sparky Paul

VAG-COM will only communicate with the SRS airbag system. For everything else, including the engine, you need a EOBD/OBDII type interface. I use a generic ELM327 based cable and the ScanTool software... works with most non-VAG vehicles from 2001 onwards. Pre-2001 vehicles may not be fully OBDII compliant, and some functions may not be available. It works on my 1999 model, I would think it should on yours too - however, as there were some major changes to the electrical systems for 99-on models, I cannot be 100% certain. If anything will work, it's an OBDII interface.

Yes, that would tend to point elsewhere... it was worth a try. I remember how I had convinced myself there was something seriously wrong mechanically. Having said that, the Dunlops do get noisier as they are approaching the very end of their life. The noise from a bad diff bearing tends to alter very noticeably as you go around a bend at speed. As the torque is pushed more to one driveshaft or the other, this puts load on different bearings, and the diff itself spins in the housing, working the bearings inside the diff. A diff bearing will also sound different under load, i.e. accelerating, to when on overrun, i.e. when engine braking. The noise I had from the tyres varied little, no matter what I did on the road. Wheel bearings tend to get slightly louder as you turn sharply and put more weight on the bad bearing, although they can be notoriously difficult to diagnose, especially fronts.

These Marshals are well reviewed, and worked out under

Almost certainly the wiring in the rubber boot between the car and the tailgate. That's the first symptom I had before it all went haywire.

I can't say I can ever remember anyone having diff problems with a Galaxy. This might sound a bit unlikely, but have you had any new tyres recently? The last ones I had one mine made an awful noise... similar symptoms to yours, a whiny growl over 35mph, almost disappearing at 70mph. Although the noise only started when I fitted the four tyres, it was getting worse and I had convinced myself that something mechanical was going kaput. I had checked the wheel bearings, and like you was worried that the diff might be up the spout. I read the Auto Express tyre tests and bought some Marshal Matrac tyres - highly reviewed, and seem great so far. The new pair of front tyres has fixed the problem 100% at the front, with just the whine from the back ones to contend with now... :lol: Sumo Firenzas - never again. :lol: Although the tyres were otherwise fine, I have never heard road tyres make such an awful noise.

Excellent point, you forget how easy it is to slip in and out of the Galaxy.

striaght=straight of course... please excuse my ham-handed typing. ;)

First of all, I'm assuming we are talking about the earlier 1995-2006 Galaxy, which is what I have, rather than the new 2006-on model. The seats in the Galaxy are a bit higher than most cars, but for most people it's a comfortable height to just drop onto and lift your legs in. Generally, I have found that the Galaxy is very good for those with impaired mobility. The doors open very wide, and the really neat thing about the front seats on most models is that they can be rotated so they are facing the door - once on the seat, you can easily rotate it back to the striaght-ahead position as you lift your legs in. Hope this helps. ;)

tiny's right, you don't need compressors to remove the top nut and mount, but you do to replace the shockers - which you will probably need to by the time you have removed the top mounts. I used a small burning torch to cut the cup (top mount), blowing through into the rubber mounts which I also intended to replace. What's left on the shaft if then small enough to drop through the hole in the chassis turret. Certainly the fastest method, if you access to the tackle. If you want to have any chance of reusing the struts, then this is the only way you can get them out so you can remove the top nuts on the bench. Any mechanical method of trying to remove to top nuts which the struts are still in the car is likely to damage the threads on the shockers. In the end, same as tiny, the ends of the shockers were so badly corroded on mine that I replaced them anyway. Personally, if the shockers are 10 years old, they will have done some work, and I would replace them anyway. This allows you a bit more freedom to remove the struts anyway you feel comfortable. Check the springs very carefully any cracking whilst you are at it, fronts are prone to snapping at that age - replace both if not 100% okay. Also, when removing the bottom of the shocker from the hub, the pinch bolt is prone to shearing - there is a bit in the middle of the bolt which is open and corrodes, thinning the bolt. I put some heat on the hub and the bolts came out in one piece, but they were very tight. Replace with new. It's a lot easier if you split the bottom ball joint and take the driveshaft out of the hub, but you will need a pair of new driveshaft end bolts as these must be replaced with new on reassembly. I think that's about it... everything else is straightforward. ;)

