DISCLAIMER: Please note that I am by no means a qualified motor mechanic or in any way associated with the motor industry. I gather my knowledge through Haynes manuals and advice from others. My father has had a great deal more mechanical experience and carries out much of the work as mentioned. I (or my father) cannot accept any liability or any responsibility for any actions taken through reading the information on this page.

Being a student, with little money, buying a car is always very risky, as the budget is so limited, the chances are that you'll end up with a nice cheap motor, which may initially seem fine.
Until the first hundred miles or so....

When I bought my F Reg '88 Peugeot 205 XS in mid-September for £725 I was very pleased...it looked fine, few bumps here and there on the bodywork, fair wear and tear in the upholstery...no problem. Then I end up spending 700 pounds again in repairs...here goes...
 
Problem 1: Tyres worn down all round.
Problem 2: Car very unpredictable at start-up. Engine turns but slow at first, then very fast. Sometimes, nothing when the key is turned, just a click sound. This got more and more common, until my car died completely.
Problem 3: Creaking noises coming from the rear of the car, especially evident when getting into or out of the vehicle. Can also be heard at times while driving along too.
Problem 4: Rattly, clattery noise upon lifting the clutch pedal, when clutch engages.
Problem 5: Water with a strong coolant smell in a puddle in the passenger footwell, also some on the driver's side. Radio stopped working, also found to be wet.
Problem 6: At continuous high speed (over 60mph) over a fair distance (hot engine), the engine shows some resistance and loses power. Accelerator pedal becomes un-responsive, unless virtually pushed to the floor (regardless of gear), then very sharp, coarse, acceleration.
Problem 7: Rattling, grinding noise when accelerating hard in certain forward gears. Can be felt through the gearstick as hard vibration.
Problem 8: A light knocking noise coming from the front left side of the car when turning hard right, especially in manouevres.
Problem 9: Leaking causing a small puddle behind the driver's seat following heavy rain.
Problem 10: Leaking causing soggy driver and passenger footwells.
Problem 11: Leaking boot
Problem 12: Driver or passenger door 'hanging' and making a loud click when opening.
Problem 13: Car veers gently to one side when driving in a straight line.
Problem 14: Bought a 2nd hand set of alloys with tyres and car vibrates at speed.
Problem 15: Ticking noise from engine, especially when warm
Problem 16: Fitting the Ecotek CB-26P to the TU3S engine
Problem 17: Exhaust noisy around engine and black patch on radiator
Problem 18: Grinding noise accelerating hard from first gear
Problem 19: Trying to accelerate away from cold car stalls, engine turns but won't start running
Problem 20: Hissing noise from the brake pedal when any amount of pressure is applied
Problem 21: Steering wanders and veers in different directions when accelerating or braking excessively
Problem 22: Door swinging wide open and not sticking half way, can swing against front wing.
Problem 23: Squealing noise evident from the offside wheel when under heavy load
 
THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS RELATE TO THE NEW 106 GTi-16V ENGINE
Problem 24: Noticed a small oil leak from the cambelt end of the engine. Later came a sudden very heavy misfire
Problem 25: Strange rubbing noise from the engine when accelerating hard
Problem 26: Very bad fuel economy on a long trip, fuel gauge dropping quick and strong petrol smell

Problem 1
Tyres worn down all round.

Solution
Phoned around for tyre prices to find the cheapest. Surprisingly, the tyres I was after, Goodyear GT2s (165 R 13 70T) varied in price between 136 pounds and 210 pounds for 4 in just one small area. One or two companies even suggested that 160 pounds was the cheapest due to the tyres being low profile! 136 pounds it was, the steering was amazing, it felt power-assisted and the grip was great. These tyres did come top in the tyre tests by Auto Express magazine.
 

Problem 2
Car very unpredictable at start-up. Engine turns but slow at first, then very fast. Sometimes, nothing when the key is turned, just a click sound. This got more and more common, until my car died completely.

