JDHogg

You could check out this old post by NikpV - its for a MK 1 but you might glean something useful from it - I found out how to remove the exterior handle, but it does go into replacing the barrel. http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...=latch+actuator Not sure if its exactly what you want but sometimes a prod in the right direction is all that's needed. Good luck, JD

Just spent the last few hours fiddling with the door etc - I think I have the same problem as you - pull handle from outside and door does not open. Anyway, I got the door card off and found that a part had broken off the handle- there is an actuator arm that is operated by the handle. When you pull the handle out, it pulls the actuator forward. Anyway, the part on the handle was broken, and therefore did not pull the actuator. Took me ages to find out how to remove the handle on the outside but it was actually very simple - on the side of the door, undo the torx screw closest to the outdoor handle. Then, simply slide the handle forward and it slips out nice n'easy! cool! Found the answer buried in this old post by NikpV (many thanks NikpV) for a Mk1, but it is v similiar for mk2- http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...=latch+actuator Anyhow, after removing the handle it was easy to see the broken part. Now I just need a replacement! Hope the above helps. Rgds, JD

I had non-reinforced tyres on my galaxy when I bought it but was ignorant of the fact until my alloys got buckled ! went through 2 alloys before it sunk in - I've bought reinforced (RF) / extra-load (XL) tyres since then and not had any problems (unfortunately then out of warranty so I had no come-back against dealer). Remember, this is a heavy car and tyre-walls need to support the whole of that weight! Would definitely recommend fitting of rf/xl tyres. Good luck, JD

Have a look at item #17 in the technical FAQ section - think you should find answer there (http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.php?showtopic=7886) Good luck, JD

I'm sure someone out there will be able to answer this one... On a cold morning (we've had a few recently!), when I try to start my Gal, the engine does usually start ok, however it sounds really rough for the first few seconds until it gets going. After that, it runs fine, with no hint of a problem. Could this be something to do with the glowplugs ? They do seem to operate, however I guess its possible that one could have failed ? Is it possible to check this easily or will VAGCOM tell me? (I have it somewhere but had a failed installation - could try it again though) Any thoughts that may assist ? Mucho grassy bum.. JD

BTW, in relation to the flywheel, there was a recall on those which could affect your model year - mine is an '03 TDI and qualified for it. It was 3 yrs ago now when I had it done but there should be no limit on it as its safety related. .You can check on the government run VOSA (vehicle & operator services agency) website to see if your model may be affected and if so, a call to Ford should tell you if it has been applied to your car. http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/default.asp?tx= Its nice when you get something new for free - doesn't happen very often !! ;-) Good luck, JD

You should check the aerial connection to the rear - same happened to me and I thought the worst, however, turned out that the aerial connection had come adrift on bumpy roads. You will probably need to chop up a coat hanger to remove it, else buy a set of those removal tools from ebay for a few spondoolies - think I paid about

I have used Nokians in the past - found that they do give good grip etc in the winter, however, the fronts I had fitted didn't last too long - can't remember exactly but definitely wear much faster than regular summer tyres. They lasted about a year and as I only do about 12k per year I didn't think they were good value all things considered. I've stayed away from winter tyres since these ones, esp' as we get snow relatively infrequently - I just try to have a decent pair of summer tyres fitted with plenty of tread, esp to the fronts. They have been just fine this year, even with all the snow - just need to make sure you don't go around like Speedy Gonzalez ! (Unless you live in Scotland where the snow is much worse, I believe...?) IMHO some of this stuff in the news about needing winter tyres, I think could just be vested Tyre interests trying to drum up more business.

Shiite Muslims... Do you know, does that 40K apply to all PD Gals ?? I've got a '03 130 engine that's coming up on the 120K and I had the last cam belt changed at 80K (changed as precaution as I didn't have the service history when I bought it). Was not planning on changing it for another 20k at least ! What a bummer. but.. Thanks for the info, Tim.

Maybe it'd help if you fitted these to your diesel Gal...I'm sure it'd go faster then... http://cgi.ebay.ie/FORD-GALAXY-MK1-2-8-NGK...=item4cdbac4d62 :lol: :lol:

Just as a follow up to the last post, I see STK now have an exchange program which should reduce the price somewhat - wasn't available when mine was done.

I got one for my 130 '03 Galaxy from a place in Germany - cost was

Cool. As I suspected. Many thanks. Will go get one asap (after I've had the drive shaft fixed!). Thanks again. JD

You know the more I look at this website, the better it gets !! Had this exact same problem today - pulled away from junction and then bang! Got it towed to my local garage - unfortunately closed now for weekend but hopefully, should be seen to early next week. I'm slightly relieved to hear costs - even though no-one likes to fork out for these things, I had been thinking more zeros. Car had 110K on the clock, so its not exactly new - I'm just putting it down to wear and tear. Also, my car is missing its undertray, so could this have contributed in any way to the wear and tear? Anyone an opinion on the worthiness of getting a new undertray ? how much are they anyway ? I had a look on e-bay and no sign of one there - too big, I guess. I'll try a few breakers and see what comes up. Seems like they're easy to fit, so I'll do it myself. Thanks again to all that have posted on this topic. At least I can give the mechanics a heads-up on Monday.

Agree with Saif - you can't just put a message like that out there and then not tell us where you got it !! :ph34r: As regards quality, is it from a known, reputable brand (I'm guessing not) ? Can you look them up online and see what kind of company they are? i.e. are they well established? do they offer a quality-guarantee? how big are they? I would suggest that if you can see them online and they appear reputable, then they're definitely worth a go - these big brands tend to charge huge mark-up, so if you can get a lesser known but sound replacement, then go for it. You could also post the brand name up here in case someone's heard of or used it. (Don't worry we're not snobby here !)

