JohnR

Double Rubbish! ;) The glow plugs run for a few seconds after start up, true. But there is no "reduced setting" (only a relay involved here). Glad you think my original "garbage" is not garbage!! Just checked the wiring diagrams in the TIS. As you say, its just straight off a relay (K70 - pre-glow relay). :lol: VR6! where did you get this notion?? John

Whoops.....just tried fitting these at lunchtime. They are about 2mm too wide. You CAN make them fit though. the back one just needs a chamfer on the inside at the two ends, the front one can't easily be made to fit the recess. I used an epoxy and mounted it flush. Looks ok to me!

The Ford badges on my 4 year old Gal look horrible. Water has creeped into them and they are awful. I just got some off ebay (1st try was wrong size, 2nd try was 2nd hand and not brilliant, 3rd try bingo!) They were 4.99 + 4.98 carriage for a pair and came in about 5 days from Malaysia! They look great! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BUY1FREE1-Ford-Genui...1QQcmdZViewItem cheers, John PS. someones probably going to tell me that they are cheaper at Frauds!

Anyone got any experience of the Nokian All Weather Plus 215/55 R16 97V XL on a Galaxy?? How do they compare on snow/ice with a dedicated winter tyre, do they last etc..... You can get them for

Sorry, but I think that's garbage. B) the Glow plugs are left on at a reduced setting for a while till the engine reaches a certain temperature in order to improving overall engine performance and help in reducing smoke emissions and combustion noise after start up it could be temp sensor giving a dodgy reading and calling for the glow plugs to operate under normal running conditions and causing pre ignition of the fuel? not a great lover of TDI's, I'm sure someone with an interest in them will be along later to suggest another reason for this problem ;) That makes sense...and I hold my hands up and apologise! I've had quite a few diesels in the past, but this is the first one that holds the glowplugs on during warm up :lol: I was surprised to find that the glowplugs are more or less instantaneous....no preheat delay on startup. Should have given me a clue. John

Sorry, but I think that's garbage. Glowplugs are only used for a few seconds when starting the engine on a diesel, it is more likely to be a dirty injector. Try running a bottle of injector cleaner through the tank. John

Yep, it was 80 quid (70 after haggling) a wheel at www.wheelestyles.co.uk as well. I went to motorworld at lunchtime....you can get decent looking alloys complete with tyres for about 100 quid a wheel, so if you wait till the treads gone on the current ones, you could always think about using them to carry a set of winter tyres if you live in the hills or drive to the alps in the winter as I do! Have to think about this....still think they could look pretty good sprayed with autoglym wheelpaint if you can strip the polymer coating off. Still waiting to hear from someone thats figured out the best chemical treatment to strip em! Come on guys, someone must have done it!

Care to be more specific?? I just spent 10 minutes on the search engine, and came up with lots of references about sizes of alloys and how to clean them. Nothing as yet on what to use to strip off the polymer coating and re-finish them. Thanks, John

No its not just the centre caps, they aren't too bad. Its for about 50 mm around the centre cap, and the plastic coating has lifted (you can break it off in places) leaving a white powdery deposit which you can brush off leaving a rough finish. The plastic coating on the rest of the wheel is well adhered though, and seems very tough. Wondering whether Nitro mors will shift it, but would need to be careful of the tyres. Anyone know what's best to use?? John

The alloys on my 4 year old (52 plate) ghia have got corrosion around the centre trim. The plastic skin has lifted, and there is a combination of white and black deposits. I can get the wheels completely stripped and refinished by www.wheelstyles.co.uk for

OK.....I'll try to dig out the dig cam...once I've sourced a new aircon compressor (see other thread) and got it fitted :-( John A few pictures. The adhesive used is one that I have at work (Araldite 2015, RS stock code 388-9036) and is extremely strong but a 24 hr cure. Even so, glueing to the inside surface of the lid is probably not strong enough. Hence I chased out a 3mm deep pocket in the underside of the lid, and then bonded the hand made bracket into it. Probably stronger than the original. Afterwards (not shown) I dressed off the excess and applied a bit of black paint. Cheers, John

