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Personally I'd rather have it on the front and be in control with the steering. On the back you don't know where it's gonna take you!

I read something about this on the SMAX owners club site. If you do not allow sufficient time for the high pressure fuel pump to pressurise the fuel in the common rail then the engine is effectively starved of fuel. It is apparently more important on these cars to wait until the glow plug light goes out before attempting to start it, sometimes even waiting a few seconds longer than that.

Would VAG-COM indicate a malfunctioning EGR valve?

This information is in the TIS: "Passenger Air Bag Deactivation A passenger air bag deactivation (PAD) switch can be fitted by the dealer as an optional extra; the PAD switch is installed in the glove box. The driver can operate the PAD switch with a key to deactivate the passenger air bag module. When the ignition is switched on, a warning lamp in the instrument panel indicates to the driver and passenger that the passenger air bag module has been deactivated. After installing a PAD switch kit, the RCM must be re-configured using WDS." I suggest contacting Ford Customer Services and highlighting the concern to them that their Dealers appear to be unaware of how to do this. Perhaps they have details of Dealers that have already done it.

Turn it anti-clockwise 225 degrees (5/8 of a turn).

Might be an interesting experiment for anyone who's interested. All other things being equal (same car, some road, some conditions, engine at normal temperature, etc.) you could check the instantaneous mpg passing the same point on the same road at different speeds and in different gears to compile an "economy table". If you've got nothing better to do of course! :rolleyes:

The theory is that the engine is at its most efficient when producing max. torque (around 2,000 rpm for the TDI). Therefore, optimum speeds for cruising in each gear should be: 1st - 10~12 mph 2nd - 17~22 mph 3rd - 28~36 mph 4th - 40~50 mph 5th - 50~60 mph 6th - 60~75mph Has anyone with a trip computer on a long flat road ever compared the mpg achieved to the speed in each gear? (I'd do it but I haven't got a trip computer!) Obviously, many other factors affect fuel economy but the question is "Is it best to try to stay around 2,000rpm while cruising for maximum economy?" From the original post, at 45mph in 6th, the TDI engine would be turning at 1,300rpm. Would this achieve a better mpg than 45mph in 4th at 2,000rpm?

Could be a leaking head gasket - losing water into the combustion chambers. Could cause misfiring and lack of power. I hope not!

You could have had a Corsa converted by Millbrook (Vauxhall's approved conversion agent). This is covered by a 3-year, 100,000 mile warranty. http://www.millbrookconversions.co.uk/modelrange.htm

Jack up the front, hold the front wheel top and bottom and try to rock it back and fore. If there's any play then it could be the wheel bearing. Also, failing wheel bearings normally generate a rumbling sound while driving.

"You get what you pay for" "It's a business not a charity" etc., etc. How would she have managed if she hadn't been a member? I suppose you have to think carefully about what you might need out of the service before you buy it and weigh up the risk of not having it against the chances of the worst happening. Although I'm surprised like Bigjeeze that she wasn't offered an upgrade - any opportunity for more money! (I'm not a member of the AA either, by the way)

2.0L petrol and now a 2.3L petrol for the 6-speed automatic. In the S-MAX you can also have the Volvo-derived 2.5L (5-cyl) turbo engine.

I guess what you're actually asking is "was the new speedo from ebay UK or European spec.?", i.e. if European it would read km only. UK spec. would have mph on the outside and km on the inside.

It's also possible that a sequence of signals is necessary to unlock the safety feature. Does it say anywhere in the user (not installation) instructions about this, e.g. press the brake pedal and engage/release the handbrake twice?

I personally don't tow anything but would probably recommend a diesel. Even the 90PS TDI delivered more torque than the old 2.8 (12v) engine - 240Nm at 1,900 rpm instead of 235Nm at 4,200rpm. The 115PS and 130PS diesels produce 310Nm at 1,900rpm which is still greater than the newer 2.8 (24v) engine - 268Nm at 3,200rpm. So, if you're looking for lots of torque lower down the rev range then a diesel is probably your best bet, but I'm sure any of the 2.8s would be more than capable of towing.