Solution
First, the car was put in 1st gear, then with handbrake off, rocked back and forth to free sticking solenoids (starter motor fault). This worked most times, but eventually (bushes may have worn out) the starter motor was replaced and this seems to have cured the problem.
 

Problem 3
Creaking noises coming from the rear of the car, especially evident when getting into or out of the vehicle. Can also be heard at times while driving along too.

Solution
Problem turned out to be the rear suspension assembly, mainly the radius arm bearings. A secondhand rear 205 axle assembly was purchased for £50 and fitted for £150 (Peugeot dealer would have charged around £500 for a new assembly. Problem mostly solved, occasional vague creeks, but nothing much. Apparently a very common problem among Peugeots, at the same time I had mine done I had two friends suffer the same problem...in a 309 and 205 diesel.
It also caused the rear driver's side wheel to be badly aligned, hence increasing tyre wear.
 

Problem 4
Rattly, clattery noise upon lifting the clutch pedal, when clutch engages.

Solution
Thought to be the thrust bearing, though upon changing the clutch, the old clutch had fallen into a bad state, with a spring, crushed between the plates.
The noise is still evident, though considerably quieter and sounds a bit healthier too. Apparently Peugeots have quite noisy clutches (petrol models) compared to other cars; some noise is to be expected.
 

Problem 5
Water with a strong coolant smell in a puddle in the passenger footwell, also some on the driver's side. Radio stopped working, also found to be wet.

Solution
Found to be a leaking heater matrix. This was removed from behind the centre console and changed. Despite the Haynes manual suggesting all the front facia needing removal to do this, we found it sufficient just to remove the panel underneath the steering wheel and carpet at the side of the centre console to get to it. Easy to replace, just slides out, then slide the new one in. The coolant then had to be replaced.
 

Problem 6
At continuous high speed (over 60mph) over a fair distance (hot engine), the engine shows some resistance and loses power. Accelerator pedal becomes un-responsive, unless virtually pushed to the floor (regardless of gear), then very sharp, coarse, acceleration.

Solution
Hopefully sorted, took the car to a rolling road tuning place (krypton tuning or similar would probably suffice) where they noted that the mixture was way too rich. Reducing this helped with economy and also improved acceleration too. Using Redex petrol treatment helped lubricate the valves in the cylinders which were sticking through the use of unleaded petrol (If you have a pre '90 or so Peugeot, check your ignition has been retarded, if necessary, to use unleaded 95 RON octane rated petrol).
 

Problem 7
Rattling, grinding noise when accelerating hard in certain forward gears. Can be felt through the gearstick as hard vibration.

Solution
Gear linkage mechanism under the car was coming into contact with the exhaust pipe join. This was the result of the engine being too low. The engine mountings had sunk over the years and the engine needed to be raised an inch or so higher to prevent this occurrence. Mountings were replaced. There are 3 engine mountings on the TU3S engine. One is obvious and to the left side of the engine and supports a large bracket near the flywheel. Another is under the battery tray,/ the third has the driver's side driveshaft running through it. They tend to become soft after about 100k.
 

Problem 8
A light knocking noise coming from the front left side of the car when turning hard right, especially in manouevres.

Solution
The driveshaft was replaced and that seemed to cure it as well as the slight juddering when slowing down from high speed.
 

Problem 9
Leaking causing a small puddle behind the driver's seat following heavy rain.

Solution
Replaced the rubber seals around the rear windows, which are very easy to remove. Used silicone sealand when refitting to help ensure waterproofing.
 

Problem 10
Leaking causing soggy driver and passenger footwells.

Solution
This can be attributed to leaks from around the bottom of the windscreen, though on this occasion the cure involved the doors. Often there is a slight gap between the window and the plastic strip, meaning rain runs down inside the door. You can tell if this is the cause (or some of it) by removing the door panels (remove handles etc. with screwdriver then pull off carefully from the studs). If the inside is wet then it means the water is running in and can just drip out of the door cards. This can also cause the door panels to go mouldy, so leave those in the sun to dry out. There are three main large holes. Before doing anything about these, make sure the drain holes at the ends of the bottom of the door are clear. After a break-in or accident, broken glass can block these. Run a little water through and make sure it runs out ok. Then it's a good idea to cover the large holes with pieces of polythene using sealant or double-sided tape. This type of leak may also be caused by a bad door seal so replace those if they look worn or the leaks continue. Also check underneath that there is no rust or damage underneath the footwells.
 

