EL falcon problems - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

mada_3083 · 08-02-2004, 22:21

mum's buying an EL falcon from a yard (needs finance) and i would like to know what area's to look into for her (where do these things fail)

what are their common problems, how do i check them, and where do they rust

back2thefutura · 08-03-2004, 00:51

Distributor and Head Gasket are the only real problems i can think of atm, and they were pretty common in all EF's and EL's.

Other than that, just basic stuff that can go wrong with any car without good servicing and maintainence.

Curls · 08-03-2004, 01:06

Check if there are full service records as the alloy head really needed its coolant changed as required to avoid potential damage. Power steering pumps can be a problem sometimes, while in the wagons the rear end springs can grown and squeak if not greased properly. As a last of the series they were pretty much sorted out and really if not maintained would only cause major problems, as would any car. The update EL (when VT Ccommodore was released) had no inside door lock along the top trim edge, ie only on the drivers side door, with some trim changes that are hard to pick.

SPALDING GREEN · 08-03-2004, 02:36

A/C condensers last about 3-4 year before they fail, depending on how hard you are on the brakes the rotors could need replacing at 80,000 km. Factory shocks go soft after about 80,000 km. They can rust out the sills if it's a coastal car. Along with what Curls mentioned thats the worst of it.

Cobra · 08-03-2004, 06:15

Check the colour of the coolant. I totally agree with checking the coolant the old pink or purple stuff Ford used is crap. It eats through hoses and Orings. Check for head gasket which is common across ALL E-series to blow. Other than that check all maintenence stuff, as SPALDING GREEN said, check brake rotors and brake pads too. Try and score brake pads out of them for RWC, as they may need to replace the disc's while they're at it as they could be undersized. Good luck with the purchase.

mada_3083 · 08-03-2004, 10:06

cool, thanks for the help, apart from sniffer test on the coolant, for exaust gasses in teh coolant, or oil in the coolant, how else can i tell a blown head gasket (engine got plenty of stomp)

SPALDING GREEN · 08-05-2004, 03:42

Get a mirror & a torch & look along the engine behind the exhaust manifold for any coolant weeping from the head gasket & the welch plugs.