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.

Yep, it's 4 cylinder, it's the latest in the line that includes the 2.0 in current Galaxy/S-Max and the 1.6 that's in current Focus. However, a unique feature on the 2.2 is balancer shafts which explain the minimal vibration and harshness. I think it's as good as the 2.2 Honda unit which is supposed to be the benchmark for 4 cylinder diesels. It differs from the version used in PSA's own vehicles by having only a single variable geometry turbo, rather than twin sequential turbos, yet it produces more torque than any of the PSA implementations: 420 Nm on temporary overboost. As the engine is so quiet, I've been encouraged to try deadening the wind and road noise in mine. You have to be a bit obsessive though: it means stripping the car interior back to the metal if you're going to do it properly. So far I'm down to similar noise levels (at 70mph) to an A8 or previous generation S-class. I'm also tweaking the sound system. I see the launch of the 2.2 is killing sales of the 2.5 petrol S-Max stone dead. Ford dealers are now offering 28% off a 2.5T Titanium S-Max: http://www.drivethedeal.com/buy-a-new-car/...+5dr_33976.html

Any sign of jerkiness/stumbling at 1300-1900 rpm and light throttle ? Perhaps they already put new maps on the latest cars out of the factory..... Quiet isn't it ? I can't hear mine at all most of the time on the move.

The chances of getting a non-gunkable puncture for the average driver are probably similar to the chances of the starter motor, alternator or battery failing. You could end up arguing yourself into carrying quite a lot of spare parts !

Having suffered a puncture on my MkIII Galaxy (first one in 10 years), I refused to pay the

I find the heating is fine - quicker to give warm air than the Mk II diesels I had - but the cooling is inadequate. Many other S-Max owners have said the same on another forum. Poor show from Ford in their most expensive and most greenhouse-like vehicles.

Hi Jules I don't know any more about the mapping issue than I've said above. Your Ford dealer should get a CD/DVD each month from Ford Technical, with any new ECU maps and other technical updates. Just ask them to look out for anything on there for the 2.2tdi. They should have a large queue of Mondeo S-Max and Galaxy owners forming by the time you pick up your car. Apart from this issue the car is great to drive. Definitely worth a grand extra over the 2 litre. You'll find it materially faster than your Range Rover, but then it does weigh about a tonne less !

I used the supplied kit to temporarily repair a puncture. I wouldn't use it again though: now I carry a can of tyreweld. The replacement gunk from Ford is about

Yes - press and hold the unlock button and all the windows will open. Press and hold the lock button and they will all close. Once they've started moving (in whichever direction) briefly pressing the button again will stop them. Great when you're walking back towards your car on a hot day (or walking away from it and realise you didn't do all the windows up !)

Dellybeanhead - can you stretch to the new 2.2 ? It was born to tow.

Wow - maybe another key or coin pressing against the remote in your pocket ? The remote has amazingly good range on these MkIII's !