The very early handbook doesn't give load ratings. However, my Galaxy is a 1999 like the OP's, and now I have the handbook to hand, it clearly states 215/60R15 95H in the list of tyre options - not 94 as I previously said, I apologise. However, this tyre is still not classed as reinforced and will not be marked as such, and before you say it, there is no such thing as a 95 rated RF/XL tyre in this size - the very few RF/XL tyres listed in this size are all now 98 rated - there doesn't seem to be any 96 rated RF listed now. You seem to be saying that Ford would recommend and fit incorrect, and dangerous, tyres to their vehicles. To be honest I find this unlikely. Most non-reinforced tyres are rated to 44psi. The 215/60R15 will be too, so there should be no problem there either. Fully laden rear pressures for 215/55x16 RF/XL tyres is stated as 48psi. By your reckoning, you would have to allow several more psi on top of this... Dunlop SP 2020E RF tyres are rated at 49psi maximum, so where's your safety margin? The OP's 215/60R15 95 rated non-reinforced tyres are correct according to Ford, and I would replace them with like, or go for the 16" alloys.

Sorry to hear about that, sounds like a complicated mess. :( I'm not familiar with the new Galaxy, and although it is an all-new design, I'm guessing the handbrake acts on the discs, the same as the old one. One of the problems with this is that if the discs are very hot when the handbrake is applied, they contract as they cool and the handbrake is released slightly - and in rare cases enough to allow the car to move. Because of this, the handbook for cars with this type of handbrake usually states that the car should be left in gear, or in 'Park' in the case of an automatic, securing the driving wheels. I would check your handbook carefully for this, but bear in mind that it could work in favour of you or the dealer... :) Where it gets tricky is determining how hard you have to pull the handbrake on. Again, I would examine the exact wording is in the vehicle's handbook carefully, and how this fits with what the dealer has told you. If the wording in the handbook does not tally with the dealers advice after the event, I cannot see how you are expected to know how to use the handbrake if it is different to the norm. If you wish to take the matter further, I would start by visiting your local Trading Standards office, and I would be looking around the internet for evidence of other handbrake failures to support your theory.

Not for the OP's tyre size. According to the Ford handbook, 215/60x15 tyres on the Galaxy do not need to be reinforced, the standard 94/95 load index tyres are specified... indeed 98 rated RF/XL tyres are difficult to obtain in this size. The tyre pressures specified by Ford are also much lower for this tyre size, 34-37psi at the front, and 31-40psi at the rear. All other tyre sizes must be reinforced RF or XL to achieve the necessary load index - load index is the critical factor. Personally, I would trust the vehicle manufacturer's specification - check the handbook. I know this topic has been beaten to death before, but reinforced RF or XL tyres are not necessarily of different construction to standard tyres - hence to move to the XL or eXtra Load terminology. Another reason the term RF is being dropped in favour of XL is the confusion with the reinforced side wall RSW tyres popular in the US.

Sounds like a good plan! The alloys do look rather smart... :)

There seems to be some confusion over 1999 models as many were lacking boot badges for trim levels. I would tend to believe the logbook, and guess yours is indeed a Si, which is a trim level up from the Zetec IIRC. 1999 Zetec had standard alloys, so I would have thought the Si would too. :) The tyre fitter is correct, but any tyres which carry above the normal load would normally be marked as XL or RF. Standard tyres in 215/60x15 generally have a load index of 94, RF/XL tyres are generally 96 or 98. The important factor here is the load index, which determines the weight the tyre will carry... the RF/XL issue is a bit of a red herring. Newer tyres tend to be XL, or eXtra Load, tyre manufacturers are moving away from using the term RF as it tends to infer a different tyre construction. Tyres are also manufactured with reinforced sidewalls, or RSW, which is a very different thing - this is to improve handling, and not for increased load bearing. Note that according to my 1999 model handbook, the standard 94 rated tyres in the 215/60x15 size only, are suitable for the Galaxy... if in doubt, I would check your own handbook for the recommended sizes and minimum load index.

