Have just purchased a BA XR8 ute, and 50km over warranty have ran into a number of issues that Ford cant seem to fix.
When started from cold the car will not idle for more than 2min without stalling and runs rough when driving (warm or cold, but worse when cold). We have had complete service at Ford which included a new computer when the car stalled and would not start again, new spark plugs and your general services.
Previous owner was told that there was a "RARE" issue with the throttle body from his Ford dealer, does anyone know of this? Also been told it could be electrical, coil or something.
Ute is also on gas, if this makes any diffrence. I just want to know where to look as it seems like you need to tell Ford the EXACT problem for them to fix it.
It seems to chug between gear changes if you do not have the rev's up real high.
Sounds like a missfire when revs are low until revs are allot higher it seems to clear itself. almost sounds like its flooding up when lower revs. Ford seem to think it may have something to do with the compression, left side is lower than right side, left side down around 145 and right side around 175.

welcome to the site mate. kinda sounds like its blown between cylinders on one side or something.

There might be a throttle position reconfig procedure to follow as well. look in to that

From memory their was a TSB for the XR8 throttle,cant remember the process of diagnosis off hand,the car just might need a software update.You could also try cleaning out the throttle body with throttle body cleaner.Also,some BA/Bf models did have problems with Throttle position sensors and in some cases acclerator pedals.The car might have to go to Ford to get checked out with their diagnostic tools and mention about the possibilty of a TSB on the issue,hope that helps,cheers,Scott.

I'm guessing Ford won't/wouldn't do anything about these problems when it was under warranty because of the gas system?
Is it a basic vapour gas system?
Such a difference in compression form one bank to another is a worry. Has it had any timing gear work done on it previously, under warranty or not?
Are you saying that Ford actually replaced the PCM or just reflashed it? If they replaced it the tamperproof screws holding down in the engine bay would have signs of it.
Have you been given the outcome(ie actual code numbers) of whatever fault code testing was done other than it has a "RARE Fault"?
Is this starting problem on petrol or gas?

Thanks for all the replies, and XR9UTE, I purchased the vehicle as second hand, im the 3rd owner, and the ute had done 130,000klms when i bought it, there for i didnt get a new car warrenty or anything like that, but a statutary warranty from the dealership i bought it from, 3 months or 5,000klms. i had done 5,050klms when i first realised a fault. I called the dealership (Ferntree Gully huyundia and kia) where i bought the ute and they wanted nothing to do with me as id gone 50klms over warranty, they didnt even want to talk to me. was on my way to work when something happened, and i had raw fuel pouring out of my exhaust. same thing happened when i flicked over to gas, i still had raw petrol coming out my exhaust and the car was not drivable. Took it to a garage, (not ford) and they reset the computer and it cam up with no errors. the car ran fine after that, however still had the chugging problem,but drivable. Two weeks later, the ute stalled on me and would not start, the motor turned over but it wouldnt fire. so once again i had it towed and took it to ford this time. They looked over it and said that everything led back to the computer, as there where once again no errors. so they put a new computer in it.and the car started fine, and i was hoping that it would also fix my chugging problem, however it didnt. another two weeks later i took it back again for a 140,000klms service, and a tuneup as i had hoped the plugs or leads may have been the problem. they suggested all it needed was a tuneup, however once again this did not fix it.And ford had also told me that no errors came up on the new computer that was installed two weeks prior. It runs a little better, but still very noticable chugging. I called the dealership to get the phone number of the previouse owner so i could get some history on the ute. He said they he believed that it was, and was also told by a mechanic they it was a rare fault with the throttle body, i askwed him what had been done to the ute, all he has done is put a parnell gas kit installed by i believe ford. he has put a 3" exhaust and 3" cat on it, installed a shaker and that was all the mods he has done to it. also said he serviced it every 5,000klms.
When i took the ute to ford for the tuneup i told them that i had been told by the previous owner that it might be a possible fault with the throttle body. So far i have had the ute for 4 months, and have not had the ute for longer than 3 weeks at a time, and have spent $2500 on it within 4 months trying to get it running properly and its so far no better than when i first started having problems. hence why i am trying to do my own homework on it so i dont keep taking it to ford and spending money on it and having it come back to me in the same position, its really starting to bug me now lol. Im not only having chugging problems on petrol but gas also. Any ideas of what i can do next? Thanks

I realise the difficulty of finding this next one out as it happened before you owned it but;
Can you find out the sequence of events that lead to this problem...
ie was the problem there before the gas kit or any other mods were done? If so what order were the mods done and when did the problem show up?
Is this parnell gas kit a liquid or vapour injection system? It's a worry that you had fuel pouring out the exhaust when you ran it on gas...suggests a fault with the gas controller because the fuel injectors should have been shut off.
Are the gas system electronics able to be unplugged from the factory system to try to eliminate it as a cause?

Pete.