My Peugeot 206 XR

Coolant Pump Failing

2011-09-28T20:53:00.004+08:00

Car has been dripping small amounts of coolant onto the garage floor.

Traced the coolant and found it leaking from the weep hole on the coolant pump. This is a sure sign the pump is going bad.

When internal seals wear out, coolant will weep out of this hole, letting you or the mechanic know that it is time to replace the pump.

New pump with the weep hole clearly visible.

For Sale

2011-06-10T13:52:00.001+08:00

Yes, I've finally decided to sell my beloved Peugeot 206.

Highest offer (if any) gets it.

SMS me if you are a serious buyer
+6 016 889 5892

Auxiliary Drive Belt & Rollers

2011-03-20T21:31:00.003+08:00

The belt roller (in the middle) is making noises now. Bad bearings!

Replacement part is 5751.G3.

New design with plastic material.

Just a picture of the auxiliary drive belt 5750.KX.

The main pulley is also broken. The pulley is constructed from 3 rings which are tightly fitted to each other...

...but this one is loose and the rings are slipping, as evidenced by the misalignment of the white marker on the rings. When it gets wet in the rain, the rings slips and does not drive the power steering pump and alternator, resulting in loss of power steering and a drained battery.

It is so loose that the pieces can be separated easily by hand.

Anti-roll Bar Drop Link Replacement

2011-03-20T14:00:00.000+08:00

The drop link is making knocking sounds and was replaced.

New and old comparison.

The rubber boot broke and dirt had eaten into the metal.

New drop link in its place.

Part number 5087.59 fits the car.

"Check For Worn Anti Roll Bar Drop Links" video. He's definitely not me! Watch in Google Video.

Starter Motor

2011-03-06T21:57:00.004+08:00

I happened to be crawling under the car checking the steering rack and found the starter motor, located behind the engine block, under the air intake.

AL4 Vehicle Speed Sensor

2011-02-26T14:24:00.007+08:00

Since someone asked about the location of the vehicle speed sensor, it is part of the AL4 transmission and located near the drive shaft. I don't have pictures of my own, so here's some from the internet.

The easiest way to gain access to it is from under the car. Removal is easy, just remove the bolt and slowly pull the sensor out.

Crappy Mechanics Peugeot 206 Induction kit

2011-02-19T22:53:00.003+08:00

This is an interesting video, just because I miss England and that cat is just lovely.

Air Intake Duct Removal

2011-02-19T22:05:00.005+08:00

How to remove the air intake duct:
1. Remove left wheel.
2. Remove left wheel arch.
3. Remove air filter box.
4. Remove steel bracket.
5. Working from under the car, unhook air box fastener and hose fastener.
6. Detach hose from air box.
7. Remove air box.
8. Remove hose.

The air box had water sloshing inside. I guess it easily collects water in this tropical weather that rains and floods frequently. So I permanently removed the air box and hose, leaving only the air filter box. This created a nice intake roar when accelerating and better pick-up together with better throttle response. I guess the air box and hose restricted air flow.

Haynes Peugeot 206 Manual

2011-01-01T14:19:00.003+08:00

My Haynes Peugeot 206 manuals.

I strongly recommend buying these books. They are excellent for the home mechanic.

Click on the links below to buy them new from my Amazon store.

AL4 Transmission Temperature Sensor

2010-12-31T10:57:00.009+08:00

The instructions for replacing the AL4 transmission temperature sensor is at http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/repair-206/206/info/gb/b2cg83k3.htm

AL4 Trasnmission Rebuild Manual

2010-12-29T14:48:00.002+08:00

Get it at http://www.scribd.com/doc/13915310/AL4-DPO-transmission-rebuild-manual

Peugeot 206 Sound Deadening

2010-12-18T17:38:00.014+08:00

The sound quality in my car is just average. The front speakers are good, but lacking in bass, so there is a sub woofer in the trunk to take care of the bass. But I'm not quite happy with the bass coming from the back and the fact that the sub woofer, wiring and amplifier is taking up extra space and makes the car look untidy.

So I decided to sound proof the front doors, in an attempt to get better bass and improve sound quality from the front speakers. I bought a roll of sound deadening material from the local car accessories store. It was quite cheap at US$10 per metre. Dynamat would have cost ridiculously more than that.

I installed the sound deadener and now the bass and sound quality is much better from the front speakers. It is so good that I don't need the sub woofer any more and had it removed.

My favourite test CDs are Kill Bill Volume 1 and Denon Hi-Fi Check CD.

I bought 2 metres of it. One metre for front doors and another metre for the back doors in future.

This must be from China. Could be a Dynamat copy.

The deadener is about 3mm thick with a metallic film on one side.

A single piece of deadener was cut which followed the shape of the original foam cover on the door.

Sound deadener was also applied to the door card at certain locations only.

A ring of foam was added around the speakers to isolate the sound from the door card. The speaker is a Kicker ES60.

Click here for more audio related stories

Peugeot 206 Fuse Layout

2010-11-23T21:04:00.004+08:00

Engine fusebox.

BSI fuses near steering column.

ECU Update

2010-10-21T18:00:00.003+08:00

The car had an ECU update today. The engine ECU was updated first, followed by the transmission ECU. The Peugeot Planet 2000 system was used to do all the updates and diagnostics.

