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We have a 13 month old Galaxy with the much acclaimed Pump Duese VW engine. For a 1.7 ton car, it shifts very quickly, that it when it gets around the first corner. Unfortunately our car spent 4 weeks over Xmas and New Year with Ford Dealers trying to work out why it cut out soon after starting and would then not restart and needed to be towed away by the RAC. Our local Ford dealer was baffled and insisted it was because there was less than 1/4 tank of diesel. After much begging and pleading, they finally contacted a Ford Engineer by mobile phone, who suggested that the fault was due to interference between the Engine Management System and Immobiliser systems, related to dirty contacts on the Power Hold Relay (whatever that is). The car has run much better since but will still stall easily if we move of too quickly after first starting and go round a corner at too low revs (i.e. without turbo assistance). Restarting is then very difficult. My wife has lost all faith in the car and wants us to sell it. Has anyone else had any experience of this problem in other vehicles powered by this engine and are there any solutions apart from selling it?
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Phillip,
Sorry I can't help on this specific but I would just ask if they have jumped over the old diesel basics to go for an electronic fault. Could this be some sort of erratic fuel supply problem?
Having said that if it turns out to be connected with engine management/immobiser interaction I despair at how we are all going to deal with these vehicles another 5/10 years down the line.
The whole point about extensive electronic control was supposed to be efficiency (true I guess), reliability (no moving parts) and ease of diagnosis/repair (just plug in and replace the unit that flags up faulty).
The truth is the electronics often struggle to cope with the harsh environment and the plug in diagnostic fails to indicate any fault leaving the dealers to say if none is shown there is nothing to repair. "I know, it's a devil sir but what can we do?"
The only hope is the tech specialist such as the Tune-Up boys who are learning by experience the crafty fault finding needed after the dealer plug-in diagnostics are no help.
Someone we know is currently buying a new middle range family hatch. It has six airbags, ABS with emergency brake assist, active front seat head rests, air conditioned glovebox and automatic locking of the boot after 6mph.
In about eight/ten years time that will end up scrapped while looking fine due to completely uneconomic repairs.
Where are my slippers.
David
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See Golf Mark IV in the car by car breakdown for a description of a similar problem.
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This vehicle may have a blue oval on the front, but it's really a VW and a VW dealer or VW specialist will be much better able to solve and engine/gearbox problems (the 6 speed is a VAG box; the old 5 speed is Ford).
HJ
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There was a TSB no. 101/2000 for model build codes XU to YA, so maybe before yours was built. It refers to a later release of software for the ECU. Basically they just reprogram with the latest version. Check your build code to see if it covers your model.
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I have to concur with DW and in particular HJ on this one.
Ex colleague had almost exactly this fault with his Galaxy. Local Ford dealer had not got a clue. In the end they rebuilt the complete engine and all the gubbins......twice, and it was only on the second build that it started and ran. They had no idea, and I mean NO IDEA what they had done to correct the fault. Having personally driven the vehicle before and after the problem it was never the same car after, but it was reliable.
Its almost like the computer vs cars jokes, you know would you put up with a car where it stops working and the only way to get it working again is to uninstall and reinstall a bit of software/hardware. Maybe there is an ex Microsoft employee working in Ford, ho hum ;-(
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