Issues, Issues, Issues!

[sleekism]

Just came back from holidays and have a few issues was wondering if anybody else has suffered them.

1)Before I went away I replaced the brake pads because the brakes were squealing and was annoying. It worked for a while but now they have started to squeal again. Bad disc???

2)Either the exhaust has got quiter or the transmission louder because now I can hear a whirring sound like what the car sounded like before I got the exhaust put on.

3)While on holidays the car bottomed out and put a nasty dent in the rear muffler. It could be a coincidence but now the exhaust makes a strange droning noise between certain revs.

4)On occasion the car won't start first go. Or it will sound like only one or two cylinders are firing and then they all come on board for the party.

5)WTF happened to my LCD readout thingamob?? I can't read the range or fuel consumption anymore.

6)Looking under the front of the car there where there is that rubber boot with the shaft running to the front wheel there is oil leaking from it.

7)On occasion when braking from high speed the front end will shake violentally to the point that even that you can REALLY feel it.

Cheers!

[BOON250]

Originally Posted by sleekism

Just came back from holidays and have a few issues was wondering if anybody else has suffered them.

1)Before I went away I replaced the brake pads because the brakes were squealing and was annoying. It worked for a while but now they have started to squeal again. Bad disc???

2)Either the exhaust has got quiter or the transmission louder because now I can hear a whirring sound like what the car sounded like before I got the exhaust put on.

3)While on holidays the car bottomed out and put a nasty dent in the rear muffler. It could be a coincidence but now the exhaust makes a strange droning noise between certain revs.

4)On occasion the car won't start first go. Or it will sound like only one or two cylinders are firing and then they all come on board for the party.

5)WTF happened to my LCD readout thingamob?? I can't read the range or fuel consumption anymore.

6)Looking under the front of the car there where there is that rubber boot with the shaft running to the front wheel there is oil leaking from it.

7)On occasion when braking from high speed the front end will shake violentally to the point that even that you can REALLY feel it.

Cheers!

5) bulb blown behind LCD readout

6) leaking steering rack (join the club mine is too) The shaft is the inner tie rod or rack end.

7) discs warped. need skimming but most likely need replacement. That will probably fix your squealing issue too.

[FGII-XR6]

Originally Posted by BOON250

7) discs warped. need skimming but most likely need replacement. That will probably fix your squealing issue too.

before you do the rotors read this http://www.dba.com.au/2006/techdocs/T026.asp

[blackers10]

4) give the throttlebody a clean with some throttlebody/carby cleaner
and also remove and clean and refit the ISC valve (the thing bolted to the side of the throttle body)

3)the guts of the muffler is probably separated from the outside and is just vibrating
or you have a small hole in your exhaust joins (check around the flanges)

2) did this occur before or after the hit ??

[sleekism]

Originally Posted by blackers10

4) give the throttlebody a clean with some throttlebody/carby cleaner
and also remove and clean and refit the ISC valve (the thing bolted to the side of the throttle body)

3)the guts of the muffler is probably separated from the outside and is just vibrating
or you have a small hole in your exhaust joins (check around the flanges)

2) did this occur before or after the hit ??

2)It happened heaps after the hit. When I originally got the car the transmission was loud and clunky but then I changed the fluid and it ran like a charm. My guess is perhaps new fluid but I only changed it 10,000 kays a go but then I regularly give the car a workout.

Thanks everybody for your help. My mechanical background is in dirt bikes so a lot of things about cars I'm not sure about. Cheers!

[MADED-6]

yeah my trip computer is stuffed aswell is it easy to change the globes behind there or not?
and everybody else seems to have helped u here.
cheers josh.

[blk_frmnt]

Originally Posted by sleekism

Just came back from holidays and have a few issues was wondering if anybody else has suffered them.

1)Before I went away I replaced the brake pads because the brakes were squealing and was annoying. It worked for a while but now they have started to squeal again. Bad disc???

2)Either the exhaust has got quiter or the transmission louder because now I can hear a whirring sound like what the car sounded like before I got the exhaust put on.

3)While on holidays the car bottomed out and put a nasty dent in the rear muffler. It could be a coincidence but now the exhaust makes a strange droning noise between certain revs.

4)On occasion the car won't start first go. Or it will sound like only one or two cylinders are firing and then they all come on board for the party.

5)WTF happened to my LCD readout thingamob?? I can't read the range or fuel consumption anymore.

6)Looking under the front of the car there where there is that rubber boot with the shaft running to the front wheel there is oil leaking from it.

7)On occasion when braking from high speed the front end will shake violentally to the point that even that you can REALLY feel it.

Cheers!

so it was an enjoyable holiday then!?

[EvilChief]

#1 $ #7 are related.

get ur disc skimmed (if not already underseized). when changing pads, the rotors should always be skimmed.also you can get a compound that applies to the back of the pads that reduces squeeling

[aussiblue]

The leaking rack and/or loose rack mounts can also cause the steering judder; what is power steering fluid level like? Also check the steering rack is not loose - have someone swing the steering wheel back and forth while you watch the rack to ensure it doesn't move.

[aussiblue]

Also note while warped disk are the most common cause of steering judder on braking it is unlikely to be the cause of the squeal.

All brakes make a noise; it's just usually at a frequency that the human ear can't hear (think about it; what would you expect placing any friction material against fast spinning steel disk) and eroding it away. That said, the ability to hear the brakes is usually caused by the pads vibrating (although brake pad dust, rough or glazed disks and unsuited pad material can also be contributors).

