Ford Territory Engine Problems

You have a couple of options here. You can remove the stater motor and take it to an auto electrician who will be able to test it, see what’s wrong with it and give you a quote to rebuild the unit. Or, you can simply buy a new or reconditioned starter motor and fit that instead. Both these options should provide you with a warranty of some sort.

Actually, there’s a third option, and that is to visit a wrecking yard, take a starter motor off a wrecked Territory (making sure it’s the same model and engine) and fit that to your car. This will be the cheapest option, but you could easily find that the new second-hand starter motor has the same problems as the one you already have. Some wrecking yards (who like to be called parts recyclers these days) offer starter motors (and other components) that have been tested, so that would be preferable to just finding one still bolted to a wreck. You might not be offered any sort of warranty, however.

All versions of the Ford Territory form this era used the inline six-cylinder 'Barra' engine from the Ford Falcon. This engine used a timing chain rather than a toothed rubber belt. The chain should be good for the life of the engine and should not need replacing.

The first thing to ascertain is what the fluid is. Is it coolant, fuel, oil or even brake fluid? All these fluids have different ways of leaking, so make sure you know what you’re dealing with. Also, don’t rely on the location of the fluid on the ground as a means of diagnosing the cause. Leaks can start in one place but appear elsewhere as they work their way along wiring, pipes, chassis rails and plenty more before they actually make it to the ground.

Meantime, if the leak is coolant and is actually coming from the back of the engine, there are a few likely culprits. There are heater hoses that run in this area and have been known to leak, as well as a welch plug that can corrode and cause a leak in this area. Other known coolant leak-points in the Territory include the radiator and the O-ring seal at the back of the water pump. If you’re really unlucky, the leak could also be from a head gasket. Have the car checked out by a mechanic, because coolant leaks only ever really get bigger over time, never smaller.

Unfortunately, while there are aftermarket specialists who could potentially engineer a towing-mass upgrade, there’s no legal way to increase a vehicle’s towing limit. That’s because the towing limit is based on calculations made by the manufacturer (Ford in this case) and it’s set in stone, I’m afraid. Some states and territories would once consider such an upgrade on an individual basis, but all the authorities have backed away from this approach now. Fundamentally, if you want to tow a heavier load, you need a car that is rated to do so.

Ignoring the towing limit and hitching up a bigger load is also asking for trouble. The police are red hot on overloaded vehicles right now, and if the worst was to happen and you were in a crash where somebody was injured or worse, you might find yourself in a whole heap of legal and insurance hassle.

The other alternative, of course, is to find a lighter trailer or caravan or whatever it is you wish to tow.

Relatively modern, computerised cars like the Territory absolutely loathe low battery voltage. Without enough electricity to power all the fuel-injection and electronic ignition systems (not to mention the electric fuel pump and the on-board computers) the car will never run properly and is a good bet to enter limp-home mode as you've described. Other symptoms include the dazzling array of warning lights on the dashboard as the various on-board computer systems are left high and dry by a lack of voltage.

You're possibly on the right track with a replacement alternator as the 12.6 volts it's outputting is nowhere near enough to power the Territory successfully. Closer to 14 volts (at least about 13.7) checked at the battery terminal with the engine running and all lights and accessories switched off is where you should be.

Unfortunately, you've already replaced a whole bunch of parts that were probably okay. This approach of random replacement can ultimately cost you a lot of money you didn't need to spend, and a much better way is to have the car scanned to see if there's any electronic fault codes to give you a clue on what's wrong. But even if the alternator is not the sole cause of your problems, at 12.6 volts it is, indeed, worn out and should be replaced or reconditioned.

It sounds as though the engine’s idle-speed is set a little too low, and that’s making the engine feel lumpy (because it’s almost stalling). Having the transmission in Drive is adding a little load to the equation, slowing the engine even further. There are many things that can cause this, including a stepper-motor that is faulty and not controlling the idle properly.

The best advice is to have the car scanned for a hardware or sensor fault and proceed from there. But first, try this: With the engine idling and in Drive (and the vibration present) turn off the air-conditioning. If the vibration goes away, it could be that the electronics that detect the extra drag of the air-conditioner and automatically bump up the idle, aren’t working properly.

If you can establish without doubt that the bolts came loose as a result of a manufacturing fault you might have a claim against Ford for the repairs, but if it’s not clear what caused them to come loose you won't have much joy. You could consult the ACCC if you feel you want to pursue Ford for compensation.

There’s nothing to suggest there are any issues with the turbo plumbing on the Territory. The turbo Territory is a rocketship, but it uses a lot of fuel in the pursuit of performance.

Yes, it does

Check the fuses and the connections to the fuse box.