xr6tee

This is exactly the same problem I have with my BA MKII XR6T.....it has been there since I bought it new back in 2005. Leave the car sitting for 4 days, come to start it and nothing. I got Ford to check it during the first 3k service interval and at 15k again. Despite throwing all their 'wizardry' at it, they did not find the cause....which does not surprise me by the way. The best they could manage last time is make an excuse that it's probably the TV receiver which I have fitted since. They recommended I remove it before they investigate further. The dumbos could've just pull out the power plug (looking at them) to eliminate it......which by the way I have done myself before I reported it on the second occassion. With such display of intelligence, I knew it would be waste of time to get them more involved and so I have done a bit of my investigation at times when I have not used the car for longer than 4 or 5 days (not that easy when it's your daily transport). Anyway, in my case, the problems exhibit only if the car has been sitting for more than 4 days and then again, some time it may take longer than others. I found that when the battery is flat (even without trying to crank it), the voltage (ie. no current drawn) will register well below 12V...usually around 10V and less if I leave it for more days..so clearly something is draining the battery. I have strong suspicion that it is the car alarm (dealer fitted option) since if the car is not armed, it usually takes considerably longer for the battery to go flat....which it still does but takes more days. I have stopped worrying about this now since the car is not used over the weekend at the most.....which is not enough for the battery to go flat. Anyway, I thought I give this feedback as I was reading this topic. All you guys with this problem....do you have by any chance a car alarm fitted (factory or dealer). It would be interesting if you all do as that could be the culprit......a badly earthed internal component perhaps???

Sure does. That's the characteristic of the camera.

Hi folks, For those of passing interest, few weeks back, I purchased this sub $40 reverse mount camera from ebay with the intention to self-install it in my BA XR6T ....and see just how well it works. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-car-colour-rear...1QQcmdZViewItem Attached are few picks how it looks on my XR and I might add, it seems to do the job just fine. First of all I should mention that I already have a tv tuner integrated with the factory Color LCD and therefore I did not have to worry about the output and/or any additional screen fitting for that matter. As was the case, the tv tuner came with a spare secondary video input waiting to be utilised just for this purpose. :-) For those interested, here's how I went about the installation....but before I go on I should emphasise that I'm not fan of drilling holes into any parts of the body. With that in mind, it made the fitment of the camera somewhat challenging...albeit not impossible. It took me few days to think about it but in the end I decided to securely attach the camera underneath the rear plastic garnish "thingy" (see close photo) with no other alterations to the rest of the car body. This trim piece is easily detached via the four screw nuts on the inside of the boot and seems ideal height for the camera fitment. It was the only body piece that needed drilling of four small holes to attached the camera plus filing off slight tiny notch, on the inside of the garnish, to feed the cable through the boot. One extra hole was also made in the existing rubber grommet that feeds the wires for the rear plate lights. These were the only mods. The rest was feeding the wire through the boot (ie. via the driver's side existing loom feed, then underneath, across the rear parcel to the passenger side. From there, along the existing loom down the rear door sills towards the tv tuner, which in my case sits underneath the passenger seat. Along with the video cable lead, I also ran a red (positive) wire to 'piggy-back' off the tv tuner "+ve" lead. - I wanted the camera to be 'on' not only while reversing but all the time (ie. while there's key in the ignition). Why???....let's just say I also wanted to be able to enjoy the rear view shots on 'occassions';-). There was no wiring close in the boot that I could find with ignition 'on'+12V so the tv tuner +ve lead was the go. On the other hand, the negative lead posed no problemes. I just piggyback off the negative wiring (ie. the black wires) going to the rear number plate lights. I must say, the wiring was a bit fiddly at points but what isn't if you want to have things done properly. Notice that I used a pair of screws and rivets to attach the camera to the garnish. The self-tapping screws make good fasteners while the rivets were used for security. While it's unlikely to deter a vandal, it should be enough to deter anyone silly enough trying to unscrew such a "high cost" (sic.) item. p.s. Sorry I have not taken pictures during the fitting steps as I was busy with few challenges that I faced along the way. Hopefully my explanation above is concise enough for anyone contemplating to do something similar.

