I have 2003 Ford Falcon BA and the noises started coming from under the bonnet this morning. It was not accelerating properly and car was also shaking.
I rang mechanic and he advised that probably it needs new spark plugs and he has quoted $200 for 6 Plantinum Spark Plugs including labour.
Is it a fair price for spark plugs?
Why other things might be causing these issues?
Isn't this normal for a ford falcon?
I'm sure copper plugs will be fine.
It could be 20 different items.
are you low on fuel?
No - I have full tank
I had similar problems with my Ford Falcon.
I went to a mechanic, who diagnosed a fuel pump, $300 later the problem, kept coming back, they kept swapping them, then eventually said no more swaps.
I took it to ford and they plugged it into the computer, 5 minutes later, faulty map sensor was detected, $77 later and 30 minutes later I was out of there.
Moral of the story, Take it to the dealer, you could put the plugs in, and it may not improve, a lot of mechanics, don't have the correct gear to diagnose problems, and will just rely on trial and error.
Good Luck.
Take it to a mechanic.
It's like posting a thread saying "I have a cough, which disease do I have?"
Spark plugs are just the cheapest thing to change. It's not usually a sudden thing with spark plugs. I wouldn't suggest platinum, iridium or lasers. Just get the $6 NGK copper plugs. I say go to a mechanic, let them listen, drive and hopefully plug in their diagnostic computer to scan for fault codes. If the mechanicals not have a machine, find another mechanic.
It's a feature, not a fault. Just like Macs forgetting their wi-fi password.
As others have suggested, stop guessing and just take it to a dealer who can scan for errors. You'll probably have your answer in a couple of minutes.
Anyone with an OBD2 scanner can scan for error codes, doesn't need to be a dealer. If it was a MAP sensor, I would expect a competent mechanic to have realised that after doing the ol' OBD2 scan.
mind you, most mechanics are crooks, so I have my own OBD2 scanner for these situations (they are only $20 or so on eBay - well worthwhile!) - then you can check yourself to make sure there are no codes generated which highlight other, potentially cheaper to fix, problems that may be the cause of the symptoms.
"Most mechanics are crooks" Really, that is a serious statement to make, can you back it up with any factual data that states > 50% of all mechanics are crooks?
If the car is shaking??…may even be front wheel-bearings
Fords have special type if spark plug. $200 fitted for all 6 is about right. The up side is they last over four times as long as standard ones so you won't change them as often.
You can't use copper plugs… Believe me you can't. You must get the iridium ones no matter what anyone's says. Change your leads too is my my recommendation. .
Take it to a Ford dealer or a mechanic who has the diagnostic gear. If it happened suddenly then it is unlikely to be spark plugs. However, the recommended Ford replacement plugs are good for 150,000 km without adjustment. It will cost you more in labour if you get others. Don't even think about doing it yourself as they are hidden away under a cover that doesn't look simple to remove.
Had experienced more or less a similar issue with my 03 BA a few months back. Most mechanics had no clue and they came up all their fancy theories. Since BA's famous in Taxi ranks, ended up at a Taxi Mechanic. And the issue was to with faulty/ miss firing engine coils (as per my observation which inserted in the engine bay where the spark plug is connected). When experiencing this issue, the whole car was vibrating excessively as if you are in some sort of big old truck. Brand New coils were $ 50 each, but you can get hold of reconditioned from the wreckers for around $100 for 6 coils as well. Personally I would go for the brand new replacements.
Don't just take my word, I thought to put down what I went through. As most others pointed out best would be get mechanic to diagnose based on the error codes. Good Luck.
When does it shake, ie, under what conditions? Cold start up? Steering at low speeds? My BFII Falcon does have a bit of rack rattle when I steer at low speeds - been like that since new.
Thank you everyone for your assistance!
Could be a disconnected spark plug lead.