This is a huge workshop, which services Audis and Peugeots. Next to it is the Audi showroom, where I had the chance to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the Audi R8. Click here for pictures of the Audi R8 V8 4.2 FSI QUATTRO.

The Peugeot Planet 2000 system is connected to the Siemens BSI receptable under the driver's steering wheel.

The original ECU software was 9 years old, and there were many new updates since then, which took quite sometime to download into the ECU.

The technician checked all the settings one by one. One interesting finding was that the ECU was still in showroom mode... so he switched it off. Showroom mode allows customers to play around with the accessories with the engine off, thereby draining the battery. He also deactivated the original radio because the car is now fitted with a non-Peugeot unit. The transmission oil wear counter was reset. Fault alarms were all cleared. Pedal teaching was performed.

After all the updates, the car feels so much smoother and responsive now, and feels to have more power too. I managed to max out the car at 155km/h and 4000rpm. In the past it could only manage 148km/h, so there is indeed a performance gain.

AL4 Solenoid Valves

2010-10-21T17:14:00.001+08:00

I finally changed the old problematic AL4 transmission solenoid valves (part number 2574.10) to the newer Borg Warner solenoid valves (part number 2574.16). The transmission ECU was also updated. The transmission is now as smooth as silk!

Older valve, part number 2574.10

New Borg Warner valve, part number 2574.16

Peugeot 206 Fuel Filter

2010-10-05T21:54:00.002+08:00

Fuel filter 1567.93.

Fuel filter is located under the rear right seat.

Peugeot 206 Key Fob

2010-09-28T16:42:00.006+08:00

New key fob from http://stores.ebay.com/Auto-Parts-Revisited

The old and new key fob. The circuit board must be transferred to the new fob.

The lion can be gently removed with a paper clip.

This chip must be transferred from the old fob to the new fob.

Coolant Change, Engine and Radiator Flushing

2010-06-24T19:21:00.008+08:00

Replaced the 7 years old original coolant. Supposed to use only Revkogel 2000 or Glysantin G33 as specified by Peugeot, but used Shell OAT coolant instead, since they are the same technology.

Old coolant must be collected in a container and disposed properly. To drain the old coolant, the expansion chamber cap was opened and the bottom radiator hose was disconnected.

This is how 7 years old coolant looks like. Brown just like mud water. New coolant is orange and transparent.

The thermostat and top radiator hose was removed prior to flushing the engine cooling circuit.

The thermostat.

The thermostat. Scale had deposited onto the black rubber seal. It was removed by soaking in vinegar and gently picking them off.

The top and bottom radiator hose was removed to flush the radiator separately from the engine.

Next was engine flushing. Water was fed into the expansion chamber...

...and water comes out from the other ends.

The cleaned thermostat and rubber seal put back.

Shell Coolguard OAT works well. I used 1 liter coolant with 2 liters of water. 6 liters of solution was required.

Bleed point for removing air.

Bleed point for removing air.

Cool Peugeot 206 RC Video

2010-06-23T20:48:00.000+08:00

AL4 Hydraulic Valve Block

2010-06-13T21:42:00.008+08:00

After finding the AL4 transmission rebuild manual a few days ago, I had the confidence to dismantle the AL4 hydraulic valve block. The gear change has not been smooth and I've suspected sticky valves all along. The transmission oil is almost 7 years old and clocked 77,000km. Since I planned to do a transmission oil change anyway, I decided to clean the valve block before putting in new oil. Also cleaned was the oil pressure sensor, located just beneath the block.

WARNING! Don't try doing this on your own if you don't know what you are supposed to do and not familiar with hydraulic valves. Doing this wrong can permanently kill the transmission.

There are two square-shaped strong magnets at the bottom of the lid, to collect any metal bits.

Rust where there isn't supposed to be any. This is a sure sign of water getting into the transmission. In this tropical rainy weather, it is a good idea to change the oil frequently to get rid of any water.

This block is still using the old/obsolete type of solenoid valves part 2574.10. These should be replaced with the newer Borg Warner valves part 2574.16, which will require an ECU software update. But unfortunately there's no Peugeot service centre in town that can do this, so I'm stuck with the old valves for the time being. Anyway the valves are still working, so I'm not too bothered to change them yet.

These are the sequence electrovalves, EVS. I've switched EVS5 (reverse gear) with EVS2 (for 2nd gear and 4th gear) because shifting from 1st into 2nd gear is intermittently not smooth and I suspect EVS2 not working properly.

The webbing can be wiped clean using lint-free cloth. I used cleanroom wipes since I have lots of it. I also took out all the EVS and sequence valves to clean them and drain out the old oil. The main block and auxiliary block was separated to allow all the old oil to come out and allow cleaning of the webbing and plates.

The result of the cleaning and new oil is a smoother gear change.

AL4 Transmission Rebuild Manual

2010-06-11T11:25:00.002+08:00

Found gold today! The AL4 transmission rebuild manual is on Scribd at http://www.scribd.com/doc/13915310/AL4-DPO-transmission-rebuild-manual

Throttle Body

2010-06-05T20:35:00.007+08:00

I had nothing better to do, so I decided to open the throttle body. The engine has not been idling smoothly, so it was a good idea to open up the throttle body to check.

After opening it up, I found a layer of sticky carbon buildup around the idle air control (IAC) valve, the air bypass passage and the throttle. No wonder the engine was not idling smoothly. Anyway, a good clean with a toothbrush, cloth and some petrol helped remove most of the carbon.

