Richmond

I'm not sure that I understand. Are you saying that the dealer registers the car so that it counts as a sale and the dealer's bonus is increased, and he then has to flog the thing more cheaply as it's effectively second hand?

The dealer registers the car and is classed in the logbook as the first owner. As the car is then "second hand" it gets sold cheaper than a non registered, as the dealer needs to shift it before the 90 days are up and they have to pay Ford for the car. Thanks. Why would a dealer do that?

It might make the MAF work better, but I would expect frequent cycling up to 2k C to shorten the life of the wire.

I might add that I test drove a 2.3 and found the performance (on an urban test drive) fine. My wife also drove it, and decided that an extra 0.5 litres was required. Since she drives more than I do, we bought the 2.8, without a test drive (Ford Direct). The 6 speed box took a bit of getting used to; I found it more difficult to move from 5 speed to 6 than I did from 4 to 5. The engine's tendency to maintain revs for a couple of seconds after the accelerator is released surprised me for about a year; apparently it's a characteristic of the engine (something to do with emission controls?), but it is a bit alarming, especially at high speed. The fuel consumption point is a big one if it bothers you; the consumption is truly dire, no better than 25 mpg on a m'way run (although sticking to 70 mph would improve that quite a lot, I think). I daren't think about it around town. Like Dally, I pay for my own fuel (and everything else) and I think the cost is worthwhile, but a lot of people won't. I confess that it never occured to me to even think about a diesel. Next time I'll certainly test one, having read the glowing reports on this forum.

The 2.8 is quiet (relatively) at speed; you can hold a conversation comfortably at 95, which may not be important for you. The acceleration is impressive (too impressive for the suspension etc if you floor it). The fuel consumption is dire. Our driving is mostly around town with the odd m'way excursion once or twice a month, and we're happy that we chose the 2.8.

I had something similar on a Volvo; turned out that an idiot replacing the hand brake cable had failed to tighten up the caliper mountings properly (he might even have left a bolt off) and under braking the calipers moved with a clonk. All looked well while the car was not running (until you suspected that the clonk was coming from the calipers). It was a Kwikfit bloke who found the problem; it took him the thick end of an hour and he didn't charge for it.

Thanks for that. The last time was 4am today so microwaves unlikely (although not impossible).

My (OE) alarm went off 3 or 4 times over a couple of days earlier in the year, and has done so 3 times in the last week. It's most unlikely to have been a genuine alarm. I suspect the tailgate; on each occasion, reshutting it has solved the problem, although it is firmly shut when the alarm goes off. A bike carrier sits on the tailgate and the extra weight may make the door bounce a little when it's slammed shut (by my wife; she has always been the last one to shut it). Has anyone else had a similar problem with a different cause? What (if anything) sets the alarm off apart form a door contact being broken? Can I test the alarm system somehow? Will the diagnostics tell a Ford dealer what's going on? The car's under warranty for a few more months so I'd like to get it sorted. As the problem is occasional, it's going to be tricky unless the diagnostics help.

A catalyst can have a finite life. A catalyst is not consumed by the reaction which it catalyses and so may carry on indefinitely. However it can be 'poisoned' (for example by gaining a coating of oxidised catalyst material) either by a product of the reaction or by other materials with which it comes into contact as it is catalysing away. Car cats also get clogged with solid combustion products so that the exhaust gases do not contact the catalyst adequately. Poor running will accelerate this process. Poisoning is inevitable in some applications of catalysts; I don't know whether this is so for car cats. Poor running of the engine is likely to contribute to poisoning of the catalyst; the cat's running temp may increase, accelerating poisoning reactions, and unburnt fuel is likely to cause poisoning or clogging.

Ford Customer Services faxed me a template the same day I asked them. (I posted this in response to another posting - sorry.)

What does 'pre-registered' mean?

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The Galaxy is v. comfortable for long journeys, although I cannot compare it with the others is the list. The Galaxy looks dreadful from the back, but you don't buy an MPV for its looks.

Yes - but where do you position them, because the facelifted headlamps have no alignment marks on them at all - and what is best to clean the glue off after use so as not to damage the plastic lenses of the headlamps? Ford Customer Services faxed me a template the same day I asked them.

Yes - but where do you position them, because the facelifted headlamps have no alignment marks on them at all - and what is best to clean the glue off after use so as not to damage the plastic lenses of the headlamps? The masking templates I had from Ford Customer Services (which sound the same as those on the TIS) look nothing like a regular headlamp deflector. There are guide marks on the plastic headlamp cover (there are on mine, anyway) for masks made according to the template.

17, according to the site.

Sorry, can't help, but what's the difference between -ve and earth?

I have the Roofbox rubber mat to which Nimrod refers. It's very effective, although not attractive, easily removed (for hosing down) and replaced and the clip on covers for the seat mountings stop them filling up with sweet papers, leaves, mud, chewing gum, biscuit crumbs, twigs and all the other filth which my revolting children and their equally disgusting friends leave in the car. It will give you precisely 5p change out of

I got a template from Ford customer services, by fax; I believe that it's the one on the TIS disc. It provides 4 different shaped masks, 2 for each lamp, and is a pain in the bot to reproduce (I used adhesive metallic tape). Seems to work fine; no flashing from French drivers. Someone suggested mounting the masks permanently on a headlamp cover, which sounds sensible if you go to Europe every year.

Or how much wind noise bothers you, or what you're used to. I'm grateful just to be able to hear the radio and conduct a conversation at 90 mph; this is the first car I've owned in which I can!

I bought from a local dealer via Ford Direct. I think that I was told that the cars are held at various dealers, although the stock (5000 cars according to the website) presumably does not represent all the stock held by the dealers which qualify for Ford Direct (less than 4 years old etc); maybe it does. Any system that shows one price but expects that dealers may charge a higher price is bonkers. On the site, for some of the cars found it says that they are not at the named dealer (the named dealer presumably being the closest to your post code); for those cars it says that 'The named Ford Direct dealer has independently determined the price' and that you can buy the car from any dealer. I think that this means that the named dealer has determined that price for themselves and that it may not be the same as the price from the dealer who actually has the car or from any other dealer. If you go to the named dealer, I think you should be offered it at the price on Ford Direct; anywhere else, it's up to that dealer.

Why should a sump plug wear? It's only undone once a year, or am I being stupid? So what if it's made of Al (which seems a bit odd)? Al isn't particularly soft. Are you sure it's not made of lead? :angry: Sounds like your chap may have cocked up and is asking you to pick up the bill. If it has worn and you do need a new sump pan, it must be a truly awful bit of design.

FWIW, the two inserts in the gap appear to be engaging each other at the top of the gap, which is presumably what they're supposed to do. After last week's picture of an unidentified and apprently broken bit in someone's engine bay which turned out to be perfectly OK, the fact that it looks as though it's about to fall apart should not worry you.

The way in which Ford Direct operates doesn't strike me as unethical (although I see what you mean) or a scam, but as bad business. Dealers are entitled to offer cars at whatever price they like, and we are entitled to buy them or not. However, if there's one thing that's going to piss off your average punter, it's finding a car on the web at a price only to be asked to pay another few hundred quid for it. What is the price which appears on Ford Direct? Is it the price at which the dealer who has the car will let it go? If it is, why not go directly to the dealer who has it? If the cost and inconveience of that rule it out, that's why you're paying a few hundred quid for your dealer to get it for you, I suppose.