As few have already said....location plays a big part but the # of claims specific to make must be also a contributing factor. I'm 39 now and with RACV...well until now as I'm weighing my options for the following reasons. I bought my BA MKii XR6T new in 2005 and it was insured with RACV for $860, the next year it went up to $916 and now that my insurance is due again, they are asking for $1012. I have been on rating one for well over 10 years, never had a claim nor any speeding offences. The only justification I got from RACV representative for the increased premium on a two-year old car now was that there have been number of claims for this "particular make" and therefore the insurance had to go up by another $100 in one year....full stop. Obviously I'm not thrilled with this kind of service from an insurance that I have been loyal for almost 15 years and never have even placed a claim. I expected a better treatment than just being 'thrown into one bag' I'm still not sure what I will do but most likely I will ask my father to insure the car in his name and nominate me as the primary driver. He's in mid 60's, drives BA MKii XR8 and his insurance is ony $760.....and did I mention that he's not with RACV?

No good. It seems to be the age thing that goes against you. Apparently once you pass 40, you can comfortably get $150-200 of again. I tried BudgetDirect and they wanted $950. I even I called AAMI directly as was suggested and the best they could do for me was $990 with $500 excess. Also it would be insured for a market value of only $34,000.....and that was for MKII T with barely 9000km and the following factory options: 18inchers, Leathers/Premo Sound with subbie, tints, tbar, tints and alarm.....I did not even bother telling them about the DVD/TV setup integrated with the colored LCD >:-\. So, I'm back with RACV for another year and hope that the pricks don't sting me another $70 biggies next year. Thanks to everyone that replied and offered suggestions p.s. Whatever you do with your T's just make sure you don't crash them in Donvale ...... as that has apparently also lot to do with premiums moving up.

hmmm....I also had water on the passenger side when I got my car ...new, last year. When I took it back to Ford, they hinged it up and showee where the drain hole is...real bitch to get to. It's way above the bellhousing for sure. Mine was not blocked and I never found out how the water got there. I still drive my car with the passenger side floor trimmings off (since new!!!) and check from time to time under the carpet/felt...when it rains heavily, when aircon is used etc.....but so far, not a drop. I only noticed some waterdrops when I hosed it heavily around the Windscreen/vent area but you would never expect that much water under normal circumstances. Anyway back to the issue, the Ford mechanics at the time told me that some early BAs (..and yours could be a candidate) had the drainage pipe blocked due to little cross-piece (aiding in manufacturing process) but that shold have been cut off/removed. May be there's still a little piece/flange of this left in the tubing of yours that has become clogged overtime. Good luck and hope you'll find the cause.

Sorry to be a bore on this one but hopefully the replies generated will benefit others in my age bracket. I'm 38 yrs and got my insurance renewal on my XR6T 2005. Last year it cost me $860 with standard excess, rating A1 etc. I'm with RACV and I have never had any claims since I have been with them for 14 years now. To my surprise, the renewal I got was not for $917 which is $60+ jump on the last year....and on a car that's one year older and a market value which will obviously be lower now than last year. Anyway...being surprised by this increase I contacted RACV to justify it and their reply was that it's most likely because there may have been more insurance claims in the suburb that I live in...which is outer eastern (Train zone 2 in Mexico). ....so to cut the story short, I'm trying to look for insurance that can at least stay the same....and that appears not to be easy even for the 38 yr old. I tried AAMI online and got $990 quote. Then I was hoping Budget Direct would do me a good deal as my father (in his 60's, same suburb) has his BA XR8 insured with them for under $750....what a deal, hey? I thought they will have no worries to do me one for under $900 but to my surprise theirs is still more than the RACV renewal. So unless someone can suggest better deal, I guess I will be at the 'mercy' of RACV for at least another year. ....damn, smaller insurance premium must be one of few things to look forward to as one gets older.....I suppose.