I've got the big version of the Pela pump, and I can tell you it is an absolutely brilliant device... ...if it works on your car. It works on everything else I've used it on, but the pipe won't go to the bottom of the 2.3 petrol engine. Damn Ford engine... :) As far as I know, it works fine on the VW diesels. Prices are around

Will VAG-COM reset the engine management light on a petrol model? I thought you needed a EOBD/OBDII Ford-type reader to rest this, and that VAG-COM only did the airbag system on the Ford engined models... or am I barking up the wrong tree here? :wacko:

I don't think the OP is being unreasonable. After all, if the doors were intended to be held at all times as you say, why on earth do they put a stay-open notch on the straps? How is someone expected to safely lift a baby/toddler/disabled person into a car seat whilst holding the door? The straps are not going to save the doors in the event of a hurricane, but I would expect them to withstand a reasonable gust. Putting the stops on the hinges doesn't sound a good idea to me, putting it so near the pivot point would mean that the whole hinge assembly would have to be extremely robust to be as strong as a strap.

That's a very good point. If you read the policy carefully, many of the cheaper offerings limit transport to driver and 4 or 5 passengers. I also occasionally travel long distances with 6 or 7 in the car, and it rules out these providers. You have to watch out for some of the small print. Some only cover cars up to 5 years old, and I have seen some which insist on proof of maintenance/servicing from a VAT registered garage. As I do my own servicing, repairs and even tyres, this is no good to me. I also need something which will recover me wherever I want to go. If I'm local, I need to go home. If I'm going on holiday, I would prefer to be taken to my destination, I can then organise any repairs from there - I don't want to be stuck in a crappy hotel halfway there, while the 'nearest suitable repairer' fixes the car. Don't overlook the 'pay & reclaim' services either. GEM do a fully inclusive service, or offer a pay & reclaim service at a discount. This might seem like a bit of unnecessary hassle, but they will still organise recovery in the normal way... alternatively, you have the option to use any recovery service or garage you choose, and they will reimburse the cost. This can be particularly handy if you have a problem close to home. My dad used a local garage when his clutch cable snapped locally a few years ago, GEM paid up immediately and without quibble.

I would also recommend checking with your insurer for a discounted policy, and some companies are now including a basic recovery service in with the insurance. I've just renewed mine, been with the same company now for many years - GEM Motoring Assist. I check every year, but still can't find anything cheaper for our particular circumstances, including those supplied by our insurer. GEM came top out of all the recovery services in last years Auto Express Driver Power Survey.

There's no other HT leads under the cover, only the two I mentioned... the others are LT cables which come from the wiring loom and plug into the coils.

On the 2.3 there are only two HT leads, there are two coil packs directly above two of the spark plugs, and the two HT leads connect these to the other two plugs. If you remove the centre lid from the rocker cover, all will be revealed.

That's fair enough. Out of interest... have you considered another Galaxy? There's some cheap mk.1s about now, and they do seem to hold up well if reasonably looked after. Or did you prefer the Toyota?

Don't seem to have much luck with cars Maz... I hope the next one works out better! There's an Estima on fleabay with a blown head gasket if you fancy a challenge, not too far away and ends in less than 2 hours... and cheap! Should be a good buy for someone if the head is good, but it's always a risk. :(

Cheers... that makes sense. :unsure: No idea why mine's turned off though. The car had only been serviced by the supplying dealer, who confirmed the mileage and history six years ago. Perhaps it was an 'accident' at the time of manufacture, who knows?

I've never seen any service indicators, so there must be a way to disable them permanently. :unsure: