Well I Am Now Officially A Galaxy Owner!

[PembsPanther]

Hi Brian, yep lead came today I got this one from ebay:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191563446821?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Bit of a faff installing the drivers on Windows 10 but it did connect with VCDS lite but I could only really see maybe 5 controlllers in all and none of them were engine! So is there one cable for ABS etc etc and then another for engine stuff?

 

Not had much time today but did take a proper look at the wipers, although crapped up they were in really really good condition and seemed really goo quality so I gave the rubber a good cleaning, first sprayed them with WD to losen the dried crap and then cleaned the completely with diluted windscreen washer fluid, came up really well so I then give the windscreen a really good clean, applied some rain stop stuff I got from Halfords ages ago and filled the washer fluid bottle with some decent fluid I picked up from Halfords this morning and it all works great, I can see!

 

I also took the throttle position sensor off (is it a sensor?) and cleaned that out with some carb cleaner and cotton buds, lots of crap out of there and symptoms now gone. I also treated it to a full tank of super unleaded and a full bottle of injector cleaner treatment.

 

Finally I also took a look at that window catch on the rear window, the actual plate that bolts it to the car has broken, it looks like really really crappy metal as well so do not this welding will be an option, I have noticed though that the catch assembly seem to be made of 2 parts, the part that bolts tot he car and then the part that attaches to the window I wonder if they can be separated and bought individually? If not how much of a pain is it to get the catch off the window glass?

[PembsPanther]

NOT throttle position sensor! I cleaned the idle control valve :)

[BrianH]

Hi Brian, yep lead came today I got this one from ebay:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191563446821?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Bit of a faff installing the drivers on Windows 10 but it did connect with VCDS lite but I could only really see maybe 5 controlllers in all and none of them were engine! So is there one cable for ABS etc etc and then another for engine stuff?

 

Not had much time today but did take a proper look at the wipers, although crapped up they were in really really good condition and seemed really goo quality so I gave the rubber a good cleaning, first sprayed them with WD to losen the dried crap and then cleaned the completely with diluted windscreen washer fluid, came up really well so I then give the windscreen a really good clean, applied some rain stop stuff I got from Halfords ages ago and filled the washer fluid bottle with some decent fluid I picked up from Halfords this morning and it all works great, I can see!

 

I also took the throttle position sensor off (is it a sensor?) and cleaned that out with some carb cleaner and cotton buds, lots of crap out of there and symptoms now gone. I also treated it to a full tank of super unleaded and a full bottle of injector cleaner treatment.

 

Finally I also took a look at that window catch on the rear window, the actual plate that bolts it to the car has broken, it looks like really really crappy metal as well so do not this welding will be an option, I have noticed though that the catch assembly seem to be made of 2 parts, the part that bolts tot he car and then the part that attaches to the window I wonder if they can be separated and bought individually? If not how much of a pain is it to get the catch off the window glass?

 

Yes in a word, you want something like an elm 327 cable for the engine and the cable you've got for selected other bits - airbags being one of them, not sure if A/C will speak to vcds or not (mine doesn't work and I've not tried it to tell)

Personally i've found a combination of one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HHOBD-ELM327-Car-Bluetooth-OBD2-Auto-CAN-BUS-Scanner-Tool-Android-UK-SELLER-/171702768776?hash=item27fa485488

With an android phone and the torque app > https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torquefree&hl=en_GBworks quite well, As others have noted it needs to support the J1850_PWM protocol which others have pointed towards being an issue (the hhobd one is the exact one i've got and certainly works on my older 2.0l one).

 

Idle control valve makes more sense - its in the air intake so is at risk of  picking up gunge via the crankcase breather. Don't know if there is a sensor on the throttle or not, Haven't seen a mk2 that closely.

 

Don't know on the rear catch - would hazard a guess that one side comes off to allow you to unbolt it, but haven't tried this to confirm. Probably the inside if one does come off.

[BrianH]

And the catch probably isn't steel, so I'd agree that welding probably not an option - you might get some luck with chemical metal though?

 

Diagram of it here - you can zoom into the diagram for a better look

 

http://eucatparts.com/?action=cat_ford_part&s_id_part=24692&s_id_model=99&s_code_image=G002103602

Edited August 7, 2015 by BrianH

[sparky Paul]

Most of the cast parts are crappy pot metal, I think there was a repair kit available for the rear window catch.

 

I say 'was', because some of these parts are now on 'permanant back order' in Ford-speak, or to everyone else, obsolete. Worth a try at the dealers though, you never know.

 

For the engine, I believe the HHOBD ELM327 bluetooth adaptors that BrainH referred to have a good reputation. The cheaper units are pot luck - some work with J1850_PWM, some don't.

Edited August 8, 2015 by sparky Paul

[PembsPanther]

Thanks for the replies everyone :)

 

Miserable weekend has not stopped raining! I have also been chained to my desk working all weekend which always cheers me up (not) so not had any time to do anything else to Galaxy so far, hoping to do something today, not sure what yet though.

