Ford Galaxy diesel fuel cooler

[Grant2012]

Anyone changed this or know if its even needed in this country? Mines taken a sodding big whack from a branch tonight and is now peeing out the derv so either needs changing or the pipes joining.

[insanitybeard]

What's actually been hit and where? I wasn't aware of a diesel cooler on the Mk2 Gal in such a vulnerable position likely to get damaged, what I regarded as the cooler is sat above the gearbox next to the cylinder head!

I can see something shown as a 'heat sink' - number 8 on this parts diagram but I can't say I've ever actually noticed it's position under my car!

[Kristaps Baltais]

I might be wrong but i saw it under about middle of my car 

[johnnyroper]

I was told it is needed as return fuel temp is high,apparently it is there to stop the hot fuel distorting fuel tank?

[Chrispb]

If you don't replace cooler water droplets (condensation) will form on inside of tank especially in colder weather.

[Mirez]

Yeah this is the fin radiato thats bolted under the car, roughly where the drivers seat is?
Deffo needed, the ECU reads the fuel temp and adjusts fueling accordingly.

The cooler is just bolted on with 3 bolts and the fuel pipes are the squeeze on design. Cheap enough to buy a second hand one on ebay, I would certainly replace!

One on ebay at the moment for Ã,£25ish
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-GALAXY-SHARAN-ALHAMBRA-MK2-1-9-TDI-DIESEL-FUEL-COOLER-7M0203571A-01-06-/322319078926?hash=item4b0bb6d60e:g:3IYAAOSwIgNXrJ~c

[insanitybeard]

Was this thing definitely fitted as standard to all Mk2's? Just to satisfy my curiosity I've just taken a look under the car and traced back the fuel lines between the fuel tank and engine bay and I definitely do not have one of these units fitted! It also doesn't look like the pipework has been messed around with as it would have been if somebody had attempted to remove/ bypass it!

[johnnyroper]

I thought it was standard fit on all PD engine vehicles all be it different locations and sizes etc?

[insanitybeard]

I've seen the units fitted to other vehicles but I definitely ain't got one fitted to mine! How odd.

[johnnyroper]

Yes that is very odd especially due to size of it and it's location you couldn't simply connect the fuel pipes I don't think. Would have to renew them to bypass it?

[Mirez]

Humm interesting, from the 5 or 6 I've dismantled they have all had them fitted. The parts catalogue is showing it fitted to AUY and ASZ so its not that but curiously its named "heat dissipator for vehicles with fuel cooling" so presumably, for some reason your car isn't fitted with it.

Possibly destined for a different market originally? What it does sort of prove, is that you probably dont need it. If Paul's been driving one without one for 11+ years then you could get away with joining the pipes but as avove, for the sake of Ã,£25 I would just replace it.

[Grant2012]

Thanks guys, I got the fuel cooler this morning from a scrapeprs for Ã,£10 so happy with that. Took 20 minutes to fit and apart from taking a while to start after it seems fixed for now. It has 7M0203571 if that helps.

[alial]

this part is fitted in to my vw sharan 2003... i had galaxy 2005 and im pretty sure there was one fitted. both cars are 1.9 tdi pd.

[insanitybeard]

I've just taken a shot of the area of chassis where (I assume) it would be located if fitted- there are three studs which I assume are where it would be bolted up to (one of which is visible in the below picture), there are no witness marks or corrosion on the threads to indicate that one was ever fitted and subsequently removed. As for the plumbing- if it was fitted I assume the pipework would divert/ replace one of the rubber pipe sections where the two short rubber sections of pipe can be seen just left of centre- once again, it looks pretty factory to me, no evidence of it ever having been messed around with.......

[attachimg=1]

[johnnyroper]

That looks like the area sort of under the drivers seat,very odd yours does not have one. But like mirez said kind of proves it is not a necessity if after 11 odd years of use there has been no problems related to hot fuel going in to the tank.

[insanitybeard]

There is also the cooler near the fuel filter which uses the engine coolant to accomplish the same thing (cooling of the fuel), and I've definitely got one of those. Perhaps they deleted the underside cooler from the later models? Need a few other members with late model Galaxies or post 2005 Sharans/ Alhambras to confirm!

[johnnyroper]

That sounds like a possibility wouldn't need 2 coolers.

[Mirez]

Ahh maybe, don't think I have that one. Where's it located?

[johnnyroper]

Mine hasn't got it either,spoke to someone in a cold country couple weeks back who has that set up its by tandem pump if memory serves correctly. Acts as a warmer as well when cold.

[insanitybeard]

Yeah that's it, number 6 on this diagram- so you guys don't have this fitted to yours then?

P.S, this finally answers the question I asked in this thread, the fuel cooler as fitted to my vehicle has it's own little secondary coolant radiator to ensure optimum cooling of the fuel, which is why it's only fitted to models with the fuel cooler mounted near the fuel filter and must replace the underside cooler which just relies on the unit radiating heat away to the atmosphere.

[Chrispb]

Yep must be an age thing, mines a Jan 2003 and has the flat panel.

[johnnyroper]

No mine has the cooler underneath and not the engine mounted exchanger. I bet your engine warms up a bit quicker in winter as a result of that as the return fuel will be almost instantly warm I should imagine and start to warm the coolant up quicker than the engine.

[joka]

There is also the cooler near the fuel filter which uses the engine coolant to accomplish the same thing (cooling of the fuel), and I've definitely got one of those. Perhaps they deleted the underside cooler from the later models? Need a few other members with late model Galaxies or post 2005 Sharans/ Alhambras to confirm!

my Sharan 2006, with 2.0 TDi BRT engine, has the flat cooler under the car. My car was sold new in Germany in 2006, and imported to Norway in june 2008

[joka]

from VW partcatalog:

flat cooler under car... 7M0 203 571 A heat dissipator for vehicles with fuel cooling

engine bay cooler... 7M3 203 572 B heat dissipator for vehicle use in warm climates

[insanitybeard]

They both carry out broadly the same function though, just that the flat cooler relies on air cooling and the engine bay version uses the engine coolant and a little secondary radiator. I'm assuming you'll have one or the other system fitted, not both.