406 Hdi ownership

I find they have better seats and more interior room. I enjoy driving them more.

I agree with you entirely on the interior room - larger car, less safety features and other gizmos to take up room. Your 505s must be a lot newer than any I've ever owned, though, the driver's seat was always sagged out on mine and the rear seats on the early models always disintegrated and ripped across the top. :).

You would never contemplate rebuilding a 406 engine.

I wonder if this will continue to be true. I suspect noone rebuilds a 406 engine at the moment because they're still quite new and most are still good. Even after a catastrophic failure you'd just look for a replacement from a crashed car. It was probably a similar story with a 505 GTI in, say, 1992. In 10 years, if anyone still drives 406s, then the story may be a little different.
 
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I suspect noone rebuilds a 406 engine at the moment because they're still quite new and most are still good. Even after a catastrophic failure you'd just look for a replacement from a crashed car.

Interesting - I *was* considering find a decent mechanic (I struggle to find bonnet release) to stuff some horses back into my 406 HDi which now has 190,000 on the clock. There's no major issues, it's just slow.
Should I not bother and just live with it?
My comparison for "slow" is a 2006 VW diesel with a 1.9 which also puts out 240Nm, but admittedly has a much smaller body to lug than the Pug's 7-seater.
 
Interesting - I *was* considering find a decent mechanic (I struggle to find bonnet release) to stuff some horses back into my 406 HDi which now has 190,000 on the clock. There's no major issues, it's just slow.
Should I not bother and just live with it?

Interesting question, Tim. :) When I said "still good" I meant most of these motors are not yet in need of full rebuilds - ie I think still decent compression, lowish oil consumption, etc.

There's probably things that can be done in terms of tuneups that are not full rebuilds or engine replacements, though. This could range from blocked filters (easy servicing issue) to injectors needing servicing (more complex) to a shagged out turbo needing replacement (wallet surgery.)

I know when I got mine (with 200,000km) it was a country car and both the radiator and intercooler were jammed tight with dead bugs. Just cleaning the intercooler improved the fuel economy and "seat-o-pants-ometer" when driving around town. I have no idea what else may be running poorly in mine, hopefully nothing. :)
 
My 406 HDi died on NYE - Bosch mechanical fuel pump, I was told just 45 minutes ago.

I drove my 1983 505 familiale (manual) yesterday. I enjoyed driving it. I like the seats. I missed the creature comforts!

Both are great cars to drive.

Cheers,
Andrew

PS Anyone have a good, working Bosch pump they want to dispose of? :D
 
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406 HDi ownership

I've owned two HDi's, the first being a 2001 manual and the current one is a 2003 auto. The current one has just turned 144000 ks and on a trip to the top of the North Island over New Year, it returned 6.0 litres per 100 ks. Around Auckland I manage arround 8 litres/100 ks.

The only problems I have experienced was solenoids in the gearbox which were replaced a few months back. Since then the gearbox has been much better than I recall, with (for Peugeot), nice smooth shifts. Whilst I cannot say I love the gearbox, I have grown accustomed to it's funny ways and am now quite used to it. Acceleration from a standing start is better with the auto than the manual, which means getting across busy intersections etc is just that bit easier/safer.

The other problem was the alternator clutch which failed also a couple of months back. Faced with a fairly hefty bill to replace the whole alternator, my local mechanic managed to find the clutch unit and rplaced just that, hence saving me a lot of money.

I haven't had any electrical problems, the air con works fine, the auto wipers have a mind of their own but again it is someting you get accustomed to.

I have just bought a 2003 406 manual coupe and within the first month of ownership I am having to replace the coils---ouch!!!:cry:--so the HDi with it's reliability and unburstable engine is maybe the one for me to keep rather than sell!!:confused:
 
LHTurns

DECCA.Wrap some dence foamed rubber around turn stalk tostop lever from flicking to left hand turn position. No problems since :cheers:TOMFROG TEMORA
 
Thanks Tom, but car no longer exists.
Sounds like an obvious fix.
I opened up the Com2000 box but found no way to adjust it. I think it boiled down to poor design.

Decca
 
I bought a 406 HDi 2.0 litre sedan in August 2009. It was my first experience with both diesels and Peugeot.
I love the car, but there are a couple of quirks of which potential owners should be aware.

1. The handbrake ratchet is weak and breaks. I need a new handbrake assembly about every eight months. Fortunately they are only $125 (roughly, as best I can recall).

