406 2.2HDI when to sell ?

I usually buy new vehicles and keep them until they start costing significant money. My theory is that the engine/auto transmissions more or less last for ever provided they are maintained by the book. The repairs you start to get first are other things - brakes, suspension, starters, alternators etc - which don't cost much to fix. My old vehicle, when replaced, has often been passed down to a family member and been operated economically for years.

So you can fairly safely play it by ear.

There are exceptions to the above - my 505 had to have the eingine rebuilt early (because there was some design fault in the liner seals) but Peugeot paid for that and the vehicle went on to have a long life.

I still regret trading in my 504 on the 505 - shortly afterwards I had to buy a cheap car for my daughter (and bought a second-hand 500cc Suzuki which also served various members of the family until it was written off in a collision - the 505 had a similar fate).

That is the sum of my 55 years experience and more than ten vehicles (and for half of that period I have had more than one - currently three

- four if you count the Saab I passed to my son). Incidentally I have found buying used cars OK too provided you have them checked out by experts and then look after them.

My last 405 ran to 120k miles when I sold it with nothing but brakes and tyres needed. My sons 406hdi has now done 100k miles with nothing but brakes and tyres needed. My current 306 is at 85k miles with only small weld to exhaust needed. If you are happy with the car, I say keep running it until things start to go wrong.

Alec

Additional to my earlier comment, the Saab I mentioned (which I bought second-hand) is still around and has notched up 240k. Second gear in the automatic does not work but the vehicle works fine. My 406 will have its 120k service soon and I expect to have it around for quite a few years.

One interesting point - all my cars are petrol. My tractors are diesel. I have a strong impression that diesel engines last longer than petrol. My neighbour suggests this is because diesel fuel is a lubricant wheras petrol is the opposite. Whatever the explanation, I swapped a petrol Ferguson about 30 years ago for a Ford 2000 tractor which was already showing signs of a hard life. Today it is even more battered but it continues to perform faultlessly.

Does what seems to apply to diesel tractors apply to diesel cars? Diesel engines achieve mileages which make petrol owners weep in envy. I wonder whether engine life shows a similar pattern ?

Thats a new one on me - I never knew Peugeot sold/manufactured a 2.2 HDI

I would suggest 80000. After this time you normaly need a new radiator, clutch, electrics(windows), ball joints, ignition locks, wheel bearings and generally things start to drop off. I have owned four peugeots and a couple of citreons, they all keep going well passed 100k, however you do start to notice that things start to wear out after the 80k mark. Really depends how it has been used I had a high mileage 405 that had been used for motorway miles upto 120k and I ran it for

The engines as a general rule don't let you down it is the peripherals that seem to give up after 80K. Just what I have found, yours may be better or worse. The newer HDI engines may also be a lot better.

Regards G

You must have bad luck with your vehicles. I have had two radiator failures in a total of about 20 vehicles over 50 years. About two ball joint failures (both Fords), no ignition locks, only one whee bearing

I would change your 80k to 150k. And there is a good chance that, apart from consumables like tyres, batteries, starters, you can think of 200k (assuming you look after your vehicles).

I have never had window problems - even when they were manual and never in the current era (though I consider motorised windows perhaps the most unnecessary 'improvement' in motor vehicles). Motorised seats - and memories for at least two users - must, in contrast, be one of the major improvements in vehicle technology since the self-starter.

I've had three fail - on a 106, a 205 and a 405. Plus a leaky one on a Xantia. It's not a problem in the grand scheme of things; all those cars were very reliable, and under £100 to replace a radiator in several years of high mileage motoring isn't a major expense or hassle.

I had a 1976 Opel Kadett that ate wheel bearings every few thousand miles, but that was a dodgy front hub which would cost more than the car was worth to replace, so a tenner for bearings and fifteen minutes work every few months wasn't too much of a problem (being a cash-strapped student at the time). My last Jaguar XJ8 had a front wheel bearing fail at speed, which was fun - but those cars are heavy and have a lot of stress placed on the bearings when driven enthusiastically, so I fully expect the same to happen on my current one at some point. I've not had a wheel bearing fail on a Pug.

I have to agree; generally modern vehicles are easily good for that mileage with a little care. If you have a reasonably reliable vehicle it really doesn't make sense to even think about replacing it before 6 years or 150K - the savings in depreciation easily pay for whatever maintenance is needed (even a "big" job like a clutch replacement is only one or two months typical finance payments on a new car).

Our (hopefully soon to be ex-)807 has had seven replacement window motors. Every one has been replaced, one door has had three failures in the last year. But this car is a complete heap of junk.

When they work - which isn't a given on the 807 (wiring looms too short, so the wires pull out as the seat moves, all the switches replaced, I think the controller has been replaced on that too, but I lose track). My wife is significantly shorter than I am, so it does make life _much_ easier. I'm not overweight, just reasonably tall; she has the seat so close to the steering wheel that I can't get in without a real squeeze on her setting. Having the seat move back with a single button press or when the car is unlocked with my key is a real knee-saver (though the Jag is even easier - when you pull the ignition key the driver's seat moves fully back and the steering wheel retracts and moves up out of the way).

Matt

My 97 diesel 406 est has done 148,000 and has needed nothing except for regular servicing and the parts you might expect to need replacing , brakes , tyres , radiator at 110,000 ,cambelt at 70,000 and 140,000 .It still performs faultlessly and drives like a car with a much lower mileage ( did somebody say something about tempting fate ? ;P ). I previously had a petrol engined 405 est and when I traded it in against the 406 it had done 236,000 miles and had never had any major mechanical failures.

I got a 405 and 248,876 on the clock and it has done me very well, all i had to replace is two front tyres, rear shoes and cyls. and had the deisel pump seals replaced, so aslong as you keep the oil change and filters it should keep going and going. from chris Addlestone Surrey

Having test driven a Mondeo 130 diesel, an X Trail 2.2DCi and a new Passat136 diesel estate none of them seemed better, quieter or smoother than my Pug. The Pug is also paid for and has already done most of its depreciating so I will carry on with it for a good while longer.

Many thanks for your views

Frank B

Rose coloured glasses?

The four door and estate had the 2.2 since at least 2001.