Just wondered if anyone is using it. Based on the claims (The Jaguar Mag swears by it...see link) it is supposed to drastically reduce the 'wear and tear' in engine and gearbox components (not sure about the limited slip diff though) while saving on fuel bills (don't we all need it right now???) ....may be even increase the horsepower due to reduced friction...at least that's how the claim goes. http://www.jaguarmagazine.com/website/link...nditioner.shtml Furthermore as this is no oil additive....meaning it will not chemically react with oil, it should not affect the oil characteristics...... which is crucial I would think. At about $60 for every 50,000k's or so, it might not be a bad idea. Anyone used it yet? The only person I know personally is my father who also put it into his BA XR8. Previously he had been using it for long time in his EL-XR8 as he noted marked improvements overall in all areas....particularly in cold engine starts.

Mike, I don't have one myself so I'm not the best person to comment but since I mentioned it in the first place here it goes...in layman's terms: Edit: A 'black box' device (about Au$900) with up to three different tunes (standard or custom which cost additional $) cabable of changing the ECU characteristics on the T. You just hook it into the ECU socket and in couple of minutes you can upload a different tune suitable to your requirements (ie. performance/economy/best of both). Ofcourse this box also allows you to store the factory tune for obvious reasons....we all know what they are but if you're not sure, just check other threads on 'Edit'...suffice to say, having your car 'edited' is apparently virtually undetectable to Ford service folk...although that is somewhat also debatable based on other users' feedback on this forum. Unless you're also looking for better all round driveability (based on other members claims) going the 'edit path' just for the sake of saving on 'fuel bills' is probably not the solution. I hope other members with edit and personal experiences in using them for fuel savings (anyone?) can provide some constructive feedbback.

Yeah, No good news on this topic.. Usually I only drive my T (unmodded) close to the station so the engine hardly gets warm and I'm lucky if it gets 16L/100k. It's typically around the 16.4L/100k mark. Mine's 05MKII, 6sp man and has done just 8,600km. Sorry, but that's the price you pay for big/heavy performance orientated car. The fact that the T's need more RPM on board for pulling power at lower speeds than the NA's doesn't help either. :-( Some board members comment that you can have various edit modes where one is purely for performance (ie. best fuel/don't care much about the fuel consumption) while the other is for saving $$ on fuel bills (ie. calibrated for less expensive fuel/better mileage). As you don't plan to mod, I guess not an option either :-(

Hi guys, friend of mine handed me a pamphlet from the 'United' fuel dep where the new 'Plus ULP' is being promoted as a new 95 octane fuel, enhanced with 10% ethanol. It claims to boost performance as well as having cleaning effect on the car's fuel system as the ethanol helps the other components in petrol burn more completely. There is a link listed as http://www.fcai.com.au/ethanol where you can find whether your vehicle is suitable or not for this kind of fuel. Having a quick look it implies that the XR6T is able to use this fuel but it makes me a bit suspicious because performance cars such as Porsche do not have single model that can take this fuel...but then again BMW and Mercedes (even the Rolls) are fine. My 'baby' is really spoiled. Since new it has never seen anything but BP's Ultimate but given the way fuel prices are going these days, I wonder if this stuff can bd used without any detriment. It certainly seems easier on the pocket (it is even cheaper than regular unleaded) and is supposed to give high performance....not to mention being friendlier to the environment - if you want to believe the booklet. Too good to be true? Anyone knowledgeable to comment? Can this do more harm than good in the longer term?

Thanks for the replies so far. It looks like the more expensive oil filters are justified from what has been said so far.

Hi guys, had a call from mate of mine who had his Falcon EA S in service recently. ...well, it used to be mine actually before I bought the XR6T. I have always changed oil and filters religiously and the car has always run great (it has close to 250K on the clock) He took it to garage as he noticed the valves have been making ticking noises and he was told that this could be due to the oil filter being fitted. Apparently he should have been fitting oil filter that has the built-in valve to stop the oil flowing out of it once the engine stops so when you start the engine when cold, the oil does not have to be pumped back into the filter and thus it's kinder on the engine when cold. I suppose that makes sense. Now, how does that related to XR6T? As most of you probably know, Ford has been using the venerable Z9 filter for yonk years and the same filter is used in the XR6Ts......in fact in any 6cyl Falcon for as long as I can remember. For those in the know, my question is: Are there two different types of the Z9 filter? (ie one with the valve fitted and the other without one?). If this is the case, then that could posibly justify the price differences between various brands on the market. One would hope that the highper priced Z9s are fitted with this so called oil retaining valve while the cheaper ones aren't. I would hate (unwittingly) to hurt my 'pride and joy' by fitting an inferior oil filter but by the same token, I don't want to pay more if all the Z9 filters are exactly the same in this regard. I hope that someone on the forum can comment on this and clears this up, not just for me but for many XR6T owners who may be concerned just like I am.

