Ford Falcon 2007 Problems

YOU need to hit the brakes hard to make the anti-skid system come into play, and hold the pedal down hard when it does come in. It may be your son is not braking hard enough to get the system working, and if he lets up on the pedal it will feel as if the brakes are not stopping the car. Don't listen to the advice from the dealer: it's important -- potentially life-saving -- that the anti-skid system is working correctly.

IT'S great you are happy, but you had to ask. If you hadn't read about the problem you wouldn't have known there was one. Wouldn't it have been better if Ford had contacted you and told you of the problem and asked you to take your car in to have the brake hoses changed? I would have been angry with Ford for letting me and my family drive the car around with a potentially dangerous flaw. I note the dealer replaced all brake hoses, because some are only changing the rear hoses, another example of the inconsistent approach by Ford and its dealers.

IF YOU'RE unhappy, keep the pressure on Ford to take some action. They might be able to give you a clutch with more damping to soften clunking, or some other components that will do the trick. I am sure they will know some sort of fix.

I ASSUME the system was fitted by the Ford dealer, because Ford's LPG engine is a dedicated LPG system. Almost all dual-fuel systems fitted to cars after 2003 will be injection systems that start on petrol and switch to LPG after a minute or so of warming up, so yours sounds as if it's state-of-the-art. They operate that way to minimise the starting time and for smoother running during the warm-up phase.

I AGREE it seems like a common problem. Perhaps other readers who have had the problem could let us know of their experiences before we go to Ford for an explanation.

LPG vehicles emit less greenhouse gas and other pollutants than petrol-powered equivalents. Typically, LPG has about 20 per cent less ozone-forming potential and 10-15 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions.

IF YOU buy the Ford E-Gas option, it will be covered by Ford's factory warranty, so there's no question if you make a claim. If you choose to fit an aftermarket system, you enter a grey area. Ford will not cover anything that has been modified on the car to fit the gas system. That cover has to be provided by the installer. When it comes to a claim you have to rely on the installer to be honest. I'm not a huge fan of the Ford E-Gas system. It's now old technology and there are better ones in the aftermarket, some even from Ford dealers. The newer gas injection systems are much better than the system Ford still uses.

THE LPG wagon shouldn't be $4000 dearer than the regular wagon. It was only $1400 dearer when new and today's values put them at $800-$1000 dearer now as a used car. Keep shopping and try to find a dealer with a more reasonable outlook. Anyone asking a $4000 premium for LPG is trying to make a killing from fear about fuel prices. It certainly wouldn't be worth paying $4000 more for an LPG wagon, it will take too long to recoup the cost. But at a premium of $1000, it would be worthwhile.