2. There are two oil flow monitoring solenoids in the transmission that are notorious for failing. If/when these fail, the car will be close to undriveable until the oil has reached operating temperature. Before it reaches temperature, a feather-like touch is required on the throttle. If you use more than a feather, the transmission will slam (and I do mean slam) into limp-home mode (you lose overdrive), the warning lights flash and a huge transmission fault warning will appear on the trip computer screen. No cause to have a cow over that. Just pull over, let the turbo wind down for 30 seconds or so and then turn the engine off and restart it. This resets the engine/transmission computers and the car will be fine. Replacing the solenoids costs about $600. If you have it done anywhere other than a Peugeot dealership, provide the workshop with the genuine Peugeot transmission fluid. Do not under any circumstances allow them to use anything other than the genuine Peugeot transmission fluid. I had a bad experience with a self-proclaimed tranmission guru who used a Penrite product that was supposed to be a match for the Peugeot fluid. It was not. :cry: As best I have been able to determine, there is nothing that is a match for the genuine Peugeot fluid, which is Esso ATF 4HP20 AL4.

3. When the Peugeot manual specifies particular viscosity grades and types for engine oil take it seriously. The 2.0 litre diesel runs best on a synthetic 5W-40. I have tried various motor oils and learned the that the engine is very fussy. The one that I have found makes the engine 'happy' is Shell Ultra 5W-40. I can feel the difference on every level. Compared with other oils it is like driving on liquid silk. Penrite's 5W-40 turbo diesel semi-synthetic oil is okay, but if you refill with the Shell product you will feel a difference in favour of the Shell full synthetic.

4. I would humbly suggest that you invest in a turbo timer. Call me an old-fashioned belt and braces sort of fellow, but I cannot bring myself to turn off a turbocharged engine until it has had at least 60 seconds to idle down.

5. The engine prefers full-mineral diesel. It runs rougher on ethanol blended diesel and it uses about 10 per cent more fuel, presumably because of the lesser energy potential of ethanol.

6. Keep an eye on the upholstery. I have had to have all the seats and the door inserts reupholstered because the stitching gave way (rear seat) or the fabric parted company with the stitching (front seats). The auto trimmer muttered something about the standard of the factory upholstery work being rubbish.

7. If you want to improve on-road performance, there are a couple of options. Powerchip in Sydney will remap the engine management computer for $1,200. That is an extortionate price for a software entry, in my opinion. The option I chose was a German company called Race Chip Tuning.

http://www.racechip.de/index.php?language=en

For about $400 they sold me a chip that plugs in between the engine management computer and the fuel-injection rail, which they claim gives significantly more power and torque. I cannot remember the power figure, but they claim a 30 per cent increase in the torque output.
There is a noticeable difference, especially in the mid range. Fuel consumption will increase slightly. Mine increased from 5.1 litres per 100km to 5.6 litres per 100km. For such a huge increase in power and torque I think that is a small price to pay.

8. Another two faults for which the 406 diesels are notorious are the wastegate solenoid and the speedo. When the wastegate solenoid fails the gate will simply fall open. You will lose turbo boost (it will be vented straight into the exhaust system). The tells are that you will have no power and that every time you plant your foot there will be a huge cloud of unburnt diesel smoke in your wake. The fix is a new solenoid, which costs about $120. While you are waiting for the part to arrive, you can get around the problem by stealing the EGR solenoid that is sitting right beside the wastegate solenoid. Just do not tell the greenies. The problem with the speedo appears when it begins to fail/falter intermittently. Look at either the pickup on the transmission, or (if you are unlucky) the soldering behind the instrument panel. In the case of my car it was on the pickup, which cost about $160 to replace.

Having said all those things to watch for with the 406 HDi, I love the car and would not hesitate to buy another Peugeot. Now that those glitches have been fixed, every moment in the car is a pleasure.
Should you have a situation that requires emergency braking, you will discover that the 406 has a fantastic braking system and that the ABS is extraordinarily good.
 
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Thanks, Carl T

Thanks for the great rundown.
Makes a lot of sense to me all your saying, and I'm all ears.

I've recently acquired a 406 diesel wagon. 2003, 240 000, but auto . Kept very well, great nick, best car ever driven, but pre owners experienced the limp home mode a couple of times so I'm reading up lots of sites and threads. .. "AL4, AL4.."

One thing, the Haynes manual sais the ESSO LT71141 , but the 406 original handbook specifies "ATF 4HP20-AL4"

thanks for the great posting, again.
 
Thanks for the great rundown.
Makes a lot of sense to me all your saying, and I'm all ears.

