Quick 406 HDi question

iaind

iaind

iaind

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In my search for a cheap car, I'm quite tempted by a 406 HDi - probably the 2.0 110 or the 90 if it's bearable.

A friend has a 2.2 Coupe with a DPF and he's had no end of trouble with the DPF system, so I'd rather avoid them if I could. So question is, which 406s have them fitted? Looking at estates, circa 2000~2002

Thanks :)
 
From (foggy) memory, all of the 406 hdi had a dpf, but the usual cure is to hollow it out. They still pass the MOT (according to the guys on 406oc who have done it, few from pug306.net too)
 
Just get a petrol, why do you want a diesel anyway?
 
From what I've read the petrols in these are pretty crud and the diesels are very good.

If it gets removed/drilled out, does it not throw up a load of ECU errors?

Not bothered about looks tbh!
 
It's a practical workhorse which is good value for money, it does that pretty well. It's just one of the options on the list of potentials, but need to clarify if it's worth risking the pain of a DPF equipped car
 
an ex colleague of mine had an 97 plate (I think) 1.9 Diesel 406 Estate that had 320,000 miles on it.

kept on going and going. He eventually replaced it with a newer one, but I haven't spoke to him in ages
 
That's the general concensus, they do just seem to go on and on. They also ride very well and the later models are pretty well equipped, so not bad for the money. My friend has had his coupe for a few years and he's only ever had DPF related problems, hence me trying to find out how to avoid them
 
As I am sure you are no doubt aware, my first car was a Citroen Xantia 1.9TD. This is basically a 406 with a Citroen badge and cool suspension. Then engine was of course utterly bulletproof, infact to be fair the entire car was... reasonably reliable. There were no major reliability issues but plenty of irritating niggles to occupy my time. The engines are very strong and reliable, far more so than the 2.0 HDi, but they are pretty noisy and diesely.

The thing is though, by the it became time to move the Xantia on, it might have still worked but it just felt.. shabby. It felt like driving around in a tatty old car. Numerous bits and peices rattled. Every journey was another plethora of interesting noises and fun games of 'Is that funny noise new or was it there last time I drove the car?'.

At the time I was an 18 year old college student so the fact I had a car was a bonus, and I wasn't too concerned with the fact it was, when all was said and done.. tatty. I certainly wouldnt entertain the idea of something like that now - and given that you are looking at cars that are older than the Xantia was it was a 95 and I bought it in 2002 so 7 years old - anything you find is highly likely to fall into the same category.

They are all pretty much too far gone.

Why would you want to drive around in something like this to save a few quid you keep trying to tell us you are not short of?
 
Getting one of those sheds is going to quickly sicken you.

Get an old 9-5 estate, at least you got a chance of finding a well looked after one, instead your going to end up with an ex mini cab or builders van of a 406.
 
I wouldnt buy a tatty shed, I'd buy one that had been looked after and was in good nick. My friend's coupe is a 2001 and that's anything but tatty and is a very nice place to be - I see no reason why an estate can't be the same.

I've still got the Saab, but there's a chap who sounds very keen coming over from Cornwall at the weekend.

9-5...yes, maybe. But realistically I'm going to be getting mid 20s mpg on average (doing high 20s at the moment in my 9-3). For a car that isn't designed to be at all interesting (I've got that covered elsewhere), I don't see the point in spending that much in fuel, when a 406 HDi will be averaging high 40s
 
iaind said:
I wouldnt buy a tatty shed, I'd buy one that had been looked after and was in good nick. My friend's coupe is a 2001 and that's anything but tatty and is a very nice place to be - I see no reason why an estate can't be the same.

I've still got the Saab, but there's a chap who sounds very keen coming over from Cornwall at the weekend.

9-5...yes, maybe. But realistically I'm going to be getting mid 20s mpg on average (doing high 20s at the moment in my 9-3). For a car that isn't designed to be at all interesting (I've got that covered elsewhere), I don't see the point in spending that much in fuel, when a 406 HDi will be averaging high 40s
Click to expand...

I honestly cant think of an answer to that.
 
iaind said:
when a 406 HDi will be averaging high 40s
Click to expand...

Unless you actually take it anywhere. If my mates 406 HDi is anything to go by (a 110) it's actually no better (and in many cases worse, most likely due to gearing) than my 330d.

It is far better round town, but take it out to an NSL or god forbid, a motorway, and that edge just plummets.
 
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