The throttle body; throttle at the bottom, air bypass passage at the top, idle air control valve at the top right and throttle position sensor (TPS) at the bottom right.

The idle air control valve is cleaned. No more carbon on the valve.

Carbon removed from the air bypass passage.

A peek inside the air intake.

33 Way Modular Connector

2010-05-22T19:56:00.010+08:00

Green Connectors A1-A12 : Multifunction switch
Yellow Connectors B1-B12 : Hydraulic block
Green Connectors C1-C3 : Oil pressure sensor
Yellow Connectors D1-D2 : Turbine speed sensor
Blue Connectors E1-E2 : Output speed sensor

Transmission oil somehow managed to find its way into the connectors, probably through the wires. This needs to be cleaned!

AL4 Output Speed Sensor

2010-05-10T22:46:00.003+08:00

AL4 Transmission Breather Hose

2010-05-10T22:31:00.007+08:00

Many people have debated on the existence of the AL4 transmission breather hose. To end the debate, here's a photo of it. It is located under the battery and looks L-shaped.

Peugeot 206 MAP Sensor

2010-05-10T19:08:00.009+08:00

I've noticed a bit of engine oil in the air intake into the throttle body. I guessed some of oil could have fouled the MAP sensor (Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor), perhaps causing the strange gear change problem when the engine is started from cold in the early morning.

I'm also wondering whether the blended engine oil could have caused this. Yes, in the effort to make use leftover engine oil, I've mixed several brands together. The bad thing about this now is that there's a lot of oil in the air hose from the engine to the throttle body, which should not be the case. Lesson learned, mixing engine oils is bad.

After taking out the MAP sensor, sure enough it was soaked in black gooey engine oil. Did a bit of cleaning and now it looks cleaner.

The location of the MAP sensor.

The Bosch MAP sensor.

Removed much of the oil from around the yellow blob, which I guess is the sensor.

Cleaning the sensor with contact cleaner results in better throttle response and more stable idling.

Here's other people cleaning their MAP sensor.

Dodge Cummins MAP cleaning:
http://mopar.mopar1973man.com/cummins/2ndgen24v/map-sensor/map-sensor.htm

Jeep Liberty MAP cleaning:
http://liberty.eurekaboy.com/mapsensor.htm

AL4 Transmission Oil Level Check

2010-05-01T22:16:00.011+08:00

The transmission has been behaving abnormally. It would hang on 1st gear for quite some time before engaging 2nd gear, whenever driven for the first time in the day. However it shifts fine for the rest of the day, but occasionally hangs on some of the gears. This is indicative of low transmission oil level.

To check the transmission oil level:
1. Drive the car to warm up the oil to about 60C.
2. Park the car on horizontal ground and chock the wheels.
3. Put the gear into Park position and put the handbrakes on.
4. With the engine running at idle speed, remove the level plug.
5. If oil streams out and then starts to drip, the oil level is correct. Close the level plug.
6. If oil drips out or does not flow at all, close the level plug, stop the engine, and add 0.5 litres of transmission oil through the filler hole.
7. Repeat the level checking procedure until the level is correct.

Too much oil may have the following consequences:
1. abnormal heating of the oil,
2. oil leaks.

Too little oil may damage the transmission.

Picture from Presentation of the AL4 Automatic Transmission.

The level plug is within the drain plug. The drain plug requires a 27mm spanner and the level plug requires a 19mm spanner. To check the oil level, only the level plug needs to be removed.

The drain plug and level plug.
(photo from jacafrica at aussiefrogs)

The filler plug can be accessed by removing the air intake hose and shifting the gear into Drive (with the engine off!). The surrounding area must be thoroughly cleaned to avoid any dirt and debris getting into the transmission and ruining it.

An 8mm square drive is required to open the filler plug. This can be bought from a hardware store or online from ebay seller NTR Trading Company.

The filler plug and copper washer.
(photo from jacafrica at aussiefrogs)

The filler hole is about 14mm. Care must be taken to not drop anything into it.

A funnel and a long hose, not more than 14mm in diameter at the base, helps the transmission oil to flow into the bottom of the transmission. The blue tape marks the depth of the transmission bottom from the filler hole.

AL4 transmission oil ESSO ATF 4HP20.

AL4 transmission oil ESSO ATF 4HP20.
Peugeot part number 9736.22.

The funnel with the hose inserted into the filler hole.

Sigh... after topping up the oil, the gear change is still not smooth, especially when engine is cold in the morning. I suspect there's some water in the transmission, since the car has a history of driving in flood water. Hmm... need to change out the oil in future.

Peugeot 206 Commercial

2010-04-26T23:12:00.002+08:00

The best Peugeot 206 commercial ever!

Jesus in a Peugeot 206

2010-04-26T22:59:00.000+08:00

Receiver Dryer Replacement

2010-04-25T21:58:00.001+08:00

For the past few weeks after the evaporator was replaced, the air conditioning has been putting a heavy load on the engine whenever the compressor turns on. The receiver dryer probably is too old and saturated with moisture, so the compressor is having a hard time compressing the gas. In order to avoid killing the compressor, it is a good idea to replace it.

The original Peugeot 206 receiver dryer.

The receiver dryer is located in front of the power steering pump.

