Ford Falcon Engine Problems

Ford Australia customer service chief Stephen Kruk replies: "It is an industry known and understood phenomenon if the fuel provider does not have the right pumping equipment for a below-ground or above-ground tank. The basic principle behind being able to refuel LPG vehicles is that the pressure of the LPG at the refuelling station must be higher than the pressure of the LPG in the vehicle tank. We are happy to inspect the customer's vehicle to confirm it is working correctly."

If the engine is running fine there is no damage. As soon as water gets into a combustion chamber it does the damage, as it is impressible and can wreak havoc with things like valves and even connecting rods.

I wouldn't be at all concerned about LPG being available, but I would strongly advise that you do your homework on where you can buy LPG before you leave home. The distribution network of LPG in country areas has never been as comprehensive as it is in cities, and that's what you've found.

There are only two things it can be, fuel or spark. You say it's got spark, but is it at the right time. Check the crank sensor and its connections. If it's got spark and it's happening at the right time, the problem must be on the fuel side. Have someone check the fuel pressure to make sure it does have fuel at the engine.

No, it's not. Based on your figures it's getting 20 L/100 km, which is pathetic. It should be getting 11-12 L/100 km on petrol. I would give it a tune-up, run some fuel system cleaner through it and clean the throttle body.

Dealers don't do that sort of work any more; they simply change oil, give it a bit of a grease, and hand it back to you. You obviously want more, and for that you have to go to a specialist mechanic who has the knowledge and experience, and equipment to do what you want.

If it is also running poorly check the engine tune and things like the spark plugs, leads, filters, coils, and perhaps clean the throttle body. You really need to get a competent mechanic to check it. I doubt that it is a software problem, but a dealer could check for sensor problems etc.

I suspect you have a vacuum leak, probably caused by a cracked or split vacuum fitting on the brake booster.

It's a common problem when mechanics come to change the plugs at the 100,000 km mark. If it were my car I would be removing the plugs every time it's serviced, and cleaning them and resetting the gap. Not only will that minimize the chances of the plugs being corroded into the alloy head, but also the engine is likely to run better. I also agree with you that it's a flawed design and Ford should cough up for the cost of the repairs.

No, I think you have a good case, particularly as you are not asking for the whole cost to be covered. Flexplates do crack, more on performance cars because of the extra loads they have to endure, but if it does crack it's a poor design in the first place.