Peugeot 407 (2004 - ) - 2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy

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Wed 30 Jan 2008 20:00
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - Xyster
Hi, I recently bought one of these cars and am a bit miffed at the poor mpg it returns. I don`t drive it hard and do roughly 2 thirds town use (not rush hour tho) and 1 third A roads to work and back at steady 50-60 mph.

After owning the Ford TDCI 130 last year and averaging 40+ I was expecting roughly the same from the Pug. But I have been getting 340-350 miles to 10 gallons (well, £50 which is slightly more than 10 g). This has happened for 3 tanks.

I booked it in for a diagnostic check at JCT600 Pug dealer and they said to brim the car and do a mpg check that way which I have done. I then drove 129 miles, 75 of which were town miles with the remainder to/from work, and had to put 16.6 Litres in to brim her again which works out at 35.2mpg.

Now this is an average. I would expect that from just doing town use. When I initially filled it up and reset the fuel comp, which is tallying with what it is actually doing, the computer took 50 miles to get from 27mpg to just over 30mpg. This tells me that it is doing roughly 29-30 mpg in town with maybe 42 on a run giving an average of 35mpg.

either way I think from owning diesels and talking to other diesel car owners that there is either something wrong or the economy on these Pugs is pathetic.

Are there any things to go to the dealer armed with, any possible explanations? From what they said when I booked it in they think it is not that far removed from normal but the economy figures quoted everywhere are identical to the Mondeo`s, and most comparable cars in the class.

Edited by Pugugly {P} on 30/01/2008 at 20:56

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Wed 30 Jan 2008 21:16
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - rtj70
Someone will no doubt correct me but I think this is partly down to diesels and recent emission targets.

My previous Mondeo TDCi 130PS (Euro IV) was not brilliant and neither is the current Mazda6 2.0d Sport 143ps for consumption. On long drives I get what I would expect/hope for but shorter journeys not. I am told (partly via this forum) it's because the engines need to be warm before they operate efficiently and being a diesel this takes longer than a petrol. Thermal efficiency of the diesel being a positive point for good general mpg.

About to be hold I talk none sense no doubt.

But around town driving for the Mondeo/Mazda6 it's acceptable not great. Long drives it's very good. Then again with lots of around town a lot better than previous Passat 1.8T Sport.

EDIT: I should add I think a lot of this is down to reducing NOx emissions (happy to be corrected again). Downside is more fuel is burned to reduce NOx. Now the question is does this make sense really.

Edited by rtj70 on 30/01/2008 at 21:20

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Wed 30 Jan 2008 22:05
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - Screwloose

I take it that this is a Euro-4 car laden down with all the economy-sapping emissions paraphernalia like an exhaust DPF?

There's a lot of similar complaints on all late diesels; they're now only worth driving if you prefer the characteristics. They may now even cost more to run that equivalent petrols.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 00:05
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - cheddar
>>I recently bought one of these cars >>

Its economy wont be at its best until it has loosened up though 35MPG is too low (a C-Max with the same engine can do iro 50MPG) so get it checked.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 13:16
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - Ravenger
Its economy wont be at its best until it has loosened up though 35MPG is
too low (a C-Max with the same engine can do iro 50MPG) so get it
checked.


I can only get decent MPG out of my 1.8 TDCi C-Max on a motorway run. Best I've ever got is 65mpg, and that's driving constantly at 55-60mph for several hours.

Around town it's much poorer, sometimes as low as 20mpg.

The fuel economy seems worse than when I originally bought the car, and the engine noisier. I took it back to my dealer who said they couldn't find anything wrong with it.
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 12:13
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - Shaz {p}
Possibly faulty MAF?
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Thu 31 Jan 2008 15:56
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - pd
36-38mpg is about typical for a 407 2.0 HDI. If you're doing a fair bit of town work and short journies then 35mpg doesn't sound too off.

You might get a bit more on a long run but not a huge amount over 40mpg. The 407 is a heavy car and the 2.0 HDI unit with DPF not a particularly econmical unit. The same unit in the Volvo S40/V50 doesn't do a lot over 40mpg either and is usually less economical than the larger 2.4 D5 in the same cars.
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Fri 1 Feb 2008 11:27
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - Xyster
Thanks guys. The more I have looked into it the more I realise it is probably the norm. I have it booked in for ball joint ? repair at local garage (French specialist) and he says he will plug it in and have a look while he has it. Not expecting any fault codes tho.

