Common Problems with the AU??

[Spurious]

Been there, done that. A little more seriously though!
The 3 lower rear bolts on the inlet are the worst. Unbolting the coil pack & shoving it towards the shock tower helped clear some space, & ratcheting ring spanners are a blessing.

[jauser]

Same as you dinoquad.Me au2 started to miss and wobble on take off,idled fine ,ran fine but put into gear it would play up.Changed the usual suspects,plugs,leads.coil,well the local experienced mechanics did.Then they were saying maybe dirty injectors ,maybe fuel reg.I asked did they check the inlet manifold.All good they said. So I rang the ford wreckers to recommend me a good ford mechanic.Anywho new gasket and it runs like new. took 3 mechanics.3 days without car to get something that turned out fairly simple to fix

[TRAU BLAU]

Fantastic videos FlivverFord.Like you say with the head-bolts having good tools is a big part of the job.Pity they're so expensive.I get my tools from Supercheap which is why I won't tackle anything too big.How many k's had the AU done when you over-hauled the motor?Your lucky you've got a broad-minded Mum for an assistant & doesn't mind you swearing!

[markscottefxr8]

just got a NOS genuine ford AU2 manual pedal box.. OMG no wonder they break, im surprised its lasted as long as it has.. all thats holding the clutch pivot point in are two tack welds. got it for a hell good price as mine is beyond repair but im going to have to remove the paint and at least weld the pin properly and probably put a steal plate either side of it to make sure i never have to deal with clutch pedal issues again.. while im there i might tack another bit of steel to the penetration in the firewall although the firewall issue doesnt seem to be so bad in the series 2s like the e series and series 1 au's.

[Arthurtj]

I have an au11 with instriment cluster problems, already replaced the cluster once but now this second one has gone down the same path, by what I can make out this is a common problem, how do I remedy this problem.
cheers Arthurtj.

[dopeydazza]

Just rolled over to 440,000 in my AU2, getting old, but goes well.
As per usual, blown another bloody headlight globe, those clips are a bastard to put in with the battery box in the way.
Tyres are needing a change, they 1/2 down in 40,000 km or 2 years. does this sound excessive? they are Blue Streak, a generic brand.
Definitely getting a shudder in front when over 80 kph, found a tyre weight on driveway fell off, so leaving till replace tyres next few months when finances are better.
Do have an option on a 2003 BA, checking tomorrow.

[TRAU BLAU]

How long have you had the AU2 dopeydazza?I've had my AU3Wagon for over 4 years with same tyres.

[dopeydazza]

Had the car for 4 years now, bought it when it was 350,500 in November 2010.
Now it is 440,900 as of today.
Bought tyres 2 years ago ah June 2012 or thereabouts.
Already had 2 patches as forever running over crap on the roads causing slow leaks, right front and rear left.
Had a flat June 2012, bought the 4 new tyres (Blue Streak), 2 days later had another flat from a pothole, so new tyre patched.
Not much luck in tyres lately.

[TRAU BLAU]

Wow,that's alot of flat tyres.Years ago vehicles used to get alot of flats but I don't think I've had one for at least 10 years.Bob Jane's seem to do a good deal on tyres & when the Goodyear taranzas need replacing I'll go there.

[2002au]

Just thought I'd make a list of the things that have gone wrong with my xr6..

Owned it for 5 years in June. Had 110,000 on it now around 175.

Albeit some of there are naturally maintenance.

New clutch,
New clutch cables x2
Leaking speedo o ring
Repaired firewall
Clutch spring-snapped
Radiator-leaking
Intake manifold-causing miss
Coil pack,leads & plugs-miss again
Rusted out exhaust
Aerial not working
Belt tensioner-worn bearings

And over the last month replaced the head gasket.
And about to put another radiator as its leaking around plastic tanks again,

And finally the alternator died shortly after I got it running after replacing the head gasket.

[19jacobob93]

Originally Posted by 2002au

Just thought I'd make a list of the things that have gone wrong with my xr6..

Owned it for 5 years in June. Had 110,000 on it now around 175.

Albeit some of there are naturally maintenance.