Problem 11
Leaking boot

Solution
There are several things to check which can cause boot leaks. If the leak involves water around the lock, then the leak is likely to be around that. Use some sealant around it. If the leak causes the back of the rear seat to get soaked, it is likely to be the rubber seal at the top of the door. Either re-fit it or replace it and make sure the plastic tubes containing wiring aren't in the way either. Seals around the light clusters can also wear, causing water to accumulate above the wheelarches. Also, do not fill the rear washer bottle too much as this can spill out through the cap when driving, causing spillage in that area.
 

Problem 12
Driver or passenger door 'hanging' and making a loud click when opening.

Solution
This is likely to be down to the hinges. By removing the door cards, you can fit the door part of the hinges and adjust with a screwdriver without the need for welding. The hinges cost around £10 from Peugeot dealers and are the same top and bottom.
 

Problem 13
Car veers gently to one side when driving in a straight line

Solution
The steering wheel can be adjusted by a mechanic (can be dangerous if not done properly) if it is not in the right position to drive straight. If this does not correct it, then 4-wheel alignment is the next option. This costs around £20 using light beams. If this does not correct it then there could be a more serious fault maybe caused by a previous accident.
 

Problem 14
Bought a 2nd hand set of alloys with tyres and car vibrates at speed.

Solution
First thing is to get them balanced at a tyre place. This didn't work for me and indicated the tyres were slightly mis-shapen. This wore off after a few hundred miles and virtually disappeared. Beware though that some secondhand wheels may do this following getting buckled in an accident and could be dangerous to use.
 

Problem 15
Ticking noise from engine, especially when warm

Solution
Tried correcting this by checking and adjusting the valve clearances, although it has shown to be a common fault which is quite normal and harmless. It tends to occur in older XSs that have been driven hard. It's just noisy tappets.
 

Problem 16
Fitting the Ecotek CB-26P to the TU3S engine

Solution
Locate the braided hose that runs between the brake servo and the inlet manifold. It runs underneath the air cleaner cover, between the cleaner box and the carb. It is likely to have a black plastic coil around it. Push the black plastic coil back so that around 4 inches of pipe is exposed from the inlet manifold. Cut the hose (using garden shears works!) cleanly just a little over 2 inches from the manifold. Then insert the Ecotek valve to close the hose up again, using two jubilee clips, one either side. Tighten up well and check hose is well connected at both ends, especially the jubilee clip at the manifold end. Turn the ring so that it is as far down as it will go without tightening, then turn the filter till it makes a noise, then turn it back down till the noise totally goes. Then turn another quarter and use the ring to tighten and hold in position. To test that it works, rev the engine and on the drop in revs you should hear it suck air in.
 

Problem 17
Exhaust noisy around engine and black patch on radiator

Solution
Exhaust gasket damaged or worn and the exhaust is blowing hot gases against the radiator which doesn't do it a lot of good. A blowing exhaust can also affect backpressure and getting this gasket fixed is good to improve performance.
 

Problem 18
Grinding noise accelerating hard from first gear

Solution
Check that the exhaust clamp on the downpipe is OK. If it has broken away, then the exhaust can hang and when tensed up in hard accelerating contacts the linkage in 1st gear (less so in other gears). Get the clamp replaced at any exhaust place and that should also restrict engine movement a bit too.
 

