allegedly

Thanks for that Chris, excellent info. Yes, I'm totally inexperienced at working on Air Bag systems so will be very, very careful. First step is to get it into a local Ford dealership to get it interrogated (no choice there, don't have a diagnostic device of my own). Depending on outcome, may have to just sell it with this known fault and make an allowance for it's correction in the price. Sorry to see her go as it's a cracking car and at the 130 is the quickest people carrier I've ever driven but her indoors needed a car and has already bought herself a smaller one after refusing to drive wearing wet-suit bootees! Incidentally, I don't suppose you know of any posts regarding this that has photo's of the locations of the parts mentioned do you? I'll be checking the FAQs anyway re the seatbelt tensioners. Thanks again, Regards Rob

Hi guys, Still a great site and now need to dip into your vast knowledge here! Got a nice 04 Ghia Tdi and I've finally sorted a long term leak that gave me two front jacusi's. Looks like it was the windscreen leaking after all. Thanks to all the posters on here for helping finally sorting that. I am now an expert on Galaxy leak points!! One effect of the damp seems to be the Air Bag warning light is now illuminated. I've read a lot of posts on here and to be honest, on other sites, and I'm now a bit confused. Where is the Air Bag control module located? I've yet to check but I've read of three possible locations. So, on an '04 (54) plate Galaxy Ghia 2 1.9 130bhp Tdi, where is it and how do I get at it?!! Secondly, I've read that if the battery gets low, you can get an Air Bag warning light on the dash. However, I've also read that the system 'self-diagnoses' and will 'automatically reset' when the fault is corrected. The battery was failing and has since been replaced with a new one. Just to add to an already easily confused male mind, further reading says it has to be plugged into a diagnostic reader and fault codes reset/removed on there. I'd be grateful if anyone could give me the correct info regarding these points. Before doing the research, I'd sort of come to the conclusion that the fault light had come up due to the wet carpet in the passenger foot-well and the close proximity of an electronic unit (which I guessed may also contain the AB Controller/unit) located under the seat, but behind a raised flooring area. This meant it got damp but not actually 'wet' and this was one of the possible locations I'd read about. Thanks in advance, Rob

Hi chris. Yes, I thought so. If I can, I'm going to stay and watch, not because I don't trust them but I'd like to see a bit more. Especially behind the trim on the pillars. And to see how it comes off without me resorting to Land Rover owner tactics.....bigger pry bar plus length of scaffold pole!! I may indulge my passion for information spreading and take my camera. Must admit, feeling slightly happier for first time in a while about this bloody car. Amazing how it's become an obsession...I WILL sort this! Mind you, she'll kill me if I don't. Agree Nicebutdim, it is. I've got a bit of knowledge from working on every car I've owned (and as stated before, my first was a Ford Anglia!) but how the heck do people with no knowledge or aptitude cope? That's why these sites and the contributions from the more experienced members are so important. As I said before, thanks guys.

Hi nicebutdim! Thanks for the reply and info mate. I've read about the pins on here but the piece of vented plastic on mine doesn't seem to have or take them. I'm happy to stand corrected but there's a curved plastic strip with two 'slots' in it, the larger slot fits onto the lower, leading edge of the windscreen. The other, top groove receives an extended strip moulded to the underside of the vented trim. Fiddly to fit without pulling the strip off the bottom of the screen as you can't see it, especially when refitting the rubber seal between the scuttle and the vented trim, as you have to pull it about a bit. If it should have this and other clips I'll get on it asap but the only holes are the ones visible in the pic and they all have corresponding holes below them so, in theory, it should drain. In theory. I've reposted the pic of the scuttle, laying across the top to the engine and I've put in three arrows (I'm crap at using 'Paint'!) showing where the long curved strip pushed onto the lower edge of the windscreen.

One of the first tests I'd tried was to spray the windscreen area but this was before I'd properly removed the floor coverings. I decided to try this again, but this time starting low down and working up the sides and across the top, area by area. I sprayed the scuttle area and carefully around the pollen filter. The water just ran down into the wheel arches and away as it should. Next across the base of the screen. Then the lower quarter of the screen and door close line. Each time, I waited a while and checked the footwell. Nothing showed until I was near the top edge and moving across towards the middle from the upper corner. At that point, small rivulets of water ran down the curve, into the foot well. The runs were made worse by rocking the car, but this only proved it was also sitting somewhere, building up and overflowing. I still can't work out where it's been sitting, even looking closely at Vanbustas excellent picture but so far, this is the only indication of a definitely/probable ingress point! So, as several posts suggest, it may pay to just get the screen reseated/replaced, even if only to rule it out. That's my course of action first thing tomorrow. I live in the middle of nowhere in NW Scotland so it'll be a call out as and when they arrive. But with all the signs now pointing to this, I'm hoping it's that simple. I know this is a bit long winded and thanks for bearing with me but I'm not a mechanic as I said and I've tried to relate it in a way that I'd understand, even if it just helps others to discount some possible causes. Not to forget, the possible electronic knock on effects. I'll let you know the good or bad news! Cheers and good luck Rob Incidentally, there's a great link on here somewhere showing how to strip out the headlining, step by step with pics. Excellent post if you've got leaking sun roofs, disconnected/broken drain pipes and all the bloody symptoms that go with this problem.