Hey Brash - thanks for the posts & info. Its inspiring me to have a go myself. I think I should be able to handle these small jobs however, I'm always scared that I'll take something off and then not have the right tools & bugger it all up! Its great that you list exactly what tools are needed too so that I can ensure I'm prepared. :( BTW, did you follow any books as guidance ? 'Was thinking of investing in a decent one if you (or anyone) has a recommendation ? Also, for all you other contributors / moderators with knowhow etc, a big thanks as your posts are also pushing me to have a go myself - something I've always wanted to do but never had the time or proper encouragement. I've also recently taken to watching Wheeler Dealers on tv (Discovery turbo methinks) and find that quite encouraging too from the technical perspective. BTW, where's the best place to get oil etc ? It can be quite expensive from the likes of Halfords and I'm always a little coy in buying their own brand stuff, even if it is supposed to be ok (according to them) - is it better to buy from a Motor Factor ? Can you get the plugs & washers from them also or are they a Ford dealer visit ? Guess they don't have bricks though ? Prob have to go direct to Ford for them... :( Thanks again, John

What, no recent full backups - sacre bleu!! :o Good job in getting it back, in that case! ;)

Thanks Mirez - I had been using it dry as the brushes were very small - I didn't actually think of applying solution to it - I'll give that a go, thanks.

Isn't it a bit dodgy putting old safety-related components into a car ? Whilst new maybe a bit (!) more expensive, would you forgive yourself if you were in an accident with a kid in the back ? I guess if you're sure the seat belt operates correctly, then fine, but is it worth the chance? Anyone with any opinions / experience on this ? (I have to replace a RH mid seat belt that's no longer auto-retracting and have been pondering the above!) Tks...

Wonder if someone could give some advice here (Mirez?) ?? I have a working DVD (MB8000) player, however, quite often it freeezes/skips through portions of DVDs that play fine in my home DVD system. I have tried a DVD cleaning disc, one with those small brushes to clean the laser lens but it seems to have only a limited effect and does not entirely fix the problem. I have also ensured that the DVDs are clean before inserting but again this has only a limited effect. > Is there any way to fix this problem with DVD playback - i.e. can I remove the player from the car and open-up to clean the laser-lens directly, or do I need a replacement player? It seems to me it should be possible to clean it but before I take it on has anyone else tried this ? Is there anything I should beware of when removing the player ? Many thanks for any help or advice, John

Thanks for the link, mk2vr6 :D I had a look at the site and found this interesting article (link below) on the product posted by Audi Driver mag - it seems to suggest that the product does indeed work. Even so, I still tend to be a bit skeptical over these 'magical' fixes, so would be interested to hear if anyone on this site has used it succesfully. http://www.innotecworld.com/images/documen...di%20Driver.pdf It also suggests using good quality fuel and oil as a preventative measure as these help slow the build up of carbon deposits on the vanes.

I guess Vista version is available but costs $$$ - which is the reason we bought from EBay in the first place. Like above, I've also had problems with it on Vista - for me, it seems to be problem with port allocation by the software. Uninstalling probably won't help as some config is done (by Plug n' Play) when the cable is first installed - should be possible to remove this but first need to be sure what port is being used. If the software itself won't uninstall then it could be that Vista has a service running in the background. Sometimes software manufacturers create background services so that the software automatically recognises connections and starts up faster. (IMHO, this is over-abused by software manufacturers and contributes to slow PC startup etc but that's another discussion!) Anyhow, to uninstall (assuming what I've said is correct), you first need to kill the aforementioned service, or start the PC in safe mode. You could try that first. I'll check out vagcom and see if there's any specific advice there. I'll also try and see what services may be installed and how best to shut them down (May take me a while tho as I've a scheduled power outage today). If anyone else has already been through this, then I'd also be glad to hear how they resolved the software issues.

Had the same problem myself on my 03 130TDI. Best approach is to tackle the likely culprits in ascending cost-order. Prob easiest to check first is the MAF, sensors, vacuum pipes etc. After ruling about the above, you can then take on the turbo , if needed. Think there is a post in the technical FAQ on how-to. Tim-spam seems to be most knowledgable on the subject. Unfortunately, for me, I had to get a replacement (new) turbo as I had a KKK turbo, which, apparently is not as straightforward [as the Garrets] to clean and for an experienced mechanic only. However, I saved money by avoiding Fords who quoted

Agree with last post - using key in door won't set off alarm. Re programming: - my key needed reprogramming after one of my kids somehow deprogrammed it - I followed the instructions I found on this forum - they were accurate but you need to follow them closely to ensure you do it properly. I found it did not work the first few times but perserverence paid off. When I eventually got it to work I realised my initial problem had been not following the instructions as precisely as I should have. I had almost convinced myself the key was at fault but no, it was me! So, give it a good try before resorting to replacement. (thanks to the forum for that, BTW) :rolleyes: Good luck, John

I guess wider tyres will push up fuel consumption as there's more contact / resistance with the road surface ? Is there any subsequent effect on the power steering ? I'm thinking that big tyres will need more power to steer the wheels... Important to remember those RF (reinforced), or XL (Xtra load) tyres (check the load-index) - My alloy wheels soon got buggered up after I bought the car and discovered that non-reinforced tyres were fitted. Unfortunately, warranty had expired by the time I realised it. All 4 tyres needed replacing at a fairly hefty cost. I was not amused. I ended up putting steel wheels on in the end (wife's car anyway :D)... FYI, mine were 17"s ... 225/45 R17 Rgds, John