To remove it, the best access is from under the car.

Subwoofer Experiment

2010-04-07T19:40:00.016+08:00

What do you do if your home theatre system burns? Put the subwoofer in the car of course! That's what happened to my Philips MCD139B Home Theatre System, which one day decided to burn its electronics. Repairing it would be expensive, so I chucked away the electronics and put the subwoofer into the car.

Philips MCD139B Home Theatre System. The subwoofer has a 6ohm 5.5inch speaker with power handling of 50W RMS. The burned electronics are inside the left speaker. Fortunately the speakers are still functioning. Unfortunately the CD player is unusable without the electronics.

The headunit has a pair of RCA preouts (for left and right channels) which are both connected to the right channel of the amplifier. This is so that the bass from both the headunit's left and right channels are amplified. The 100W max (50W+50W) amplifier is connected to the subwoofer. 12V power is taken from the cigarette lighter socket. This setup is temporary as I wanted to test the sound quality. Don't be fooled by the small wires! You don't really need thick wires to handle 100W, despite what the car audio installer tells you. Seriously!

Well, after listening to a bunch of tracks full of bass, I can say this subwoofer setup is going to be permanent in the car. The bass is punchy, deep and strong without any noticeable distortion. This sound quality is with the headunit bass/mid/treble equaliser settings set flat. Wonderful! Switching on the "Loud" button on the headunit produces an ear-deafening and chest-pounding thump! Well, the subwoofer was designed for home theater and is supposed to produce earth-shaking bass, and it definitely shook the car.

Warning Notice:

Warning! Do not connect a high power amplifier into the cigar lighter. A high power amplifier can burn the cigar lighter wiring. For example, the Pioneer amplifier above has a 50 amp fuse on it, which means it should be connected directly to the battery.

The cigar lighter plug is not practical as a permanent power supply for the amplifier, so it needs to be replaced.

An ordinary household 3-wire power cable was used to power the amplifier. This is more than sufficient as the cable can easily handle up to 1000W of power. Household power cable is also fireproof which is a good thing for automotive use. The power is tapped from the headunit's wiring loom. Green goes to ground, brown goes to 12V and blue goes to remote.

Cable ties help to keep the wires together and look pretty.

The amplifier sits inside the passenger seat secret compartment. Yes Peugeot 206s have a secret compartment which is not very secret at all, now that you know where it is.

The power cable and interconnects are long enough to sneak under the centre console and slide together with the passenger seat (there are people who get a kick out of sliding car seats).

I have tried putting the subwoofer in the boot, but the boot kills the bass. So it sits in the rear middle seat instead, secured by the centre seatbelt. I seldom drive passengers, so it is okay to have the subwoofer use up the centre seat. The subwoofer is positioned to fire bass sounds to the front. The sound level is adjusted at the amplifier. The wires go under the seat, floor carpets and into the not-so-secret passenger seat compartment.

The set up now sounds really good. Bass is so much stronger, that I get a headache after listening to it. Now my music is so much enjoyable.

Air Conditioning Servicing

2010-03-04T21:07:00.014+08:00

The car is almost 7 years old now, and the air conditioning is starting to smell bad. I'm sure there's a lot of dust and other stuff collected inside the ventilation housing and evaporator. The air conditioning system is leaking too and I have to refill refrigerant very often. So I decided to take it apart for some serious cleaning and to find out if the evaporator is leaking. Of course I could ask the local mechanics to do it, but I don't trust them, especially with such a complicated European car.

Before taking it apart, the air condition system should be discharged by an air conditioning specialist, for safety and environmental reasons. Don't discharge the system by yourself unless you know what you are doing.

Warning! Always disconnect the batteries and then deactivate the airbag control system, before attempting to do this. Otherwise the airbag could activate and cause serious injury. Access to the ventilation housing requires the removal of the steering wheel, steering column, centre console and fascia. There's no other way of doing this, since French engineers love to challenge mechanics, so they made it a lot of work just to get to the ventilation housing.

x

x

Always disconnect the airbag control unit, located under the centre console, before working on the steering wheel and airbags.

Remove the airbag pass switch, headlight switche, and fascia switch panel under the steering wheel.

Remove the instrument panel.

To release the airbag, push at the metal bar inside the hole under the steering wheel.

Carefully pull the airbag away from the steering wheel. Don't break the wires!

Pull out the connector on the left and right side of the airbag.

The rear view of the airbag. Store the airbag in an upright condition. Do not drop or knock the airbag!

Another side view of the airbag.

The steering wheel with the airbag removed. Notice the color coded airbag wiring connectors. Do not mix them up when reinstalling the airbag.

Remove the steering wheel retaining bolt. Mark the steering wheel and steering column shaft in relation to each other then carefully lift wheel off the column splines.

The stalk control unit.

Remove the clamp behind the control unit.

Pull out the control unit. Disconnect the wiring connectors.

Remove the steering column cover.

The base of the steering column.

Expand the ends of the safety clip and remove it from the base of the steering column. Slacken and remove the nut and clamp bolt and detach the column from the steering gear pinion.

Slacken and remove the column upper mounting nuts and lower mounting bolts the manoeuvre then column (already removed in picture above) out of position.

The steering column. Inspect the condition of the collapsible shaft.

Unscrew the two bolts securing the fascia to the ventilation housing.