Nasty #3 - update : I have not been giving myself too many chances but surprise, surprise I just got the call from the dealer that the whole Premo Sound system unit has been delivered to them and I'm booked for the changeover on Thursday. This is really surprising...one dead pixel and I'll be ending up with a completely new premo unit (apparently about one hour's work to have it replaced). Nasty #2 - ....I almost feel not to bother about the subwoofer as it's probably not that good anyway. For those who have their rear mid centre subie replaced, what did you end up buying (approx cost???), are you happy with it and was it a direct replacement without any further mods? Thanks for any feedback.

...amp and sub for $200 - $300??....but the factory amp is already there, just the subwoofer is missing. But I get the idea now. It should have been there in the first place. Someone either f*** up or someone just borrowed it indefinitely

Thanks for all your replies. It sounds like I was just brushed off on the phone. Yeah, I have the factory LCD color screen as I had also fitted a TV Tuner and it comes up pretty good - see my other post if interested. Now having the amp and not sub??? Yeah I thought that is a bit strange...but these days that's how manufacturers make money....having options on options....doesn't look like that's the case here. Some of you tend to indicate that the factory 'subeee' is nothing to rave about. Provided the rest of the system stay standard, what type of money would I be looking to get one that will still fit into the standard area and provide more decent performance. I'm not really after the best of the best but something in the midrange that's reasonable and still 'fits like a glove' with the rest.

ok folks, here's more feedback on my original nasties. #1: On Sunday I removed some of the plastic trim from the passenger floor and lifted the carpet + plus the felt (not really a felt as such but a rubbery like compound) to have it all dried up. Sunday Melbourne weather was great so it all dried up in about 4 hours. Once dry, I locked the car and gave it good hosing around the windscreen area but no matter how hard I've tried, I did not notice any water coming inside...which has given me some confidence. The aircon drainage being blocked seemed like the next plausible cause and as mentioned, this morning I had the car at the dealership and we looked underneath (I must say, even when hoisted up, it's a real b***h to even see the drainage hole as it's high up just.... above the g'box). It was all clear however on my car. According to the mechanic, on some cars the rubber-like drainage hole has a 'cross like section' (part of manufacturing process) which is supposed to be cut out but on some cars this is left in and consequently the water flow becomes restricted....anyway this so that you know. Well, that makes me wonder how the water got in. May be during the assembly....the mechanic mentioned....but this would be going back as far as March (date of manufacture) ..and I guess there would be smell. To me this looks fresh..but I can't discount this possibility either as there's not much to decay on the rubbery underlay. ...In the end, I have decided to keep driving with the carpets lifted for a month or so and will be checking the area whenever I use the air/heater or when it's pouring rain. Bit of an iconvenience but I rather if I find the cause - so #1 nasty...stay tuned ;-) Nasty #2: I have asked this question again in a separate post since Ford was inconclusive whether or not it should have been fitted in the first place but from what you folks say, it should have been there so I will hit the dealer again on this one. Not that it would break my bank if I had to get one but it's the principle and the fact that I bought a brand new car for which I paid premium. Nasty #3: Oh yes, the 'live' pixel. Now this one really surprised me. I was not giving myself too many chances (and I still don't) but after showing this to the mechanic, he acknowledged the problem (the green pixel is quite visible, especially against the black background) and has placed order for a whole new sound unit...yeah, they can't just replace the screen but the whole sound system incl. the 6-cd stacker. Note that I say 'placed' the order, which means that someone high up will still have to approve it....... I sort of argued that now I have the tv tuner, it can get rather annoying...in particular on a small screen like that. .......so I'll just wait and see. Either they come back and ask me to book the car for replacement or I'll get the familiar 'it's within the norms'. Thank you to all of you who provided some feedback for me on this thread.

