Back at it again, 406 2.1DT this time :)

[ekjdm14]

Hi all, not been able to check in for a while as we've been non-stop lately but the petrol 206 is now most likely a small box making it's way to China to become a fridge or washing machine. The decision was made mainly based on the mileage and the tax cost Vs. the little HDi's £30 a year so we've kept the best of the bits, window regulators/white plug door looms/mirrors etc as well as the essential rear axle which is now sat in the garage awaiting my attentions with a full rebuild in the not-too-distant.

In the meantime however, I spotted something too tempting to resist on the 'bay. a badly described (listing was 2 words, "great runner"...) '98 registered 406 LX saloon sporting an XUD11, manual box, towbar with full electrics and long MoT with 2 advisorys... Oh, and 275k on the clock... for £160 I couldn't resist!!!

It was blatantly an impulse buy, as many of my purchases are, but I do like to think I'm blessed with a kind of instinct for these things & in the cold light of day it seems my cocksureness as some might call it was correctly placed. It wears it's mileage well and the green bodywork still shines with only one or two minor dents and a swirly scratch on the bootlid, interiorwise everything works bar a wobbly driver's seat and some whirring/clicking coming from inside the dash on the passenger side (suspect it's heater/aircon related although it all seems to function as intended) and I think there's water getting in somewhere too as it steams up easily.

For a car that's been 11 times round the globe though it could be described as good as they get, the engine and box are quiet and smooth, there's bags of torque and it drives like a much less well-travelled car.

No doubt I'll find a few niggles to iron out over the coming weeks but the gut feeling on this one is it's a keeper, I may even be persuaded to part with our Escort cabriolet to make room for it I like the car that much. Anyway I'll finish rambling for now as the missus wants help with the decorating, hopefully nobody fell asleep reading this! Will post back with any findings/questions that come up as we get to know the old girl

[CitroJim]

Sounds like an excellent buy Not unlike my 1.9TD Xantia Gabriel.. She's got just a mere 206K on the clock...

The 2.1TD is an excellent engine, having the best characteristics of the 1.9TD and the later HDi engines..

I wish you very many happy miles in her

[ekjdm14]

Thanks Jim, having driven it the 15miles or so home I have to agree the 2.1 is a peach. More refined than some petrol engines I could mention, bags of torque but doesn't mind a few revs either. If the economy lives up to my XUD expectations it'll be even better, guess I should expect late 40's to early 50mpg's on a "sensible" run? I have to admit the high mileage was part of the draw for me, on the basis that even XUD's don't make this sort of distance without being cared for & there's something strangely fun about acting as a "custodian" of something that I hope will see at least the same again in the hands of an enthusiast.

Looking under the bonnet I think the radiator and intercooler are only a couple of years old and genuine parts too, along with Mann filters and a recent calcium battery it's not in need of too much soon service-wise bar a quick oil/filter swap for peace of mind & cam belt before too long if I can reach in there (it's a bit tighter packed than the 206's bay!)

One thing I would like to ask though regards the clutch. Although it's got plenty of bite left and engages nice and low the pedal is a little spongy IMO and I'm wondering is it a cable or hydraulic release (can't see a pipe off the fluid reservoir, but can't make out a cable either lol) and the main point of concern, I'm guessing it's likely to be the infamous pull type? Any guidance there would be appreciated.

Oh, think I know where the water is getting in now too. Looks like the rear light seals are perished as there was 2 towels under the spare wheel & the "drain plug" has been stabbed to death so will attend to that and see if she dries up.

[spider]

They are hydraulic on the 2.1 406 usually. Its that 'sealed' system in most cases, it comes as a unit. Some models are actually open in that you can prise the cap off and top it up. Its normally a black 40 to 50 mm plastic / rubbery cap just pressed onto a tiny (I mean tiny!) reservoir. A hunt down the bulkhead area should reveal.

If it is this type the best way to bleed it is with a vacuum bleeder (not a pressure bleeder) as you can use the vacuum to 'suck' the fluid through.

Its 99% likely to be the "extra fun" pull type same as the 1.9TD is in these.

[CitroJim]

Excellent It'll be a hydraulic clutch as it'll have the ML5T gearbox fitted - same as the 110HDi Xantia and the Xantia Activa as well as the 2.1TD Xantia... They should feel very light but don't worry if they bite right at the top of their travel. As long as it is not slipping it is fine...

