bignev

I think it's : insert key, turn to ignition on but not start then off (back to key out but don't take it out position) 3 times fairly quickly so : insert - on - off - on - off - on At this point the odometer should do a check and list codes so have a pen ready Always remember that some codes could be ages old if they have not been cleared, I got an ABS code while trying to sort my 2002 3.3 out that was related to a sensor ring from a year before.

@@Woodie106 Hey there ! Just had a super brilliant flash of inspiration, you didn't get a code relating to the SKIM security key did you? Because the car will start and run for a couple of seconds if the wring key is used to do it - having had 2 GV's at the same time I know this to be true, I have done it and wondered what the chuff was going on - start up / stop, start again / stop, and repeat. So I went it to get the "spare" key to then see the right one for the car still in the house!!!! So just a question - is it actually the immobiliser circuit causing it? On the Vauxhall one, my mates Corsa years ago would refuse to start, turning over no problem. Root cause - eventually it was the transponder in the key having moved and the sensor ring not seeing it. My Movano van did the same at one point, thankfully I remembered what had gone on with his.

Mine is very slightly different - the closer you get the more yellow lights, then IN ADDITION the red lights (up to 2) come on as well and the beeper sounds solid, and the radio volume goes off at this point too. But of course you actually asked what is the parking sensor service. Not how they work. No idea what that is sorry!!!!

Jolly good to hear you've got a proper garage, not a "workshop" who you can deal with!! And yep blooming annoying it's happened.

I'm with you @@gordy - hear it far too often nowadays. All the technology but no old school skills or brains. Open the bugger up and find out, or take out the injectors or glow plugs and do a compression test, or SOMETHING!!!!!! My van had no fault codes but drove like a sack of poo from cold..... Nowt wrong with it then obviously!! Go on then drive it I dared them - oh yes it's awful isn't it - bloody hell yes!!! So an older chap, who used to work on cars in the good old days of points, distributors, condensers etc, said - "egr valve that Nev, gummed up and sticking" and it was. Ruddy new one needed "coding in" to a Renault Master. My line of work is heating and gas engineer, and the number of times I come across the phrase "wouldn't you be better off with a new one" pee's me right off. No they wouldn't - ruddy fix the damn thing, or don't claim you can repair them. Worst one recently was a conventional boiler supposedly knackered, young couple recently moved in, but when I go round it's still ok for hot water. So as I said to the young lady - well it's still working then isn't it, it's not dead. If it gets the water hot the boiler is fine. Two people had happily quoted her a new one. I had a look round at the system as to why the heating wasn't on, and eventually found the camouflaged thermostat, painted over, turned it up and hey what do you know hot rads 5 minutes later. Rocket scientist I must be. So much to the pleasure of my little girls I put a Bob the Builder sticker on my van, with the slogan "Can We Fix It? - Probably!" Anyway sorry I went off topic too. So commisserations woodie and Andy. Mind you I still have my 2002 3.3 going green on the drive behind my van, my old post from last year has just been brought up by someone else, and slightly new test info, so it may breath life again, yeah right.

Yep push back in.

Hiya QinteQ I genuinely hope you're right......... But with technology going the way it is, I won't bet my last Mars bar. It would be a doddle to write into the car software wouldn't it. And a piece of cake to transmit the info. We wouldn't even necessarily know it happened, after all our phones and computers update programmes and apps all the time, with or without our permission. Manufacturers could already have simply coded it in to update software wirelessly, but there's no money in that hey! Easy money making for the authorities, and on the grounds of ultimately safety of course. A constant "virtual" MOT test.......

I'll keep my fingers crossed it's a "simple" fix for you pal. Will be a bit of a wrench after 10 years hey!

yep as @@blackvelvet says check the obvious, I had a rear wheel very out of balance, tyre repairer couldn't be bothered, had no steering wheel shake but did have vibration through the whole car.

Yep bizarre, just like our old galaxy, no ideas at all why though...........

Yeah it's a lying toad, Like the one on my old 2007 Galaxy that said 52mpg...... 420 miles on 45.5 litres - 10 gallons - = 42mpg. Not too far out hey!!!!!!!!! My "new" also 2007 Galaxy Ghia is much more accurate, only reckons 46 instead of 41. At least the one on my 3.3 petrol doesn't care that it's pooe, it just tells you it's only 16 round town. Which is sadly right. But it's on gas. Anyway other than that, check you have a clean air filter, treat it to some form of injector cleaner, a fuel filter, and if it's not had one recently treat it to some fresh engine oil instead of the black syrup it will be trying to run round in. Check tyre pressures - they are heavy cars and this makes a ig difference. And put it in neutral and try pushing it to check the brakes aren't binding a little.