I did see that one, but it doesnt mention vat, which takes it to

After this lark, I am going to see about refurbing the old one myself. As a chartered mechanical, I have access to measurement and machining facilities, bearing/seal stockists etc....then I'll keep it as a spare. Has anyone else done their own refurb on one of these (or looked into it and found a hurdle?) Thanks, John

OK.....I'll try to dig out the dig cam...once I've sourced a new aircon compressor (see other thread) and got it fitted :-( John

Anyone know the cheapest place to get a replacement compressor (variable displacment type, TDi MK2). Best price at the mo is

;) I've only been here 4 days, and here we go..... I've been working through a list of jobs on the gal, most of them small. I just started to look at the aircon, which aint giving out any cold. There are no fault indications on the control unit. I just checked the gas pressure and its healthy. The centre hub of the clutch unit spins too freely for my liking....you can turn it with a little finger, very smooth no feeling of pulsing.....In my mind this means the shaft has sheared....does anyone else concur with this? ;) ;) John

Yes you have to press the roll pins out, yes it is an integral part of the lid, yes it will cost the earth from a dealer so breaker or Ebay is your best bet. Be gentle when you put the pins back in or you could be back to square one!! ;) Andy. OK sorted it all out now. 3 screws to remove the tray and lid, then use a 2.5mm drill bit in pistol drill on reverse....that winds in the scroll pins so they pop out easily. Next, I made a new eyelet out of a piece of 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/8 aluminium angle, traced around it and dremelled out a pocket in the lid. Some Vantico 2015 araldite to pot it in securely alongside the existing (broken) eyelet, then glue a 4mm dowel into the mating plastic fork. Re-assemble and Bobs your auntie! ;) John (the artful bodger!)

One of the silly plastic hinges is broken. Do you have to press out the roll pins to remove it, or is there a different way? Also, it looks like the breakage is the eyelet where it attaches to the lid. Is it an integral part of the lid? If so it'll probably cost the earth so i'll try to bodge it. Failing that, I'll glue the poxy thing down! John

Have just purchased a 52 plate TDi ghia. Seems to run very sweetly, but needs a bit of tidying up (cosmetic) and having now gone over it there is no cooling although there are no fault indications and everything on the panel seems to work otherwise. :wacko: I've ordered a TIS CD, which should arrive in a few days, but can someone give me a quick leg up? As I see it, the best scenario is just that its lost some gas pressure so the clutch is not pulling in. Worst scenario is the nightmare rebuild. What do I need to test the gas pressure, and how do you access the compressor and check clutch function? If anyone has any info to save me some time (a fault finding tree?) I'd appreciate it! Cheers John

Nice one "Frord"! Typo? or intentional? I luv it! Its gonna be a bundle of fun in here! :ph34r:

Just figured it was time to swap my 406 estate (S plate, 127,000 miles) for something bigger/newer/more economical and better suited to camping holidays and driving to the alps! P/X'd for a Galaxy 1.9TDi Ghia on a 52 plate on trade terms. Its a high miler at 95K but all service history to cover it, (all services in Taunton) car reg'd to firm in Swindon so looks like a motorway commuter! I collect on monday, and although have given it as good a going over on the forecourt as possible I will go to town on it when I pick it up and get it home. Everything seems sweet as a nut, the inside is spotless (other than usual scrapes on the inside drivers door hande (replacements 10 quid on ebay). Outside, there are a couple of stone chips but no dents - just needs a T-Cut. It has new tyres and the 10 months test probably means suspension is ok. The badges all need replacing (why can't Ford make em to last??) and the alloy wheels look tatty. Might have to replace the plastic hub trims. Would have expected wheels to look better after only 4 years....what's the best way of cleaning them up without removing the anodising? :wub: Oh yes, now to myself. I'm a time-served mechanical engineer, with degree and PhD in machinery design (+20 years exp). I expect to be doing most jobs on this myself. Guess you'll all be hearing from me in due course! Cheers, John Ricketts