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Thanks Biscuit. I'm planning on having a car maintenance day today so we'll see how I get on.

Wow! Littledaz, I wish you had posted that comprehensive method a few days ago. Great stuff! Anyway, my car went in today and had a new spring tensioner fitted. It drives and sounds perfect now (but for how long?) I really hope that is the end of it but I am not too confident at the moment. When I got in the car I switched on everything I could think of... lights on main beam, fog lights, AC, front and rear screens etc to put as much load on the alternator as possible and the car still worked OK. Mr. Garage man says the new tensioner had far more power in its spring than the old one. My car has about 68K on the clock so I suppose a worn out spring tensioner is possible. If the car goes bad again over the next few weeks I'll be printing off Littledaz's post to take for Mr. Garage man to see. Many thanks

Hi, car went in yesterday and the drive belt was changed but it made no difference. Going in again tomorrow morning for a new spring tensioner to be fitted. I've printed off a few examples of similiar problems posted on this forum and will be taking them with me to the garage. Garage man says alternator is fine but I still can't stop thinking that the alternator is the culprit. Garage man was talking about possible steering rack fault.... hmm, sounds expensive. Will keep you posted.

Hi again, it's nothing to do with the lock striker. The points of resistance and the noises occur well before the door shuts. It seems to be coming from the hinge areas and I can't see any bolts loose. When I have time I will investigate further. It is definitely nothing to do with lubrication as I have sprayed it to death with WD40. All the other doors are perfect. I am worried that it may be down to a dodgy repair that I don't know about. The car certainly looks as if it has never been pranged and the paintwork is nice all over. Thanks for your suggestions.

Offside rear door on my 2002 tdi Galaxy has two points of resistance when closing it from fully open. As you push it past each point of resistance it makes a loud snap/crack noise. Door otherwise performs as normal. It is nothing to do with lack of hinge lubrication. Has anyone else had this problem? Any ideas what it could be?

Nope not really........... Diesel will get over 40 mile per gallon...you wont get 20 to the gallon on a V6 LPG....in fact this may be nearer 15 mpg. Look, who's car is it? I own the car so surely I am the one who knows the mpg.... you don't! For your info I get 23mpg on petrol and 20mpg on LPG. Take the 50% difference in cost between petrol and LPG and thats equivalent to 40mpg. You've also got the other advantages: quiet compared to diesel, far better performance, less frequent servicing, dual fuel capability, free to drive in central London etc etc etc. Not to forget that the original Granada 2.5 diesel only got 35mpg anyway. Mine is also an auto which wasn't available on the diesel, it's also a Scorpio with all the extras which you couldn't get on the diesel. Considering all the above I think an LPG conversion was a very wise choice indeed don't you think? Especially as I have owned the car for 7 years and intend to own it for a good few years yet.

Mine's got that silly climate control. How do you actually turn off the AC? Do you switch it to ECON? The system has got to be the most over complex piece of nonsense ever. Too fiddly. Takes forever to get warm and forever to cool you down. You can't beat the three big knobs on the old cars. I've never looked at the tensioner before until now but it wobbles about 10mm back and forth when the engine is idling at the moment. I tried to book it into the garage today but they're closed until Monday so it'll have to wait until next week now.

OK, thanks. I need the car sorted out so I'm going to phone the garage tomorrow to get it booked in. I've only had the thing a few months and I'm fed up of it already. I've had my old Granada V6 for 7 years without any trouble and 190,000 miles of sheer driving pleasure. I think the fact that VW made most of the Galaxy has got something to do with it.... grrr! Should have known to stick with good old traditional Fords.

Doesn't really compare as you would have made similar savings if you had just bought a diesel in the first place.

Well, thanks for your help fellas... looks like I'll have to leave it to the Fraud dealers if you can't help me out. Thanks for reading the post anyway.

