sparky Paul

This won't help you, but in case anyone is interested the McGard keys are available from the manufacturer's German website. You have to supply the ID and date code from the card that came with the car documentation originally, pay your euros and they post a replacement key to you, all very quick and efficient. I bought one after finding the bolts on one wheel had wound up tight, not quite sure how they ended up so tight but the original key snapped... and so did the replacement. The old multi-point socket trick sorted it out, and I replaced the whole lot with standard bolts so it wouldn't happen again... If I'd had a puncture on that wheel whilst out, I would have been knackered.

It's a pattern part, but should be the same as the original - M14 thread with a 13mm hex head.

Renault were particularly good at turning cars out of the factory fitted with whatever parts they had to hand. From personal experience, I would avoid Renault unless it was very cheap. They are supremely comfortable, well finished, and mainly mechanically reliable, but there are specific problems with certain engines and problems with electrics can write off a car. Just look how many late-ish cars are for spares or repair on eBay. A good one can be fine, but get a bad one you can run into serious trouble. At least the parts for Galaxys are relatively cheap and plentiful. ...on the other hand, at 118000 miles, you have to start worrying about that auto gearbox on the Galaxy. 115PS probably incorrect, as SK says above.

That one is for the VW engines. He needs this one... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-CAPRI-SCORPIO-GALAXY-KA-ESCORT-RS2000-RS-2000-OIL-SUMP-PLUG-WASHER-/290931033064

If you search fleabay for 'galaxy sump plug', loads shoulds come up. Look for the one with the large shoulder which is for the Ford petrol engines. The best way to put heat in is with something that can focus the heat tightly, such as a welding torch, but the refillable butane high temperature torches sold for jewellery making (and creme brulee!) can be quite effective for heating small areas. Plumber's blowtorches don't really get hot enough and have limited effect. Bear in mind that the heat will melt the plastic seal, so there will be no going back once you start. SK's suggestion to use a PELA pump might be useful, but they don't work on my 2.3 as there is stuff in the sump which blocks the path of the pipe.

You can get replacement sump plugs on that well known auction site, or a decent motor factor should be able to supply one. As said above,a bit of heat around the sump boss might help.

I might be on the lookout for another Galaxy, had this one now for 10 years! Although it's still mechanically sound and just sailed through another MOT, it is starting to look a little tatty round the gills, and two kids and a dog are starting to take their toll on the interior. Having looked at diesels, I'm tending towards another petrol. The 2.3 is a superb engine if serviced well, the only engine-related items I've had to replace in 10 years are thermostat, aux belt pulley and tensioner, and it still sounds as sweet as the day I bought it. As said above, avoid the autos, which are weak. It is a big car though, and they are thirsty. Gas conversion is undoubtedly the way to go with a petrol, but it it adds a big lump to the purchase price unless you are able to DIY. If you are intending keeping the car for a good few years, payback for the conversion is less of an issue. Finding cars that are already converted is a problem, as most have been to the moon and back. I regret not converting this one when I bought it, but I never thought I would keep a car this long - I'll be sorry to see it go!

Yep, sensor problems reset above 20mph or so. Favourite problem is the reluctor rings on the front driveshafts, although they sometimes damage the sensors when they split. Replacement rings are available cheaply on that well known auction place.

Not sure of the voltage, but would presume 12v. LEDs are polarised, so you need to make sure the LED is connected the right way round.

Ditto here with the anti-roll bar, mines crusty too. I've also just fitted a droplink, and this one doesn't have the flats either. The nuts sieze on so tight that the flats are often useless anyway. Most useful tool I've found to grip the back shoulder of the ball joints are Footprint pliers, or alternatively a smallish pair of Stillsons - the harder you turn the tighter they grip.

I like a happy ending :) Cars don't seem to suffer with rot like they used to, it's a shame to see otherwise good cars scrapped for the want of a bit of welding.

Forewarned by the experiences of other members on here, I undid mine by heating the hub casting up with the burning torch before attempting to remove the bolts. They then came out relatively easily, but were in very poor condition - the part exposed in the pinch gap was probably corroded a third of the way through.

Check your springs. I had this when one of my front springs lost a coil.

Yes, the generic ELM327 cables will work with the 2.3 petrol models, but will only read only the engine faults and live data. For all other body systems, e.g. airbag, abs, auto gearbox, etc., you need a VAG-COM type cable and software. Unfortunately, us 2.0 and 2.3 petrol owners need both cables to cover everything.

How long since the pollen filter was changed? That can cause demisting problems, also look for wet insulation under the passenger footwell carpet due to the rear wash pipe leakage.

VIN plate is in the front passenger door shut, on the B pillar. Yes, the diesel ratios are different, so you will need a box off a similar vehicle.

if the bolt has gone in the gearbox, it will be inside the gearbox where the shafts are. You will have to split the casing of the actual gearbox itself, once removed from the car... it might drop out, or you might have to fish a bit. Draining the oil should tell you something, but the bangs you described do not bode well. I think I would be keeping one eye out for a secondhand gearbox.

You should get some lovely tomatoes. B) I'm in the same boat. Having repaired the aircon several times in the past, I gave up in the end. I'm now in danger of being cooked when stood in traffic.

The selector mechanism is on top of the actual gearbox where the cables attach, underneath the battery tray when fitted to the car. You might get some bits of gearbox out of the hole, but if I remember correctly the bolt gets stuck where it can't get to the drain. You'll have to drain the gearbox in any case, so it will be interesting to see what comes out after these bangs!

Three slave cylinders failing on the trot is highly unusual, there must be an underlying cause. Fluid on the floor means the slave cylinder piston seal is damaged or the piston has over-extended. I would be amazed if slave cylinder failure ever had anything to do with what brand of clutch plate is fitted. First of all, I would rule out any chance of incorrect clutch parts. I would next suspect the fluid. When was it last replaced? You could either get a sample tested for contamination, or just make sure the pipework is thoroughly flushed with new fluid, and possibly replace any flexibles. Failure due to a damaged or scored cylinder piston can leave particles of metal in the fluid, which is why it should be replaced with either master or slave cylinder, but rarely is. If the pressure plate and flywheel are both thouroughly cleaned, you should only need a new friction plate - but labour charges are the killer on these jobs.

If you can't fish the bolt out from the top, I think you have to separate the two halves of the gearbox casing... not completely split it, just part it enough for the bolt to drop out. If you're lucky, you might have chipped a few teeth... if you're unlucky, it'll be secondhand gearbox time. :unsure:

Sounds like cobblers to me, all clutch parts should be made to pattern. Whilst it would always be preferable to fit friction plate and pressure plate as a pair, whoever manufactured the flywheel should make no difference, so long as it's the correct part and conforms to the original spec. Your first 3 failures all sound like concentric slave cylinder failure. Even when the master cylinder was replaced, you say the slave was leaking, so I would guess that the slave cylinder was the problem there. Personally, I would only replace this with a genuine Ford part, it's a big job to replace if it fails. 3 failures like this on the trot sounds very unlikely, either the replacements were of very poor quality, or something else is not right. I would be making absolutely sure that the flywheel and clutch fitted are the correct parts for the car, there are some subtle variations for the clutch parts on the diesels, and the supplier's reg. number databases are not always correct. It's unlikely, but one possible option is that incorrect clutch parts could be allowing the release bearing to over-extend to the point that fluid leaks. Is the flywheel a dual mass type? Solid flywheels usually last the car out.

As said above, gap under top cups is quite normal, and is required as the top rubber mount pitches at full lock, tilting the top cup. Knocking from the front is almost always droplinks, so double check those, and that they are tight. Next things to check are ARB bushes, then the other suspension joints. To check the ARB links, on level ground, grab hold of the roof rail and rock the car. If you can hear the knocking, get someone to grip each ball joint underneath tightly in turn. When the knocking stops, problem located.

Right, ignore the stuff about the mk.I, the mk.II pipework was improved. Evaporator very rarely fails on the Galaxy. First thing to check is the condenser, it's a common failure on the mk.II. Have a read at the following thread, there are pics on page 2... http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.php/topic/13221-aircon-leaking-gas-difficult-to-locate-fault-found

Doesn't sound good. There is an issue with the gear selector assembly on the top of the gearbox where a bolt comes loose and falls into the gearbox, causing the lack of gear selection you describe as your initial problem. In many cases, it seems to make it's way to the bottom of the gearbox without doing any damage and can sometimes be recovered with a magnet. If you are unlucky, the bolt gets caught up in the gears and bang... If the drivetrain has been staked by something jamming the gearbox, then the whole of the gearbox and engine will have been jolted pretty sharply - which could account for your burst pipe. You need to identify whether the bolt issue is the cause, if it is then I fear you may be looking for a replacement gearbox. Fortunately, the manual gearboxes are otherwise robust and that means they are reasonably easy to find, and shouldn't cost a fortune. Try that well known auction site, some breakers want an arm and a leg for stuff now.