I've recently acquired a 406 diesel wagon. 2003, 240 000, but auto . Kept very well, great nick, best car ever driven, but pre owners experienced the limp home mode a couple of times so I'm reading up lots of sites and threads. .. "AL4, AL4.."

One thing, the Haynes manual says the ESSO LT71141 , but the 406 original handbook specifies "ATF 4HP20-AL4"

thanks for the great posting, again.

Does the car have an AL4 gearbox?

If you Googled "AL4 problems" (Reading the articles will give you something to do for quite a while, sorry) :blackeye:

I drove my daughter's 306 Xsi today with AL4 gearbox, cruising excellent, though changing up and down under cruise speed is terrible, recently spent a fortune on the box with at least 5 trips back to Peugeot dealers and then gave up (and I don't give up easily). The car has only travelled 110k km! :cry:
I would not recommend one of these AL4 gearboxes to my worst enemy.
 
ECU Upgrade

I avoided the expensive ECU upgrades and did mine myself, which has turned a slug (see earlier my post in this thread) into a far more capable car with no side-effects noted after 30,000km or so. Wife loves it, it's safer pulling out into fast rural traffic and saved us upgrading to a newer car.

I followed info here http://www.406oc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11831&hilit=ecu+remap, purchasing a KWP2000 USB OBD2 from eBay, and uploading a new ECU map from here: http://www.obdcar.com/powertuning/r...PEUGEOT,406 HDI,HDI 110 CV,627_bosch,soft_041

Total cost about $50 versus $400 or $1000 means someone out there is making insane profits every time you pay them to do yours for you.
 
406 HDi Automatic Economy

Just for the record. Photo taken after last refuel.

406display.jpg
 
Interesting thread, I've been looking at a D9 with about 190k kilometers on it. I'm a little worried with the HDi relative lack of power, but it seems you can get them chipped for about $400, or less if you do it yourself. If I went with one of these I'd be looking at keeping it for the long term, what bugs could I expect?

I'm comparing it to a C5 HDi but a lot of the cheaper C5s are 4 speed autos and the 4 speed auto in the Citroen is a known problem and if I spend $10k I probably wont be looking at either cars as Mk. V Golf TDis are starting to come in in that price range.
 
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AL4 / 4HP20 / DPO transmission oil - LT71141 replacement

...
One thing, the Haynes manual sais the ESSO LT71141 , but the 406 original handbook specifies "ATF 4HP20-AL4"

thanks for the great posting, again.

Total Oil supply the specific oil too - Total Fluide AT Long Life
The spec sheet is available hat http://www.totaloil.com.au/Pages/content/NT0000C0CA.pdf

I get mine from Shannon at www.oiloutwest.co.nz which is the local branch of Oil Imports (Total Oil NZ distributor).
 
Struts

Bought my first ever Peugeot a few days ago: a 2003 406 D9 ST HDi 2.0 Wagon Auto that has done 85,000 kms. Well, more like 86,000 now, I think.

Wear and tear:

  • Original CD stacker was replaced by an aftermarket Kenwood
  • Plastic handle for driver's seat tilt comes off
  • Rubber strip on driver's side door sill misses some clips
Otherwise in good nick for a 7-year old car.

Fuel consumption:

  • 6.1 L / 100 km for mostly country driving and some town driving
Driver's manual:

  • A bit short on technical information; e.g. no details on type of fog light bulbs and how to replace them.
Handling:

  • I'm horrified that I bought a car with McPherson struts. First one ever. Nevertheless, the car handles confidently. Just hate to think what could happen if I hit a pothole.
Electronics:

  • This level of electronics is another scary first for me. Keeping my trusty 1978 SAAB 99 (120,000 kms) on stand-by, just in case...
Trim and Accessories:

  • Cloth-covered seats a very big plus! (as compared to leather)
  • No complaints about the number of buttons, switches, dials, displays, and warning lights. Heaps more than in any of my previous cars.
Hope this information was useful.

Hi,Interested in your comment re pug struts.Struts were actually a French invention,not English as some say.From the 80's through to the 90's Peugeot regularly had the fastest cornering cars in the World,continually beating the outlandishly expensive exotic cars of the day.Interestingly I knew the gent who imported Saabs into Australia....his name escapes me at present.Cheers.
 
I have a 2003 406 HDI Manual. Fantastic car. 197000 trouble free kms. Only problem was the dreaded indicator fault. I fixed that with a bit of sponge rubber shoved down beside the stick. Worked a treat.P1140668.jpg
 
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