Pug 306 for less than a grand?
Discussion
Looking at finding a cheap 306 1.9 diesel or 1.6 petrol for less than a grand on the weekend. Does anyone have any advice about what sort of things are going wrong on an M to R reg 306 that's reached between 80,000 to 150,000 miles?
Hoping to find something reasonable for around £700.
Is there a particular model to look out for?
Are there known rust areas?
Thanks for any help.
-
Graham
Hoping to find something reasonable for around £700.
Is there a particular model to look out for?
Are there known rust areas?
Thanks for any help.
-
Graham
V8S said:
Looking at finding a cheap 306 1.9 diesel or 1.6 petrol for less than a grand on the weekend. Does anyone have any advice about what sort of things are going wrong on an M to R reg 306 that's reached between 80,000 to 150,000 miles?
Hoping to find something reasonable for around £700.
Is there a particular model to look out for?
Are there known rust areas?
Thanks for any help.
-
Graham
Hoping to find something reasonable for around £700.
Is there a particular model to look out for?
Are there known rust areas?
Thanks for any help.
-
Graham
Absolutely... 306 D Turbo or the 306 D Turbo Sport.... Goes like a tank on steroids and it goes forever....
rallycross said:
loads out there sub £1k go for a 1.6 or 1.8 petrol unless you want to rattle your way through the rest of your journeys.
look out for heater fans not working, remote locking not working, leaky sunroofs
look out for heater fans not working, remote locking not working, leaky sunroofs
Dont go for the 1.8 - its only a small improvement over the 1.6 and drinks the go-juice, whereas i can get 100 miles on a tenners worth in my 1.6.
If the leccy wondows or mirrors dont operate, its probably due to broken wires where the door opens.
There are no real rust issues.
I had a '97 Dturbo S(non HDI) that blew a head gasket at 82k...with a full SH. Also the aircon along with most of the electrics entirly packed up and in the end i traded it in as it was a steaming pile of cr*p. Also my local dealer was rubbish and of no help. I though it was just a 'Friday afternoon car' but......
My sister has a '98 Dturbo that is constantly going wrong and is living upto the reputation that mine set a few years back!
I know they have a good reputation but i will NEVER buy another Peugeot ever again.
I did run a 1.9 D turbo xantia at uni though and that was as relable as a challenger tank and never broke once.
If you have made your mind up though, good luck finding a good one!
My sister has a '98 Dturbo that is constantly going wrong and is living upto the reputation that mine set a few years back!
I know they have a good reputation but i will NEVER buy another Peugeot ever again.
I did run a 1.9 D turbo xantia at uni though and that was as relable as a challenger tank and never broke once.
If you have made your mind up though, good luck finding a good one!
Well I've got the GTI6 so cant really comment too much.
Generally very reliable as long as they have been regularly serviced.
Electrics can be wonky but i guess at £700 you're not expecting otherwise!
as above, just make sure the cooling fans work and if going for a petrol, that all the sensores work (idle control valve etc...)
Diesel probably the best option tho as its fast and economical. A D turbo will rattle on for ever if it has been regularly serviced. just watch out for the head gasket though.
Generally very reliable as long as they have been regularly serviced.
Electrics can be wonky but i guess at £700 you're not expecting otherwise!
as above, just make sure the cooling fans work and if going for a petrol, that all the sensores work (idle control valve etc...)
Diesel probably the best option tho as its fast and economical. A D turbo will rattle on for ever if it has been regularly serviced. just watch out for the head gasket though.
Yes, I would agree the electrics are dodgy, from experience with several.
The electric windows play up, usually cured by changing or fiddling with the relays.
Cetral locking: not always an electrical failure. Sometime the system just needs resetting, when it appears to not work at all. I can't rememeber the exact sequence but it's definitely in the owner's manual.
Front brake discs can wear badly for some reason.
Turbo Diesels: Common fault is the gasket between the intercooler and the inlet plenum fails, causing boost to be lost and it to feel gutless. It's an oval rubber gasket, trouble is the intercooler is plastic and with time warps slightly, so doesn't sit flat and seal properly. TOP TIP! Replace the gasket with the old one from the oil filter cartridge. It's a perfect size and much thicker so will seal properly and cost you nothing.
Electric fans. Failure points for these are in two places. First, behind the grille, there is a relay pack. They use an unecessary and horribly complicated relay control system. These relays get wet and die, and the contacts rust. Second, and a swine to get at, behind the front bumper. There is a big electrical multiplug which goes to the relay pack. Again, moisture gets in, they corrode and/or melt. Symptoms for these faults are no fans or the fans coming on and staying on, even when you switch off.
