Buying a 406 2.1 GLX TD
Moderator: RichardW
Buying a 406 2.1 GLX TD
I'm looking to buy a 406 2.1 GLX TD - 96/97 round about the £3k mark. Are there any common faults or things to look out for on this model??? Parkers guide gives a guide of 40 mpg, is this realistic for motorway driving? How do I avoid buying a taxi???
Well generally they are an all round good car. Iv you need the low down then got to http://www.honestjohn.co.uk. Go to the car by car breakdown. Avery useful site
Good Car Hunting[:)]
Good Car Hunting[:)]
Hi,
this may be too late, but anyway...
I have had a 406 2.1TD GLX for 4 years now. For the first 3 years (I bought it 3 years old) it never missed a beat, very reliable, just expensive to run being serviced at a main dealer. During the last year it has cost me a fortune, the fuel pump leaked (£400), needed new injectors (£200), alternator failed (£350!!!), suspension drop links worn (£100).
Apart from all that, I love it. I have got 45mpg when driven sensibly. When not driven sensibly I still get over 39mpg. It is pretty fast, handles well and takes family paraphenalia admirably.
Great cars.
Antony
this may be too late, but anyway...
I have had a 406 2.1TD GLX for 4 years now. For the first 3 years (I bought it 3 years old) it never missed a beat, very reliable, just expensive to run being serviced at a main dealer. During the last year it has cost me a fortune, the fuel pump leaked (£400), needed new injectors (£200), alternator failed (£350!!!), suspension drop links worn (£100).
Apart from all that, I love it. I have got 45mpg when driven sensibly. When not driven sensibly I still get over 39mpg. It is pretty fast, handles well and takes family paraphenalia admirably.
Great cars.
Antony
I brought a 406 2.1 5 weeks ago. i’ve covered 2000 miles in this time, around 60% of this on motorways at 65-70mph. average mpg over this distance is 45, pretty good (I think) for a car of it's size. It's a '99 reg and has covered 100k with full service history
The only problem I have encountered is initially the engine auto diagnostic coming on. When this happens,it can be at any speed, it does not respond to the throttle and rpm sticks at 1200 rpm. I then have to stop and restart the engine, which seems to reset the fault. I did post a question about this a short while ago but didn't receive any replies so I am unsure is this is a common problem (any feed back would be appreciated). In the last 3 days this fault has changed. Now the light comes on briefly and the engine feels very lumpy, but if I back off the throttle it recovers. This can occur 7-8 times in a couple of minutes but then might not occur again of 5 or more days. Because of the complex nature of the fuel injection it must be put on a pug diagnostic computer at a Min of 1 hour, £73+ just for the diagnosis!
When I discover the cause I will post it.
Having said that I think it is an excellent car. Refined, quite, roomy and smooth. It also has the much slicker ML5T gearbox than the type fitted to the smaller engined 406(and 405/BX). The steering also has variable assistance.
If I can get the engine problem sorted out I will be a happy man and will certainly consider buying another.
The only problem I have encountered is initially the engine auto diagnostic coming on. When this happens,it can be at any speed, it does not respond to the throttle and rpm sticks at 1200 rpm. I then have to stop and restart the engine, which seems to reset the fault. I did post a question about this a short while ago but didn't receive any replies so I am unsure is this is a common problem (any feed back would be appreciated). In the last 3 days this fault has changed. Now the light comes on briefly and the engine feels very lumpy, but if I back off the throttle it recovers. This can occur 7-8 times in a couple of minutes but then might not occur again of 5 or more days. Because of the complex nature of the fuel injection it must be put on a pug diagnostic computer at a Min of 1 hour, £73+ just for the diagnosis!
When I discover the cause I will post it.
Having said that I think it is an excellent car. Refined, quite, roomy and smooth. It also has the much slicker ML5T gearbox than the type fitted to the smaller engined 406(and 405/BX). The steering also has variable assistance.
If I can get the engine problem sorted out I will be a happy man and will certainly consider buying another.
CANDO,
your problem is possibly due to one of the many sensors feeding info to the ECU that is on the blink. Initially, I would get a Haynes manual, or I can send you copies of the relevant pages from mine, and replace as many of these sensors as possible. Most are about £10 and can be replaced in minutes, despite Pug charging 1 hours labour.
This is what I did when my car was playing up and it saved my loads of money.
Antony
your problem is possibly due to one of the many sensors feeding info to the ECU that is on the blink. Initially, I would get a Haynes manual, or I can send you copies of the relevant pages from mine, and replace as many of these sensors as possible. Most are about £10 and can be replaced in minutes, despite Pug charging 1 hours labour.
This is what I did when my car was playing up and it saved my loads of money.
Antony
CANDO,
my symptoms were different to yours and I didn't identify the problem myself, it was actually a guy on this forum mg46873 (or something like that!) who identified it. I took it to 2 separate dealers who eventually confirmed that diagnosis, but not until I replaced 2 other sensors before hitting the right one. So even the dealers have a hard time identifying the right sensor. Best thing is to work through them all. They are cheap and you can't do any harm
Antony
my symptoms were different to yours and I didn't identify the problem myself, it was actually a guy on this forum mg46873 (or something like that!) who identified it. I took it to 2 separate dealers who eventually confirmed that diagnosis, but not until I replaced 2 other sensors before hitting the right one. So even the dealers have a hard time identifying the right sensor. Best thing is to work through them all. They are cheap and you can't do any harm
Antony