Good result pal!! What was the make of the kit for reference in future?

Looks (well sounds) like I'll be joining this club fellas, drove the car today and that noise I could almost hear has developed.......

Well, I FINALLY managed to get into the car long enough to look at a couple of niggles, including this one. Cheers @@gordy for your advice, spot on pal, put the tube back on the valve and it's like magic - water on the rear window, outside, not in the boot carpet!!! Now if I can get at it again in the next few days I will fit my new indicator / wiper stalk to cure the non - self cancelling function. I fitted a second hand one a while ago but the problem's back. Only had the stalk a couple of months.......

I reckon it's the rain water drain from the wiper mechanism and scuttle .

Hiya guys, On all 3 of ours I've ended up changing them at around the 80 to 85,000 miles mark. Of course I have no idea on 2 if they'd been done before, the third one had, I had the service invoices. So my guess would be that, unless you've had it from new, they have probably already been done at some time, so simply go on the remaining thickness as last time. My wife kills the pads on our petrol versions in only around 15,000 miles, I get nearly twice that in my 3.5 ton van (but manual gearbox with engine braking), won't listen to driving advice about get off the accelerator early.......... Pads are cheaper than divorce

And of course knowingly releasing refrigerant gas is genuinely a criminal offence....... The AC system has a pressure switch will not run it (pull the compressor clutch in) if it's too low. Possibly best to get it degassed / reclaimed first then remove it, and pop back to have it regassed with the oil when the new one is on. It is very important the system doesn't get any crud in it, so be careful with a second hand unit from a breakers for the usual crap all over it with no holes plugged.

Hi there, yes it's quite possibly the actuator, if you have a look on here it was covered only recently, easy to test by using the one of the other door plugged into the loom of the suspect one, they are the same apart from the arm. I got one from the States off ebay with left and right arms.

Fair enough that is pal! I am pretty sure that my galaxy is very extreme in its optimism. A dead simple method to get actual values - when the fuel light comes on, reset the trip meter straight away. When you can, fill up with 45.4 litres - 10 gallons. Drive the car as usual !!!!!! When the fuel light comes on again see how many miles it's done and divide by 10, = mpg. Simple. And just repeat if you can be arsed or are interested enough, say if you are going on a reasonable drive. Yes sometimes the light may come on a bit early if the car is stopped on a slope for long enough, so not always going to be hyper right. If you have a steep drive that will cock it right up!!!

Just a question fellas, are you calculating fuel consumption or trusting the computer, which is going to be optimistic. My petrol / gas one is around 1 or 2 mpg up - quite a percentage round town that on these!!! At 16 ish in the cold. But on gas most of the time of course But my second car, a 2007 Galaxy, is a bit worse, reckoned 52 mpg, but 420 miles on 46 litres..........my maths says 42 mpg, lying toad Ford.

Or try a mobile AUTO locksmith, I had a second hand fob for the same year model coded into mine when the keyfob "specialists" auto elctrical guys said they couldn't do that, and it was a main dealer job.

Hello there! Yep. I reckon it is. If it's a mk4 then there is a remote for it.

Hi QinteQ - you've refreshed my memory - it's my older one that needed a code, the "new" one came up with a code request when on accessory (one back) key position then went away when i started it up

I've had mine disconnected (2005 3.3) for an overnight charge and the only thing it wanted was the radio code, so hopefully you have it!

YEP! ABS sensor ring corroded on mine, it can't see the segments properly so can't read the relative speed of wheels properly, so thinks they are skidding. Blood awful isn't it!! Virtually no brakes - because the "anti lock" turns them off for a bit to unlock the brakes = no brakes. A locked up wheel still brakes. The idea behind them was to enable drivers to be able to steer round an obstruction in an emergency braking situation. I am old enough to remember the original Ford (Scorpio I think) advert of it steering round a tractor pulling out of a gate. I am not a racing driver, and don't know anyone who would actually instinctively steer, rather than pushing the pedal into the floor and shout POO. You now have full on real brakes, I took months (MOT approach) to get round to it. But sadly you will have to sort it. You may find a brush off of crud will rectify it for a while.