I've just breezed through this but I wonder if he's done a major inspection of the wiring. I know the 99M03 recall won't apply since he's got a 98, but I also know that there have been a few cases of 98s having the crappy pre-98 wiring harnesses, and if he's got bare wiring here and there, it could explain a lot of things.

"Think of it, if you like, as a librarian with a G-string under the tweed." Clarkson on the Mondeo.