Willie Krashitt

No, you don't need anything special, just VAG-CoM to enable the dashboard repeater light. If you are tugging a caravan, then you will need a smart charge relay and wiring between car battery and towing socket for the fridge which is usually separate from most trailer wiring kits. George.

Sorry but they won't fit - wrong stud centres. You need wheels with studs on a 112PCD, Mondeo are 108. George.

Hi, In theory, doing what you suggest might work, but as I advised Mirez some time ago, I think you will have difficulty getting enough weld penentration for it to last long (there is a HUGE torque going through this joint) also you will have to consider that the shaft has to be in alignment properly, and to get this 'in vehicle' with a worn joint will be virtually impossible. Add to this the amount of heat generated during welding and what it's effect on the output flange seal will be, I can only suggest that it isn't really worthwhile doing. If you repair it properly now, at least the weather is still warm enough to let you crawl under cars without too much pain. Put it off, and you can almost guarantee that it will be wet and cold when you need to do it. George.

Hi, Caravan brakes are activated by an 'overrun' linkage on the drawbar/hitch. As you brake the car, the caravan pushes forward on the hitch, which slides a small amount pushing a lever to activate the brakes. When you pull away, the caravan moves back letting the brakes off again. Any towbar will be ok, the choices come down to whether you want detachable or fixed. If you go for the fixed / flanged towball option, make sure your towball is of the 'Alko' type (spaced out further, more slender neck) as the majority of caravans seem to come with an 'Alko' hitch which needs more clearance. Fixed 'swan neck' towballs are fine. Me? I have the Westfalia oem detachable one and it is fine. When wiring up the electrics, make life easy for yourself and order a vehicle specific wiring kit with either the twin sockets (messy looking) or the 13 pin socket (much better) and make the fitter aware that you need the fridge wiring connected ( you will need a 'smart relay' and a wire running from battery to socket via this relay) as most wiring kits do not include this. Hope that this helps, George.

Hi Swifty, Yes, a new MAF is needed. Beware though, the Genuine ones are expensive. Ford now want over

Hi, to answer your question directly, in the lower gears then yes, it should tow better as it has more torque from 2250rpm onwards. For 5th and 6th gears though, you will be down in the 1600-1900rpm range at the speed limit, so the torque will be the same with a 115, 130 or 150. If you rarely rev above 2500rpm, then the 130PS will be as good as a 150. As someone on the caravan forum pointed out to you, how old is your MAF sensor, and if it is relatively new, was it a GENUINE Bosch sensor, not one of the half price ebay far eastern pattern parts? I tow my 1500kg Swift Challenger with my current car without any issues, even up Sunrising Hill near Banbury,(and have done that with 6 people in the car) so for me it is difficult to see what more you would want to achieve. One question for you is what is your final drive ratio? My first Galaxy (2001 115PS) had a 3.08FDR, and was much more relaxed (and economical) when cruising than the current car with its 3.68FDR (also 115PS). Revs wise, 6th in the new one is more like 5th in the old one. Only towed a trailer tent with the old one, so have no idea how it would have been with a big caravan. I believe (but have no way of knowing) that the change to the lower FDR occurred in the 2003 updates, and commonised transmissions with the 130PS. Hope that this helps, George.

Hi, Have a look at the attached. The 150 make slightly more peak torque (320Nm vs 310Nm) than the 115/130PS. Important detail is how the peak is maintained for much longer on the higher output version. All reach a peak at 1750rpm, but while 115 is over the peak after 2000rpm, the 150 doesn't decline until after 2750rpm. At 2750, the 150 makes 50Nm more torque. The 115 only makes 6PS/bhp more power from 3000rpm to 4000rpm, while for the 150 it is 18PS more. George. PowerCurves.pdf

Please do a search, it has been covered many, many times. All info is on here, including torques for all bolts. Also check for play in the intermediate shaft, and regrease it while you have all the other bits off. George.

It depends upon the actual build date of your car. E-Cat states vehicles built from 15-April-2000 until 30 April 2002 had the hydraulic tensioner, and cars built from 1-May 2002 onwards have the mechanical tensioner. Belt itself is the same. A Ford dealer should be able to give you the build date via the registration/Vin decoder. Hope that this helps, George.

Hi, The easy answer is automatically. Just apply the handbrake several times and the adjuster piston in the caliper will wind itself out to the correct position. George.

Hi SK, We use our roofbox every year - Thule Ocean 200, and find economy isn't hit too hard, but then we have also been towing a trailer tent as well so speeds have been a bit slower. However, one thing you will need to be aware of is the number of car parks with height restrictions - typically set at 2 or 2.1m, especially in the more popular tourist areas. Galaxy + roofbox = nearly 2.4m (8ft) tall. For us, when we had pitched up, we quickly learned to take the box off and store it behind the tent so as to avoid lots of frustration. As regards storage if you buy one, I added a couple of small pulleys in the joists at the top of the garage roof and with some rope tied to the roofbars, hoist it vertically up between the joists - fits perfectly and is completely out of the way. George.

Hi, From your description it sounds like the EGR pipe. Not familiar with Mk1's so am only guessing that it is about 25mm diameter and made of stainless steel? This bolts to the EGR valve with 2 allen bolts, and to the exhaust maniflod with 2 stud/nuts. If this is the pipe, they should cost

Hi, Hopefully this will make sense: Torques will depend on your wheelnuts. Torque: Steel wheel nut M12 silver 140 Nm 2-piece alloy wheel nut M12 with conical washer 140 Nm 2-piece alloy wheel locking nut M12 with conical washer 110 Nm 1-piece alloy wheel locking nut M12 140 Nm All nuts M14 including locking nuts 170 Nm George.

Hi, On the 1.8L engines, the temperature sensor is located at the side of the cylinder head above the clutch housing. never done one on a Galaxy, but a bit of a git to get to on a Focus - too many bits in the way/have to be removed first. From memory, you will have to remove the air cleaner and fuel filter to get to it. It is the sensor with a wire attached to it. (no 3 in attached pic). part number needed is 1710151 (9C11-6G004-BB), but this one seems to be a new release as it is unpriced. Alternative is 1552452 (9C11-6G004-BA) and this will cost

Twin electrics aren't a problem, and are very easy if you use one of the dedicated loom / relay kits available - becomes a simple plug and play then. Worth going the extra bit and going 13 pin for both car and caravan at the same time - much more reliable connector and waterproof too. Regards towing the caravan in France, beware that as the maximum gross train weight (car + trailer) of the Galaxy is greater than 3.5 tonnes, you will be (officially) limited to 90kmh (56mph) on motorways when towing, and 80kmh (50mph) on single carriageway roads. Will help your economy at least. George.