Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!!

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Wed 5 Feb 2020 19:50
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - Jode Cunnett

Hiya everyone, I’m really in need of some advice before it drives me and my fella totally bonkers!! (It’s a long one, so bare with me!)

My fella has a 2016 (65 plate) Peugeot 308 1.2 puretech 130 allure auto, which he has had on finance from Arnold Clark for almost 12 months. When he got it, it had done a little over 17,000 miles and is now just under 30,000. Within 3 months of him having the car in May 2019 it encountered a fault which ended in him having the spark plugs changed (no biggie) and it then drove with no real issues until around September 2019.

It was having issues with loosing power, the revs were jumping all over the place when idling and it would randomly cut out when sat at traffic lights, roundabouts etc (caused a few hairy moments to say the least!) he took it to a garage and they diagnosed faulty spark plugs (again) and coil packs and he had the work done. Within a few weeks it was playing up again, cutting out, especially when in reverse, not changing gear when it should be, no power when putting his foot down, and constantly saying the oil level is low (I mean topping up a litre and within 2-3 days it’s saying it’s low again) but with no visible leaks. He’s now resorted to taking the car into Peugeot to see what the problem is. They did their diagnostics and the fault code for ‘destruction of the timing belt’ was thrown up, which has resulted in them giving us a quote for nearly £3000, to which we both nearly died.

Now, here is the interesting part, with us having to constantly top the oil up, we obviously consulted the manual and used Halfords car oil checker to which it said use 0w-30w grade oil, which we always have and always used the same manufacturer. On one occasion we were away from home late at night and our only option was to use 5w-30w instead, but it was the same manufacturer of oil. We divulged this information to Peugeot to which they have said it’s our fault the engine is in the state it’s in as we have used the wrong oil, and proceeded to show us the service manual where it says for a ‘1.2 puretech turbo’ only 0w-30w is to be used.

Now my biggest issue with this is, NOWHERE on any paperwork from the finance company, on the logbook, insurance documents or even the service schedule provided by Peugeot does it state this car has a turbo, so unless we were mechanically minded (which we’re not) we would not know, and have followed the oil recommendations for a ‘1.2 puretech’ as it states on all the paperwork. And secondly, SURELY using 5w-30w oil is not going to cause catastrophic failure of the engine as Peugeot are trying to say?! We’re taking it to another garage tomorrow for a second opinion, but if anyone could give me any advice as to whether I can take this up with Peugeot, or the finance company as in my opinion a car of this age shouldn’t be having this kind of breakdown. Thanks

(Edit: paras inserted so that people don't lose the will to live.)

Edited by Avant on 05/02/2020 at 20:53

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Wed 5 Feb 2020 20:04
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - Brit_in_Germany

Jode, you may wish to have a read of this thread.

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/133876/peugeot-308...l

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Wed 5 Feb 2020 20:29
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - Jode Cunnett
That’s interesting, specifically the poster the quoted as having a manufacturer fault on cylinder 3. We hooked it up on diagnostics on several occasions before and after previous repairs and it always has this fault. Car has been serviced by Arnold Clark but most recently by a local garage, so I’m guessing Peugeot won’t want to know and won’t take any responsibility. We ideally just need an answer as to whether the 5w-30w is going to cause this kind of issue, which I don’t believe it will as Peugeot are trying to claim. And also if we have followed the oil specs it states for the car in the handbook, based on what it says on all paperwork but it turns out this car has a turbo and 5w-30w shouldn’t be used, surely that isn’t our fault?
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Fri 28 Feb 2020 15:28
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - Andre Grandjean

Jode - You will have read I have exactly the same problem with Peugeot and I have now given up with them. I am not impressed at all with the after sales service.

I have driven close to 8000 miles now with me being told I have an engine fault every time I start up and am still seeing no symptons.

I have found a local garage that is fairly certain they can fix my problem even if it means blocking the error codes. Its booked in for a couple days on the 9th March, I'll come back and let you know how I get on.

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Wed 5 Feb 2020 21:00
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - Avant

"We’re taking it to another garage tomorrow for a second opinion."

Good idea, but this time don't tell them that you topped up with a slightly different grade of oil. It shouldn't be catastrophic as it was only a top-up, but Peugeot and their dealers (particularly chains like Arnold Clark) will seize on any excuse not to consider any goodwill contribution.

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Thu 6 Feb 2020 10:55
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - John F

The key part of the history is 'constantly having to top up the oil'. To have to do this in a sub 30,000 mile engine means something must have seriously damaged the engine long before the 'wrong' oil was used for top-up. At this stage of its life a well made well run in engine should need no additional oil between 10-15,000 mile oil changes. Our old Focus first needed a 'top-up' of 500mls at 46,000 miles after exactly 4 litres of oil were used for its 40,400 oil change to mid way on the dipstick. This lasted till the next oil change at 54,500, and would have done had I added it at 40,400 to bring the level right up to the max mark. So something must have happened either in its first 17,000 miles, or between then and when the OP first noticed a problem.