Connecting to the power side of the Galaxy parking brake switch will provide 12v when the handbrake is off and 0v when the handbrake is on. This works in the opposite way. Connecting to the black/red side of the switch (red/yellow is the 12v supply) will provide 12v when the brake pedal is pressed or 0v otherwise. So, I would suggest you put both leads onto the negative terminal of your motorcycle battery to test. I assume from what you said that it didn't work with these leads left unconnected?

A bit sexist! There are a few "beefy" females out there (not sure how many drive Galaxys though :lol: ) and quite a few "feeble" men. But seriously, I'm sure we'd all have difficulty without power assistance, especially if it was a sudden, unexpected loss.

I disagree - it's not the air surrounding the engine that needs to be cold (and therefore dense) but the air going into the engine. That's why intercoolers are fitted to some of the diesels. So, removing the undertray would have no beneficial effect and, as stated above, could be a safety hazard. I agree with the first statement, but the ram effect will be negligible until you reach high speed and would then probably have little effect. Making holes in the air filter housing would allow a little more air in and would increase induction noise. Again, the effect is probably negligible and the improvement in performance you claim is probably a false perception - the car sounds louder and hence feels more powerful. There are many after market air induction kits that claim unrestricted air flow and ensure that cold air is drawn in by re-routing the air intake to the front of the car, away from hot engine components (exhaust). The benefits gained from these is questionable and many actually have a detrimental effect on performance, especially on modern fuel-injected, emissions-controlled engines. The manufacturers have spent millions tuning the complete engine system - induction, combustion and exhaust for optimum performance. As mo4 says, if it was that easy the manufacturers would have done it!

Yes, it's the current that generates the heat, not the voltage, which in this case is low anyway. I don't recommend it, but if you put a spanner across the terminals of a car battery, the voltage will be low (12v) but the current will be very high and the spanner will melt, but possibly not before the battery has destroyed itself! Ohm's law again I = V/R. V=12v, the resistance of the spanner ® is very low therefore the current (I) is very high. AC = alternating current and the voltage is also alternating while the resistance is constant. DC = direct current and the voltage is also constant while the resistance is constant.

I think you're confusing your currents and voltages! Yes, the voltage will be DC (not AC) so the waveform will be a flat line, the vertical position of this line indicating the actual DC voltage. Yes, you don't gain anything by using an oscilloscope instead of a multimeter to measure DC. No, you won't damage the oscilloscope because there won't be a high DC current. If the input impedance of the oscilloscope is 1Mohm (conservative) then the current at 14v would be 14uA! (Ohm's law I=V/R)

The inputs to an oscilloscope are very high impedance and, therefore, the current would be negligible. Oscilloscopes measure voltage waveforms.

What? You can fit a whole one in the back of yours? I could but you'd have to do this to it first - any objections? :P

The way ola's post reads, the battery voltage was 12.72v disconnected. This rose to 13.84v while the alternator was running. If 14.5v is expected, a faulty cable could easily be dropping the 0.66v voltage difference across it (14.5 - 13.84). Therefore, I think he should eliminate the cable first by replacing it with new then assess the situation with the battery afterwards.

Same as the 1.8l Mondeo yesterday - http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...st&p=113397

A broken cambelt would have stopped the engine almost immediately and wouldn't have caused it to seize (although it might have damaged the valves and pistons). It sounds like your EGR valve failed and the engine was using its own oil as fuel - "engine raced to full throttle and stopped". When this ran out you had no lubrication and hence the engine seized. Sorry can't really help with the other decision. It's all a question of economics - how much you're willing to spend and what you expect to get in return. If your annual mileage is low and you want to keep the same car then a reconditioned engine might be the way to go but if you do a lot of miles then perhaps it's time to go for a newer model.