Pug 406 1.9TDi starting probs

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Sat 2 Apr 2005 12:12
Pug 406 1.9TDi starting probs - bbroomlea{P}
Hi

Friend has just bought a 97 'R' Pug 406 with the 1.9 Turbo diesel engine. Car has 'only' covered 160,000 miles - runs well and starts fine from cold with no smoke, however the warmer it is the more difficult it is to start!!

Does anyone have any ideas what might be causing it? Glow-plugs?? Injectors?? etc..

Any help really appreciated.

Thannks
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 3 Apr 2005 18:37
Pug 406 1.9TDi starting probs - dieselhead
I would check that the valve clearances haven't closed up. These engines shouldn't need the glow plugs to start when hot if the fuel injectors are in good condition.

If the glow plugs are needed on hot and cold starts, it could be a sign the injectors need servicing, but as you say it starts well from cold without smoke i doubt the injectors are at fault.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 4 Apr 2005 22:00
Pug 406 1.9TDi starting probs - bbroomlea{P}
is it worth giving it a dose of injector cleaner from Halfords? Also, if the valve clearances have slipped would there be any other symptons?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Apr 2005 08:59
Pug 406 1.9TDi starting probs - P 2501
If this is the xud engine then i thought they always needed the glow plugs even if they were hot? I have lost count of the amount of cars i have driven with this engine, but one thing i do remember is that they needed some glow plug action to start smoothly regardless of engine temp.

In fact, the last three i have had (including my present 1997 306) started in exactly the same way - perfectly from stone cold (on the first engine turn) and then requiring 2 or sometimes 3 turns when hot (with plugs!). But i always let the glow plug light go out hot or cold.

If i tried to start the engine while it was hot without plugs they just chug and chug and chug....

bbroomlea - valve clearances could be the prob as above, can happen at this mileage. I think it is a mechanic job to change them though- quite fiddly apparently.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 Apr 2005 23:20
Pug 406 1.9TDi starting probs - blue_haddock
It could well be the glowplugs - three of them are easy to change but one of them is hidden under the fuel pump and so it often gets skipped which causes sluggish starting
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Apr 2005 10:55
Pug 406 1.9TDi starting probs - dieselhead
If it was glow plugs would expect it to show poor hot starting although it costs nothing to check them so worth doing. Of the 5 non turbo and turbo peugeot diesels i have tried all have started on the first turn of the key from hot and only needed a few seconds 'heat' for a warm start. The exception is a 306 TD that had faulty fuel injectors (low opening pressure) that always needed the glow plugs before it would start.
Best to drain fuel filter and add injector cleaner to filter base - although it wont help much if the injector opening pressures are too low causing fuel to be injected too early -too retarded injection timing.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link