 

I do have a bluetooth Elm thingy me jig that does connect and work great for engine codes etc and also a bit of live data using OBD Auto Doctor for Windows Phone, will have to have a practice with VCDS lite see what it can communicate with and what it cannot.

 

Car is running great, got to take it on a trip to Manchester on Thursday so going to change the oil, filter before then, air filter looks brand new as does pollen filter so going to leave them for the moment, do these have a fuel filter on them? Where will I find it?

[sparky Paul]

I do have a bluetooth Elm thingy me jig that does connect and work great for engine codes etc and also a bit of live data using OBD Auto Doctor for Windows Phone, will have to have a practice with VCDS lite see what it can communicate with and what it cannot.

 

Did you get one of the USB VAG-COM cables? VCDS will talk to virtually all of the other systems on the car, but only with the VAG-COM cable.

 

 

do these have a fuel filter on them? Where will I find it?

 

That one's easy, look underneath, around where the driver sits.

[PembsPanther]

Hi Paul

 

The one I got was:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191563446821?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Cheapo Chinese stuff so wondering if I should pay a few quid more and get a decent one although it does connect and offer data I was just under whelmed at what was on offer to see but I really need to find an hour or so to sit there with it and have a good play.

 

Well got a couple of things done yesterday, passenger side rear door has some accident damage and when they took the door card off to inspect it they just seemed to have ripped it off breaking every clip in the process! I ordered some new clips that turned up yesterday so decided to strip it back and have a look at the damage from inside myself, got the old tin hammers out and give it a beating into submission, nowhere near how it should be but enough to persuade me to repair it rather than replacing the door, so going to order some paint, 2k lacquer, bog etc etc etc and hopefully it will all show up before weekend and then I will have a weekend on bodywork, I, for the moment am going to repair the rust over the wheel arch and the rear panel where the bumper meets at the same time, I really want to cut the rust out as as soon as I put the sander on it I am expecting to lose about 2-3 inches off the bottom of the panel but sadly no welding skills Which does not bother me I am sure I could do a rough and dirty job and then clean it up with the grinder but more importantly no welder! So the "gorilla" in me has come out and I am going to order a fibre glass kit and do a bodge repair for the moment, I will take a load of photos so you can see my handy work :)

 

Once we get into October my life will start to quieten down until March so over Winter I will buy a welder and learn how to do it and the re-do the job properly, for the moment though I just want to tidy it up, the passenger side really really lets this car down.

 

I also had a look at the drivers side rear quarter panel window clip, it has snapped at the base that attaches to the car, I am going to order a new one but here is a funniosity for you, the base is in the shape of a triangle and has 3 holes for 3 bolts yet one of the holes on the car to line up with the bolt hole has no thread and had no bolt fitted! Obviously when it snapped the backing plate it was this unbolted bit that fell away from the car and was causing all the trouble, the metal oh my I could have fashioned the backing plate better myself at home with a tin of beans and a pair of pliers! I did try and glue it with some Gorilla super glue but it snapped again so for the moment I have driven a big bolt through the un-threaded hole to hold it in place, I could do with a slightly bigger bolt but for the moment the window is locked and secure rather than flapping about in the wind!

 

Taking it on a 300 mile trip to Manchester and back tomorrow so hoping to find time to do the oil and filter today, all in all moving in the right direction :)

[PembsPanther]

Forgot to add to last post when I was fiddling about with the back door I decided to investigate why the speaker in this door was not working, traced it back to broken wires through the door so fixed that as well.

[sparky Paul]

Sounds like you are making progress, anyway!

 

The cable you have should do everything you need, it's just a matter of finding the modules in the software.

 

As for the back wing, if you intend redoing it at some point, I wouldn't bother with a fibreglass kit. Just get a tin of 'jam' (Tetrosyl Fibrofil or Isopon P40), that stuff is magic for bridging holes and is not porous like filler. It will need a skim over with filler after shaping, same as fibreglass matting. Use a cardboard form behind the hole if you have to.

[BrianH]

Hi Paul

 

The one I got was:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191563446821?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Cheapo Chinese stuff so wondering if I should pay a few quid more and get a decent one although it does connect and offer data I was just under whelmed at what was on offer to see but I really need to find an hour or so to sit there with it and have a good play.

 

Well got a couple of things done yesterday, passenger side rear door has some accident damage and when they took the door card off to inspect it they just seemed to have ripped it off breaking every clip in the process! I ordered some new clips that turned up yesterday so decided to strip it back and have a look at the damage from inside myself, got the old tin hammers out and give it a beating into submission, nowhere near how it should be but enough to persuade me to repair it rather than replacing the door, so going to order some paint, 2k lacquer, bog etc etc etc and hopefully it will all show up before weekend and then I will have a weekend on bodywork, I, for the moment am going to repair the rust over the wheel arch and the rear panel where the bumper meets at the same time, I really want to cut the rust out as as soon as I put the sander on it I am expecting to lose about 2-3 inches off the bottom of the panel but sadly no welding skills Which does not bother me I am sure I could do a rough and dirty job and then clean it up with the grinder but more importantly no welder! So the "gorilla" in me has come out and I am going to order a fibre glass kit and do a bodge repair for the moment, I will take a load of photos so you can see my handy work :)

 

Once we get into October my life will start to quieten down until March so over Winter I will buy a welder and learn how to do it and the re-do the job properly, for the moment though I just want to tidy it up, the passenger side really really lets this car down.

