Hi from a first time 406 owner!

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beko1987
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Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by beko1987 »

Hi!

My name is Sam, and I'm from South Oxfordshire. I never planned to own a 406. Always quite liked them, but never really went further than that, didn't really plan to own another car at all a few days ago, was happy plodding about in my quite knackered Laguna minding my own business, when a very cheap 406 came up for sale not far away

http://autoshite.com/topic/33430-2002-p ... %C2%A3275/

Some very quick man maths was calculated, checked, checked again and a plan was formulated!

We find ourselves at this very morning, at 0700 hours. The outgoing car said it was very cold
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Before long, a Mazda5 arrived
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Which was very warm, and contained my friend and boss as it happens, Gareth. Hi Gareth
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It's always handy roping your boss in on new car capers, as if said new car FTP's and fails to get you to work, you can hold them in some way responsible. We sampled the delights of the M4 which they are improving* apparently by Reading
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And before long, found ourselves standing by a frozen solid 406! (we were earlier than we had arranged). After helping the seller have a final sweep of the car, I fired her up from stone dead cold and it started first turn. Engine sounded very very noisy, but settled down once warm. The noise sounded like it was coming from by the engine rather than from it, so hopefully it's nothing serious. Cash was exchanged, the V5 was not as the seller has had the car for 3 weeks (he's a serial car changer over on Autoshite) and the V5 isn't in his name yet, so he's going to pay the tax for November and we'll sort that out when he gets it in his name.

We then drove off, and it's like being in an isolated bubble after the rattly hell of the Laguna for the past 15,000 miles! The radio was tuned to something not utterly terrible eventually, and we drove back! It goes well.

I went to my mums first, as it's on the way home and my eldest was having a sleepover there, so I let her see the car first
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Which she liked, then I drove home. I gave it some beans from here, as I'm VERY familiar with this route, and can confirm that at silly speeds it still rides fairly composed, 75 at 3000rpm is going to take some getting used to after 6 gears in the Laguna, and I don't know how to reset the on-board computer. It did however have some screenwash in, which was lovely!

That's actually it! It's my youngest's birthday today, hence the early collection caper. Home by 10am, we went into town for some last minute shopping and swung past the scrapyard on the way
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Where I got a bit emotional as I did like the Laguna, but the MOT in december was going to be a tight one to pass, the clutch was not returning fully alot and I was a bit bored. The sadness was short lived though...
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as the 406 has now cost me £71! 406 also has half a tank of fuel which apparently will get me 340 miles which is ace as that's nearly 2 weeks commuting!

It got some attention when the family came round as they wanted to see it, and everyone proclaimed it was very nice! I had a quick poke around and found the spare wheel, masses of tools in said spare wheel well and Eva found the volume control for the radio which works with the ignition off! I also opened the bonnet and confirmed it does have an engine
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So here we are! 40 miles driven, many questions but they can wait a bit for now/I'll dig about and probably find my answer anyway! Will try and grab an hour to fiddle tomorrow before my dad comes down for birthday party number 2 for the boy!

Cheers all!
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steve_earwig
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Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by steve_earwig »

Hi there, welcome! :cheesy: Congratulations on your purchase (I promise to look at all the pictures when I have an hour or 2 later... :shock: )

I see you're from that beige place, rest assured you won't need to learn latin to hang out here (although some Welsh may be useful...)
Unskilled meddling sin©e 2007

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GingerMagic
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Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by GingerMagic »

Hi, and welcome - quite possibly the most in-depth introduction I've ever read :cheesy:

Ditching the Laguna for the 406, and subsequently only being £71 out of pocket is a cracking result....

Enjoy the 406 ( I've had a few and I've abused them all with dump trips, family fun* holidays, sofas on the roof, traffic light Grand Prix and subsequent vomit over the rear seats...)

Yours is the 110 model, which is the middle powered but best all rounder. To reset the trip computer simply keep the button on the end of the wiper stalk pressed in.

There are only a couple of things to watch out for with a 406, they are the usual dodgy handbrake, and water ingress in the drivers footwell - otherwise no more or less issues than any other car.

Any questions then feel free to ask away, or take some time to look at the Knowledge Base on the home page.

Kelv.
2003 2.2hdi estate - mine
1998 Volvo 940 auto estate - also mine
2019 Citroen C3 something - the wife's
PP2000 user, can help with faults / diagnostics in the Bournemouth area.
PeterN
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Location: Charmouth, Dorset

Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by PeterN »

Welcome to the forum.

