Andrew T

Now there's a memory......... I first remember John Peel playing extracts from it in the late 70s, sadly my copy went off to the charity shop with the rest of the vinyl. Did you ever hear Viv Stanshalls lesser known sequel "Sir Henry At Ndidi's Kraal?"

Even if a safety critical fault was identified would Ford do anything about it? look at the Pinto Fuel tanks and more recently the Firestone tyres on the Explorer? To ford it would be a simple question of How much will they would have to pay out if they're sued against the massive cost of a recall.

It's the control unit you want rather than the relay. Slide the passenger seat foward and remove the (carpet) cover. It's a slim box screwed to the floor. Report back with any signs of dampness.

In the couple of years I've been browsing this forum I don't recall seeing anyone posting on this subject, which which doesn't mean it hasn't been reported, but that it's not a common occurence. Also when does a manufacturers duty of care for a product end? could a ten year old car be said to have been at the end of its useful life? Sorry if I sound unsympathetic, but Ford don't give a toss about the Air Conditioning problems of 3 year old cars once they are out of Warranty, so I think you'll struggle to raise any interest from them in this.

On the Galaxy there is a warning on the slam panel that overfilling the oil can cause damage to the Catalyst. So if they've agreed they are at fault, tell them to be good boys and fit a new Cat' as well........

I'd agree with those choices, but I liked Alexei Sayle when he did stand up. I can still recall a line from when I last saw him (twenty odd years ago) "Anyone who uses the term workshop in any connection other than light engineering is a ****!" Whenever I get an invitation to attend an "Achieving High Performance Workshop" I have a small chuckle.

Agreed the search facility can be temperamental, it will throw up different answers to the same enquiry at different times. I have also had difficulty in finding threads which I can recall reading in the past. However (as a general gripe and not aimed at anyone in particular) it appears that some people make no effort to do any research before posting a question, as there is sometimes identical topic on a current or recent thread which answers their question.

Sorry, I misread your post. If the engine is not misbehaving then Gregs theory seems likely.

Idle stability valve? Do a search, it comes up from time to time - seems especially commmon on early Petrol models.

I'm not disputing the accuracy of your measurements, but how can you be sure that your improvement hasn't come from the change in the rolling radius of your new tyres affecting your milometer readings? To quote from a post I made concerning Milometer accuracy."When I was wandering around a tyre fitters waiting for my brakes to be done, I noticed that there seemed to be variation in the height of identically sized tyres. The new tyres were stored vertically on two rails and some sat higher than others by a centimetre or more, so it would seem that actual tyre size against a specified size is fairly nominal".

I had a similar problem on another car which turned out to be a failed voltage regulator in the instrument panel. In order to stop the instruments fluctuating with changes in voltage there was a regulator in the instrument panel that reduces the voltage to about 8 or 9 Volts to ensure a steady supply. Not sure if the Galaxy uses such a device though ?

Have a read of this thread. It's also listed in your Handbook. As an aside to this, Lancashire Plod had one of their fleet of Galaxy mobile speed camera cars displayed at our Village show, fitted with none reinforced tyres.

No difference, it's just different manufacturers terminology. IIRC Michelin use Extra Load whereas Dunlop use Reinforced.

On the Galaxy ESP was standard on the VR6 MK2 and was optional on 115 and 130 Diesels (Manual only) as part of the Technology Pack (i.e Xenon Headlamps with Washers and Emergency Brake assist). It may have been standard on the 150 Diesel, but as Ford did not include it in the Brochure or Website, who knows? Returning to the OPs original question of comparative reliability, as the same components are used in all the problem areas there should be no difference between Variants, with the exception of the Petrol engine models where Ford used their own 2.3 and VW and SEAT their 2.0 and 1.8Turbo. The slight differences between the Marques in reliability surveys is probably due to the differences between their dealers.

Maybe just putting new bulbs in is the answer? I had an H4 bulb blow on my Civic, which was at least 6 and possibly 10 years old. I was so amazed at how much brighter the new bulb was I replaced the other one as well. They appeared to have gone yellow with age, although there was no residue on the glass of the bulb itself.

Don't know what it is but I've noticed that when the Battery goes flat I get a "chattering" relay somewhere behind the Radio.

Have a look in the back pages of Autotrader. There are firms that do a plastic welding service on cracked bumpers.

When all else fails read the handbook!..............

I agree with Greg, the Moderators should be here to resolve conflicts and I certainly don

If it goes in easily from a standstill it suggests your clutch isn't dragging so I'd guess it's the synchro starting to complain. Learn to double de-clutch?

You can also do this by pressing the lock button on the fob twice within 2 seconds, or lean through from the rear door and and push the drivers door release lever in. All have the same effect.

I'm not, but I wish I was - it looks spectacular. A few weeks ago I realised a small ambition by driving a 1902 Burrell Traction Engine. I say driving, but all I did was try to steer it in a straight line (difficult) while the owner controlled the regulator and brakes and stoked the boiler. I can't remember the last time I had to cconcentrate as hard (certainly not at work). Rack and pinion steering ? try 20 feet of chain wrapped around a drum and 30 turns of the wheel from lock to lock.

The gunge can be cleaned out and the tyre repaired as normal (if it's repairable) Have a look and the Ts and Cs of the various breakdown companies, they used to say that they would only attend to a puncture if you are carrying a servicable spare. Which impies that you can't expect a ride home if you are not carrying a spare. That said, I presume that the new Gal' comes with a free recovery service for at least one year? try the small print in the warranty. Maybe you have to call out a mobile tyre fitter like the HGVs do ?

It's OK for small holes (nails/screws/thorns) but not big ones. I bet a breakdown service wouldn't recover you if you had no spare.