Help Urgently Needed PLEASE!!!

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animalambulanceman - 26 Nov 2007 21:24 GMT

Yesterday I bought a 2003 406 2.0 litre 110bhp Diesel estate in Oxfordshire-
drove it back to London no problems and yet this morning it threw up the
engine diagnostics warning light after about 3 miles and has not gone out all
day.It's doing less than 25 mpg today ,when I was expecting at least 40 when
driving on the motorway.I'm very worried as it's my work vehicle and must be
running 24/7 and in a normal manner not drinking fuel like it is.At one point
it seemed to stop revving over 3,000 rpm as if a limiter had cut in.Can
anyone please suggest what to do?Money is limited and I'm not too
mechanically minded-but can follow instructions.As my name suggests I help
injured/sick animals and really need a reliable wagon to move them to the
vets,and had gone to my limit budgetwise buying a suitable one,so I'm really
in deep doo doo if I can't sort this problem quickly and cheaply.THANKS IN
ADVANCE FOR ANY HELPFULL ADVICE.

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malc - 26 Nov 2007 21:48 GMT

> Yesterday I bought a 2003 406 2.0 litre 110bhp Diesel estate in
> Oxfordshire- drove it back to London no problems and yet this morning
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> problem quickly and cheaply.THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELPFULL
> ADVICE.

You need to get the engine fault codes read. It sounds like something has
switched the engine management system into limp home mode. It could be
something simple like the ECU needs a reset although I don't know how you'd
do that. Presumably oil and water are at normal levels? Try in the Yellow
Pages for Peugeot/Citroen specialists NOT the main dealers. The independent
chaps are usually much cheaper and just as knowledgeable (although I have
met one exception)

Signature

Malc
Oh, but the rain wasn't made of water
and the snow didn't have a place in the sun
so we slipped behind a rainbow
and lay there until we had done.

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animalambulanceman - 26 Nov 2007 23:41 GMT

Hi Malc,
thanks for your advice.Apparently in July it did the same thing and had the
ECU reset at main dealer(found out by phoning main dealer who had serviced it
from new and at correct intervals) and can see from speedo that it was 13k
miles ago,so must have cured it for a good while.Did not want to have to
repeat proceedure myself every 4 months but wanted a permanant cure,hence my
question,any ideas what could be causing the trouble and tripping the ECU?
Kind Regards

>> Yesterday I bought a 2003 406 2.0 litre 110bhp Diesel estate in
>> Oxfordshire- drove it back to London no problems and yet this morning
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>chaps are usually much cheaper and just as knowledgeable (although I have
>met one exception)

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Dave G - 27 Nov 2007 11:06 GMT

Hi,

I had a 406 that did this. Called out the AA and he disconected the battery
and left it for 5 mins, fault cleared and never did it again. Hope it works
for you.

Dave G

>Hi Malc,
>thanks for your advice.Apparently in July it did the same thing and had the
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>>chaps are usually much cheaper and just as knowledgeable (although I have
>>met one exception)

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Gary G Jones - 27 Nov 2007 11:11 GMT

Not sure what is causing your problems, but I have 406 saloon 2.0 hdi 110
and I expect more like 50mpg plus on a motorway run, especially if the run
is at a constant (legal) speed.
25 mpg sounds really bad, my old 1991 300tdi Discovery would do more than
that.

GGJ

> Yesterday I bought a 2003 406 2.0 litre 110bhp Diesel estate in
> Oxfordshire-
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> in deep doo doo if I can't sort this problem quickly and cheaply.THANKS IN
> ADVANCE FOR ANY HELPFULL ADVICE.

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animalambulanceman - 27 Nov 2007 19:37 GMT

Today I went to First Diesel Injection Services just outside Croydon and had
it checked on a computer that they plugged in to my dashboard-showed 3
seperate faults-the main one being with the throttle sensors which are under
the bonnet adjacent to the throttle cable.Tony-the owners son- reset the ECU
again after cleaning the connections and told me to go for a drive and see
the warning light would come on again after telling me that this fault was
probably very intermittant and replacing the throttle sensor unit would cost
about £100 including labour and VAT. Well I've now done about 100 miles and
the light is still out(getting 40ish /gallon in London traffic) so I'm going
to cross my fingers and keep driving until the light comes on again and then
will replace the sensor unit( as it may not ever happen) Tony has assured me
that it can't do any damage to the engine and it's pointless spending the
money when it is not essential as cleaning the contacts and resetting the ECU
again seems to have done the trick.They only charged me a "drink" for their
advice/time and were really helpfull -not like a big main dealer where i'd
have been possibly taken to the cleaners-probably the advantage of going to a
family run business?Incase anyone is interested First Diesel's phone number
is 0208 689 6360.

>Not sure what is causing your problems, but I have 406 saloon 2.0 hdi 110
>and I expect more like 50mpg plus on a motorway run, especially if the run
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>> in deep doo doo if I can't sort this problem quickly and cheaply.THANKS IN
>> ADVANCE FOR ANY HELPFULL ADVICE.

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Cliff - 27 Nov 2007 21:43 GMT

pleased you got sorted out at a good price.....just goes to show that there
are a few good men out there

> Today I went to First Diesel Injection Services just outside Croydon and
> had
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
>>> IN
>>> ADVANCE FOR ANY HELPFULL ADVICE.

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malc - 27 Nov 2007 21:44 GMT

> Today I went to First Diesel Injection Services just outside Croydon
> and had it checked on a computer that they plugged in to my
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> advantage of going to a family run business?Incase anyone is
> interested First Diesel's phone number is 0208 689 6360.

Result I'd say! And you've found an independent specialist who were cheaper
than Peugeot.

Signature

Malc
Oh, but the rain wasn't made of water
and the snow didn't have a place in the sun
so we slipped behind a rainbow
and lay there until we had done.

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Brian - 28 Nov 2007 15:58 GMT

> > Today I went to First Diesel Injection Services just outside Croydon
> > and had it checked on a computer that they plugged in to my
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Result I'd say! And you've found an independent specialist who were cheaper
> than Peugeot.

Not just cheaper, but also not wanting to do unnecessary work at the owner's
expense. This really is very good to hear.

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Tunku - 30 Nov 2007 20:36 GMT

> Not just cheaper, but also not wanting to do unnecessary work at the
> owner's expense. This really is very good to hear.

Seconded, good find. OP; If you find a too badly injured deer, sling it my
way ;-)

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Tunku

"Caution : traces of irony and other metallic objects may be present in the
above post"

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