Unscrew the upper bolt securing the fascia to the body.

Unscrew the bolts securing the fascia to the floor and fascia frame.

Remove the bolt and detach the fascia earth lead from the floor.

Unscrew the fascia mounting bolt located in the instrument panel aperture.

Unscrew the bolts securing the right end of the fascia to the bulkhead.

Unscrew the bolts securing the left end of the fascia to the bulkhead. Pull out the radio antenna wire.

Carefully lift up the fascia then move it away from the bulkhead. This is best done with the aid of an assistant. The fascia is one huge and heavy beast.

The ventilation housing is in the middle. Now is a good time to remove the spider webs and dead lizards.

The sponge has deteriorated and is brittle. There's dust all over.

From the engine bay, drain the water cooling system (not the air conditioning system!). Alternatively clamp the heater matrix coolant hoses to minimise coolant loss. Disconnect the heater matrix coolant hoses. Slacken and remove the screw securing the heater matrix pipes to the bulkhead and remove the retaining plate and seal.

Discharge the gas from the air conditioning system! Get a professional to do this! If you want to do this yourself, it will be at your own risk! Go under the car and locate the nut securing the air conditioning pipe to the condenser mounted in front of the radiator. Loosen the nut slightly until gas discharge is heard. Refrigerant is dangerous and too much of it can suffocate! Get away from the car and leave the gas to discharge fully. Once fully discharged, tighten the nut and clean up the spilt compressor oil. (Note that in some countries, it is illegal to discharge refrigerant into the atmosphere)

From the engine bay, unscrew the two nuts securing the air conditioning pipe union to the bulkhead. Slacken and remove the bolt securing the ventilation housing to the bulkhead.

Remove the ventilation housing carefully. Plug the air conditioning pipe union.

The bottom view of the ventilation housing.

Unscrew the cover at the bottom of the housing to expose the evaporator.

The 7 year old dirty evaporator! There's green compressor oil at the bottom, a sure sign that the evaporator is leaking.

Remove the heater matrix. It still looks brand new since it has never been used in this hot and humid hell we call Malaysia.

Remove the clips in the middle securing both halves together. Unscrew the bolt in the middle of the housing. Take apart the housing slowly. Slide the evaporator out.

The evaporator is really dirty after so many years of use. It can't be saved any more because it is leaking. Time to get a replacement. I plan to install a filter before the blower fan, to prevent dust getting into the evaporator.

The new evaporator next to the old one. It is not a genuine Peugeot part, but an aftermarket one. The original part number 6444.C6 costs USD500 but the aftermarket one costs only USD163 and comes with a new drier. I didn't install the drier though, but decided to keep it for future use if ever there's a need to change the compressor.

The Dowson evaporator. I don't quite know where it comes from, but it was sold by a reputable Denso air conditioning service dealer. The salesman assured me it is a good product. I believed the man since the shop was the best in town and they service Mercedes, BMW, Mini Cooper and other luxury cars.

The original expansion valve and seals are still in good condition.

The expansion valve mounted onto the evaporator.

The evaporator in the ventilation housing.

The ventilation housing and everything else were put back. The car was then sent to the air conditioning service dealer to add compressor oil and recharge with refrigerant. That cost USD18.

Now the air conditioning works and the interior is freezing cold in the hot afternoon sun. The bad smell is also gone. Great!

Head Unit and Speaker Matching

2010-03-03T20:30:00.004+08:00

I've been listening to the car audio for several months now. It is a Pioneer DEH-2950MP head unit driving a pair of Kicker ES60 two-way speakers on the front channel only. The rear speakers are not connected as I prefer a cleaner sound stage coming from the front.

I hear the bass to be quite weak, while the mid and treble is crisp and clear. I've been fiddling with the bass levels, unfortunately cranking up the bass and volume together creates bad distortion. Also I prefer to leave the bass/mid/treble levels flat and hear what the musician wanted me to hear, which is the natural recording level.

So I'm left with an audio system with poor bass response. My guess is that the head unit, which is 50W max, can't drive the 6-65W power range speakers properly. In reality, the head unit output is typically 20W continuous, and that is at high volume levels. So I'd expect around 10-15W at normal volume levels, which is not even within half the power range of the speakers.

So to cut the story short, I decided to put back the 20W factory speakers. And guess what, the bass is much better with more punch, even at low volume levels. The plus side to this is that it is originally paired to the tweeters mounted on the windows, so now I get a better sound stage. The Kickers were two-way speakers which made the music appear to come from under the dashboard.

I think I will be hunting for new better quality speakers again, this time it has to be component speakers with a lower power rating, so that it matches with the head unit. I'm not into adding sub-woofers or additional high power amps at the moment, as I don't believe that to be the solution. Being an audiophile, I know very well that low power amps with correctly matched speakers, can produce excellent sound quality at both very low and very high volume levels, without distortion.

Fuel Pump Replacement

2010-02-24T21:49:00.008+08:00

The patch I did on the old pump didn't help. The crack propagated and leaked elsewhere. The risk of the tank breaking apart while driving and blowing up into flames, was too great for me. So the car was grounded for a week over Chinese New Year while waiting for the new fuel pump assembly to arrive in the mail.