You have got probably the best secondhand car in the world there, certainly the best that Peugeot has made and that's the way to buy them, I have had three. Came back from a 2500 mile trip round Scotland and Yorkshire a couple of weeks ago, averaged 62.8 mpg - but not everyone drives as gently as me. :roll:

Peter
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Doggy
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Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by Doggy »

Hi Sam & welcome aboard 8)

A Moonstone Blue estate, (like my first one), very nice.
That's a lot of car for £71 - half a tank of fuel or about £30, well done.

A tankful is 75 litres and potentially good for 900 - 1k miles on a long run, probably better that 600 miles in everyday use.
It should be geared for about 31 mph/1000 in 5th, 75 mph @ about 2500 rpm.

Any questions, ask away. You won't get the usual anal "Use the search function" bull hereabouts.
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
beko1987
1.6 8v
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2018 7:05 pm

Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by beko1987 »

Thanks all!

Moonstone Blue, is that the colour? I thought it was silver, although the sun hasn't been out since I bought it!

We went shopping in it earlier, and driving it along very familiar roads allowed me to start getting a bit used to it. It needs a lower gear than the Laguna at speeds, so 3rd at 30, I put it into 4th and it complained! It also doesn't like pulling away/crawling on tickover without any revs. I put the rear window down for the son on the way too (he likes the wind...) and saw the tint film was peeling off at the top, will stick a drop of glue on that one day!)

Havent really done anything yet bar empty the carrier bag of crap into it from the Laguna! Tried to put a CD in the player but it spits it back out, plus half the buttons dont work so it's a pain to tune. The fitting kit for my Pioneer DAB will come early in the week though so I'll be OK for a few days.

The handbrake is probably the first thing I'll look at, it's really terrible! The lever doesn't pull properly either so the first port of call is to remove the centre console and see if anything is amiss (yep, been trawling the knowledge base already!). If all seems OK there then time to look at the handbrake cables and shoes. I also saw euro car parts were having one of their daily END OF THE WORLD EVERYTHING MUST GO SALES so got a full service kit for this and oil and a filter for SWMBO's car which had it's full service in the spring for £60, if it arrives by the weekend I'll go and do that

I found out how to reset the computer, so we can see if I can better the fairly respectable 48mpg it showed, and a full sweep of all the bulbs revealed just a sidelight bulb that needed changing! I think I even get the auto lights set up properly according the a thread I found on here, but won't know until tomorrow now.
GingerMagic
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Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by GingerMagic »

I'm not sure it's Moonstone, unless the bonnet is rusted out on the front edge, looks like plain silver on a cloudy day...
Try driving slowly with the handbrake on, only for 10 secs or so - I used to do that whilst in traffic, it helps the shoes bite better.

Secondly, I would unplug the MAF sensor - it's the flat rectangular grey plug on the underside of the pipe just behind the airbox - no harm will come of it but it might make the car behave better. If it does then put a Siemens one in the basket at cp4l ( use code spooky17 for a discount )

48mpg isn't bad for round town driving, it's a big car to get rolling, and my old 406s preferred to sit at higher revs when in town - it was more economical too.
2003 2.2hdi estate - mine
1998 Volvo 940 auto estate - also mine
2019 Citroen C3 something - the wife's
PP2000 user, can help with faults / diagnostics in the Bournemouth area.
frog
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Location: Netherlands

Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by frog »

Welcome! Nice purchase! :D The 110 HDI is rock solid, you may well be able to double the mileage (mine is at 360 k miles)
beko1987 wrote: Sat Oct 27, 2018 7:24 pm can confirm that at silly speeds it still rides fairly composed, 75 at 3000rpm is going to take some getting used to
That seems a lot, mine (manual 5 gear) does around 2500 rpm at 120 km/h (75 miles). Even at the high mileage, the engine can hardly be heard; it is more the wind and gusts...

48 mpg is when driving fast, i get 57 mpg when sticking to the speed limits on my daily commute. During the winter the consumption goes up a bit.

If you have any questions, just post. I will do my best to answer from my experience.
Current "fleet":
2003 406 Estate 2.0HDi 110 - 7 seater - just hit 690.000 kms :cheesy:
2001 Citroen Saxo 1.6i 8v 100

Previously owned:
2000 406 Sedan 2.0 HDi 90
2000 406 Coupé 2.0i 16v 138 - Riviera Blue

PP2000 user, can help with faults / diagnostics in the Netherlands.
beko1987
1.6 8v
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2018 7:05 pm

Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by beko1987 »

Yes, the front of the bonnet is repaired with some very robust looking silver boiler flue tape! Seems to be a 'they all do that sir' issue!

As does the indicator stalk! I've been pointed in the direction of a plastic part that snaps inside and makes the stick awful, pulling back for main beam is a trial too!

As is the headlight beam pattern, it's all over the shop! Are the light units easy to remove from the car to have a check and see if anythings broken?