Ways to fix it are:

a) Use CRC Disk Brake Quiet (pink adhesive goo) available from Repco and most autopart places. This rubbery adhesive goes on the back of the pad (and if you still have them the anti-rattle shims) and in 95% of cases stop the audible squeal from pad vibration. I use it all the time on all 5 of my cars. See http://www.autobarn.net/ch05016.html Try this 1st.



b) If this doesn't work you can cut a radial groove (same direction as if you had spokes in the wheel) in the pad with a hacksaw in the middle of the pad. Cut down to within about 2mm of the backing plate or to the wear limit. You can have two radial cuts if you use a hacksaw or one if you use an angle grinder at slow speed. Most good pads already have a radial groove or cut in the middle of the pad for this reason. This both helps gets rid of squeak causing dust and changes the frequency of that sound so you cannot hear it.

c) Chamfer the leading edge of the pads (the short side) so the angle of incidence with disk is around 45 degrees instead of 90 degrees. Just grind or cut or chisel the corner off the leading edges (just about 5 mm usually). This again both reduces and changes the frequency of the sound.

d) Sand the disks lightly as glazing will make encourage squeaks and squeals.

These fixes will not inhibit the performance of your brakes and are standard Porche & Audi approved remedies. Good brake pads will usually come with the radial cuts and or chamfers.

[aussiblue]

Also attach those anti sqeal shims that Ford fit with the CRC Brake Quiet.

Also read http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/bf80426.htm
and
http://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/bf90318.htm and the links at the bottom of that page

[aussiblue]

A slotted and chamfered pad made that way by the manufacturer but with care you can safely do your own chamfering and radial slotting:

[aussiblue]

Handy pic to show extent of chamfer and slot in pad. http://www.topline.com.my/illustrated_components.html

[RspecAU]

Originally Posted by MADED-6

yeah my trip computer is stuffed aswell is it easy to change the globes behind there or not?
and everybody else seems to have helped u here.
cheers josh.

This is an easy job. I have seen this done b4. Remove the clock to get at the bolt behind it to remove the climate control screen, twist the bulbs 1/4 turn. Look around for the bulb as Ford will charge u about $15 from memory.

Cheers Mark

[aussiblue]

when changing pads, the rotors should always be skimmed

Sorry but I don't agree with that recommendation.

Provided you replace the pads before they exceed the specified pad wear limit, they have no significant run out (check with a dial gauge), you lubricate and maintain the pivot pins correctly etc and you don't use too highly metallised and too abrasive pads and the surface is smooth and parallel (not warped) this shouldn't be required. Routine skimming only wears out the disk prematurely as well as making the disk thinner and thus increasing the risk of warping and even cracking of the disks.

The secret of good brake rotor maintenance is to use good quality pads, change them before they pass the specified wear limit and lubricate with the correct brake lubricants the moving parts (i.e pivot pins) as specified by the manufacturer.

My over 3000,000 km 1980 LC Lancer still has it original unskimmed perfectly working front disks.

Yes many brake shops will automatically skim every time pads are replaced as it is easy to do, most drivers replace the pad too late and it is a way for the shop to routinely deal with warped and worn rotors without the need to do run-out checks etc and it helps prevent return jobs by minimising what might be wrong. It's also a lazy way to deglaze rotors rather than the more labour intensive sanding.

I guess it also means more revenue in terms of charging for skimming and selling new rotors when the skimming means they are too thin and need to be replaced but I know I am just too cynical.

I haven't seen one factory workshop manual or reputable brake text yet including, Ford's factory own workshop manuals, that prescribes skimming as routine brake maintenance. Skimming is only required if the rotors are not smooth and parallel. The main causes of needing skimming are pads that have exceeded the wear limit and too highly metallised or abrasive pads (e.g. the cheaper line of Ferodo Zero) that wear grooves into the rotor or wear the rotor unevenly.

[sleekism]

Originally Posted by blk_frmnt

so it was an enjoyable holiday then!?

If you call 1 grand in petrol over two weeks enjoyable

I always like family gatherings it's like going to a museum of Falcon and Commodore history. There was a dozen cars parked at the olds and all of them were Falcons and Commodores you can't get better than that.

On another note my old XE paddock basher after sitting untouched for a year started first go :

[MADED-6]

sorry to hi jack bt i dont think its just a globe in mine u cant read the numbers theyre all stuff like some parts will show but other wont like it still lights up.
i got told it the circuit board for the l.e.d's all gunked up.
cheers josh.

[aussiblue]

This usually means the little carbon contacts at each side are warped and you need some packing to line them up with the LCD contacts again. If you know your electronics you should be able to repair it yourself but it is fiddly otherwise there is this mob who repair them - Autontronic at http://www.geocities.com/liquidxtal/index.html

[RspecAU]

Originally Posted by MADED-6

sorry to hi jack bt i dont think its just a globe in mine u cant read the numbers theyre all stuff like some parts will show but other wont like it still lights up.
i got told it the circuit board for the l.e.d's all gunked up.
cheers josh.

I'm not sure about that it being a circut board...globes dropping out is quite common in the fairmont but give the globe ago it would have to be cheaper than a circut board.

[aussiblue]

You'll know by the typical symptoms here; http://www.geocities.com/liquidxtal/Symptom.html

If its the globe you will see the faint but complete display from certain angles in certain light if you look hard; if its the display you will see clear but incomplete numerals.