Locking ring 1531.30

Seal 1531.41

New fuel pump assembly 1525.Y2

Fuel tank with old seal. Yes, that is a tank full of Shell RON95 flammable fuel. Don't even think of smoking while doing this. Oh, and don't try taking a close up photo of it with the flash on, as that will definitely make a nice loud BOOM! just like in the movies.

Comparison of new seal and old seal.

New seal is a bit more tight.

The new seal fits tightly and is difficult to apply as it tends to snap off the edges. The black colour makes it difficult to see, especially when the fuel pump assembly is fitted onto it.

A tripod holds the fuel pump assembly in place and stops the new seal from coming off, while the locking ring is being screwed on tight. Unfortunately, over-tightening the new ring caused it to break into two. So I had to reuse the old ring, making sure it was not screwed too tight.

After all was installed, I pressed the accelerator all the way down and turned on the ignition, without starting the engine. Kept it pressed for a few seconds to let the fuel pump pressurise the fuel line; I could hear the fuel pump whirring at the back. Released the accelerator and started. Voila! Everything works! No more leaks and no more stench of leaking fuel.

Image from hooman.org showing the tool for opening the locking ring. I didn't have this tool, so I used a hammer instead.

Image from hooman.org showing the seal, locking ring and pump body.

Leaking Fuel Pump Assembly

2010-01-25T19:22:00.005+08:00

Fuel pump assembly is leaking at the fuel return inlet. What to do? What to do? What to do?

After much consideration, decided to use epoxy compound to patch up the leak, because it is known to make a strong bond that becomes very hard. The first attempt didn't work, which could be because a regular 5 minute clear epoxy compound was used and the bonding surface on the plastic was not prepared properly. The most likely culprit is the fact that the fuel line is still pressurised, therefore fuel was weeping out from the hairline crack and prevented the epoxy compound from sticking to the plastic.

So, the return fuel line was disconnected, which resulted in some fuel spilling out. Fortunately a rag came in handy to soak it all up and any remaining fuel just vaporised under the hot sun. Then the plastic bonding surface and crack was carefully sanded with sand paper, followed by rubbing with tissue paper to remove the plastic dust. Finally a 3-ton metal epoxy compound was mixed and applied to the crack and surrounding plastic. The epoxy was left to cure for 24 hours, after which it became rock solid.

Reconnected the fuel line and ran the engine on idle for 10 minutes. No leaks were observed, which is good. Drove the car for another 30 minutes. No leaks observed too. So the epoxy compound patch works and I hope it will last long. Buying a new fuel pump assembly will cost US$ 250, while the epoxy just costs US$ 3.

Drum Brake Shoes Renewal

2010-01-01T17:03:00.002+08:00

Renewed the rear brake shoes with original Peugeot 206 brake shoes, which are made by Bosch. Part number 4241.N1 contains both the left and right side shoes; it is recommended to change both sides together to ensure even braking. A small tube of brake grease is also supplied.

Peugeot 206 Plus

2009-12-06T00:43:00.004+08:00

(from Peugeot Press Release)

The Peugeot 206 Plus is thus a "range entry" product, in line with clients' expectations: a benchmark car, modern and modernised, and above all accessible to as many people as possible, without compromising its appeal. Its interior has been designed with care, with a new "wave-look" dashboard and decorative touches that evoke the motorcycle world.

Peugeot, a major player on the small and medium car segment, is expanding its range with the Peugeot 206 Plus, the descendant of almost 6.5 million Peugeot 206 produced since 1998. This vehicle, with genetic codes renowned worldwide, rounds off the Lion marque's range.

A "range entry product"

Its external style is resolutely modern, taking inspiration from the 207's stylish façade. A new bonnet, a new radiator grille and new headlights highlight this stronger personality.

Manufactured in France for the European market

Manufactured in France, at the Mulhouse factory, the 206+ is intended for the core European market. It offers a range of engine options, with a 1.1 l petrol engine developing 44 kW (60 bhp) and a 1.4 l developing 55 kW (75 bhp), as well as a 1.4 l HDi Diesel engine developing 50 kW (70 bhp), keeping the carbon footprint under control thanks to CO2 emissions as low as 110 g/km.

With its size and its price/equipment ratio, the Peugeot 206 Plus takes its rightful place in the Peugeot range between the 107, 1007 and 207.

This intelligently-tiered range achieves a good balance, between the little urban runabout and the the versatile small family car that is quite at ease on roads and motorways:
Peugeot 107, accessible friendly car, good for town driving and competitively priced;
Peugeot 1007, innovative concept for a variety of uses thanks to its two electric sliding doors;
Peugeot 207, with its three bodyshapes and its strong, stylish look, offers a wide-ranging clientele a high level of options and excellent road handling.

The Peugeot 206 Plus thus picks up the torch behind the 206, the key model of the Peugeot range, with a strong international image, and will appeal to clients with its feline allure, its architecture and its reasonably-priced equipment level.

RON95 vs RON97

2009-11-30T21:25:00.003+08:00

RON95 does not work on my car, it can only do 10km/liter. RON97 gets it going 13km/liter, and the engine runs smoother & is more powerful. I'm back to RON97!

Peugeot 206 Technical Manual

2009-11-24T18:53:00.006+08:00

Get it here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/18288666/11464902Peugeot206

The english translation is at http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/repair-206/

Aluminium Fuel Cap

2009-11-03T12:30:00.005+08:00

The Peugeot 206 original aluminium fuel cap, part number 1508.F6

Twist and remove original plastic fuel cap (2) and install the aluminium one (3).