Heater blower. Non working ususally due to the thermistor unit. This is found inside the plastic trunking running from the blower fan to the matrix, under the dash. Either replace with another unit from the scrappie or just wire it to by pass it, it's not really necessary.
HTH
I run a 306 HDI DTurbo. It has gone over 93k this evening and is running very well.
I have had no trouble with this one. I use to run the old 1.9td which had issues with the electric windows (stayed down) and also the radiator light had a mind of its own.
I can happily recommend the diesels though. Roll on forever and very economical. They fell alot more powerful than 90bhp
I have had no trouble with this one. I use to run the old 1.9td which had issues with the electric windows (stayed down) and also the radiator light had a mind of its own.
I can happily recommend the diesels though. Roll on forever and very economical. They fell alot more powerful than 90bhp
V8S said:
Looking for economy, so 55mpg diesel quite attractive.
Thanks for the comments, chaps - any more?
Thanks for the comments, chaps - any more?
A non-HDI D-Turbo will not make much above 45mpg, only the HDIs make 55mpg (or maybe the non-tubos?).
On Ph1s the drivers door wires can break causing various problems with central locking and electric windows.
Maybe rear beams, both 309 and 205s suffer from this so I doubt the 306 will be far behind!
Rob
N.B. Pug originally said replace cam belt at 72k miles, not a good idea. Do it at half that and you will be fine...
Edited by Rob_the_Sparky on Thursday 11th January 19:33
big_boz said:
I had a '97 Dturbo S(non HDI) that blew a head gasket at 82k...with a full SH. Also the aircon along with most of the electrics entirly packed up and in the end i traded it in as it was a steaming pile of cr*p. Also my local dealer was rubbish and of no help. I though it was just a 'Friday afternoon car' but......
My sister has a '98 Dturbo that is constantly going wrong and is living upto the reputation that mine set a few years back!
I know they have a good reputation but i will NEVER buy another Peugeot ever again.
I did run a 1.9 D turbo xantia at uni though and that was as relable as a challenger tank and never broke once.
If you have made your mind up though, good luck finding a good one!
My sister has a '98 Dturbo that is constantly going wrong and is living upto the reputation that mine set a few years back!
I know they have a good reputation but i will NEVER buy another Peugeot ever again.
I did run a 1.9 D turbo xantia at uni though and that was as relable as a challenger tank and never broke once.
If you have made your mind up though, good luck finding a good one!
Well mine ran fine for the 50k miles I ran it for so they certainly aren't all crap. Oh and FYI a Xantia is remarkably similar to a 306...
honestjohn.co.uk says:
What's Bad
High used values due to prettiness of body. 1.8 8-valve XU petrol is the worst engine and many were fitted with the wrong ECU chip leading to failed emissions tests. Autobox not recommended. Cambelts and camshaft end seals must be changed every 3 years and 36,000 miles. Coolant of diesels must be changed every two years to avoid cylinder head gasket problems. Like Citroen ZX, can have cat converter test problems. Build quality a bit 'light'. Easy to fluff 2nd to 3rd gearchange on GTi-6. Clutch cable of RHD cars is routed close to the exhaust, which dries out the lubrication and prevents the self-adjuster working properly which leads to premature clutch failure. (Thanks to Mike Brewer of Channel 4's 'Driven' for this snippet.) Contacts fail in remote keys leading to rapid discharge of batteries. Reports of failure of rear disc brake callipers. Reports of engine compartment fuse box short out on diesel almost leading to engine compartment fires (see Recalls). Spate of conrod failures on 1997 -1998 R and S reg 1.9 XUTD diesels; one case of a late reg T: too many to attribute merely to running with low oil levels. Seems only to affect cars built from April 1997 with DHY (not DHX) serial number engines. Wiring looms to front doors prone to fracture too close to repair and new looms are £300. On HDIs, rubber cushioned timing belt pulley needs replacing at same time as timing belt (60k - 70k miles) otherwise can separate. If airbag warning light comes on, may be nothing more than a disturbed connection under the driver's or passenger's seat.
One owner's list of problems with 306 2.0HDI Meridian estate:-
Had to replace defective design of timing belt crankshaft pulley £140.
Repeated problems with engine codes, light comes on, get codes read, check item, clear code does not come back. Water getting in to ECU wiring loom some where? In the end purchased from www.autotap.com code reading add on for laptop to read and clear codes OBDII compliant cars. A must for HDI diesels, people got to know I could do this and it paid for itself many times over.
Drivers door wiring harness breaking down, £50.00 for new loom and a pain to do. Doors lock and unlock on their own. Be careful if the driver tries to start the car when it has deadlocked itself. The
engine immobilises and require the laptop to unlock it.
