May i introduce myself...

[kris]

...or more importantly, the car.

It's a 1998 2.1td lx estate. It's done 104K. It's silver. It's my first diesel motor and my second Pug that i have owned (first one was/is a 106 1.1 nx), so it's quite a step up.

I'll be honest, it wasn't something i thought i would ever own (not the Peugeot bit, more the 2.1td estate bit), but we're expecting our first child in May, and the 106 wasn't gonna cut the mustard and needed expensive things done to it for it's MOT. So it was between this and a 2 door 1.2 (or something) Renault Clio. I thought "no contest" and became the new owner of what will hopefully turn out to be a good reliable family motor. It looks nice and drives well, bonus.

I wonder if i may ask a few question:-

-Where in the range does the LX model sit? After looking a round on the net, something tells me it's quite low in the range. But retro fitting seems quite popular?
-This ones a bit unusual... Are French cars strong? Like, in the NCAP Safty Ratings. How many airbags should a '98 LX model have?
-How do you use a 2.1td engine? Stay out the turbo range unless your going up hill or over taking? How many rev's before the turbo kicks in on a 16 year old car? Am i beening daft? lol.

Anyway, i think thats enough crazyness for now

L&R, kris

[Welly]

Hello!

That's a great choice the 2.1td, probably the best in the range at the time and very reliable (they can hit 300K miles easily) just keep plenty of fresh oil going through it (twice-yearly changes are ideal). Make sure the cambelt has been changed at some point, if there's no evidence that it has then think about doing the belt + tensioners + auxiliary belts + water pump and you won't have to worry about that for years.

The turbo kicks in fairly late on these, around 2500 rpm as I remember and then boosts quite strongly until about 4000 rpm. The later HDi's are the other way round and do their work very low in the revs, funnily enough your 2.1 will feel more powerful even though it has the same 110bhp as the HDi. The turbo is there to assist power delivery so use it as much as you want, it'll help give things a bit of a clear out anyway.

406's are pretty strong by their size I don't know what the equivalent NCAP rating would be but it won't be rated as highly as cars designed in the last 5 years etc. good thing about an estate is that if someone does run into the back of you there's *loads* of stuff to crumple up before it gets anywhere near the passengers. I'm pretty sure side impact bars are standard on yours as are driver and passenger airbags. Side airbags came along after 1999, I think.

There's a nice remap available for yours because it has electronic fueling (don't let that put you off) and this would make the engine more flexible and less 'peaky' with the power delivery, you should see better mpg too.

[kris]

Good stuff, very reassuring thanx Welly!

Good news!! The water pump has been replace at somepoint and also the timming belt. Not sure about the tensioners and aux belts though. Hopefully if the belt and pump was done, they would'a thought to do rest at the same time maybe. I shall heed your advice about oil and changing it.

use it as much as you want, it'll help give things a bit of a clear out anyway.

I think i can manage that lol.

-What does a HDi do that mine doesn't, or vice versa?

I must admit i do feel alot safer in the 406 compaired to the 106 atleast. I have spotted the driver and passanger airbags, i was just curious if there was any more stashed away.

Cool i like the sound of a remap (should it put me off?), especially if it will improve mpg.

[jonsowman]

Agree with everything Welly says, my 2.1 was a really great car. I did a lot of retrofitting to mine, including full electric heated leather seats, trip computer, changed dashboard trims, headunit, you name it. The leather was the best bit by far since the original cloth seats had done 200,000 miles by that points and were getting a little tired

One thing to add to the cambelt comment is that the aux belt tensioners are known for starting to lean over time and throw the aux belt off, which can in turn cause the cambelt to jump or come off. So when everything's being done for the cambelt, change the aux belt, tensioner and idler pulley as well!

The HDi engines are high pressure common rail direct injection units, whereas the 2.1 (known as the XUD11) is an IDI (indirect injection) engine which uses a precombustion chamber head design. The advantage of the HDi is that they're quieter with better fuel efficiency, but that comes at the cost of a rather complex high pressure fuel system.

