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Do the rearmost side windows open on a mk3 galaxy? There used to be a catch to open them on the mk2 but for the life of me, I can't find a way on the mk3.

Ok - thanks! Would have bought an automatic if i needed the car to tell me how to use gears :)

Driving along today when I noticed a green arrow pointing upwards in the instrument display - just for a few seconds then did not reappear in a drive of about one hour. Searched the Ford manual being a novice at these mk3's and could find no reference to it. Can ne1 help?

"computer says no"?

Not keen on a spare taking up valuable room which I paid for. How about slinging one above making use of those crossbars?

hi crispb - must have missed this somewhere quick answer is I don't know and how would I find out? ta...

Can't believe it - it stalled on me in a Morrissons car park - was it me or was it the car? Otherwise behaving well so far though i have noticed that sudden surge of acceleration that quite a few have mentioned

I Gregers - I thought they might just have improved the technology - I know its stupid of me. No spare I'm afraid and apparently nowhere to store one easily. You'd have thought they would have at least kept a cradle at the back so you could sling one underneath. On second thoughts, the winch would probably seize up when you needed it. I don't really mind running round the UK without a spare - just call out the breakdown guys but I would be a tad cautious of taking it on the continent even with AA/green flag etc type cover/ Its crazy - just change the wheel and back on the road - now i can't do that - progress. (maybe i'm getting too old to change wheels anyway) :blink:

Searching the Galaxy manual for 'tyres' - wanted to check info about the tyre mobility kit for what good it would probably be. Zilch under tyres - strange I thought - then it dawned on me - surely not - yes, there it was under TIRES. Why, in a manual for a British model (yes I know made in Belgium), do we need to have American mutant spelling. :27: The Galaxy brochure has TYRES and even COLOUR !

Don't ever recall stallingthe mk2 :46:

One odd thing - I was expecting quite an uplift in the insurance premium - just transferred insurance from the written off mk2 to the new mk3. The respective insurance groups are 13A and 20E but all they wanted was another 20 notes until the policy expires next May.

Back in line-- Almost forgot - yes, I have eventually plumped for the titanium 140 63 plate with the seat pack. I hope its a good decision - only time will tell.

Wonderful days - such a lot of funny stories. How many times did i go out to a fault and find that all the valves had been moved around like musical chairs obviously in an attempt to get the tv working before the engineer arrives the following day. me-"it could never have worked like this" customer - "well its been working fine until yesterday" sure..and he couldn't even get the screws back in :16: .

Gregers - I think the test card with the girl and the clown was test card F - one of the first colour cards for engineers - and iirc she was the daughter of some BBC brass. The afternoon test transmissions were some of the best programmes! Scorpio- remember convergence with crosshatch generators? Some of those sets were an absolute pig. I always used to tell the customer not to vacuum too close to the TV as the strong magnetic field used to play havoc with some colour sets. Used to give me some very strange looks. As a matter of fact, people still do. Way, way off topic now....

Give us a break, gregers - it is valentines day!

Hi Scorpio. Must admit the knowledge I gained at Visionhire and other companies in the electronics fold has certainly come in useful during the rest of my life. I moved into computer programmming on mainframe IBM360s and Amdahls after that for Shell. Don't tell me you worked there as well Maybe theres a Friends Reunited group for ex-visionhire staff! I checked carefully for runflats but it had standard fit so it should have had one of those aerosol thingies somewhere but couldn't find one - not a big issue at the moment as they're bloody useless anyway. I recall using one of those on a puncture about forty years ago - a novel idea but finished up with a load of foam on the road still with a flat tyre. Understand your point about knobs and buttons. I've been running a Zafira Tourer courtesy job and for the life of me can't figure out the climate controls or for that matter the radio functions. The new gal would probably defeat me in the same way. Time for new blood - ask my daughter.. Re the Mafia bus - Mumof4 thinks it looks like a hearse anyway. I can appreciate her point.

