AndyBee

I am not sure what exactly is going on, but this seems to relate to cold weather. My Galaxy has done the same 2-3 times, but only in cold (sub zero) temperatures, and it has always sorted itself out after a few minutes or perhaps the next day. I would be interested to read what a dealer says about the problem.

Did you fit any electrical wiring or just the towbar ?

I have a 56 2.0 tdci Ghia X (with rear a/c but also glass roof), and I have never noticed a problem with either heating or cooling. It is always left on auto between 20 and 22 degC and it is fine - I just leave it to do its thing. By the way, I have noticed that different people use a/c very differently and, from my own experience, I would say : a) it takes time to develop the best way to use a manual system. When I first had a car with manual a/c, I was always fiddling around with it, and trying to find a setting that worked most of the time. However, I think the reality is that you do have to keep adjusting it to suit the circumstances. ;) I have noticed some people who seem reluctant to use the fan on full speed - I am not sure why, other than it is noisy. However, on a hot day, it needs full speed for a few minutes to cool the car and then it can be reduced. With a manual system, it is also advisable to use recirculation for a few minutes so it keeps cooling the same air - then switch back to normal. c) It sounds obvious, but to cool a car quickly, it is best to open all the windows for a couple of minutes and let the hottest air out that way. d) Parking in the shade makes a big difference, as it avoids the interior surfaces getting very hot and continuing to radiate heat for some time afterwards. I notice it is always easier to keep a car cool (eg from an early morning start) rather than cool a hot car. e) I would always MUCH prefer an automatic / climate control system, as it does most of this for you ! Apologies if this is stating the bleeding obvious. Andy

It probably makes you look like 2 cyclists to oncoming traffic !

I seem to recall that there was a Ghia X version of the Mark I, but not the Mark II. The Mark I was either a GLX, Ghia or Ghia X and the Mk II LX, Zetec or Ghia. And I think the headlining mounted air vents appeared as standard as part of a model year change during the life of the vehicle. Ghia X had larger alloy wheels among other things, and should have "Ghia X" badges. If yours only says "Ghia", then I suspect it is a Ghia. Did you get a receipt for the car ? What did that say ? Did you buy it from a dealer ? If so, you may have some recourse... Another thought is to take it to a dealer and ask for a P/X value against another Ford - they will probably work out what it is then. As you say, it should be identifiable from the VIN, if you understand the codes.

The alarm is activated by the first plip on the remote key (and deadlocks on the second). To deactivate the motion sensor, have a look though the menu operated by the righhand button on the steering wheel. That gives you the option to disable the interior alarm either as a default or you can set it to ask you each time you turm off the ignition. You also need to know this is you take your car on a ferry.

I had a problem recently with my alarm going off repeatedly without any reason, although it didn't give me any warning messages. The dealer took it in under warranty without question and changed some of the alarm components. They gave the impression that they were aware of the problem and knew how to fix it. It has been fine since.

Morellomax I know this is straying off topic, but can you elaborate on what you have done to deaden sound. I find road noise from the rear of the car to be the biggest culprit. Thanks Andy

The rear air conditioning unit takes up the space that would otherwise be the storage area - have a look from underneath the car.

It is a trait of all turbo diesels in my experience. It may also be made more pronounced these days when engines are mapped to meet emissions and fuel economy targets and hence fuelling could be restricted under certain circumstances (such as a large throttle opening at low revs). I strongly suspect the engine could be re-mapped (ie the engine management computer could be re-programmed) to improve this, but at the expense of some of these other "political" factors. By the way, has anyone on this forum tried a Bluefin or Code-Red remap ?

I am contemplating a DIY towbar installation myself, and have done some research but have not yet ordered any parts. Hence my comments are based on understanding rather than experience ! Ford do 3 parts as accessories for the Mk III Galaxy: The towbar itself (ie the solid metal parts - made by Westfalia I understand), although they now only supply a retractable system for the Galaxy which is a bit move involved and looks more (too) complicated for DIY purposes. [Personally, I think the detachable system for an S-Max would also fit an Galaxy, just using different bolt holes - but your dealer will probably not acknowledge this]The other bits you need are both electrical, one is the wiring and the other is a black box of electronics. The latter controls the flow of information with the cars electrical system (brake lights, fog lights, indicators, parking sensors, etc). By the way, I think the "CAN-bus" system is a VW system used on Mk II Galaxys - the Ford system is different but essentially does the same thing. I have part numbers for the latter 2 items somewhere. but your dealer's parts department SHOULD be able to supply these without a problem. Good luck !

There is an interesting split of opinion on this. I would favour the "not normal" option, with the proviso that it depends on the revs. Most turbo-diesels suffer from turbo lag to some extent. Above 1800-1900 rpm you should have no problem as the turbo is running and the engine is producing lots of torque. However, below that, and especially below about 1500 rpm, there is little turbo boost and the engine will struggle to accelerate, especially in a higher gear. The easy and very obvious answer to this is keep the revs above 1500 rpm or so - but that is just "normal" driving.

"completely ignores my wife's voice" - now that's a clever piece of technology ! :ph34r: And the problem is ... ? ;)

5 rugby players in your car and a name like bluefluffybunny ? What's going on there ? By the way, I have a MkIII, had 5 MkIIs and a MkI and the MkIII is without a doubt the best. I can't think of any way in which the MkII is better (apart from they are cheaper now of course).

I dare say you could find something at a breakers or on Ebay - say from a Focus with 16" alloys. Although you then have to find somewhere to put it, and the Galaxy has not been designed with a spare of any kind in mind. An alternative approach is to keep up your breakdown recovery subscription (only 12mths comes std with a new car), and hope for the best ! It is probably quite rare to damage a tyre to the extent that the repair kit would not work. It is probably more realistic that you have a repairable puncture (eg a nail in the centre of the tread) and don't want to trash your tyre by injecting it with sticky foam (and then having to replace both your tyre and the canister of foam).