New clutch,
New clutch cables x2
Leaking speedo o ring
Repaired firewall
Clutch spring-snapped
Radiator-leaking
Intake manifold-causing miss
Coil pack,leads & plugs-miss again
Rusted out exhaust
Aerial not working
Belt tensioner-worn bearings

And over the last month replaced the head gasket.
And about to put another radiator as its leaking around plastic tanks again,

And finally the alternator died shortly after I got it running after replacing the head gasket.

If you manage to pop a head gasket in an AU 6 you are doing something very wrong! Can't rule out the odd lemon though mate.
I've had mine 3 years and 100k and all I've had is that tensioner pulley replaced

[TRAU BLAU]

Originally Posted by TRAU BLAU

Wow,that's alot of flat tyres.Years ago vehicles used to get alot of flats but I don't think I've had one for at least 10 years.Bob Jane's seem to do a good deal on tyres & when the Goodyear taranzas need replacing I'll go there.

Quoting on myself!But not long after saying that I hadn't had a flat for ages I got one.The rear tyre went down fast at 80kph with a piece of fence-wire(prob.my own off-cut)which lacerated the inside of the tyre like confetti.

[pulpist]

Got a headlight, high/low beam on the drivers side of my AU XR6 fading.

Is it a sealed beam , or can I just change the globe/s?

[Maka]

Originally Posted by pulpist

Got a headlight, high/low beam on the drivers side of my AU XR6 fading.

Is it a sealed beam , or can I just change the globe/s?

Yes you can (from my manual) -

1. From the bulb disconnect the dipped beam terminal by depressing the two locking tabs and withdrawing it from its bulb assembly.
2. Disconnect the positive & negative terminals from the parking bulbs.
3. Remove the sealing cap, then release the bulb retainer.
4. Remove bulb from retainer then replace bulb with one with the same wattage.
5. Install socket, dust cap then reconnect electrical terminals & dipped beam terminal.
6. Check operation of light assembly.

Hope this helps, good luck!

cheer's, Maka

[pulpist]

Thanks mate

[TRAU BLAU]

Does anyone know how to stop brake pads/wheel over-heating.I've lubricated the sliding pins on the caliper etc with the recommended grease.Could the rubber sleeves on the pin bolt heads stop them sliding & would it improve heating problems if they are removed?Are soft or hard pads best?

[Maka]

Originally Posted by TRAU BLAU

Does anyone know how to stop brake pads/wheel over-heating.I've lubricated the sliding pins on the caliper etc with the recommended grease.Could the rubber sleeves on the pin bolt heads stop them sliding & would it improve heating problems if they are removed?Are soft or hard pads best?

Hi TRAU BLAU, hows your handbrake adjustment? If its not releasing properly & dragging... heat!

I woudn't remove the dust covers imo at all, they are there also to keep water out on rainy days to protect against corroded pins etc

Here's a quick link with a chart in it about disc pad compounds & effectiveness -

http://www.ebay.com/gds/The-Dos-and-...7322315/g.html

Hope it helps & good luck!

cheer's, Maka

[Silver']

Front or rear?
Sounds like the caliper itself is holding the brakes on. Often the piston will be unable to retract within its bore inside the caliper body but when everything is cold and the metal contracts the wheel still turns freely. If it's only one wheel then look at this, if it's both wheels (or even all four?) then master cylinder is the place to look. Crack a line and if fluid flow out with any pressure at all then it was holding the brakes on - only do that test if you know how to bleed your brakes though.

Fix for a tight caliper is to reco with a kit, but you may need a new piston too.

Really should find the money and have it looked at by a professional.

[Silver']

Originally Posted by Casper

Based on some suggestions from Bucknaked, this thread is to share your experiances with problems that have occured with your AU.

Be them common (like the shock mounts on the IRS models) or not so common (a dead MAP sensor making the car run rich and lose power), share it all here



The problem, the solution, the cost.





This is not a "I have a problem, need advice" thread, it is purely for those that have had a problem, found the cause and got it sorted. These experiances may save us all a lot of time, headaches and money.

The OP is worth a read, we've taken this thread off course somewhat!

[TRAU BLAU]

It's only the front driver side which is getting hot.I'm getting a front pair of pads today because although there's plenty of thickness on them the outside pad is disintegrating in the middle.Probably caused by dragging IMO.But the dust sleeve seemed to developed a twist & possibly sticking & preventing a pin slide.Fair enough about this thread not being a fix/prob.

