morellomax

The aux input is a big disappointment in so many ways: volume too low, background hiss, alternator whine if you charge the MP3 player at the same time, no steering wheel track selection, no track info on the head unit or Convers display. But with the cost of blank CDs being virtually nothing, I just started making MP3 CDs instead. The quality of sound produced (tested using identical 320kbps MP3 files) is noticeably better from an MP3 CD than from an MP3 player's headphone output via the aux input anyway.

I had this problem on a 2.0d and it was cured by updating the PCM software, i.e. essentially the latest "engine mapping". The 2.0d and the 1.8d are radically different engines though, so this may be coincidence.

I've got a 2.0d MkIII Galaxy and a 2.2 S-Max. If anything the steering is lighter on the 2.2, assuming the same wheel and tyre size. In fact the 2.2 is nicer to drive in every way, apart from a slightly heavier or more "springy" clutch

.... and 3rd row air conditioning is standard on Ghia spec Galaxies from March 2008 builds, so your car is as it should be. You'd think the dealers would know the specs of their own cars. Half of them don't even seem to have up to date brochures.

NewGuy - I only mean that I don't like the blue interior. Blue exteriors look fine - ink blue looks great on the MkIII.

Re body kits, I know MS design and Loder have done stuff for the S-Max, but I don't know if any of it is transferable / whether they can do MkIII Galaxy stuff as well. You're a brave man ! Sure you won't just settle for colour coding the rear bumper ?

Agreed the wheel specs are very different, mostly due to the new model being a "genuine" Ford rather than a rebadged VW group product. Let us know how you get on with that wheel size and offset. Factory wheels are 50-55mm offset, so I'll be interested to hear how it handles, whether it torque steers / tramlines etc. Pics as well please: should look really good. 18's transform the look of the new Galaxy, so these should be even better. IIRC the studs on the new Galaxy are M14, which has caused problems for some owners trying to fit Ford alloys that originally sat on cars with M12 studs or bolts. Hopefully the Rondells have big enough holes !

For remapping, I'd go to Superchips. Look up the S-Max on their website - the MkIII Galaxy will use exactly the same maps. Bluefin should be available now, so no need to visit an installer. Fellow S-Max owners with 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 diesels have all been pleased with what Superchips have done (220bhp and 492nm out of the 2.2 !!!!!) Maybe this forum can arrange a 10% discount with superchips for members ? I'm sure they'd be open to it. Jamie Turvey at Superchips HQ is the man to speak to.

In non-metallic colours, blazer blue is not too bad either. Example of an S-Max here: http://galerie.s-max-club.de/main.php?g2_itemId=8784

Does it have to be an auto ? You could get a 2.2d manual for less. I know I'm biased, but it's head and shoulders the best engine in the S-Max/Galaxy range.

It's a company car so i guess you don't need to worry about residual value. White will be literally cool in the summer. I think it will look quite good with the latest dark privacy glass and 17" alloys that come standard on 2008 Ghias. I would go for the anthracite cloth interior. Leather is

Andy - sorry for the late reply. I stripped off every interior trim panel - rear wheel arches, doors, all pillars, and took out all the seats and lifted all the carpets. I also removed the wheels and the exterior wheel arch protectors. I then covered pretty much every resonant flat area of metal with a single layer of Second Skin Damplifier, then covered absolutely every surface with edead teklite (google should bring up the suppliers of both). On the wheel arches I did that on the exterior and interior faces of the metal. Where the door trim panels sit against the door there is a small gap all the way round, which I sealed with some 5mm neoprene foam tape. That makes it sound much more simple than it was. You need patience and a clear head to make sure that press fit clips for trim panels still go back, and generally to make sure you have enough clearance behind every part of every trim panel. For good measure I also did the tailgate. It took me 2 solid days' work, a few cuts and bruises and about

Not sure, but if you do decide to go for a Mk III, it may be worth stretching to a new one, at heavy discount, as the nearly new market is a funny old thing and doesn't seem to offer many bargains. New prices are also a bit weird at the mo though. Due to the oil price spike, you can get a brand new 2.5t titanium S-Max for 17k at www.drivethdeal.com. If you don't do many miles, and you're a good insurance risk, that's a lot of motor with a lot of warranty !

A fellow S-Max owner has just superchipped his 2.2: power has gone from 183 to 220 bhp and torque from 419 to 493NM (IIRC). Stuttering is also gone. He seems quite pleased with it. My brain tells me it's madness to chip a car under warranty, but the heart wants what the heart wants.....

15k miles from a 2.0 tdci sounds pretty normal to me, unless they're Michelins in which case I'd expect better.