I have seem a report of a rogue spark plug disintegrating in this engine and causing damage; this would fit with the history here. Or it may just have been neglected and/or abused.

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Thu 6 Feb 2020 12:04
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - bazza

Pretty much as John f says, there is more to this than a slightly different oil spec. That's just Peugeot seizing on something to avoid goodwill. And they can too. The only way you can resolve is to have the engine stripped down by an independent certified automobile engineer, who can give you a report. However this will be expensive and might not help your case. The clue is the massive oil consumption you state, that is abnormal and symptomatic of bore damage or piston damage. I wonder if a plug has shed a small piece into the bore. Just a guess. Is there a lot of smoke? Have you overfilled the engine? Please let us know the outcome.

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Thu 6 Feb 2020 12:26
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - Gibbo_Wirral

The key part of the history is 'constantly having to top up the oil'. To have to do this in a sub 30,000 mile engine means something must have seriously damaged the engine long before the 'wrong' oil was used for top-up.

Not necessarily. The 308 petrol engine is well known for drinking a lot of oil, between 500ml and 1 litre every 1000 miles.

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Thu 6 Feb 2020 18:00
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - daveyjp

Sounds like dealer BS. The spark plug change (and no doubt ecu flash) is a cheap fix. If it works for a few months its job done as far as they are concerned.

I very much doubt it was the spark plugs, they are robust and simple tech which haven't changed much in decades. It will be something else manifesting itself in a spark plug error, but proper diagnostics cost money to investigate and you need someone who understands how cars work.

Plug it in, read a code, throw some cheap parts at it, cross fingers and hope the 'fix' works is the way dealers now work.

This car had serious issues which were not investigated, the oil story is also BS. No car uses a litre of oil every few days unless it is finding its way into the cylinders and being burnt.

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Thu 6 Feb 2020 18:04
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - John F

The key part of the history is 'constantly having to top up the oil'. To have to do this in a sub 30,000 mile engine means something must have seriously damaged the engine long before the 'wrong' oil was used for top-up.

Not necessarily. The 308 petrol engine is well known for drinking a lot of oil, between 500ml and 1 litre every 1000 miles.

I think you are thinking of the old 1.6. This is a 1.2 turbo puretech which AFAIK has no such reputation. Ours has done nearly 2000 miles from new, and despite the often seen observation that 'new engines use oil when bedding in', there has been no discernible change in the level on the dipstick. I think someone should take the plugs out and look at the tops of the pistons with an endoscope for signs of damage.

Edited by John F on 06/02/2020 at 18:06

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Fri 7 Feb 2020 12:28
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - Gibbo_Wirral

I think you are thinking of the old 1.6. This is a 1.2 turbo puretech which AFAIK has no such reputation.

There was a known defect in several 2015 batch puretech 1.2 engines. It caused excessive oil consumption. In most cases it requires some engine parts replacement (or new engine if bought extended warranty).

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Sat 8 Feb 2020 16:21
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - John F

I think you are thinking of the old 1.6. This is a 1.2 turbo puretech which AFAIK has no such reputation.

There was a known defect in several 2015 batch puretech 1.2 engines. It caused excessive oil consumption. In most cases it requires some engine parts replacement (or new engine if bought extended warranty).

Interesting. I guess this is the thread you came across

www.peugeotforums.com/threads/high-oil-consumption.../

Seems to me the OP has to use more than a litre every 1000Km. I wonder what 'engine parts' needed replacing?

A comment in another thread suggests that engines never revved from new much above 2000 revs are not going to bed in their rings properly. We have a new 1.2 130hp 2008 and from 500 miles onwards have occasionally ensured up-changes at increasing revs, and from 1000 miles have occasionally floored it to ensure it reaches 6,000 revs. With the EAT6 gearbox it is perfectly possible to make satisfactory progress without ever exceeding 3000 revs. Usually the needle sits at or near the 2000 mark. At nearly 2000 miles now there is no discernible oil use - and nor should there be.

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Mon 6 Apr 2020 12:56
Peugeot 308 - Peugeot Problems!!! - Jon.m

Just to add to this thread. There appears to be a problem that's beginning to manifest itself with the cambelts running in oil. Today I finally got to the bottom of this on the 308 Facebook page. A Peugeot technician stated that the engine has been subject to three cambelt revisions. Gen1 is a smooth black belt that degrades and cracks across the width throughout the whole belt. Gen2 revision has a textured finish and would have been fine had it not been for the fact that it is slightly wide therefore causing it to fray at the sides with debris blocking the oilways. The engine is currently being fitted with a Gen3 belt with no known problems yet. The technician implied that PSA know about this and are changing them under warranty or possibly contributing to the cost out of warranty.

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