SWMBO birthday Sat' so didn't go near the car! The plastic coated felt(?) underlay didn't appear too far gone and I was able to leave it in a workshop area at work to dry out. It's taken about ten days just left on its own to dry in normal atmosphere but appears ok. I'll eventually refit it and tape the two edges together somehow, when I know for sure it's the windscreen. Test driving the car proved that when I turned left at the start of any journey after the car had stood for a while or overnight, in light or heavy rain, produced a small water fall of clean water down the inside of the curve of the wheel arch in the foot well and to the right, it dripped onto my feet, just as she said. Working on/in it in the rain meant I was able to sit in the cab and watch it run down and start to fill the foot well. In fact, I stopped working on it on Friday night and went back to put all the bits together today, Sunday, after a weekend of rain. Using a plastic water bottle with the neck cut off, I had to empty about two litres of clean rain water from the passenger side I removed the 'flip down' back of the glove box to see/access the back but all I could see is the fan motor and it appeared dry, no obvious corrosion. By laying in the footwell, upside down, I was just able to get my hand up between the back of the fan and the bulkhead. The shaped felt insulation was a little damp but the drips came from higher up. I was not sure what was up there and to add to my confusion, the drips sometimes also came down the side, below the A pillar!! To rule that out, I removed the small vent trim below the front 'quarter light' window, plus the plastic trim off the side end of the dash. The felt and fittings behind here showed some water marks but were not wet enough to be the source. I could just feel the inside of what I believe to be the back slated area of the pollen filter and again, confusingly, this was dry too. But it was up here somewhere the bloody water was coming in from. I'd felt around all the bulkhead/firewall penetrators and grommets but they were dry........? Pics are of the Pollen filter, the stripped out footwell with the curved area the water runs down and, my thanks here to Vanbusta for a great pic of a stripped out dash showing the back of the filter area. Now you can see why I was glad to (so far!) rule out the heater matrix!

Didn't realise how late it is so, moderators willing, I'll finish this tomorrow. Also realised I hadn't said thanks to crispb23456 in particular and all contributors in general. If I don't cover everything or do so incorrectly, please feel free to contribute any and all info/guidance or corrections.....lets get it all in one spot, eh? Night Rob

So, rear wash pipe not connected. That'll do it, I thought. But no. she was right, it comes down the back of the footwell but doesn't wet the carpet at that point. Just the lower area. Next job was to remove the plastic scuttle tray like fitting. Opened the bonnet and using the right size socket, removed the nuts holding the wipers on. I found that it's a fiddly job to slacken the wipers off. They're splined (vertical grooves) so I tried not to be too rough but they came off eventually and by trial and error, that is bonnet open or bonnet closed, got them off the rotating pegs. I tried not to be too heavy handed doing this as I got the impression they'd damage the splined drives. On this model, there's a plastic trimming piece that fits at the base of the windscreen and over the wiper blade bases. I took care here as there's a small circular insert around the hole for the wipers and a soft, possibly felt. washer fitting below the hole, around the splined peg. The screen wash needs to be disconnected and so does the plug. I just pulled the water pipe join apart and used a small contact screw driver to ease the electrical plug apart, taking care not to break it, as it appears quite fragile and, to me, not obvious how it comes apart. It's not obvious to the uninitiated (i.e. me ) how this fits into the edges and rubber seals around the windscreen so perhaps I should have look closer before I removed it. That is,if it was put in properly in the first place as I suspect the screen is a replacement. A clue to my last statement is the fact that there was a piece of long thin plastic trim loose under it that appears to be designed to fit to the bottom of the screen and the plastic trim that covers the wiper pegs should have fitted into it's second groove. Or so I worked out. Once I'd removed the two small end pieces of foam and the rubber strip that fits over the edge of the scuttle and the metal lip, I undid the 3, (if I remember correctly) 10mm captive screws, one at either end and one in the middle, sort of under the front. Then the tray can be eased out. I found it took a bit of force and slight bending but it came out okay. Now I can see the metal tray below the screen, at the back. Also the pollen filter. Time to check for blockages, leaves, muck etc. I found a few leaves and the rest I washed out with a hose using a good nozzel to be as accurate as possible. At the extreme left and right hand side, at the back, I was just able to see, around the hinges of the bonnet, the large drain holes in the panel leading to the wings and they appeared clean. I then removed the wheel arch covers using the Torx and made doubly sure everything that should be clean, was. Again, I sprayed everything in sight. I also kept checking the inside footwell while I was spraying.

