Service the 205gr

I spent my entire 5 years with my 205 jerking if I pulled off slowly, due to it being cold and using the choke. I changed a lot of things, I tuned it, took it to be tuned, stripped the carb and cleaned that all to no avail. My suggestion to you if you cant afford to do anything with it at the moment (I know how you feel) is to accelerate hard instead of slowly! Thats how I ended up having the car for so long and not going mad. It got to me in the end tho, shortly before someone wrote it off.

J

If's it's a petrol one, and you've been driving it around at low revs for a while, could be it's a bit coked up. If you can, stick in a tankful of Optimax and go for a drive at higher revs for a while. Some call it the "Italian Tuneup" and it does work wonders on some engines - blows out the cobwebs so to speak.

Sorry, my post was supposed to read "The ignition leads may need testing, not the spark plugs. I replaced the front brake pads and rear brake shoes". Also the part of the exhaust I was talking about is called the converter. (I think)

Stuart, I put the new shell petrol in all the time, as it is supposed to help clean the crab, engine etc. I forgot to mention that when I changed the spark plugs, the first plug from your left, when facing the car, could not have been firing-right as it was all sooty and black, in fact it looked as if only two spark plugs have been firing right according to the colour of them. Anyway, what about the fuel filter, is it easy to take out and clean. I also want to check and change the thermostat as the engine takes forever to heat up, is this easy.

Thanks coyoteboyuk, I only bought the 205 for economical reasons. Its the first small car I've had since my old four-door coffee/beige coloured, ford popular. I don't suppose you will have heard of that one, have you?

Well, if you haven't changed the HT leads and the car starts fine, they are probably OK. You would get a misfire across the rev range if the leads were on their way out. The expensive bit of the exhaust system you replaced for £200 is called the catalytic converter. My Volvo one costs £400 from Volvo, but only £80 from

It's where you buy from thatis the key.If you have replaced the spark plugs, make sure the gap is right.If it jerks in first but is ok at higher speeds with a greater throttleopening it's not likely to be the fuel filter being clogged. I would stillrecommend a good blast somewhere at high revs to knock the carbon depositsoff the combustion chambers. Then see how it is.

I have no idea about how to change the thermostat on a Pug, never having had one yet. I'm getting a diesel one tomorrow which will be the first one I've ever owned, so I can't answer that question. However, I do know petrol engines, regardless of make. If you have two sparkplugs showing black and two showing OK, I would be inclined to think you have the HT Leads on wrong, especially if it misfires, but starts, and the power is lower than your'e used too. Otherwise, if your HT leads are on OK, they are at fault. Try a new set of HT leads. You may find that original peugeot leads are cheaper than aftermarket ones - and more realiable.

It is a great car - no real complaints at all, though it did eat driveshafts as you have experienced. I'd still have mine if it hadnt been bent. Can say it is a tough little car too, saved me in a few scrapes and pulled through after: Rear ended by a 4x4 tractor (drove up the tailgate) Dropped into a field from 10ft up (dont ask) Its demise caused by a fool turning without right of way. - some chassis damage, immediate writeoff. Think it'd be a writeoff even for the paint job needed tho!

Ford popular - nope, beyond my days, though i bet I'd recognise it if i saw it.

James