[madmate]

have a look at the caliper pistons some are made of bakelite it swells and the pads stick on need to replace with steel ones

[Fyrestorm]

Hmm, Suppose I better add my 'cursed' wagon onto this list. (and solutions etc if i can remember)

Pre-Ownership (friend of mine brought it in 2011, i brought it off her in october 2013)

Installed aftermarket LPG. Nothing but headaches since really.
Thermostat replaced at 197,000km. Non-lpg unit originally, replaced with an LPG friendly one. (difference was apparently an extra hole for water flow to stop the converter from freezing, and lowered opening temp.)
Replaced front and rear brake pads at 210,000km (give or take 20,000km)
Starter motor died in 2013, Replaced with brand new unit.
Front window (drivers door) came out of the clips, replaced whole door (somehow easier and cheaper. window was tinted, bonus?) Somewhere in 2012.
Driver's Seat bolts snapped. Base becomes a handy frisbee. Yet to fix (cbf'ed. just need to re-weld or replace seat.) think this happened late 2011.
Standard services (oil, Filters, etc.)

Since I've had it..

Replaced thermostat (had 140,000km on it.) December 2013. $20?
Muffler broke at the second barrel. Dec 2013. broken welds at the barrel, replaced whole middle section. (free, pulled from spare car.)
Jan 2014: Replaced front brake pads and rotors. drivers rotor got chewed by the pads. T2 Rotor's, Bendix pads. ($100 per rotor. Pads $60?)
Changed cluster with fairmont model. Feb 2014. New cluster added 25-30,000km onto odometer (didnt change the chip.)
March 2014: Muffler broke (again!) Snapped the welds at the cat. 330,000km or so on it at the time. Solution: New cat. $250. (forgot about the spare hi-flow i had.)
March 2014: Fuel Pump died the day after the muffler came off for the second time. $50 from wreckers. (didnt work.) Replaced again with another unit when i had the motor out in Feb/March this year (2015) new unit had a faulty sender, re-used old sender. Drove on LPG in the mean time.
Thought i broke the alternator. turns out i was a dumbass and didnt plug the cluster back in. $55 for a second hand one from the wreckers. April 2014 i think.
August 2014: Passenger front ball joint seperated. dropped control arm into brake rotor's. replaced control arm and ball joint. Gotta watch them potholes.
December 2014. Replaced the coil pack. figured 'new' one was in better condition. no differences noticed.
Driver's window did the 'fall off the clips' thing again. ended up pulling the trim off and sikaflexing the crap out of it. had to do it a few times (need to replace the clips, still havn't done that.)
Replaced the flow sensor in the coolant bottle. cant remember when but the light stopped flashing. $15 from wreckers.
Jan 2015: somehow dropped a weight or twisted the driveshaft. didn't notice until the gearbox had alot of issues. still didnt find it until i replaced the shaft with a second one in May.
Feb 2015: Extension case seal and bush blew out, 375,000km (on odometer. about 360,000km on the car.) reco extension case + bush/seal from mechanic. $80.
Feb 2015: Speedo sender failed. Towed to mechanic. (i was late for work.) new sender ~$100 fitted.
Feb 2015: transmission blew completely. sheared the teeth off the torque converter and did something else internally to the gearbox that rendered it totalled. did a total overhaul of motor and gearbox (there's a big list of crap here. It'll be in my build log.)
April 2015: Replaced Radiator top hose (burst.)

I swear there's alot more. Just can't remember what it all is. the Missus could tell me though.

[TRAU BLAU]

Wow that's a lot of maintenance stuff to go wrong in such a short time Fyrestorm!Series 1 eh?Although there's still a lot of them around.Did you get it very cheap & you've done a few k's.The ball joint control arm dropping into the brake rotor sounds real scary & I hope it doesn't happen on my wag.I've had to fix leaking seals,exhaust system etc but*****the gearbox torque converter would have been a big job.

