Cooling And Towing

[rg500gamma]

HI

Ive sorted the gearbox out on the 1.9tdi now after i changed the autobox fluid and filter quiite easy anyone thinking of doing it its easy

just order the filter (

[mumof4]

Dont take the undertray off and leave it off..it is there for a reason and in the wet the spray from the roads can get into parts it shouldnt...cant exactly remember which parts right now..Hmmm..to do with the steering..

[ALANC555]

Have you tried giving the cooling system a good flush with a good quality flushing agent . Also check the fan is cutting in at the right temperature diesels are notorious for seizing fans . I wouldn't recommend a cooler thermostat because all your doing is hiding the problem instead of curing it.

 

If all else fails there are additives which you can add to the cooling system which lower the coolant temperature

[rg500gamma]

the tray is forward of the wheels so it cant be spray

and the steering is a sealed unit so it cant harm that

steve

[AndeeeH]

If you drive through a puddle the first action of the wheels is to push some of the water forward. The tray prevents road spray getting on to the aux drive belt which could cause slippage of the belt around the aircon, alternator etc. :) Andy.

[tdi90]

I wouldnt worry too much, as long as you dont start getting into the `L` and near the red. If so, give the cooling system a flush through and make sure its bleed properly.

Our TDi only gets to `N` whilst solo and maybe `O - R` when towing the caravan and giving it some stick :)

[Dave-G]

I know it's hard to follow techie advice from a female and lord knows MO4 has had a steep learning curve :) but...

 

You should not remove the engine under cover. It has been well documented on this forum. I ran without one for a while (before I found this forum) and frequently got into deep sheet when driving through puddles, water gets splashed onto the power steering pulley and temporarily allows the belt to slip. Surprisingly water get splashed forwards and sideways too.

 

A power steering enabled car is much harder to steer without that power assistance than a car without it, particularly when its predictability has suddenly gone. It will scare the hell out of a powerfull man at the very least, lets hope it happens on a straight road rather than a bend where puddles frequently occur. It could be a good way to get rid of the wife though if she drives :)

 

What fluid did you get? I'm told the jatco gearbox is very specific about the fluid you use and its lubricity - see this thread:

what fluid?

 

I don't want to dampen your fireworks but I also understand that the box is running very close to its upper limits pulling the weight of the Galaxy. It is for that reason the engine availability is limited to 115 bhp for the automatics. Enough of us seem to find the limits without towing something - costing some 1.5K ish. I know nothing about caravan weights but think you have a hard time ahead if you propose to tow it on a regular basis.

[mumof4]

25lb for an undertray?really?i took mine off and it didnt seem that heavy when i was doing an oil change.

 

Thank you Dave-G :)

[rg500gamma]

no shit it really is that heavy

i took it off and was amaised at the weight of it

as for towing etc it seems on a lot of the forum that the 115 tdi auto is ideal

for towing and also a lot of the c club sites say its excellent

so i dont think the box will destroy its self if it does get raggy i will just sell it and buy a merc ML or bmw x5

for my pennies worth if like me you change the oil and filter on the gearbox it will make loads of difference

not trying to be smart or anything but i asked some question on the forum last week and got completely duff info like it has no filter!!!

i guess then that some people on the forum get the garage to do it all and have no clue whatsoever of the mechanical side of the galaxy

 

the oil i used was specific to ford and matched the numbers to the halfords stuff which was the same

[mumof4]

Blimey..i never thought the undertray was that heavy....a bugger to get off though.

[rg500gamma]

its wierd as i was expecting a flimsey thin plastic thing

buts its really substantial

steve