Well well-- I worked for Visionhire in Manchester 1968-1970 - fixing tellys when we had proper valves and line transformers and crt's to replace etc. Not like nowadays - nothing like the nice warm glow of a boxful of valves. Just when colour Tvs came into vogue - couldnt afford one at home but I usually managed to keep one in the van so we could use it overnight :closedeyes: Mind you, the only colour xmissions then were the Spinners, Star Trek or trade broadcasts :lol: Back on topic- took a 63 plate titanium 140 for a test spin and actually very impressed - just a couple of niggles - overhead storage boxes seem a tad flimsy and a lack of power pulling away in 2nd at low speeds - actually saw that same comment on a video test review of the mk3. Generally though felt very solid. It had the SEAT pack too so electric folding mirrors and electric chairs...

Thanks for all replies - I knew my MK2 but a total virgin on the MK3. Cheers davewill- that indeed does answer my question - though I find the bit about the tilt alarm interesting. I once drove an old transit for visionhire back in the '60s' fitted with that sort of thing which never failed to go off when there was a faint breeze around. Those were very early days for car alarms though. Scorpio - from your comments, you would make a great salesman for any Ford competitor :D Very useful tips and actually makes me want the Alhambra with the VW unit even more though I just don't think I can live without a 'quickclear' windscreen. Up here in the Pennines I'd never get moving in the winter. :39:

Thanks for info guys Just got hold of the Ford MK3 sales brochure and on all models it refers to "Thatcham 1 perimeter and volume sensing alarm" No mention of immobiliser which is normally stated in the same breath as Thatcham 1 alarm. Is there an issue here? Surely the MK3 is fitted with an immobiliser?

hi gregers Can't see how Ford can stop others providing a heated frontscreen - same would apply to other features on cars like heated mirrors, rain sensors etc etc. In any case, would be difficult to see how they could get a patent seeing as heated wires embedded in the glass is hardly new. You can get the heated windscreen anyway on the Alhambra but only with the Winter or Leather pack. But to me its essential on a screen that size jusging by the times I have needed it on my MK2. Not all the Alhambras are in Spain! Re the aux heater on a MK3 - if it doesnt have one, does that mean the Duratorq is less efficient (allowing more spare heat) than the VW unit on the MK2 or does the MK3 take an age to reach operating temp in the winter? I can get pretty loaded at times so the Gal still seems preferable to the smax though I can see theres not much between them. I do like the idea of the sliding doors on the Alhambra though I can foresee them getting frozen up in the winter. Still musing :glare: and using a quirky little Punto in the meantime with intermittent wipe feature - sometimes they dont work lol

So sad- my trusty MK2 has been written off - only had 58k on the clock and I am sure it had many years of useful life left - plus I regularly got more than 50mpg on a good run. Thankfully wife and daughter well protected by the airbags when some smackhead ran a red light straight in front of them. Anyhow, now looking at Alhambras, Sharan or MK3 Gal. Not really enticed by the S-max and other offerings. Really surprised that the Alhambra doesnt have a heated front screen as standard though its well equipped otherwise. Must be a reall problem in the winter? Quick questions guys - does the MK3 have an auxiliary heater or doesnt the duratorq engine need it? Does only the titanium x have electrically folding door mirrors.? Any other useful comparisons between alhambra and mk3 gal? thanks for any responses (still want my MK2 back :( ) PS - sorry post should have been in MK3 questions- you can see how its affected me!

In essence, the only bit that matters is the length of the element below the thread but unfortunately they don't all specify that dimension - overall length isn;t that important.

I thought it might just be Europarts because I have had similar oddities with other bits and pieces where dimensions are impossibly diffferent. I checked GSF for you http://www.gsfcarparts.com/parts/service-parts/plugshttp://www.gsfcarparts.com/parts/service-parts/plugs and the same variation of overall length occurs there too. Its a bit puzzling - maybe someone here has an old plug handy? Tend to think it's the longer one - 96mm overall- so long as it doesn't hit the piston should be fine :blush:

First thing to check is the fusebox under the bonnet - just above the washer topup - you may find its in the process of melting, a common fault