Key problems with central locking in that the remotes stop working
replace batteries and reset key, still do not work.
Rattley car all over, French could do with learning what as star
lock washers and nylock nuts.
Problem with quick release battery terminal, not securing on to battery properly resulting in over heating.
Trim in estate door comes loose and screws drop out.
Peugeots mounting points for the tow bar are too light, even with
a light trailer 350Kg the boot floor can be heard to flex.
Diesels tank foam a lot when filling, getting a full tank can be a 10 – 15 minute job to wait for the foam to die down, common on 406 as well.
Rear suspension too soft for an estate, any weight and the car sits down badly, same problem with other estate owners.
Camshaft belt is a nightmare to change, 5 -6 hours and the patience of a saint. Tried three mechanics, all did not really want to know, had to do it myself. Got to undo engine mounting to change the belt. No space at all to get the hands in. Got to buy push in plastic plugs to re secure under guard access hatch to get at belt.
Air conditioning light way too small, hard to tell if AC is on off.
Problems with rear lifter fuel pump relay, common on Bosch Monotronic system used by all Peugeots, some Citroens and Renault. Vehicle won’t start, no fuel pressure to common rail pump, car goes in, bill for new lift pump, check fuse box, new relay, check pump, same old pump. The pump is around £300.00, relay is £15.00. Seen this problem on Renault van as well.
1995-1997 petrol and diesel average for breakdowns, but poor for problems and faults; 1998-2000 petrol and diesel average for breakdowns and problems but poor for faults in 2003 Which survey. 25th from bottom out of 137 models in 2003 Top Gear survey.
What to Watch Out For
See above. Front suspension bush wear (205s and 306s tend to 'lean' on the front suspension and are vulnerable to kerb damage. They also suffer badly from road hump damage). Oil burning petrol engines needing new valve stem seals (allow £120). Not all diesels have PAS and all need it. Check spare wheel is in its underboot cradle and not nicked. If fitted with low profile tyres, check for tyre and rim damage. If fitted with aircon, make sure it works properly. Some reports of fuel line failure on petrol cars, cured by reinforced pipes. If car has rear discs, check calipers for fluid leaks. Check for stiff clutch, as cable may need replacing. 13th from Bottom of 100 models for reliability in Auto Express 2002 survey. Note that humming noise from behind the dash of 306 HDIs can be cured by fitting a fuel line damper, which must be fitted the right way up. Make sure all door electrics work. Any noise from the transmission of a late 306 1.4 do not buy the car. From 1999 they were fitted with a different box the bearings of which wear the actual casing. No cheap used spares available and a new box costs more than the car is worth. If battery appears to fail may be nothing more than poor contact by the clip-on positive battery terminal lead.
Recalls
1995: Check accelerator cable. 1996 (July 1993-February 1996 bulld-150,000 cars): underbonnet wiring may chafe leading to short circuit and fire. 1997: possible starter motor fault on 1996 model cars. Free replacement. 1997 (Feb-May '97 build: 2,060 cars): incorrect brake compensator fitted. 1998: (Sep '97-Oct '97 BUILD): steering wheel hub may crack; (Nov '97-Apr '98 build): front suspension may collapse. May 1999: R reg 1.8 and 2.0 litre petrol engined models recalled for reinforced fuel lines to be fitted. 2000: 1.9TD October '98 build: front brake pipes may chafe. All March '98-build 306 models: steering rack bolts could crack if overtightened during assembly. March '99-April '99 build 306s with ABS only: possibility of air in brake fluid. 1/2/2000: possibility that brake servo valve may not operate correctly resulting in loss of servo assistance. 18,405 cars recalled for inspection and possible replacement of brake servo valve. Technical Information Circular No 1555 issued in 2000 re airbag warning light flashing then remaining on. Remove both front seats, carry ou repairs to herness connectors, replace seats and clear flaut from ECU. 3/10/2000: 4,898 306s and Partner vans recalled because of chance of incorrect machining of front stub axles which could lead to excessive wear and possibility of lower ball joint collapsing. Vehicles to be checked and front stub axles to be replaced if necessary. 2/1/2001: 96 cars were fitted with incorrect LH driveshafts which could separate from gearbox on a sharp bend or during excessive suspension deflection. Correct spec driveshafts to be fitted. 2/1/2001: on 7,853 diesel 306s brake vacuum pump pin may fail due to excessive wear losing power assistance to brakes. Replacement pins to be fitted. 2/1/2001: on 2,409 306s possibility that an open circuit could occur in front seatbelt pretensioner harness connector leading to flashing of airbag warning light. Pretensioner harnesses top be replaced. 29/10/2001: 7,593 1.8 16v 306s and 406s recalled for timing belts to be replaced as could fail before 72,000 mile 'life'. 12/11/2001: Limited recall of 61 306s to check seatbelt mounting bolts. Late 2001: TSB issued to check all common-rail to injector unions on HDIs for leaks. 5/4/2002 (affects 40,254 diesels only): In wet weather, water cound enter ECU solenoid valve operating circuit causing engine running problems and reduction in power assistance to the brakes. 28/2/2002: Check that lower front seat belt attachments have not worked loose.
