Andrew T

Isn't there a technique of changing the Cambelt that involves splitting the old one in half along the belt, having removed half you push the new belt half on then chop the old one off, thus preserving the timing?

It's also been mentioned on here before that pushing the fluid back up can force debris into the ABS pump and block a valve, although that's a side issue to your sponginess problem.

I shouldn't worry, both have a microchip in and should start the car - it's just Ford were too tight fisted to give you a second remote fob. I would take the remote key head apart and glue the micochip in though. It can fall apart and the chip can drop out, as I found out last week.

And why, pray, did that annoy you ?. The person who started the thread asked how he could charge his calcium battery without a special to type charger. I offered him a simple and cheap way. Seems like there is only one person here who is not reading the threads properly !

Jump/Bump start it , then drive round for a bit.

Exactly the same as mine did last year when the Battery failed, erratic central locking included. I can also add a bizarre sucking noise from behind the climate control panel. Can you test it by temporarily swapping with a known good battery from another car ? Not sure if the MK1 2.3 has a Smart Charging Circuit (SCS) and Calcium Battery ? If it does you must replace it with another of the same type, mine was

Sounds like your Auxilliary Heater isn't kicking in. Do a search, it's been covered ad nauseum.

Yes, there

Brute force (and indeed ignorance) is often underderated, and works on my fuse cover.

Many of you will recall a post a few weeks ago about the identity chip falling out of the remote keyfob. Someone (MM?) suggested glueing it in, I thought what a good idea, I must do that sometime. And didn't. Yesterday evening I got phonecall saying "the Galaxy won't start (again), and the keys fallen apart - but I put it back together alright". After taking the spare keys out to her, we spent 20 mins on our knees on the verge of the lane going through the grass blade by blade. Incredibly I found the chip, but more by luck than anything else. So go and glue your chip in before it happens to you !

A few years ago a friend who was a service manager for garage selling an "upmarket brand" was asked to disconnect the speedos of the top of the range cars the MD and sales manger ran around in. In the days of cable drives the cable was unhooked, when electronic speedos came in a switch was installed in the cable, hidden up behind the fascia. The cars were subsequently sold as "our MDs own car - low milage". But I'm sure the motor trade doesn't do things like that these days.

2.3 Petrol, Gov

The Engine used in the Galaxy was derived from the Sierra unit introduced with the 86(?) facelift. IIRC It was both DOHC and 8 Valve to provide a hemisphericle comustion chamber (i.e. the valves were inclined at 45 deg to the piston crown and 90deg to each other). It was used in the RWD Sierra and Granada and as a FWD unit in the RS2000.

IIRC many years ago, in the days of good old fashioned milometers BMW used to factory fit them with a reading of 999,990 or similar. The idea was that the dealer could do his PDI road test and the milometer would roll around to zero, then the car would be delivered to the first owner with as near a zero reading as possible. After a quiet word from trading standards they agreed to desist.

Radio Aerial.

Just been looking through my fuel log and found a year ago Petrol was 79.9/ litre. In June 2003 it was only 69.9. Ten years ago I went out to work in the Middle East and people there were moaning that the cost of fuel had just doubled - from 4p to 8p a litre! Oh happy days, fill your tank and have change out of a fiver, no income tax....

If you do this make sure the compressor is still used regularly (and it may choose to shut itself off if it detects low gas) or you may have to replace that as well next spring. I speak from the exprerience of the previous owner of our Galaxy ended up spending well over a grand on repairs.

I assume you've checked the fuses....

Cam Belts should be changed on time interval if the milage is not reached, so it was due at 5 years anyway. I've heard of write-offs going to the Republic of Ireland, has this been repaired and then re-imported ? That said, it would then have been a total loss on a less than year old vehicle, it

This is the thread I recalled

It's common for registration documents to not include full model designations. Mine (a grey import) is a Ford "Rigid Body, 2 - Axle". Do you have the overhead Air Vents in the back ? The electric opener is deleted to allow the refrigerated air to travel up a pipe contained in there.

Check the Aircon works properly, Big

It all seems a bit unecessary when the there is a wide choice of the correctly sized reinforced tyres available elsewhere. However if your lease company has authorised it (and I presume they provide your insurance) you don't really have any choice. Regarding having a odd sized spare, it's no differant to having a space saver tyre. FWIW Citroen used to fit 185 section tyres on the front and 175 to the rear of the CX as standard. But then they would wouldn't they ?

They're long life jobbies, only needed every 40K IIRC, but the same goes for most petrol cars nowadays.