 

I also had a look at the drivers side rear quarter panel window clip, it has snapped at the base that attaches to the car, I am going to order a new one but here is a funniosity for you, the base is in the shape of a triangle and has 3 holes for 3 bolts yet one of the holes on the car to line up with the bolt hole has no thread and had no bolt fitted! Obviously when it snapped the backing plate it was this unbolted bit that fell away from the car and was causing all the trouble, the metal oh my I could have fashioned the backing plate better myself at home with a tin of beans and a pair of pliers! I did try and glue it with some Gorilla super glue but it snapped again so for the moment I have driven a big bolt through the un-threaded hole to hold it in place, I could do with a slightly bigger bolt but for the moment the window is locked and secure rather than flapping about in the wind!

 

Taking it on a 300 mile trip to Manchester and back tomorrow so hoping to find time to do the oil and filter today, all in all moving in the right direction :)

 

When you get chance work out what you can't see and will compare to mine, Theres only a few modules on mine from what I remember, but then being an Apsen there isn't a lot on it to start with anyway (the MOT tester spent a good couple of minutes trying to check the ABS light was working when I last took it, and was surprised to see it didn't even have ABS on mine)

[PembsPanther]

Evening All :)

 

Paul thanks for the heads up on those products, sound ideal I will keep a look out for them. Brian no problem I will try and have a proper look this weekend and report back.

 

Well busy day today, 13 hours solid driving, should have been more like 9! Anyway the old Gal? Apart from a couple of annoyances didn't put a foot wrong, very impressed at last a decent mile muncher! Although at one point munching miles was not happening due to an incident on the M56, not sure what it was after we had sat there for 3 hours when we finally arrived at the bottle neck where they we merging 3 lanes of traffic into one as all that could be seen was 2 lanes of cones! I won't rant about it just in case something terrible happened that I do not know about but lets say it was no fun!

 

What made the situation even less fun was the cabin temperature (air con not working currently undiagnosed) it was sweltering, I was literally melting must be at least 3 stone lighter now :) The heat setting was turned down to cold but there was still very very warm air coming out of the vents, we had all the windows down and it was still roasting got moving again and the air coming out was still warm but with airflow thorough the windows it was nowhere near as noticeable, what could this be? It was as though the blower was sucking air directly from the engine bay, could that  happen? Where does the air supply originate from? I did top up the coolant to max the other day as well but this should have no affect on the cold setting? Any input / ideas welcome.

 

Could someone tell me where the metal retainer that goes around the accelerator cable should be located? I think I disturbed it when I did the wiper linkages but cannot locate where it should live, the photo below should explain.

 

 

http://i61.tinypic.com/1hnwk.jpg

 

 

Thanks

 

[BrianH]

Might have been resurfacing as result of this > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33856011

 

That clip should be on the bolt in the middle of the scuttle panel/surfboard under the wipers - right in the middle of the car towards the wiper area.

 

The amount of glass doesn't help with the heat - i find the same problem as my aircon doesn't work (theres a leak somewhere that fails the vacuum test, not found it as yet)

Edited August 13, 2015 by BrianH

[BrianH]

And the air intake is via the pollen filter up under the passenger side of the windscreen - if you think its drawing air directly from above engine, is the scuttle plate in place?

[PembsPanther]

Thanks for the replies Brian, I appreciate it, apologies it has taken me a while to reply back been a bit pre occupied with some family visiting, back to normal now. I will investigate the plastics around that area thoroughly and see if I can figure it out, it only seems to happen in slow or stop traffic when moving it is fine, I really need to also get onto diagnosing this air con issue as well, the list is growing! Still it will keep me busy.

 

Well now covered just under 3000 miles and so far the old girl has not put a foot wrong,, could be a little more fuel efficient ideally but I can live with what she is returning, not worked out an actual MPG yet but £80 worth of super unleaded is returning around 450 miles (ish maybe a wee bit more), wondering if there might be a more efficient ECU map out there? No proper histopry so no idea if the ECU has ever been flashed or updated.

 

It will be going in for an MOT over the next week, that should be fun! I know it needs new droplinks, might do that this weekend get it out of the way apart from that though the only other thing I have noticed is a scabby cat but "seems" to be working and the rear suspension arms look a bit rough as well but apart from that it all, to the untrained eye of course, looks fine so we shall see.

I was hoping to get the scabby rear arch done before the MOT but just not had the weather, I need 2 dry days to do the repair I want to do and so far it has not stopped raining!

[BrianH]

If your not sure take some photos and we should be able to figure out if anything is missing.

 

No idea on the ecu remap, but its a heavy vehicle so that hits it somewhat (mine is not far short of 1800kg before anything is in it from memory).

[xavier]

re clang / bang, I once test drove a car that gave a almighty thump when going over a pothole. Basically the battery was loose. Actually thinking about it that car should have been scrapped! So many things wrong with it!