walkerstreet

As much as I hate the quality of service I've received in the past from Ford: I must give them this: the original transmission was a ZF German transmission. Obviously it had problems and maybe the Germans cut corners on quality too. Let's hope the new transmission not only looks different from under the car but is better quality. The Ford service guys were muttering about being invoiced from ZF and that "it wasn't our problem". Walker

Just got it back from Ford. The problem's fixed. They told me they replaced the transmission and the "oil cooler" (I didn't speak to the mechanic, so he wasn't more specific). I looked under the car, and panel under the transmission is completely different. The car seems to change down from third to second less in manual mode (which is a good thing). I suspect this problem has been creeping up for a while because I got the impression the car drives better than it ever did. Thanks for all your info, Walker

Thanks guys, It sounds like I don't need to get the radiator replaced, is that right (sorry I'm not much of a mechanic)? Walker

Hi everyone, My BFII XR6 Turbo's been at the dealer for over a week and a half now. They're waiting on a new automatic transmission to come from interstate. It had started to shudder and creak, rocking the whole cabin, at ordinary speeds (anywhere from 20km/hr up to highway speeds). If you changed gears, or accelerated, you'd feel the car rock through the leg that was planted on the throttle. Sometimes there was a crunching sound. I'm not mechanically minded, but is this what they call "driveline shunt"? The mechanics at Ford found water in the ZF 6 speed auto transmission, which had basically stuffed the internals of the transmission. It's been put down as a manufacturing fault (the car is just over a year old) and being fixed under warranty. A friend of mine had the exact same diagnosis for his car (at the same dealer). He has a BF Fairmont Ghia with a ZF 6speed transmission. I've heard of driveline shunt being a problem with BF's and the new FG. Is it the ZF that's at fault? Don't get me wrong, driving with the ZF is the best thing since sliced bread. But could there be a problem with a percentage of them? Penny for your thoughts guys? Thanks ..... Walker.

3 drained batteries later ... After 2 days in the Ford dealership, they can't find any problem. If it drains again, I'll get a new battery. If it that doesn't work, I'll leave it with a private auto-electrician. Maybe I'll end up trying a battery isolator... or maybe a special device advertised on the web that can start a car by plugging into the cigarette lighter (or is that risky for the car electrics?) And at a last resort ... sink the thing in the nearest river .... Seriously though I love that car! Any ideas?

Hi everyone, For 2 nights in a row, my XR6T's battery's drained overnight. The car is almost new (January 2007 build date). There are no lights left on and the NRMA guys reckon its something malfunctioning in the car's electrical system, not the battery. Has anyone had this happen to their XR6T and if so: what was causing it? My car is a BF MKII Jan 07 6 Speed auto. Cheers, Walker

Hi all, I'd like to do a quarter mile or go to a race track. You need an "approved helmet". Do you guys have any recommendations on a good helmet or a good brand? Cheers, Walker

Thanks for all your advice guys. I got an official reply from WSI Dragway which basically gives me the green light to enter my car! " The web site needs a major update and hopefully in the near future that will happen. The ownice is all on your shoulders in regards to you entering your leased car at any street meet held here at WSID. Although you must realize that if you have an incident on the racing surface no insurance policy will cover the cost of repairs. Although you sign an indemnity form as a competitor this is for you as a competitor only. " Good news!

The dragway wants an ANDRA license and logbook if I don't have a rego number (current registration).

Hi all, Has anyone tried entering a dragway or track with a leased vehicle registerd a state government agency? I pay my car's lease and have a 100% right to private use. However the car is registered as being owned by a state government department. I'd like to do a quarter mile at the Western Sydney International Dragway (WSID). However the WSID website says you need written permission to do it from the registered owner, specifying the date to be used. I think it would be a complex and laborious process to get permission from the department. Any tips or experiences with this? Cheers, Walker

Hi everyone, It sounds from the responses like my 'thud' is a normal feature of the car because everyone is getting it. The thud thud thud problem XF Falcon describes doesn't sound the same as my thud. My thud is a smooth sounding event with no scraping sound. I like the sound of the ABS pump theory over the climate control theory. Either way it's normal and no real hassle. Not worth taking to Ford by the sound of things. Cheers, Walker

Hi all, I have a 6 month old BF Mk II 6 speed ZF auto. It goes really well. I just wanted to ask you guys if its normal for a mild dull thud to occur coming from the front of the vehicle when slowly rolling the car forward a few metres after starting. It seems to occur shortly after turn right or left at full lock the most often. It sounds like an air vent (or valve) shutting. It is mild and I usually don't care much about it. It has zero effect on driving the car. My wife however got concerned. It might be coming from the left of the driver in front (somewhere near the engine or turbo or wheels?). Anyone hear of this. Is it normal? All the best, Walker

Blonk ...Was that thread you mentioned by F6 UTE posting "Quick Times ..." (in a manual)? He reckons you shouldn't upshift with the revs higher than 4500rpm to get the quickest time? Walker

Thanks again guys, I'll be the first to admit I'm new to the world of cars that can go fast. The only 3 cars I've ever owned and regularly driven were extremely sluggish at best, at that's what I'm used to: 1) Honda Civic 1973 1.2L 4 speed Semi-Automatic 50Kw 2) Ford Laser 1992 1.6L 4speed Auto 67Kw 3) Toyota Camry 1994 4 cylinder 2.2L 4speed auto 89Kw Now: XR6T BF MkII, ZF 6speed auto. When I first heard the straight six growl at somewhere over 3500rpm, I thought of Scotty from Star Trek, yelling "Cap’n... she canna take any more. She’s gonna blow!". Barry, I thought if I were going flat out, I'd best have it in performance (sports) auto mode. Doesn't the car shift a little later (I.e. higher rpms) in that mode so the shift points are closer to rev limit? Or is it that someone new to an XR6T like me should be shifting a little earlier than performance auto? Cheers, Walker

Boom: I just wanted some advice on driving the car. How old are you? Mildman: It sounds like you can take it up to 180km/h in 3rd. Barry: I'll try performance auto mode when I get a chance. Thanks guys. Walker