After a full computer reset and one round trip commute I'm seeing 44,which is still rising. Will see how that goes at the end of the week! Heaters are toasty hot too
GingerMagic
3.0 24v
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Location: Bournemouth

Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by GingerMagic »

One positive part of the 406 is the heater - it's normally pretty good.

The indicator stalk is part of the Comms unit, which is a weakness as you have discovered they wear out and play silly buggers - a new stalk can be fitted but it means ripping apart this Comms unit where loads of wires and the airbag squib reside, so it's not for the faint hearted...

The headlights are a doddle, just remove the front grill to access the inner bolt, there one on top and there is another hard to reach one that fit the light to the wing - a UJ on a long extension makes it easier, but first check that the headlight bulbs are in properly as this gives a rubbish aim.

Sadly 406s seem to get lots of little niggling faults that current owners just learn to live with - until the list becomes very long and then the car is sold on... A new owner that is happy to tinker is always a good thing.

44mpg in this cold weather is quite respectable, but try keeping the revs higher and feathering the throttle on the next trip reset and see if it improves.

Keep at it 8)
2003 2.2hdi estate - mine
1998 Volvo 940 auto estate - also mine
2019 Citroen C3 something - the wife's
PP2000 user, can help with faults / diagnostics in the Bournemouth area.
beko1987
1.6 8v
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2018 7:05 pm

Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by beko1987 »

TBH as far as niggles go there's not many:

Indicator stalk - found many how to guides, and the plastic part isn't too expensive. Problem is I'll think very hard about buying a new steering wheel as it's the only bit of the 192000 mile interior that's worn, although it is very grippy...

Handbrake - Need to play with the adjuster. I've just been out to the shops and tried the 'driving with the handbrake on' trick and it was as if it wasn't on... Seems to hold the car when parked but I then stick it in gear so it doesn't roll into the lady at the end's house...

Headlights as above

The drivers door lower rubber strip has fallen off many times before and is doing again, there's a significant amount of silicone failing to hold it on!

Found out this morning that the rear drivers door check strap is broken and the door flops about merrily by itself

Most of this is ignorable for now though! Handbrake and headlights first. Anyone near Thame, Oxon have a 406 I could have a sit in to check that my headlights are actually out and not just working fine and me not used to it?

I did find myself wafting over the speed humps in town rather fast though, the ride is amazing! Granted my Laguna was severely lacking in the suspension department but it was like being back in my XM, baiting idiots in lowered cars by driving over speed humps like their not there, releasing my inner chav a bit...

The auto headlights might have to be turned off too... Where I park, the car faces houses. I usually fire up the car then faff about with my seatbelt, put my phone on the seat etc, then set off... Doing that with the auto headlights results in bright lights through windows, which I'd get annoyed at... Might turn that off!
GingerMagic
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Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by GingerMagic »

I didn't use the auto headlights - I found myself parked up with headlights on for no reason was annoying when I saw it so I couldn't really do the same to other people..

That sill strip, you need to sort that out before winter really as water gets into the sills in the little holes behind the rubber - new rubbers and clips are available new from Peugeot - have a search on here as I posted the part numbers a while back.

If you choose to buy a replacement steering wheel it needs to come from a 2001 or later model ( saloon/estate/Coupé all the same fitting ) as the airbag wiring is different.
2003 2.2hdi estate - mine
1998 Volvo 940 auto estate - also mine
2019 Citroen C3 something - the wife's
PP2000 user, can help with faults / diagnostics in the Bournemouth area.
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Doggy
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Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by Doggy »

Hallelujah! Two people talking sense about auto headlights. 8)

Kindly condemn inappropriate use of foglights for maximum points.

- Sorry for the hijack - carry on. -
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
PeterN
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Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by PeterN »

I have had three and none had a decent handbrake, they are of poor design with not enough lining area. They must have been fitted with very soft linings when new - all you have to do is find out who makes them. :frown:

Peter
beko1987
1.6 8v
Posts: 12
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Re: Hi from a first time 406 owner!

Post by beko1987 »

Apparently it was all changed fairly recently, and just needs adjustment. So after reading the how to guide on here I'll be trying that first, and removing the centre console as it feels like the lever is catching on something, it's certainly not a smooth operation which I would expect a crap handbrake to have.

However in the usual traffic on the way home tonight going up one click more than feels sensible does make it bite, although I covered the brake more than I usually would. SWMBO is working this weekend so im hoping to steal an hour or so on Sunday to have a look.

My DIN adapter arrives tomorrow hopefully so I can get rid of the original cd player that only has half its buttons working... and wire my DAB and MIC wires into the places they need to go and have decent music again! And check all the speakers work as I don't think the drivers side does, but I can't play with the audio settings on the clarion as the button to do that doesn't do anything!

Auto headlights got turned off earlier too.
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