[red_hotxr6]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

Hmm, Suppose I better add my 'cursed' wagon onto this list. (and solutions etc if i can remember)

Pre-Ownership (friend of mine brought it in 2011, i brought it off her in october 2013)

Installed aftermarket LPG. Nothing but headaches since really.
Thermostat replaced at 197,000km. Non-lpg unit originally, replaced with an LPG friendly one. (difference was apparently an extra hole for water flow to stop the converter from freezing, and lowered opening temp.)
Replaced front and rear brake pads at 210,000km (give or take 20,000km)
Starter motor died in 2013, Replaced with brand new unit.
Front window (drivers door) came out of the clips, replaced whole door (somehow easier and cheaper. window was tinted, bonus?) Somewhere in 2012.
Driver's Seat bolts snapped. Base becomes a handy frisbee. Yet to fix (cbf'ed. just need to re-weld or replace seat.) think this happened late 2011.
Standard services (oil, Filters, etc.)

Since I've had it..

Replaced thermostat (had 140,000km on it.) December 2013. $20?
Muffler broke at the second barrel. Dec 2013. broken welds at the barrel, replaced whole middle section. (free, pulled from spare car.)
Jan 2014: Replaced front brake pads and rotors. drivers rotor got chewed by the pads. T2 Rotor's, Bendix pads. ($100 per rotor. Pads $60?)
Changed cluster with fairmont model. Feb 2014. New cluster added 25-30,000km onto odometer (didnt change the chip.)
March 2014: Muffler broke (again!) Snapped the welds at the cat. 330,000km or so on it at the time. Solution: New cat. $250. (forgot about the spare hi-flow i had.)
March 2014: Fuel Pump died the day after the muffler came off for the second time. $50 from wreckers. (didnt work.) Replaced again with another unit when i had the motor out in Feb/March this year (2015) new unit had a faulty sender, re-used old sender. Drove on LPG in the mean time.
Thought i broke the alternator. turns out i was a dumbass and didnt plug the cluster back in. $55 for a second hand one from the wreckers. April 2014 i think.
August 2014: Passenger front ball joint seperated. dropped control arm into brake rotor's. replaced control arm and ball joint. Gotta watch them potholes.
December 2014. Replaced the coil pack. figured 'new' one was in better condition. no differences noticed.
Driver's window did the 'fall off the clips' thing again. ended up pulling the trim off and sikaflexing the crap out of it. had to do it a few times (need to replace the clips, still havn't done that.)
Replaced the flow sensor in the coolant bottle. cant remember when but the light stopped flashing. $15 from wreckers.
Jan 2015: somehow dropped a weight or twisted the driveshaft. didn't notice until the gearbox had alot of issues. still didnt find it until i replaced the shaft with a second one in May.
Feb 2015: Extension case seal and bush blew out, 375,000km (on odometer. about 360,000km on the car.) reco extension case + bush/seal from mechanic. $80.
Feb 2015: Speedo sender failed. Towed to mechanic. (i was late for work.) new sender ~$100 fitted.
Feb 2015: transmission blew completely. sheared the teeth off the torque converter and did something else internally to the gearbox that rendered it totalled. did a total overhaul of motor and gearbox (there's a big list of crap here. It'll be in my build log.)
April 2015: Replaced Radiator top hose (burst.)

I swear there's alot more. Just can't remember what it all is. the Missus could tell me though.

Ok, someone has thrashed this car before you got it, waaaaay too many things wrong with it...must be near new now that you have fixed those items...geeez

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by red_hotxr6

Ok, someone has thrashed this car before you got it, waaaaay too many things wrong with it...must be near new now that you have fixed those items...geeez

Nope. Still runs like dead horse. After replacing the gearbox the shaft kept destroying seals, then the gearbox pan gasket went. Slips like no tomorrow and only has first, second and park (with max rpm in park of 2600rpm)

The tail shaft ($60 from wreckers for the replacement) took 3 seals, bushes, extension cases and a torque converter with it. And probably had something to do with toasting my solanoids in the new box. (Not happy, heavy duty internals throughout and 5psi shift kit. Pretty much all destroyed in less then 5,000km)

Motor still goes hard as hell. Drove it up to my grandparents place to work on (335km away) in second the whole time. Fuel consumption was ****house at best but she sounded damn pretty at 3-4000rpm the whole way there.