Possible causes....Leaking/disconnected sunroof drain pipes. Mine does not have sunroof so headlining dry. Roof bars/rails. Got them fitted but again, head lining appears dry and unmarked. No aerial fitted to roof so see above. Blocked 'scuttle drains'. At least on this slightly later model, the big holes from the sides of the scuttle into the wings above the wheel arches are clear, as is the length of 'shelving' running the length of the fire wall/bulkhead from wing to wing so water seems to run out either side of the wheels now. I also removed the plastic wheel arch liners (my words) with the required torx socket and cleaned out any mud or crap in there, down to the sills. Leaking rubber grommets or other penetrators for cabling or pipes through the fire wall/bulkhead. I've checked everything I can see or reach and non seem to be leaking. Seams where two or more panels come together either side and back of engine bay. Spraying water for extended periods in all areas of the engine bay and wheel arches that seemed pertinent didn't appear to add to small pool in footwell. I changed out the pollen filter. Old one did not appear in bad condition, frame seemed good to as did the actual body it all sits in. There is no obvious corrosion that would explain this level of water ingress. I've fecking looked at just about every inch of it! By now getting concerned and frustrated. The only good news was that the water seemed to come in when it rained and didn't seemed linked to the heater matrix. Odd thing was, it seemed to come in at the passenger side then 'slosh' across the back of the dash (SWMBO words, not mine), she hears it and sees it steadily drip down from above the accelerator pedal area into the drivers side well. Hate to say I didn't quite believe her. Hence first pics. Step trim off, carpets peeled back, underlay stanley knifed along lower edge of transmission tunnel. Check rear wash pipe join. Hah, JOIN. Temporary meeting point, perhaps.

Hi guys, There's a lot of posts on here that touch on this subject and if you've not had it, I get the impression it's only a matter of time! Both front wells on my wifes Ghia are like foot spa's. Worrying because it's not just a case of having smelly carpets but under the front passenger seat is the electronic box that controls things like the central locking and other electronic gizmos. These are safety/security devices that in most other walks of life would have the supplier crucified for very poor design/layout not to mention giving insurers apoplexy. I am not a mechanic, just like to try and sort of things myself and save a few quid at the same time but the vague uncertainty of this problem is the most frustrating thing I've dealt with. Though I'm sure there's worse!! By reviewing what I've covered, with the help of all on here, it may help some other DIYer grasping at straws! First point....READ THE FAQs, they're invaluable. Second, there's some excellent posts on here that cover most if not all eventualities. Great site. Looking at the dates of the posts and the age of the vehicles, Ford have been happy to let this atrocious collection of faults carry through the generations. I've been posting bits of this problem else where on here but may have resolved it so thought I'd get it in one place.

Funny you should mention that, a friend who used to work in a ford garage,who's also a bit stumped over this one, said they once had a galaxy in where they couldn't pin a leak down accurately but it seemed to be a failure of a seal at a point where a couple of layers of panels come together above the wheel arch/bulkhead area. He said they just ended up coating the whole area with tiger seal and that did the trick. That is on the cards here. In fact, a long handled paint brush dripping tiger may be going all over the place. I just don't like the idea of black gunky stuff visible everywhere! Also, getting the screen re-seated is my next move.