Hi, I have a question for those owners who got thier cars optioned wit the 250w Premium Sound System...as it is called. Basically I would like to know whether the subwoofer (ie. fitted under the back window parcel area) is an optional item with this system or whether it should come as standard. All those who ordered the 'premo sound' (not the lux pack though) have you been specifically asked during the initial purchase whether you want the subwoofer as well? Reason I'm asking is that mine never got fitted.... which according to someone that works at Ford, it should have but when I enquired about this with my dealer I was told that it's an optional item. Apparently only the Lux Pack cars (ie. Fairmonts get it as standard) for all others it's an optional item even with the premo sound. Hope there are enough people on the forum that can clarify this for me. Regardless, if I had to have one fitted, what approx would I be looking for in $'s for one of equivalent quality (or better) that fits the back parcel opening. Thanks in advance

Hello folks, This is my first post and therefore a bit of background about myself. I have been regularly visiting this forum for almost one year now but I've only joined in September....shortly after taking the delivery of MKII XR6T (velocity in color, 18in wheels, premo sound, leather seats and the minor bits like scuff plates, mudspats, lower grille etc.). So far the car has been real joy but today I uncovered few nasties that I feel compelled to share with you. Today, I've had the car fitted with a DVD player and TV receiver which integrate quite nicely with the existing Color LCD of the 'premo' sound system. For those interested, I found the system on ebay and contacted the seller. Falcon BA DVD Conversion Kit After number of queries, we struck a deal which also included the installation. You see, Joe happens to have close contacts in the right places and posseses internal knowledge on the workings of the Ford sound system. He also happens to be in Melbourne (...just like me) so there was not much hesitation on that side either. Add to that that he has done it at least half a dozen of times....only last week to one of the very first BF F6s (with 6sp auto)....surely a member here? ;-) ...and there's no warranty voidance...so why bother risking it yourself? I have to say that Joe has done the job well and above my expectations and he was also the one that uncovered those nasties for me. Nasty #1: During the installation he discovered large amount of water underneath the carpet on the passenger side. As reported by other members, this is most likely due to blocked aircon drainage hose but I do not discount water leaks from the outside either. Melbourne had a wild weather last night and I just happened to leave it outside...so leakage around some seals is a possibility (I just hope not). - At that point I was straight on the phone to Etheridge Ford Service department and the car is booked for early Monday morning. The service rep did not sound entirely surprised. He told me that it's most likely the blocked aircon drainage hose (yes, I had the aircon on last night for demisting)..... or less commonly the heating element/pipes leaking. Apparently some early examples occasionally had those problems..... but mine is Mar 2005 built....not that early I would think. I have had no damp smell in my car so it must have just happened. One other thing I want to point out is that you cannot feel it right on the carpet at all. The water is well down on the metal floor and one has to undo few screws, uncover the carpet and lift the felt to get down on the metal. Nasty #2: Missing the rear subwoofer. I should have picked this up but I have not paid too much attention to the stereo as I was waiting for this installation to happen first....and even then I would've probably thought it's optional. Apparently it comes standard either with the premo or the prestigious sound systems so I will be enquiring about that too. Nasty #3: I just discovered this one a short while ago. There's a very bright spot on the screen at one point. Coming from IT this tells me it's a bad pixel (not "dead" but always "turned on"). On large LCDs one or two dead/bad pixels are usually acceptable but the inbuilt color LCD is quite small and at times this is quite annoying. I just wondered whether anyone else have noticed any bad pixels on their color screens....look closely for very bright or black spots. - Now, I wonder what are my chances of having it replaced as well? In comparison these are relatively minor issues to what others have experienced with their T's but nevertheless worth mentioning. Yep, I have the driveline clunk and 'gear purring'....but it seems the majority of you (manual owners) have these too. Wish me luck on Monday.