I think the main thing you've got to look at here is the tax aspect. Let's not beat around the bush.... in the real world who is actually going to tell the taxman anyway? Even if you're a worrier you could just pay the tax on half the veggie oil and tell the taxman you used normal diesel the rest of the time. Contrary to popular belief the Inland Revenue don't pursue tax evaders as hard as they make out. We reported someone for tax evasion years ago and presented them with photgraphic and video evidence... they even got the culprits into the office and they admitted it! Even after all that they were too tired to prosecute them and just let them off. The other thing to remember is that unlike red diesel it is hard to tell if your car has been running on veggie oil without a serious inspection. So, if you don't pay the tax then 45p per litre is a good saving. I have a Ford Granada 2.9V6 that has been running on LPG for years. That is also around 45p per litre and it has literally saved me thousands of pounds. The car has done nearly 190K and runs like a dream because LPG isn't as harmful to the engine as petrol. I've also considered filling her up from Propane cylinders as that costs around 25p per litre. Again, I'd have to avoid telling the taxman.

Hi Snickers My 52 reg 115ps had a similar problem, (exactly the same symptoms). The tensioner was visibly rattling around under load- mainly when steering pump was under load. Fortunately fixed under warranty) fraud changed the tensioner and belt, seemed better for a few days. I took it back, then they changed alternator, apparently the alternator bearings had failed.- remember the drive belt drives aircon, alternator and steering pump. Problem sorted. So I suggest you have a swing in the alternator pulley to see if there is any movement. Good luck. Bob My 02 plate TDi 115 just started doing exactly the same thing yesterday. The steering sounds very loud and feels "rumbly" when turning it when the car is standing still and the engine is idling. If you increase the revs slightly then all the symptoms disappear. Even when not steering you can hear a rattly noise from under the bonnet. Again, this disappears as soon as you increase the revs slightly. I can see something next to the drivebelt which is wobbling (I assume this is the tensioner everyone is talking about). Also, at the exact time this problem started I got two warning messages on the dash saying "Alternator Workshop". That warning hasn't appeared again but judging from what you fellas are saying it could indeed be the alternator bearings. Having said that I am a real dumbass when it comes to car maintenance.

Hello folks. My 2002 1.9TDi 115 has just started making a rumbling noise under the bonnet when the engine is idling. As soon as you increase the revs a little the noise disappears again. Just before this noise started appearing I got two warnings one day on the dash saying "Alternator Workshop". Has anyone else experienced this before? I assume it is something to do with the alternator or drive belt etc. I am NOT a genius mechanic so will need things explained in "dumbass" terms if possible. Anything I need to look for before handing it over to the Fraud dealer? I've done a quick search on the forum and read lots about belt tensioners etc but not sure if that's what I should be looking for. Many thanks.

The longest lasting tyres I ever had were Tyron remoulds. Either the compound was as hard as nails or the tread was 4 inches thick. Come to think of it, they did used to rub on the wheel arches when turning corners. I swear blind I got about 25k out of them and they were on the back wheels of my 2 litre injection Sierra! And I used to burn rubber everywhere I went! The only downside was that in the wet they had the same amount of grip as oily banana skins. But at

Thanks fellas for your help. I'm off down the motorway in the morning so couldn't wait for you lot to reply. I had it in the garage today and the mechanic (who is very good) checked the GB fluid. It was full and in good condition so we ruled out the gearbox itself as the cause. His personal opinion was that it could either be the clutch needing overhauled/adjusted or the clutch could be on its way out altogether. Apparently the clutch on these things is a bit costly to replace. I think I'll see how she goes for a month or two first before facing major bills. If/when she gets worse I'll have to get my wallet opened up. Thanks again. ;)

Oh c'mon fellas... surely someone can help me? It's not all MAP sensors and tyre types you know? Pretty please?

Hi, I have a 2002 Galaxy 1.9Tdi 115 with 6 speed manual gearbox. Changing up from 2nd into 3rd gear is quite notchy and gives a tiny little crunch each time. Changing down from 4th to 3rd is smooth as it should be. When I was under the car a couple of months ago I noticed some fluid around where the gearbox meets the engine. I was wondering if it has a leak and I would like to check the fluid level in the gearbox. Does anyone know the OFFICIAL method of checking fluid level and how to top up if necessary? The car has done 65,000 miles so I certainly didn't expect gearbox problems so soon. Many thanks Jamie.