Hi Chris, thanks for the reply. To my message as well. Sorry not been on here for a while, but I'm back into the Galaxy after sorting out a leaking bathroom! What is it they say, never rains etc...It bloody does here!! To recap, both footwells are soaking. I've stripped out the sound deadening/underlay from the passenger side and can see little rivulets of water running down the curved area of the wheel arch in the passenger footwell. This is after and during rain. The car hasn't been moved for two days now but if I carefully dry the area involved, which is stripped back to just the painted metal and then rock the car, the little runs of water appear. They seem to run out after a while as repeated rocking seems to empty what ever/where ever the water is sitting. The car is the 1.9 diesel tdi ghia. No sunroofs, thank god. But it does have the two roof bars/rails. However, the headlining is dry all over. Not a mark. I even peeled it back slightly at the top of the A pillar to see if there was any sign of water ingress at the top, running down the angled pillar as that appears to be where the water leaks down from. That is, at the base of the A pillar, behind the dash at about upper glove box height. A warning light on the dash about an airbag fault led me to think maybe this was the source and it was running down past the pillar mounted airbag. But no, nothing. I've taken out the little trim piece with the vent hole,next to the front 'quarter' light, at the end of the top of the dash, nothing. Taken off the trim at the side of the dash so I can look into sidemounting area of the glove box. There is some staining on the felt. That just confused me more. I've taken off the upper trim of the glove box itself, to look behind it. Nothing. My next move was to lie upside down in the footwell, I'm six feet tall so no mean feat, and force my hand up behind the glove box. I can feel the back of the electric motor thats behind the glove box (ended up cutting an access hole in the shaped felt there, that'll go back with duct tape) and that has damp patches near the top. The bit of felt on the bulkhead/side panel is wet at this point so I am close. Trouble is, I can't see all the way up and I can't see clearly down inside the engine bay, against the bulk head, what penetrates it up there so I can maybe get at it and try to reseat it or seal around it. I renewed the pollen filter as stated and though it's seated properly as far as I can tell, I keep suspecting this but would that explain the leak being in both footwells with exactly the same symptoms, that is, running down the curve of the wheel arch? Any suggestions gratefully received. And this is just the one side, the other to do yet!

Last point for tonight, If you got a leak and you probably wouldn't be reading this if you don't, I suggest you check under the passenger seat as the same engineer/designer decided it'd be a wheeze to put an electronic device there where it can sit in it's own pool of water. As we all know, electronic devices, which are cheap as chips as the saying goes, love a bit of water. So if (I belive) your windows and central locking are a bit iffy, check this out to see if it's got it's own little jaccuzi. Night Rob

Here's a pic of the carpet peeled back, showing the underlay/soundproofing being lifted prior to me cutting it along the top edge. The water below it was unbeliveable. I've got to repeat this on the drivers side too. I am so happy. All I have to do now is find the leak. The boss says she can hear water 'sloshing around' at about dash height which is usaully followed by, depending on the 'lock', water running down the trim/bulkhead carpet into the passenger side or drivers side, at the point where the bulkhead meets the door pillar. Incidentally, there is no sun roof so no drains to worry about there. I can only guess it's sitting on the scuttle (?) below the bonnet/windscreen against the bulkhead at either end. But having sprayed it with the hose pipe, I cannot see where it would gather and lie. The othere pic is the lower of the two plastic inserts against the bulkhead. The leaves seen were the only ones I found but since cleaning them off, there's been no change, it still leaks everytime she moves the car. It continues to come in if she's driving in the rain. We live on the Northwest Coast of Scotland so it rains a bit here. Well, most of the time to be honest, once summer (?) is done. Has anyone got any suggestions? I am looking into the fan/demist facet this weekend so if I get a result, I let you know. Cheers Rob

Hi guys. I realise this topic is covered elsewhere but as it's very pertinent to me at the mo, I thought I'd join in and describe the frustrating 'water feature' in our 04 Galaxy Ghia 1.9. But first off, for other less than technically able types like me, I've included a pic of my rear wash 'connection'(?). I lifted the carpet, nothing subtle there, just mild brute force. Then, faced with the totally sodden underlay which goes across the transmission tunnel to the drivers side (part two of the tale), I considered removing the trim and all associated fittings around the gear stick. So I got out the stanley knife and cut it along the side below the gear stick and the sodden plastic coated slab of compacted felt is currently drying out in the porch. I then used two towels to dry the small pond in the footwell. Never noticed it before but it was starting to smell...musty is the word that springs to mind. Using a contact screwdriver, a small flat headed one, I popped off the screw covers on the plastic trim on the inner door sill, then undid the two screws. Applying gentle pressure to pull it away from it's push-in hidden, internal catches, I pulled it away to expose the rear washer water supply pipe. I could rant here about how if I did my job as badly as they appear to do their's, (both designers and builders of these cars), I'd be out of a job and in jail in less than a day having killed at least two people, but I'm sure you've all been there so I won't bother! I've included a pic of the carpet being desimated then the grey plastic trim pulled away to reveal the not connected 'connection'. I will be adding more as this grows but suffice to say I've checked the windscreen seal (all ok), the door seals (all ok), replaced the absolutely vital pollen filter,(my first car was a Ford Anglia Estate so I know how dangerous pollen can be.....**"