SJW

Yes, well I am glad I prompted some spirited discussion. A lot of the speculation is correct. The SV6 was not purchased for speed ( who would ever think to do that ?? ). As I said in my first post, I already miss the acceleration and turbo kicking in. The reason for the purchase was that I felt the car handled better and was more direct in the steering which I preferred. I wanted to avoid a direct comparison, cause doing that on a ford site is bad form. I did however want to give feedback on the car in case there were others contemplating a similar move. I hope I have helped anyone in this regard. The decision was relatively economic. While I while still feel the depreciation factor, it is higher with a new car allowing for a greater tax claim with a new car than the existing T that I had. The running costs and insurance is lower and as I already said, I like the way the car feels to drive. I also don't have a performance excess on insurance which really sucked if you needed to have minor items fixed under insurance. The small factor of a 10% dicount from Expensive Daewoo due to my employment was a factor as well. However, you all know that the acceleration and turbo is what makes the XR6's great, no arguments there. So rather than purchase the current BF and have trouble selling in a couple of years when the orion comes out, I have positioned myself nicely for the new release so I can use the SV6 for a trade or sale when the twin turbo Orion is available. The theory or relativity would also apply here, driving a Late model camira for a couple of years will make the turbo seem even better. So anyway, thanks for your kind words and you are correct, I will be back one day. Cheers

Thanks lads, Like I previously said, it wasn't about speed or comparing the cars directly. Merely offering feedback in case it helps anyone. I can absolutely see myself coming back, the bigger picture is the Orion in a couple of years once the bugs have been worked out of the new model. Until that time, I will explore new horizons.

Hello, Firstly, thankyou for the great website, community assistance, tips and tricks to help me enjoy my Turbo. Sadly after 4 years, it has been sold as I needed to get a newer car that was under warranty. After much number crunching regarding upfront costs and running costs, I have purchased a VE Late model camira SV6. This post is not to debate the pro's and cons of either car, but for those of you considering the same or similar move and wondering if purchasing or upgrading to the the current Turbo is for you, I wanted to share with you some feeback on the commodore. Firstly, it drives better. The balance in the Late model camira means sharper and more precise cornering. The 5 speed auto is better than the 4 speed auto I had in the T, but I didnt have the chance to test drive the 6 speed auto, so can appreciate that that would be smoother again. The running costs are obvioulsy lower, as is my insurance and excess. The seat comfort is not as good as the Turbo as the Ford seems to have nicer sculpted drivers seat. The trip computer has more options, but the auto lights on and off is driving me crazy already. Also bad luck if red is not your favourite colour, cause every interior dash light is red of some description. To summarise the whole thing, the Late model camira handles better than the Turbo, but the Turbo is greater on acceleration and torque ( I miss it already ). The ultimate car would have the handling of the current Late model camira and the engine of the current turbo with the 6 speed transmission. Hope this helps someone. If the rumours of the twin turbo prove to be true, then I will see you in a couple of years. Thanks

I had the same thing after my last service. After much searching, it turned out the new fuel filter was leaking under pressure only. The leaked petrol casued the smell throughout the car. It was a simple fix, the new fuel filter was put together properly, but the hose coming off it was not relaly pushed hard on to the filter. To see if this is your problem, leave your cur running and look at about thepassenger side fron door for any drips of petrol. Hope this helps. SJW

Alright then. Anyone know where I could get this bolt drilled out ? Approximate costs as well ? Any help is appreciated.

Another picture (borrowed from another forum member that was highlighting a different issue ) , the bolt is the one in the red circle ( with the big red arrow pointing to it ) lol The bolt is still in there, but it is missing the head of the bolt, so can't just get a new one to replace. There has been no noticeable loss of power, so turbo seems to be operating at full efficieny. Is it worth it to have it drilled out and replaced ?

Hi, I am in the process of selling my car and thought I would do the right thing and have everything checked out. I was looking around the engine and noticed that one of the bolts near the turbo was "missing". It actually looks like it was over tightened and the top of the bolt has snapped off. Which is sort of annoying, but looking at the position and use of the bolt, I think it only serves as a support. Can anyone confirm this, I have found a picture of the actual bolt I am talking about. Please refer the attached picture. Cheers SJW

Still, I would have used the money to buy a supermodel for your birthday. If you were in India, you could have brought a whole Bollywood set to do your bidding. Man.... your old now , I'm just "experienced" ... lol P.S Haven't been able to sell the car yet... still negotiating with tyre kickers.

Pffft. Dolly Parton must sound really good now. With all those button and dials, I paid the guys to install the ejector seat option in one of the buttons at random. Should be a great "funniest home video" option. P.S All that money could have brought you a supermodel for an hour.

When cruising , there are 2 sounds you don't want to hear 1. Police Sirens 2. A child vomiting in the back seat Happily, we didn't experience number 1 , but got a great amount of Item 2 for a pleasant drive home. Thanks to the guys for the clean up help.

Jack, I am a broker and can confirm you have received good advice. For the loan amount you seeking, Bankwest offers the best rate of 6.65% as well as Heritage Building Society and Homeloans Ltd. The lower the rate , the less interest you pay and the more money stays in your pocket ( or to buy a new car .... lol ) Aussie loan selection software is above the industry average and has worked in this case to idenify the right loan for you. Good luck. If you ever want to confirm your loan in the future ( or any other forum member ) , then send me an email - [email protected] and I will assist for free ( like any good broker should ). Cheers Simon (SJW)

I got 55,000 from the original dunlops, would have had another 10K in them , but the softening of the the front springs made the alignment out on the front causing uneven wear. So while all other tyres were fine, the front insides were down to the bone. Only found it by accident one day when I parked on full lock, might be something to check. The best the tyre dealer had seen was 68,000 from the dunlops. And no, there was no sedate driving involved and the I'm in brisbane. Went with the same dunlops SP3000a's as they did well the first time around. For $200 a corner, not bad value.