Question is how can I up the mpg? I enjoyed driving my Mondeo but this is a different power delivery and I don`t get that oomph with it so I wouldn`t say I enjoy the driving characteristics on the Pug more than my last petrol car (Passat 1.8T). I changed for the economy, which isn`t that much of a jump, only 4 mpg avarage.

I have looked at a performance remap at £250 which promises good decrease in consumption on the HDi engines as well as 164bhp. But I am worried about resale time with modified car. The alternative is one of the plug in performance upgrades which promise similar returns and are similar costs but can be taken off and reprogrammed for next car? I think.

Also got some Millers Power 4 stuff to put in.

Opinions would be appreciated. Don`t want to spend £500 on gizmos but any rec`d at around £250 ish would be do-able.
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Fri 1 Feb 2008 11:46
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - pd
The lower ball joints are a common replacement need on a 407. They can go in under 30,000 miles. The part costs about £50 a side plus labour. It is best to get them done as apart from not improving the handling if you leave them too long the actual hub pin can seize into the joint or start wearing and you're looking at a whole new hub.

The other issue is that with the particulate filter is that PSA cars use an addative and after 60,000 or miles the car will report "FAP Fluid Low" or something similar. This needs to be added at a Pug dealer or specialist as the computer needs resetting and costs about £35 a litre in one litre or five litre lots.


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Fri 1 Feb 2008 14:32
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - cheddar
I enjoyed driving my Mondeo but this is a different power delivery and I don`t get that oomph with it


I have had my TDCi for 5.5 years and 125k miles, in the meant time I have driven a number of other diesel cars and have been driven in others and have really yet to come across one of a similar capacity that will pull as cleanly from around 1000 rpm and as strongly from under 1500 so it is really on song at 1800. That being said the 2.0 C-Max which is the same engine as the 407 has a nice surge from 1800.
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Fri 1 Feb 2008 19:13
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - smokescreen
Many re-mappers will give you the original ECU image to write it back on re-sale. As for the HDI 136, its been noted that its default ECU settings leave it quite down on power so you should notice quite an improvement overall in economy and performance.

I would steer away from the 'plug-in' devices - they only modify fueling and most of them do so in a generic manor. A good remap would do a far better job.
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Sat 2 Feb 2008 12:19
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - Xyster
Yeah I am looking at remaps as opposed to plug ins. Insurance is the other factor of course and from initial phoning around many of the specialists even want £6-700+ !!

Adrian Flux is best to date with £398 (with NCD protection, legal cover etc) and this is compared to standard of £240 +the extras bringing it to around £320.

Smokescreen, you say most remap people give me the original mapping to revert to standard but am I supposed to do this myself somehow? Or do they revert it back free of charge. Some of the plug ins can be put on different cars with a tweak from the seller. This would seem better in many ways as I am sure they wouldn`t be charging another £250 to tweak the already bought unit.

With my history for keeping cars I wonder if a remap would be cost efficient compared to a, admittedly not as good, plug in unit.

Any recs for a) insurers
b) remaps
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Sat 2 Feb 2008 13:03
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - smokescreen
Some will meet you half way and do it for you free of charge. Others may charge a small fee.

Its possible to buy a KWP2000 unit with the right adapter for your ECU , and armed with laptop and the original image, restore it yourself. Its not really rocket science.

As for insurers, Adrian Flux as you've already checked and www.skyinsurance.co.uk for modified cars can be competitive.

407oc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2665&st=0&sk=t&sd=...5

Here's someone who had a remap done on this particular block, which shows how poor it is by default.
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Thu 9 Oct 2008 11:31
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - Blue407
Hi Guys

My 407 is the one mentioned with the remap ;-)

I have achieved 61.3MPG on a 215mile run on the motorway, sitting at 68mph on cruise control.

I usually acheive high 40 to low 50's on general driving (Maily A-Roads).

I believe there is definately something wrong with your car to achieve MPG that low, I still get over 40MPG as an average when I am booting it everywhere (And I mean really booting it!)
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Thu 9 Oct 2008 12:52
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - glowplug
Hi Blue,

Can I ask who did the remap?

Thanks,

Steve.
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Sat 2 Feb 2008 14:10
2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy - Ben79
Thanks guys. The more I have looked into it the more I realise it is
probably the norm. I have it booked in for ball joint ? repair at local
garage (French specialist) and he says he will plug it in and have a look
while he has it. Not expecting any fault codes tho.


If you've bought from JCT600 Peugeot you are probably from Bradford/Leeds. Could you tell me the name of the independent you used please? I've been to 2 Citroen independents in Bradford, one was rubbish and the other one doesn't have the electronic gadgetry for new cars, but I'd certainly use for mechanical things.

Thanks. Ben
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