To remove the key from the lock, depress the latch...

... and turn the key. Then remove the key.

Aluminium fuel cap with black screws, part number 9626.69

The Engine

2009-10-26T12:30:00.000+08:00

Oil Filter

2009-10-13T20:42:00.001+08:00

The engine oil filter is made by Purflux. There are two designs with the same Peugeot part number 1109.R6. Both works fine, but I'm not sure why the designs are different.

This is the original design that came with the car from the factory in 2003.

This is the current design as of 2008.

Air Filter

2009-10-13T20:31:00.001+08:00

The original Peugeot 206 air filter is made by Purflux. Peugeot part number is 1444.QF

Pioneer DEH-2950MP Headunit

2009-10-05T19:46:00.007+08:00

Installed a new head unit today. The Pioneer DEH-2950MP produces a reasonably punchy and clear sound. Adding a sub in future would probably make it sound even better. The downside of this unit is that it cannot interface with the original Peugeot 206 steering wheel stalk control.

To avoid cutting the original Peugeot male ISO connectors, a female ISO connector is mated with it. The female wires are connected to the wires on the Pioneer connector. A custom made harness can also be bought online, but I chose to make my own connections.

Be careful with the yellow (permanent live)(A7) and red (ignition)(A6) wires, as mixing them up can fry the headunit and/or the car's electronics.

Practical information from the Peugeot 206 owner's manual.

Peugeot Radio & CD Player

2009-07-29T20:22:00.001+08:00

My CD player has been skipping a lot these days and it has been getting on my nerves. So I decided to take it apart and try to fix it. I guessed the laser lens is probably dirty or the guide rail has lost its lubrication.

To remove the player from the fascia, just insert four small screwdrivers into the slots at the sides.

The player is a VDO RD3-00, the type that has the car's VIN coded into its memory so that it won't play on any other car. More info at http://www.dndservices.co.uk/peugeot_psarcd100-00.html

ISO Connectors. Black for power, VAN bus data communication, etc. White for the four speakers. Blue for CD changer.

After opening the top cover, the fist thing I found was a piece of long hair wound around the disc clamp. This will definitely make a disc skip because it hinders the clamp's rotation. I'm not going to elaborate whose hair it was and how it got in. Removing the four screws shown in the picture allows removal of the CD transport mechanism.

The CD transport mechanism is connected to the main PCB by a ribbon cable. Gently pulling out the red connector will unhook the ribbon.

The amplifier is a TDA7385, giving out an average of 4 X 15W.

The main PCB. I think this is a good picture for the electronics engineer.

The guide rails looked dry. Since I did not have the right Torx bit, I could not remove the metal plate to get access to the guide rails and lens. Instead, using cotton buds, I dabbed some petroleum jelly onto the rails through the openings. Looking from the side, I also lubricated the screw gear. The lens can wait for another day.

Put some more petroleum jelly on the sliding mechanisms. Why petroleum jelly? It is the only lubricant soft enough that I have on hand.

After putting all parts back together into the car, the disc skipping problem is gone. Awesome!

Kicker ES60

2009-07-26T17:55:00.001+08:00

Bought a new pair of speakers for my Peugeot 206. The Kicker ES60 is 6 inches in diameter and takes 195 watts peak.

Not sure about the polarity of the original wires, because they are unmarked on the original speakers, but a multimeter test indicated the brown/green is +ve and pink/black is -ve. The brown and black goes to a tweeter mounted near the side mirror.

Speaker fits nicely onto the mounting without leaving any air gaps.

Removed the tweeter near the side mirror and relying on the Kicker's tweeter instead.

Cut out a hole in the original plastic grille, to allow more sound into the cabin.

The Kicker's aggressive looking plastic grille does not match the interior, so the hole is covered with an aftermarket metal grille.

The original mid bass component speaker, used together with a separate tweeter.

Made by Goodmans UK, apparently rated at 20W.

Sound test verdict: definitely clearer and better quality sound, however lost a bit of bass thump. Perhaps the original Clarion RD3 head unit does not have enough juice for the hungry Kickers. Hmm... a subwoofer would help.

Air Conditioner Not Working

2009-06-02T13:23:00.000+08:00

My Peugeot 206 air conditioner failed today. When I turned on the air conditioner's switch, the blower fan did not turn, but the compressor turned. That means the switch is working fine and the blower fan is probably dead. I took out the blower fan and tested it with another 12V power supply. The blower fan works. Hmm... I thought there must be something dead between the blower fan and the switch. Looking into the blower fan compartment, I saw the resistor. I took that out and tested it with a multimeter. The resistor works. Hmm... looking closer at the wiring, I found a burned connector. Ah ha! That's the problem. Gotta fix that!

The instructions for taking them out.

Open the glove box.

Remove the cover by pulling it out.

Remove 7 screws.

Push compartment down and under the dashboard.

Locate the blower fan. Disconnect the power supply.

Rotate blower fan clockwise and pull it out.

The blower fan.

Pull out the cover and remove the dust inside.

The Peugeot 206 blower fan resistor.

Rotate the resistor to release it and pull it out gently.

The resistor with the shield removed.

The one burned pin in the connector.

Retrieve the connector from the top of the dashboard.
Remove the clock and warning lights first.

Pull the connector out.

