Zaw

Are you suggesting that the entire problem could be solved by using a spare key? That is not possible, surely?

That is an absolutely amazing help - I do hope it is also useful to others now or in the future. I think with my Galaxy they are blaming the Power Steering pump. They claimed to have fixed this several weeks ago (it was about 500 of the 950 pounds), but seemingly not. There is some sort of sequence when my starter motor goes. There is definitely a noticable 'whine' while parking, particularly on full lock (the garage lamed low sterring wheel fluid at one point). Also, it has never failed at home, but 3 times, twice in supermarket car parks, once at a sevice station 20 miles after leaving home. Is there some sort of logic here? That is fails after a shortish drive but never first thing, cold as it were? Would this make sense with a failed Power Steering pump? Really great help and I do help it helps others.

Thanks for that Steve - the car is at the Garage and they have not yet checked if the starter motor has in fact failed as they are concentrating on a problem with a leak in the power steering. Can I ask a more general question which might be of use to others in the future: What, asside from the Relay 30, could cause a starter motor in a Galaxy to fail, randomly, 3 times? We must be able to narrow this down? As with many of us who own a Galaxy, I have 4 kids and this becomes an issue of safety and extreme inconvenience. Thanks everyone.

It is with the garage now so I cannot check. I have paid 950 pounds to have this repaired. If it is the Relay 30 problem, should they refund in some way the money they have charged for not diagnosing the original problem????? - which is relatively easy to fix.

Thanks for that. Whether the starter motors were tested to see whether they were actually faulty is something I will ask the garage. If it is the Relay 30 problem then surely all the money I have paid should be refunded.

And the compressor was changed in the aircon as the garage said this was causing the starter motor to fail. It has been changed, a new one fitted, and the starter did fail again - I was stuck at a service station on the way to Heathrow where my eldest son had to be collected. With the relay 30 problem - which I have just Googled, would that make it appear that the starter motor has failed? And, on removing the starter motor, would there be any indication of why it has failed? Thanks for all your help. I have 4 kids and an unreliable car is a nightmare.

Thanks for your replies. I've had two new starter motors fitted. They fail completely. The last time was at a service station on the M4. The AA guy jumped started it by towing me along. The starter completly fails - it does not turn-over at all. It is completely random - starts fine for a few weeks then, after stopping, fails completely. Not sure what the 'relay 30 problem' is but will look into it. Thanks for all your help!

Dear All, I have a simple simple question. I have a 2001 2.3 Ford Galaxy. I have been having a lot of trouble with the starter motor failing. It had originally been though that a faulty aircon system had been the cause. However, this has been repaired and it has one again failed. The mechanics are now suggesting that the fault is with the power steering. Is this possible? I'd really appreciate advice. I have 4 kids and we depend on the car and it has become completely unreliable at the moment. All the best.

Yes, I imagine that is the simple answer - terrible typos in original post, meant to read '950 total in repairs'

Hi all, I just had some repairs done on my 2001 2.3 Ford Galaxy. I was given some great help here to do with one of the repairs on the starter motor. Another problem is that there was some sort of leak in the stearing wheel column and this was repaired. This was around 3 weeks ago. There is now a creaking when stearing slowly (parking). There is also a possible smell. This part of the repair was 280 pounds. I've had a bit of a nightmare with this (1950 toatal in repairs) - does this need returning to Kwikfit? Could it just be 'settling in'? Any help much appreciated.

Thanks ever so much 'Insanitybeard' that's ever so helpful. Yes, the compressor has been changed, it was not turning and this caused it to break twice. I had thought that now that it is not seazing there should not be any issues, it is a new compressor, but am completely paranoid now about it. I can, of course, 'chromedone' simply turn it off at the dashboard but with a car full of kids might forget. Is it easy to find and disconnect the electrical multiplug which goes into the compressor? Thanks for all your help. Much appreciated.

Dear All, I have a 2001 Ford Galaxy 2.3. I've had a lot of trouble with the starter motor this week which failed twice. The Kwik Fit garage found the problem to be the aircon which had seized. The aircon compressor was replaced but, due to a leak, it cannot be used. My question is that when I turn on the heating the aircon comes on straight away. Not a major problem if the aircon does not mess with the atarter motor but it does. Is there a way to disable the aircon? Maybe at the switch? Thanks for any help and I hope I am making sense. I have 4 children, 3 of them very young and I really cannot another breakdown after the repairs this week.