Yes , coming up to 2 years old now.

Lads & Ladies, Today I drove to the gold coast (from Brisbane), I would have started my car about 6 times after various appointments. Stopped for lunch and went to start the car again, and nothing. Not even enough power to put down the windows. Did the usual ring Ford ( after checking the car was in park - lol ), They sent the RACQ. The battery was so dead, there was no luck jump starting. The whole battery was to be replaced for $120. Not covered under warranty after 12 months. The weird thing here is that there was no warning, the alternator is working fine. The RACQ presumed the cells in the battery separated causing extreme lack of power. Thought I would share this with you all as it was fortunate I was in a populated area. Would have been crap if it happened on a road trip somewhere. I am curious, anyone else had this happen to them ?

Hello, Just want to check that I did not overpay for this service. 45,000 kilometre scheduled service Labour : $252 Parts : $48.73 POL : $52.50 Misc: $16.18 ( globe needing replacing on fog lamp ) Total $406.35 Is this a fair price , what have you been charged for the same service.??? Mine was done at Bryan Byrt Ford at Mansfield QLD.

I found this interesting , as it could have easily been me getting pinged for this. I drive the same road form Bris to Gold Coast twice a day and am guilty of occasionally putting the foot down to either get there faster , or after being held up in the right lane by a slow moving vehicle. I agree the 4 lane, 110 limit is conducive to faster speeds, but you are fighting a losing battle to win this one. Plead guilty for the 140Kmh , say sorry to the policeman for arguing, respect the judge and you may come out better than arguing it. The moment you decided not to use your cruise control and race, you run the risk of the penalty. You now need to accept it . ( Yes I know that sucks ) I have seen all manner of undercover police cars, from utes to station wagons. Numerous speed camera's. and the old favourite , the coppers with radar guns sitting in the emergency turn lanes ( they are my favourite , I like to wave at them ... just seem to only use one finger .... lol ) Please post with the outcome of the case, as I may need to use it someday.

No sense of direction , hey I had a 50/50 shot of getting it right . It just happened to be left and not right ..... lol Sorry to the other 6 behind that I led astray. You will be happy to know that we realised the mistake and turned around after a couple of K's....... Cheers SJW

This is the response from Ford regarding my query to the service cost : **************** Thank you for your e-mail to Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited. In relation to servicing issues, we advise that repair work carried out under your instruction by the Service Department of each Ford Dealer is warranted by the Dealer involved. Accordingly, Ford Motor Company of Australia Ltd does not maintain any record of such work and therefore any concerns that may arise need to be directed to the Service Manager of the dealership concerned. The Ford Dealership involved is an independent company and it has full autonomy over the charges of labour rates for services on Ford vehicles. Ford Motor Company of Australia Ltd, is committed to providing the highest level of products and services to our customers as well as continually improving the level of owner satisfaction. Our Dealer network plays a large part in this and your feedback assists us in ensuring that our commitments are being met at all times. We trust that this clarifies our standing and thank you for the opportunity to review this matter and advise you on this regard. **************** I think they avoided the issue very well, but clarifies that the dealers can charge whatever they want, so it pays to shop around. I,m not sure of what oil was used, but it must be twice as good as last time because it cost twice as much.

OK, total cost was $343.35. Broken down as follows: Labour - $176.00 Parts - $28.95 Oil - $94.50 Misc - $12.69 GST - $31.21 The funny thing is, everything done was exactly the same as the 15,000 service but the cost was $65.15 more ??? The service guy agreed that it cost too much , and I agree. So in true consumer fashion, I will find somewhere better to go to. Considering we just brought a new territory, I would have thought they could have taken care of us a little better. Please let me know if this is comparable to what you have been charged.

Hello, Got the T in for the 30,000 service at the moment. When I dropped it in , they asked if I had been quoted the price ..... ummm "NO"..... They said it would be $450 ish depending on labour time. I politely informed them to only do the service once and not twice to which my humour seemed to miss the mark (again....) After some keyboard punching and some time, they said it could be about $400 and will do their best ?????? ( What do they do the rest of the time ? ) I will update once I have the final cost by item. Its at Bryan Byrt Ford Service at Mansfield (Brisbane). My question is ( yes there is a point ... ) .... what have you paid for your 30,000 service and where did you get it done.

So here is my question ..... If we are looking to buy a territory for the missus, where would be the best place to buy one the cheapest ? Anyone know anyone from the ford factory that can get them for wholesale etc ? I would appreciate a reply or PM if you know ... we sold the previous missus car today ( pajero ) and are cashed up and ready to buy.... cheers

And in two words : Thank you I will take it back to be updated again shortly. Thanks Fordtech

Fordtech, I got an updated calibration last week and all seemed fine ( until today where I copped another stall that appeared heat related ) when I was downshifting to turn into a corner. Are the calibrations you are talking about newer than last week ?

As already stated previously, if we do a home loan, we will donate money back into the site. Go here to find out more about what we do. So check it out and we will have a better server in no time.

Rabbit, I also had the new calibration and agree with the smoothness of acceleration. I don't think I have lost grunt, but now it comes a lot smoother and more consistent through the gears. I like it. The other thing I notice is a bigger change between adaptive and performance modes. They are heaps different now as whereas they were very simlar before the upgrade. The stall problem has not happened and I have been trying to recreate the conditions which it normally did it. My advice is take your cars, get the updated calibrations and enjoy.