BigD

Think I'm off to a more active forum, tbh. Might get some help there.

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Anyone?

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From what I remember they're just anchored at the corners, with a tiny plastic mounting peg that slots through a hole on the PCB - there is nothing else holding it to the bottom part of the fob. You should be able to prise the PCB off with very little effort, using a flat screwdriver. Note that when you remove it, it'll be very unlikely that you'll be able to put it back it the old key as it won't sit right on the damaged pegs. As far as I'm aware there is no other way of removing it.

You wouldn't scrap a car because of a faulty EGR valve. But yeah, if it's able to roll itself off of the production line, it's apparently fit for sale.

It might be possible as FOCA said. But it depends how long you're willing to sit there, trying to jiggle a ruddy great alternator about to get it through a hole it does not really want to go through. Personally, I gave up after about five minutes. (and yes, I had the wheel arch liner out). Having done it twice before I'd have no problem dropping the engine again. It's pretty daunting if you're a first-timer, though, but it does make the rest of the job a hell of a lot easier.

Are these mist thingies adjustable? I have some on mine since about a year ago and they never seem to clean the top-left of the windscreen as the water never seems to get up that far. I've had a look at the jets and there seems to be no way to adjust them upwards a bit (both sides spray at the same height).

When I changed all the pulleys I took the alternator out (not to change it - just needed it out the way to get the tensioner off). I had to drop the engine about four inches, but watch the boot on the inner end of the tie rod as you'll knack it if you let the engine go too low. The second time I had the alternator off to change the top idler, I didn't drop the engine and had to leave the alternator in the back of the engine bay as I couldn't get it out. It's not a hard job either way - just be SUPER careful lowering the engine. I put the car on stands then the jack under the sump with about four pieces of thick plyboard between. Lift it just enough to let the jack take the weight, then undo and remove the O/S engine mount. CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY (I cannot stress this enough), let the engine down on the jack, watching the suspension/steering components against the frame at all times. (disclaimer: there is the potential to cause serious damage. do this at your own risk - not mine).

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Why did you change the alternator? [edit] What BOF said.

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I got mine from eBay. I can't remember which seller but this is currently the cheapest I can find: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LASER-TOOLS-5208-AUXILLARY-BELT-TENSIONER-TOOL-FORD-/190731132578

Go to an open space like a B&Q car park after hours, and drive very slowly in figure 8's, going full lock to full lock. Listen for any knocking sounds as you approach full lock, and check that the steering is smooth throughout the whole steering range.

Spring? CV joint?

No. Ford garages employ idiots.Take it somewhere else.

FFS, changing a wheel should be part of the driving test (or at least, knowing where the spare one is).

Erm... it was just quicker to type than reeling off a list of paintwork-friendly cleaning products, which would have been more bother than it was worth.

The speed limit still applies, even on empty roads. This isn't something you want to be sounding off about on an open forum - you never know when there's a police officer looking. Stoney871 knows all about that.

Assuming it's been serviced recently (oil/filter, air filter, fuel filter etc)... First port of call should be the EGR valve. It's likely clogged up with carbon, and you can take it off yourself and clean it out for [almost] free. You'll need some carb cleaner and I strongly recommend a big box of nitrile gloves and lots of newspaper as it's a messy job. You should do that periodically anyway. Diesel engines are ultra-dirty. What concerns me (or it would, if it were my car) is the loss of power/gray smoke. The bad news is that it sounds like you have least one poorly injector, and really, that being the case then your only option is to replace it/them. Now, they're either expensive, or REALLY expensive, depending on whether you have a TDDI or a TDCI. The TDCI injectors are around £200 each, just for the injector. I gather that the TDDI ones are a bit cheaper. You can verify this with a leak-off test, which I'm just in the process of gathering bits to do one myself as I've got a bad injector on my TDCi.