What's Bad
High used values due to prettiness of body. 1.8 8-valve XU petrol is the worst engine and many were fitted with the wrong ECU chip leading to failed emissions tests. Autobox not recommended. Cambelts and camshaft end seals must be changed every 3 years and 36,000 miles. Coolant of diesels must be changed every two years to avoid cylinder head gasket problems. Like Citroen ZX, can have cat converter test problems. Build quality a bit 'light'. Easy to fluff 2nd to 3rd gearchange on GTi-6. Clutch cable of RHD cars is routed close to the exhaust, which dries out the lubrication and prevents the self-adjuster working properly which leads to premature clutch failure. (Thanks to Mike Brewer of Channel 4's 'Driven' for this snippet.) Contacts fail in remote keys leading to rapid discharge of batteries. Reports of failure of rear disc brake callipers. Reports of engine compartment fuse box short out on diesel almost leading to engine compartment fires (see Recalls). Spate of conrod failures on 1997 -1998 R and S reg 1.9 XUTD diesels; one case of a late reg T: too many to attribute merely to running with low oil levels. Seems only to affect cars built from April 1997 with DHY (not DHX) serial number engines. Wiring looms to front doors prone to fracture too close to repair and new looms are £300. On HDIs, rubber cushioned timing belt pulley needs replacing at same time as timing belt (60k - 70k miles) otherwise can separate. If airbag warning light comes on, may be nothing more than a disturbed connection under the driver's or passenger's seat.
One owner's list of problems with 306 2.0HDI Meridian estate:-
Had to replace defective design of timing belt crankshaft pulley £140.
Repeated problems with engine codes, light comes on, get codes read, check item, clear code does not come back. Water getting in to ECU wiring loom some where? In the end purchased from www.autotap.com code reading add on for laptop to read and clear codes OBDII compliant cars. A must for HDI diesels, people got to know I could do this and it paid for itself many times over.
Drivers door wiring harness breaking down, £50.00 for new loom and a pain to do. Doors lock and unlock on their own. Be careful if the driver tries to start the car when it has deadlocked itself. The
engine immobilises and require the laptop to unlock it.
Key problems with central locking in that the remotes stop working
replace batteries and reset key, still do not work.
Rattley car all over, French could do with learning what as star
lock washers and nylock nuts.
Problem with quick release battery terminal, not securing on to battery properly resulting in over heating.
Trim in estate door comes loose and screws drop out.
Peugeots mounting points for the tow bar are too light, even with
a light trailer 350Kg the boot floor can be heard to flex.
Diesels tank foam a lot when filling, getting a full tank can be a 10 – 15 minute job to wait for the foam to die down, common on 406 as well.
Rear suspension too soft for an estate, any weight and the car sits down badly, same problem with other estate owners.
Camshaft belt is a nightmare to change, 5 -6 hours and the patience of a saint. Tried three mechanics, all did not really want to know, had to do it myself. Got to undo engine mounting to change the belt. No space at all to get the hands in. Got to buy push in plastic plugs to re secure under guard access hatch to get at belt.
Air conditioning light way too small, hard to tell if AC is on off.
Problems with rear lifter fuel pump relay, common on Bosch Monotronic system used by all Peugeots, some Citroens and Renault. Vehicle won’t start, no fuel pressure to common rail pump, car goes in, bill for new lift pump, check fuse box, new relay, check pump, same old pump. The pump is around £300.00, relay is £15.00. Seen this problem on Renault van as well.
1995-1997 petrol and diesel average for breakdowns, but poor for problems and faults; 1998-2000 petrol and diesel average for breakdowns and problems but poor for faults in 2003 Which survey. 25th from bottom out of 137 models in 2003 Top Gear survey.