Problem 19
Trying to accelerate away from cold car stalls, engine turns but won't start running

Solution
How this one was fixed was to create a vacuum within the carb to draw in more fuel. The air cleaner was taken off the top and a hand placed over the carb whilst turning the engine, eventually more fuel entered and the car started ticking over. Thanks to my girlfriend's Dad for this one (ex AA mechanic)
 

Problem 20
Hissing noise from the brake pedal when any amount of pressure is applied

Solution
The cause of this one was a problem with the sponge filter surrounding the pushrod that attaches to the brake pedal. It was allowing air to be drawn in to an extent that it made a noise. Possibly not serious and it didn't seem to have a major effect on braking performance. The whole brake servo was replaced. Inside the car, detach the pushrod from the split pin on the pedal and remove the lower part of the dash (much easier!) and some foam to access the four bolts to the servo through the bulkhead. In the engine bay, you need to unbolt the master cylinder, carefully pull it out the servo, careful not to damage the brake lines. It should then be possible to pull the old servo out (just about!) and get the new one in. No more hissing sound! Real nightmare to get at the bolts on the inside though and be careful of the brake fluid!
 

Problem 21
Steering wanders and veers in different directions when accelerating or braking excessively

Solution
After getting the tracking done professionally, I found this problem caused the wheels to go out of alignment again. When checked I found it to be the Track Control Arm Bushes. Not that easy to sort this one, probably easier with the right tools! Jacked the car up (on axle stands), off with the wheels, unbolt all three parts to the arm, the end that bolts under the hub, the one in the chassis under the engine and the middle part where the anti-roll bar goes through. It can take some force to remove the arm if it is very old and corroded (you may find it better and less hassle to replace the arm with the bushes in!). Once off, I found that the metal tube had corroded and was loose. It fell out practically. The rubber needed to be chiselled out. The new bushes were carefully forced into place mostly using a rubber mallet after sanding around inside the hole in the arm. Fitted back in place driving was much better!
 

Problem 22
Door swinging wide open and not sticking half way, can swing against front wing.

Solution
Trouble with this is, if the wind takes the door it can damage the front wing if it hits it too hard or even possibly take the door off. Problem was caused by the middle hinge. Inside the door there's a hook which catches on a small metal piece. The metal piece had come out and the hook didn't catch when the door was opened. To replace this, simply hammer the pin out where it attaches to the car and then remove the speaker to access the bolts from the insider to pull the hinge out and put the new one in. You may find the pin has an outer shell and inner piece. Put the outer piece through and hammer the smaller inner tube in to fix it in place.
 

Problem 23
Squealing noise evident from the offside wheel when under heavy load

Solution
After spraying WD-40 all over the place I have now been informed that the rear beam is knackered. This is obvious when you see the angle that particular wheel is at. I'm yet to fix this one and will update you if and when it happens...
 

THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS RELATE TO THE NEW 106 GTi-16V ENGINE

Problem 24
Noticed a small oil leak from the cambelt end of the engine. Later came a sudden very heavy misfire

Solution
Tried replacing the spark plugs at first, this didn't work. Then tried the ignition coil block, still the same. Found the problem to be that the head gasket had blown between two cylinders, causing no compression in the offside 2 cylinders. The head gasket was replaced and the cylinder head skimmed, all done by a Peugeot repairs place.
 

Problem 25
Strange rubbing noise from the engine when accelerating hard

Solution
This one is probably very specific to my engine as the cambelt cover is cut away to allow for the engine mounting bracket. I found loads of black fluff over the bracket. This was all from the cambelt, it was rubbing against the bracket when the engine rocked back. of course, the engine shouldn't move like this. The reason was found to be one of the three bolts holding the bracket to the engine had snapped. We took this off and managed to drill out the affected bolt and bolt it back on properly. The other two bolts had come loose, allowing the engine to drop an inch or so...
 

Problem 26
Very bad fuel economy on a long trip, fuel gauge dropping quick and strong petrol smell

Solution
The fuel line had burst going from the fuel filter to the injector rail. The engine was switched off, fuel pipe removed by taking off the jubilee clips. Got ready for high powered spurt of fuel from the filter!Fitted a stronger fuel pipe which is meant for injection systems which I've been told can withstand greater pressure than in a carb system.