Driver and passenger front airbags, and also front seatbelt pretensioners which have proved to be a fantastic safety measure. All 406s were fitted with these as far as I know.

[kris]

Retrofitting does sound like fun, and would make the cabin more homely. Just having a drivers seat with an armrest would be a good start . Red the post about retrofitting a trip computer but it started gettin a lil confusing, but knowing its possible is a positive. Personaly not too fused about the head unit. It's a casette/radio one which is fine by me, i'm more a radio type guy than cd's n mp3's. The missus, however, is the opposite (odviously) and wants the HU out the 106 in the 406. Maybe one day...

I will have to look through paper work to see if i can find a recipt for work done on/in/around the timing belt to see if aux belts and pulleys were done as well. I know for definit the main belt and w/pump have been replaced.

-In the event that the aux belt manages to dislodge it's self, what will the consequences be? Is it just the alternator, water pump and power steering being driven off it?

[Welly]

I had a Peugeot 605 with a 2.1td and it had at least 260K miles on it and I did have the aux belt jump off one day.....all it did was fall off onto the road put the battery light on and I carried on driving it (think the PAS still worked I'm sure). I wouldn't worry about your belts, they've most likely been done with the Cambelt etc but if you notice any weird noises around the belt area get it checked out.

[kris]

but if you notice any weird noises around the belt area get it checked out.

I'm only 27, nothing wrong with my belt area

[jonsowman]

Mine wrapped itself around the crankshaft pulley and made a mess of the cambelt covers. If the engine been anything other than idling, it could have been much worse

[Doggy]

Hi kris & welcome aboard.

[kris]

Don't think i like the sound of that to be honest think i would prefer the "falling on the road option" myself.

Breifly, whats the issue with handbrakes? is it all 406's or just a certain year/period?

Also, drivers window has a problem - if you press and hold the button to go down, it goes all the way down. Press and hold the button to go up, it rises a couple of centimeters and stops. Release and repeat and it goes up another couple of centimeters. Wash, rinse, repeat until it's all the way up. Faulty switch or a faulty sensor (if it has one) that makes it think its all the way up?

[kris]

Thanks Doggy

[Welly]

Mine wrapped itself around the crankshaft pulley and made a mess of the cambelt covers. If the engine been anything other than idling, it could have been much worse

I suppose it's all down to luck I was accelerating when mine went, probably doing 45mph or something. My 605 was brilliant it just wouldn't give in it had previously been used by company to carry men and tools all over the country to building sites (a van basically) the 2.1 injin is great on the motorway.

[Welly]

Don't think i like the sound of that to be honest think i would prefer the "falling on the road option" myself.

Breifly, whats the issue with handbrakes? is it all 406's or just a certain year/period?

Also, drivers window has a problem - if you press and hold the button to go down, it goes all the way down. Press and hold the button to go up, it rises a couple of centimeters and stops. Release and repeat and it goes up another couple of centimeters. Wash, rinse, repeat until it's all the way up. Faulty switch or a faulty sensor (if it has one) that makes it think its all the way up?

Handbrakes = rubbish, that's how they are.

Sticky window = try lubricating the window rubberz with a silicone spray.

[kris]

Handbrakes = rubbish, that's how they are.

ok fair enough

Sticky window = try lubricating the window rubberz with a silicone spray.

Sounds simple enough, i'll try that when i get a chance.. thanx

[gumby6371]

Hi Kris,

Has the battery been off for any reason? The sticky window could be the motor calibrating itself, when it finally gets to the top keep holdiing the switch for 5 seconds or so. Hopefully that will teach it where the top is again.

Worth whipping the rear drums off and checking the shoes for wear and cylinders for leakage. When you put it back together adjust the shoes back up and it should help the handbrake, no 406 has a 'good' handbrake but I find the drums better than the disc setup.

Changing the aux belt, idler and tensioner is straightforward enough and not overly expensive, if you have aircon you'll need to check which pump you have get the right belt. My belt gave way on me and I lost PAS but nothing else, if in doubt fit new.