What to Watch Out For
See above. Front suspension bush wear (205s and 306s tend to 'lean' on the front suspension and are vulnerable to kerb damage. They also suffer badly from road hump damage). Oil burning petrol engines needing new valve stem seals (allow £120). Not all diesels have PAS and all need it. Check spare wheel is in its underboot cradle and not nicked. If fitted with low profile tyres, check for tyre and rim damage. If fitted with aircon, make sure it works properly. Some reports of fuel line failure on petrol cars, cured by reinforced pipes. If car has rear discs, check calipers for fluid leaks. Check for stiff clutch, as cable may need replacing. 13th from Bottom of 100 models for reliability in Auto Express 2002 survey. Note that humming noise from behind the dash of 306 HDIs can be cured by fitting a fuel line damper, which must be fitted the right way up. Make sure all door electrics work. Any noise from the transmission of a late 306 1.4 do not buy the car. From 1999 they were fitted with a different box the bearings of which wear the actual casing. No cheap used spares available and a new box costs more than the car is worth. If battery appears to fail may be nothing more than poor contact by the clip-on positive battery terminal lead.
Recalls
1995: Check accelerator cable. 1996 (July 1993-February 1996 bulld-150,000 cars): underbonnet wiring may chafe leading to short circuit and fire. 1997: possible starter motor fault on 1996 model cars. Free replacement. 1997 (Feb-May '97 build: 2,060 cars): incorrect brake compensator fitted. 1998: (Sep '97-Oct '97 BUILD): steering wheel hub may crack; (Nov '97-Apr '98 build): front suspension may collapse. May 1999: R reg 1.8 and 2.0 litre petrol engined models recalled for reinforced fuel lines to be fitted. 2000: 1.9TD October '98 build: front brake pipes may chafe. All March '98-build 306 models: steering rack bolts could crack if overtightened during assembly. March '99-April '99 build 306s with ABS only: possibility of air in brake fluid. 1/2/2000: possibility that brake servo valve may not operate correctly resulting in loss of servo assistance. 18,405 cars recalled for inspection and possible replacement of brake servo valve. Technical Information Circular No 1555 issued in 2000 re airbag warning light flashing then remaining on. Remove both front seats, carry ou repairs to herness connectors, replace seats and clear flaut from ECU. 3/10/2000: 4,898 306s and Partner vans recalled because of chance of incorrect machining of front stub axles which could lead to excessive wear and possibility of lower ball joint collapsing. Vehicles to be checked and front stub axles to be replaced if necessary. 2/1/2001: 96 cars were fitted with incorrect LH driveshafts which could separate from gearbox on a sharp bend or during excessive suspension deflection. Correct spec driveshafts to be fitted. 2/1/2001: on 7,853 diesel 306s brake vacuum pump pin may fail due to excessive wear losing power assistance to brakes. Replacement pins to be fitted. 2/1/2001: on 2,409 306s possibility that an open circuit could occur in front seatbelt pretensioner harness connector leading to flashing of airbag warning light. Pretensioner harnesses top be replaced. 29/10/2001: 7,593 1.8 16v 306s and 406s recalled for timing belts to be replaced as could fail before 72,000 mile 'life'. 12/11/2001: Limited recall of 61 306s to check seatbelt mounting bolts. Late 2001: TSB issued to check all common-rail to injector unions on HDIs for leaks. 5/4/2002 (affects 40,254 diesels only): In wet weather, water cound enter ECU solenoid valve operating circuit causing engine running problems and reduction in power assistance to the brakes. 28/2/2002: Check that lower front seat belt attachments have not worked loose.
Well my D turbo, ran like a dream, shunted Saxos off the road at will (see Blog) easy to repair and nothing went wrong except the electric windows.... Held up by blocks of wood, didn't tell the new owner as he tried to barter at £450 to £250 3 years ago, sold as seen and didn't disclose the accident either....
Cheap skate barstard didn't ask
Would have another one in a heart beat
Cheap skate barstard didn't ask
Would have another one in a heart beat
D Turbo will get more like 42mpg on your average driving. You'll get 50mpg at a push on the motorway.
You might get even better if things like injectors are replaced and the rest of the kit is all in very good nick, but these cars are not new anymore.
Not sure you'll get a good one for £1k, but £1.5k would get you a much nicer one.
Not sure on the petrols, would certainly aim for a 1.8 as it's not bad as far as 1.8 engines go.
Electrics are not that bad, they go, you replace them. If people don't replace them on cars you look at then chances are it's been neglected elsewhere too so don't buy.
Dave
You might get even better if things like injectors are replaced and the rest of the kit is all in very good nick, but these cars are not new anymore.
Not sure you'll get a good one for £1k, but £1.5k would get you a much nicer one.
Not sure on the petrols, would certainly aim for a 1.8 as it's not bad as far as 1.8 engines go.
Electrics are not that bad, they go, you replace them. If people don't replace them on cars you look at then chances are it's been neglected elsewhere too so don't buy.
Dave
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