The burned pin (front red wire) that goes to the blower fan.
The red wire behind goes to "Speed 4" on the fan speed knob.
Both red wires are actually always connected inside the blower fan resistor.
So the burned pin can be removed and the fan wire reconnected to the "Speed 4" wire.

The blower fan wire reconnected to the "Speed 4" wire with a butt splice connector.

The wires back into the connector.
Put everything back in reverse order.
The air conditioner now works normally.

Peugeot 206 Alloy Wheel Rims

2009-05-19T19:37:00.000+08:00

See more wheels in the Peugeot brochure.

New Wheels and Tyres

2009-04-18T20:08:00.001+08:00

The Peugeot 206 finally got some nice looking wheels and tires (and hidden there are some hubcentric rings (spigot rings) to center the wheel to the hub).

Oh and by the way, to all Peugeot 206 and Naza Bestari owners in Miri Sarawak, if you have a problem with your Pug and don't trust the local mechanics, do drop me a message and let's see whether it is something I can sort out.

Disc Brake Caliper Piston Service

2009-04-04T13:49:00.000+08:00

I've had a go again at servicing the disc brake calipers on my Peugeot 206. For the past few months, the brakes have been squealing and I suspected the pistons could be jammed. After opening it up, sure enough, the pistons were filled with muck from years of use, that caused it not to slide smoothly in the barrel, hence the squealing noise.

The dirty caliper piston.

Close-up of the piston and rubber boot, covered with brake dust.

Piston removed, showing the inside of the barrel and rubber boot.

Close-up of the cleaned barrel and rubber boot.

Dirty piston.

Cleaned piston.

Want to fix the Peugeot 206 yourself?
Get this book.
I have one!

66666

2009-03-14T21:04:00.000+08:00

66666km on 14 March 2009, 9:04PM

Wheel Cylinder Servicing

2009-02-15T19:54:00.000+08:00

I spent the weekend servicing the wheel cylinders on my Peugeot 206. The rumbling noise from the rear drum brakes have become very annoying and I just had to take it apart to fix the problem.

If there is rumbling noises from the rear drum brakes, it could be because the brake pads are dragging on the drums, caused by a jammed wheel cylinder. The wheel cylinder is jammed because of rust caused by leaking brake fluid.

The Haynes Service Manual says that the wheel cylinder is not user serviceable, but I just didn't believe it. So I decided to try to service it myself.

Before opening anything, screw down the master cylinder reservoir cap onto a plastic sheet to obtain an airtight seal. This helps to minimise fluid loss when you open the wheel cylinder.

Remove the hydraulic pipe and cap the end to prevent fluid loss and dust getting in.

Remove the rubber boots. Slowly push out the pistons, making sure not to get any remaining fluid in the cylinder from splashing onto the bodywork. Remember that brake fluid can dissolve paint and corrode metal. Scrape off any rust and debris.

Use a rag to clean the insides of the cylinder. Make sure not to block the fluid inlet port and bleeder outlet port.

Check the pistons for wear and tear. If the rubber boots and cups are damaged, then buy a new wheel cylinder. If they are still good, clean them with WD-40 or similar cleaner. Don't use water, because brake fluid absorbs water and will make the pistons rust.

Lubricate the pistons with grease. Lubricate the cylinder too.

Once all is cleaned, reassemble everything, remove the plastic sheet from the master cylinder reservoir cap, bleed the brakes and adjust the parking brake.

After the servicing, the rumbling noise from the rear drum brakes are gone. But now there's a soft rumble coming from the from disc brakes. I suspect the front cylinders need servicing too. Well, that will be a job for another weekend.

Want to fix the Peugeot 206 yourself?
Get this book.
I have one!

Peugeot 206 Spark Plugs

2008-09-26T16:42:00.002+08:00

The wrong plug, correct plug and the original plugs.

I've finally changed the spark plugs in my 206 today, after going through the experience of receiving wrong spark plugs from Peugeot.

This is the story. The part number is 5960.15 and is supposed to work perfectly. The first set of plugs from Peugeot, made the engine cough like crazy, spewing out stinky exhaust fumes. The exhaust oxygen sensors picked this up and turned on the ECU warning lights. I panicked, thinking I had killed the engine! I took out the new plugs and compared with the old ones (which were Champion part number RC8YCL). They didn't look the same. I told Peugeot about this, and they sent me another set with the same part number 5960.15. The second set however, looked different from the first set. But they look exactly like the Champion plugs. The second set worked perfectly!

I am still perplexed as to why two different spark plugs can have the same part number. X-files?

Want to fix the Peugeot 206 yourself?
Get this book.
I have one!

Change Peugeot 206 Brake Pads and Disc

2008-06-26T11:33:00.001+08:00

Discs part number is 4246.A7

Pads part number is 4253.02

Step 1: Remove the caliper lower guide pin bolt.

Step 2: Pivot the caliper upwards.

Step 3: Withdraw the old brake pads from the caliper bracket.

Step 4: Get new brake pads.
See how thin the old one is.

Step 5: Remove the caliper bracket mounting bolts.

Step 6: Remove the old brake disc.
The picture shows the hub without the disc.

Step 7: Install the new brake disc.

Step 8: Refit the caliper bracket, install the new brake pads and refit the caliper.

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Want to fix the Peugeot 206 yourself?
Get this book.
I have one!