant – if it is spraying out anywhere – will be scalding hot.

The other possibility is something to which Falcons of this era are a bit prone. And that’s a faulty transmission cooler which can fail internally and allow the coolant to escape into the automatic gearbox. At that point, the transmission is usually damaged to the point of needing replacement, so it’s a big deal, but it could explain the mystery disappearance of your coolant.

As for the central locking, these functions are handled by the car’s body computer. Again, it’s common with this model Falcon for the computer to start playing up and require replacement. But before you do that, check that the battery in the remote unit hasn’t gone flat. If it’s not that, a trip to an auto electrician is the wise move. But if both the body computer and the transmission need replacing, you might just find that the repairs will cost more than the value of the car itself.

Your question is a bit confusing Geniel, because the Ford Focus wasn’t released in Australia until September 2002. Which is to say, there wouldn’t be any 2000 model-year Focus engines lying around waiting to be fitted to another Focus. However, the original Focus was launched in Europe in 1998 and that car was broadly the same structurally as the version sold right up to 2005 in Australia.

The catch, of course, is that the Focus was sold with both a 1.8 and a 2.0-litre engine here, so you’d need to make sure that you were trying to fit exactly the same engine in exactly the same specification to ensure that everything from the fuel lines to the wiring loom and the cooling system to the gearbox matched up and fitted properly.

If, by some chance, you’ve found an imported Focus engine, be very wary of fitting that as it may not have the appropriate pollution equipment fitted to be legally registered in Australia. And don’t forget, whenever you swap an engine you need to inform the registration authorities and your insurance company of the new engine number.

I have some not-so-good news for you, David. The US-spec Ranger has a driveline that allows the transfer-case to be placed in neutral-2WD. Australian Rangers don’t. And it’s really that simple.

Flat-towing an Aussie Ranger would mean that the automatic transmission would be spinning internally without lubrication. That’s because the oil pump that lubricates the transmission only operates when the car’s engine is running.

Modern four-wheel-drive tech has all but eliminated the neutral position in the transfer-case, so the vast majority of vehicles are in the same boat. Technically, you could flat-tow a vehicle with a manual transmission (because the gearbox is splash-lubricated, not pump-lubricated) but my contacts at Ford tell me that you’d void your new-car warranty in the process in the Ranger’s case.

So what are your flat-towing options? Something like a Jeep Wrangler or Suzuki Jimny might be okay (but I’d check with the manufacturer first) or find something older with an old-school transfer-case set-up that allows for a neutral position.

A car with a little extra ground clearance is great for camping as it often allows you to get a little farther away from the masses in their caravans who tend to huddle around the shower block at bush campsites.

The Subaru Outback is a good, solid choice and if you can find an independent workshop to service it, you’ll avoid the cost of dealership prices. And you’re right, the all-wheel-drive would be great for gravel roads. Another vehicle to look at would be a late-model Ford territory diesel which is big and clever inside and has the option of all-wheel-drive. The diesel engine is a plus on the bush where that fuel is more readily available (in really remote areas) and gives you more range for big holidays in the mulga.

Don’t rule out things like the Mitsubishi Pajero, either, which won’t be as around-town friendly, but is a proven quantity and is absolutely tremendous off-road. The same goes for a Toyota Prado or Nissan Pathfinder prior to the current model (which is a bit less hard-core adventure).

I’ve heard of a couple problems with the ten-speed automatic in these Rangers; problems that could produce the problems you’ve noted.

From what I can gather through the trade, there has been a dealer bulletin regarding failures of and problems with the transmission’s torque converter. Without a functioning torque converter, it’s entirely possible that you could have experienced exactly the symptoms you’ve mentioned. The fact that the computer hasn’t logged a relevant code is a bit of a puzzle, but stranger things have happened. Apparently, there was a manufacturing problem with a batch of transmissions (some of which were sold in Australia) and that problem caused torque-converter failure.

The other problem my insiders have identified involves the front oil pump for the transmission. Again, without this functioning, the transmission lacks the oil pressure it needs to engage and provide drive. Like the torque converters, it seems there was a bad batch of oil pumps made with too much hardening applied to the teeth, which made them brittle and prone to breaking.

I’m tipping the dealership will have a pretty good idea of what’s going on and that it will involve either the oil pump or the torque converter. At least your vehicle is still under factory warranty.