Peugeot 405

How long have peugeot been fitting altimeters? And what height have you been cruising at?

But more seriously, has the coolant stayed topped up?

Steve

Yeap just checked , coolant at the max level, oils at the max level as well

Sounds like a damaged tyre, most likely on the rear. Jack the back end up, spin the wheels, and see if there's any sign of them being twisted.

you might be onto something there, the front wheel drivers side absolutely stinks like boiled PVA glue

Not knowing what boiled PVA glue smells like, it could be that brake is binding. If it's binding, any rust on the disk will be a bright orangy colour due to the heat

couldnt jack the car up as was not on level ground, but to get home safely tonight what steps should i take and check ? and anything i can get from the near by halfords to help ?

I appreciate bit hard over email to describe all the faults, but

Scenario A, Its the tyre worn ,maybe the boiled PVA is the wire inside the tire ? in that case I put on the spare , book the car into the garage to get new tyre and wheel balancing

Scenario B, how do i get home safely ?

opps hit enter too soon, meant to add in that if it is the brake s? to note i have had not had any trouble with breaking at all,

My guess is that the smell is coolant leaking in that area, as I recall they have a stupid steel pipe that runs along that side of the engine bay, it has brackets on it to trap the dirt and rot through.

Really though, to buy an ancient expensive car like this and use it, you need endless supplies of money or good mechanical skills, my best advice is to get rid of it now, before it costs you real money. Remember this advice if you keep it.

Mrcheerful

Eh? What? I could understand if he'd been out and bought an XJS, but it's a bloody 405 diesel. At worst, it cost him around £600 tops, unless he was absolutely royally done. Only a lunatic would spend a huge amount on repairing a run of the mill car. Even if he spends the purchase price on maintenance over a couple of years, the depreciation is very low and the costs are absolutely minimal compared to running a new car. Admittedly, the sweet spot for running cars on the cheap and without trouble is probably somewhere in the 5 year old to 10 year old range of motors, but not everyone's got the cash to lay down on that sort of motor, and IMO it's infinately preferable to buy a cheap motor and spend a bit on maintenance than to get in hock for a new car...

MrCheerful ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Do me a favour...

Sounds like you've lost a balancing weight to me, and that the funny smells and coolant light aren't involved.

Altimeter?

It's a diesel. You're taking the piss aren't you?

Transmission fluid? It'll be a manual - they have gearbox oil.

You absolutely must be taking the piss now. FWIW, if it is a binding brake, the wheel will get hot to touch.

I meant to infer 'expensive' to maintain. especially if, as it sounds, the OP hasn't got a clue. It is a 16 year old french car, you cannot tell me that will be cheap motoring for a non-mechanic who seems to be doing above average mileage.

Mrcheerful

Doki , i can assure you I am not

just to quote myself " i know very little about car maintenance and from the school of bang it with a hammer to get it to work, "

altimeter,meant alternator

transmission fluid, meant like you said gearbox oil

to awnser a couple of other points, i did not spend a fortune buying the car and only plan on using it for the next five months till i get my no claims and can afford to insure the car i want to drive. Another reason for buying the car is i do want to learn whats under the bonnet and how it works which would much rather do with a old car than tyring to take apart something modern.

MrCheerful ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Why not?

- the turbo version not *quite* so much but damn close. Bits are easy to get at much less than dealer price through GSF or ECP.

Don't forget that Peugeots have been the hack of choice for most of Africa for decades - and the 405's no different.

At the risk of being as pedantic as yourself, oil is a fluid. A manual gearbox is still a transmission. Therefore gearbox oil is transmission fluid.

HTH

Just to go back a few questions, how can i get the car safely back tonight ?

Just drive it steady would be my method...

Just drive it back. Take it easy and keep a good distance between you and any cars in front.