It is indeed a 'pull' type. They are a pain to change die to the enormous size of the gearbox and the limited space available... They can occasionally fail because the release bearing pulls out of the diaphragm... You can read all about my adventures of doing one on an Activa where just this happened:

https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... 14&t=54694

I had a 2.1TD Xantia estate for a long time and it was one Xantia I regretted parting with... On a run I could see off 50mpg no problem at all under sensible driving conditions... The Lucas EPIC pump is a good but thrives only on clean diesel. It cannot run on veg. under any circumstances at all...

My eldest lad had a 2.1TD 406 for a long time and he thrashed it to bits. It was never a moment's trouble...

Cam belt changes are relatively easy; one good thing is that if the belt does break it's not the end of the world as it just breaks rockers rather than the cam and bearing caps as inevitably happens with a 1.9TD...

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

I had a whirring / clicking from the passenger side of the dash on my 405 some years back. Am not familiar with the 406 but gotta be a fair chance its the same issue.

There's a motorised flap that opens to allow air to come in from outside of the car via a vent at the back of the engine bay (aka top NS of the Dash), that closes to recirculate the air in the cabin.

I disconnected a simple two pin connector, kinda between the inner wing and the NS edge of the glovebox and that sorted it. I can live with the flap 'permanently open'.

[spider]

I had a whirring / clicking from the passenger side of the dash on my 405 some years back. Am not familiar with the 406 but gotta be a fair chance its the same issue.

There's a motorised flap that opens to allow air to come in from outside of the car via a vent at the back of the engine bay (aka top NS of the Dash), that closes to recirculate the air in the cabin.

I disconnected a simple two pin connector, kinda between the inner wing and the NS edge of the glovebox and that sorted it. I can live with the flap 'permanently open'.

That's actually quite a commonish 406 issue too. At least the first shape ones. In theory the dash needs to come out to fix it but it can be done in situ with a bit of creativity.

[Peter.N.]

I would concur with Jim, I think the 2.1 XUD is probably the best IDI engine ever made, especially with the Bosch mechanical pump. The fuel consumption is better than the 1.9 and almost as good as the 2.0. Hdi and its smoother at low speeds than the Hdi.

I ran 2.1 XM,s for about 15 years and I miss them.

Peter

[CitroJim]

I do agree the 2.1TD is the best IDI engine PSA ever made... They came close with the XM 2.5 engine though... That was a bit of a defeat snatched from the jaws of victory in some ways...

I can get very good fuel consumption from a 1.9TD too Peter I'm good at economy driving!

The clicking is common. Both my 405s did it and I never got to the bottom of it...

[Peter.N.]

I know Jim, I have had both but the 2.1 in the XM was consistently better, I always used to get 50 mpg+ when we did our annual north Scotland trips and 60+ from the Hdi 406, not as smooth though.

Peter

[white exec]

Have realised over recent years just how good and smooth IDI is/was. After 1.9BX and 2.5XM, getting into a new 2003 Toyota D4D came as a bit of shock - quite a harsh engine. Even the dealer half apologised: you won't get the quietness you been used to with the French motor (XM was parked outside), but you will get power and economy.

Well, not quite. D4D 32.1 mpg and 119bhp. 2.5 34mpg and 130 (maybe 160+) bhp.
I wonder whether we should have bought an X-trail instead?

Always wondered about a 2.1 in something like a BX, ZX or 306...

[Peter.N.]

I ran hydropnumatic Citroens for about 30 years, my first CX I bought was because the engine was so smooth and powerful, I didn't appreciate what a brilliant all round car it was until I had driven it for a while. When the CX's were getting scarce and it was XM time I tried a Volvo estate and it was terrible compared with the Citroens, especially the engine vibration, I tried another one and it was just as bad. The seats were comfortable but that was about its only redeeming feature, needless to say I didn't get one.

I much prefer comfort to speed and the 406's I run now are a good compromise, they don't ride as well as the Citroens but handle better.

Peter

[CitroJim]

Chris, you're right, some modern diesels sounding like right old bags of spanners.. My neighbour has a Vauxhall Stigma and that sounds like an old Fordson tractor! Then there's a toy pickup (a Fraud I think) that sounds like it's about to fall to bits as does my neighbours Mitsubishi L200 pickup...

Always wondered about a 2.1 in something like a BX, ZX or 306...

It's been done, several BX 2.1TDs exist... Also I know of a hybrid with a 2.1TD 12v head sitting on a 1.9TD block...

[white exec]

I think the French still know a thing or two about quiet diesels. Friends here have a Renault Captur, which is superbly quiet both at idle and under load. Some others have a Renault-Dacia Duster 4x4 dCi - likewise, and plenty of poke.

[CitroJim]

I think it's all to do with the French character and personality; a race of people that do not appreciate harsh and unnecessary noise...

Just like me...