Ivor_E_Tower

Get a custom-made middle seat, or a roof-box with custom-made fitting to a custom-made hole in the roof so you can reach into the box from inside the car?

Is that the bridge over the Blackwater Valley Road in the background of the "rear" shot? Went to Aldershot on Saturday and didn't see your Gal - it's quite distinctive! Was contemplating the front spoiler alone for mine but lack of funds mean not just yet. Still, you've done well with the body kit; I'm impressed.

If it really is stuck, then something has worn/broken inside the lock (happened to my parents' house front door some years ago). Will need expert assistance if this is the case.... Hope you can get it fixed soon and cheaply.

Disappointing to hear that the Audi fault codes/diagnostic does not work. The aircon system is VW, different compressors are used depending on the engine. VW 2.0 and Ford 2.0 engines are different. 2.3 is a Ford-only option, made by Ford. Don't know about VAG-COM software, sorry.

Fortunately I live near a big Ford garage that does have some experience of working on Galaxy aircon systems (even if it took them 3 visits to sort mine out due to parts problems etc). I'd phone around your local Ford garages and use whichever one gives you the most confidence that they have experience of working on Gal a/c systems. If you can find an independent aircon specialist, do the same - if they say that they have experience and have the necessary fault-finding software to interrogate the vehicle computer, then fine. If not, go elsewhere. Hope this helps. Ivor

Aha! Not far away. My last job was behind the Boots warehouse which closed recently. Is it still there or has it been turned into a housing estate or something else yet?

Seals drying out is a different story - won't happen in just 2 or 3 weeks and it will take some time for all the gas to leak out from dried selas anyway. If your fan is dead, there is probably a circuit board somewhere with resistors (or equivalent) on it, to give different motor speeds. I once had one of these go on a Honda - it was mounted on the side of the blower unit itself, so the airflow from the fan blew over the resistors to keep them cool (but not cool enough as they burnt out!). If it's this sort of problem, it should be relatively cheap and easy to fix, assuming that the PCB is fairly easy to get to. Don't forget that Ford do not make the Galaxy - it's a VW design made by VW under a joint venture with Ford. Don't blame Ford for the poor aircon system design or reliability - this is a VW issue! No quality control system will sort out a poor design - quality assurance and quality-input-to-design will address this together with full validation and verification testing (I am a QA "expert" by profession with nearly 5 years automotive experience; now working on spacecraft propulsion systems). Automotive suppliers have been greatly squeezed by the manufcaturers over the past decade - cost cutting takes the lead; supplier prices are expected to drop each year and something has to give; supplier senior management find ways of altering specifications of purchased items without notifying the manufacturers. As to MG Rover - very sad, but if you had met some of Rover's middle and senior managers some years back, it is no surprise as they really should not have had their jobs - I am sure that I could have done better than most of them. No doubt MG Rover is still in crisis - their latest small car is made in India (City Rover) and as you say, they have no "proper" money to invest in new models - the deals with China Brilliance for the next medium-sized cars came to nothing. I wish them luck - they will need it.

Surrey/Hampshire/Berkshire intersection; just outside Camberley.

Nope, sorry. Don't even have satnav, although with present (mundane) job I don't have a need for it

On my 2001 Ghia TDI, front parking sensors only operate as per SA I's info; i.e. you must have recently engaged reverse (or pressed the switch on centre console) and not exceeded about 10mph.

When my CC went down, the ECON mode still worked - this is the "non-ac" mode and should result in the temperature setting being used as per a "normal" hot/cold temperature lever or dial. The fan motor should also work. If you cannot get the fan to work, or get ECON to show on the display panel after the flashing has stopped, then there is definitely a problem with your system. Non-availability of cold air due to the system not being used much - your dealer is talking out of an orifice that is not his mouth! After nearly 3 weeks of inactivity whilst we were on holiday, my Gal's system blew cold air within seconds. Similarly on my parents' car (Volvo 850 estate) which is frequently left unused for weeks when they are not at home, cold air emerges from the vents within seconds of starting up and switching AC on.

hmm, out of interest, filled my Gal up with diesel tonight. Bloke at next pump in private hire taxi asked me if my Gal was auto (it isn't) as he had one as his own car, and had just paid out

Sorry, I'm still in "holiday" mode !

