PhilT

Just sold my Galaxy which was beginning to show signs of its age (or rather mileage) and since the kids have grown up moved to an estate car, a 320d Beemer! Just wanted to say thank you for all the help I've experienced on this forum, and hopefully I've been able to give a little in return.

Kids at Uni and just agreed to buy a turbodiesel beamer estate so trying hard to sell the old Gal (car, not wife).

Since the "replace the sheared off bolt" repair the linkage has been a bit sloppy, especially 2nd to 3rd. Haynes talks about tightening up the linkages and possibly needing a special tool, any advice or tips on this please anyone?

yes, that's it exactly, and it is very occasional so I won't worry about it. Thanks.

I have an intermittant rumbling noise like a bearing rubbing or something catching when the ignition is on (but not the engine running). It is coming from under the dash in the centre but sounds as if it is in the passenger compartment rather than the engine bay. It is not the heater fan. Any ideas anyone?

A thousand thank yous Neil, worked a treat an saved me over a grand for a fitted recon. box (which would probably have meant scapping the car). Now as long as that bolt head stays well and truly stuck to the swarf magnet we'll be OK .......

Thanks Neil, that sounds more hopeful but just a couple of questions if I may. Underneath the battery tray there is a metal shelf (for want of a better word) which is spot welded to the body and restricts access; did you remove that? Also is there a removal top to the box to gain access, it looks like one casting? Phil

Gearbox is stuck in first. AA man checked and says its not the linkages, thought it might be the selector yoke; and Relayed me home. Any thoughts, ideas, reassuring comments welcomed; not a new box I hope!

I have noticed over recent months that my Gal is taking longer to start when hot, needs to turn over for up to ten seconds before she's off; cold starting no problems at all. Phil

My battery failed last week (after eight and a half years on the original battery, not bad!) and the garage got me a 70ah one whereas the old one was 90ah. I queried it but they reckon the spec. says 70ah and not to worry 'cos its guaranteed for three years. Seems to work OK.

No, it stops when you switch off, in fact usually it stops after the engine has been running for a while. This morning I had the wioper mechanism out to free it up and grease before the winter so I should have been able to tell which side of the bulkhead it was. Sods law though, it didn't do it today!!!! Phil

No Climate Control, and its not the heating fan 'cos it still makes the noise with that switched off.

Wonder if anyone has come across this. A sort of rumbling noise under the facia when you switch on the ignition so guess its an electric motor spinning and something rubbing?

"iirc fraud will sell just the mechs on there own with no motor but they were not alot cheaper than a complete mech" My experience was that Frauds would only supply complete with motor whereas Vw just sold the mechanism saving me about

Yes to the diesel (for mpg if nothing else) but I bet my 1972 MG Midget will be OK. Twin SU carbs and no new fangled computers, sensors, etc. to screw up. KISS (keep it simple stupid)

I get an error trying to browse unless I log in? Is it an anti-lurker feature?!?!?!

"I think you'll find that the only Ford part in your car is the engine." and if you had a diesel its just the badges!

Recently experienced a vibration from the rear of the car. If it happened suddenly I'd put it down to losing a balance weight, but this was slowly getting worse as the days went by. Got it over a mate's pit and checked everything underneath but couldn't find anything lose, so jacked up the wheels and spun them to check the bearings, again everything seemed OK. Then as he was spinning the wheel and I was standing behind I noticed that the radius wasn't true at one point. Checked carefully and in one 6" section about 1" wide right on the inside of the tread there was a bulge and the tyre was so worn that you could see the wire carcass! On further inspection of the sidewall it looked as if the tyre had been kerbed at that same point, which might explain it. Big frightener though, I really wouldn't have thought I could miss something like that! Put the spare on PDQ (but let some air out of the duff one first, in case it went bang when I took it off!)

Make sure you replace them all with something better than the Ford ones with that silly helix that just shears off (well, that's what happened to me). Merry Christmas everyone!

Just be careful you don't hit it too hard. I did and snapped the end of the bracket off. Fortunately repaired it by getting a friend to braze a straighted-out jubilee clip around and tightening it up.

I've been thinking about doing the same if (when!) I have to remove the whole assembly again. Nice to know somebody's tried it successfully.

Can't help thinking that with a circlip, washer and O ring in place not a lot of lubrication is going to get down to the spindle, but you never know .....

Has anyone tried lubricating the wiper spindles without removing the mechanism? This afternoon I took the blades & arms off, removed the circlips and washers and, with the wipers running, squirted in some WD40. With a bit of pressure the spindles dropped 5-10mm and I applied more oil/WD40 until they were both quite lose. Put it all back together again and see how it goes!

Thanks both, spare wheel is firmly attached and droplinks changed earlier this year. Phil.

Can anybody help identify a knock from my rear suspension. It sounds just as if the exhaust is lose and banging on the body when I go over a speed hump, but it isn't. Guessing it might be worn bushes or somesuch? Phil.