...think the topic heading "losing power TDI" is a bit of a give-away.

Think you're being naive. Garages/Ford will try to wriggle - have all services been carried out on schedule by authorised dealers, has oil level been checked regularly etc etc. Ah well, sometimes these things fail early so you're just unlucky (and we won't help you financially). Do you have access to any free legal advice (eg through insurance co etc)? Sorry to hear of your problem, and good luck. May be worth reporting this to (e.g.) What Car magazine if you have all evidence to support looking after the engine.

Does anyone have the "mph per 1000 rpm" figures for all gears for the different engine/gearbox combinations?

Sliding doors can be more practical than traditional hinges but kiddies may struggle to use enough energy/force to close them properly from the inside, meaning that Mum or Dad always has to get in last! Why can't some bright spark invent a rear door that can be slid open or open on hinges (a bit like some of the smart double-glazing that can be side or bottom hinged). Pug/Citroen HDi engine is supposedly better than the VW TDI units, especially the 2.2 litre version. Don't have any real-life experience of the HDi engines though. Motif next to name is from (my controls) settings; "avatar". There are some standard ones to choose from, or you can upload your own. HTH Ivor.

Used to be a company called Holdspeed who did this. Try internet search?

Latest reliability survey I saw says that Galaxy and Sharan have higher than normal warranty claims for aircon faults. Alhambra however had nothing of note reported for warranty claims (!). Interesting also to find somewhere a Galaxy owner who had his for 7 years with no problems from the aircon system. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that my system behaves OK for 7 years too! (Will get it re-gassed every 2 years as a precaution I think).

From memory, the TIS CD says that the instrument panel is non-serviceable so if the trip computer display has gone, it's probably a new panel that you need. Of course, it could be a broken wire or bad connection to the instrument panel display.

Don't think that Galaxy ever came with a space-saver; some alloy wheeled vehicles come with a steel spare wheel, but it is fitted with a full-sized tyre. Personally I would never buy a car with a space-saver spare - when you need to use it, you usually really do need it (e.g. in the middle of a french market with 5 people and all luggage aboard, 2 hours to get to ferry and 100 miles to do...)

I suspect that the ABS tap is only for times when the satnat cannot see a satellite - eg when you are in a tunnel. So long as satnav can see a satellite it can work out which way you are going, and how fast you are travelling. Only sure-fire way would seem to be driving into a long tunnel and seeing what happens, I suppose.

Just had a quick look at the unit - TA button should be next to volume control knob. TA-D and TA-L are, as you guessed, for local or local+distant stations. The reception of these travel messages depends upon 3 things: 1. you have tuned to a station that gives them out (shown by TP on the radio display) 2. You have got the TA function switched on 3. The radio station remembers to press their TA button at the start of a travel info bulletin (and to switch it off at the end of the bulletin - you'd be surprised how often they forget at the end, and you hear many rambling conversations or music you don't want to listen to!). The number of stations from which you get traffic info will depend upon the radio's reception - for instance I had a wonderful Blaupunkt unit in a previous car, and heading north on the A34 just off the M4 I once got the travel news from BBC radio Leicester! If it weren't for the peculiarities of the Ford radio installation, plus the Blaupunkt unit doesn't work with CD's, I'd have fitted into the Galaxy by now. I am tempted to save up for their Woodstock DAB unit but it doesn't play cassettes :D

The TP in the display just means that the station you are listening to transmits traffic messages. You need to press the TA button to listen to these messages (toggles on and off; "TA" shows on panel next to "TP" when "TA" is switched on). The volume of the traffic messages can also be adjusted - can't remember how from memory, but it's all in the radio's operating manual. HTH Ivor.

Have you tried putting it in "D" or "R" with the front wheels raised off the ground (on stands or a substantial trolley jack) and seeing if the stalling still occurs?