new to the site and new owner

[lukekrysie]

Hi i have just brought myself my first 406 its 2002 2.0 hdi 90 rapier won it on ebay for £950 so pretty happy with the price just obviously i havent seen it yet. Can anyone tell me what i should look for before i hand over the cash? its got 73000 on the clock and is yet to have a cambelt so thats first on the agenda along with a water pump, its got part service history but has just had 1, ill be doing it again along with the cambelt for my own piece of mind anyway. Any help will be appreciated. Luke

[highlander]

Hi there!

Usual things to check on the 406 are rust (becoming more common on used 406s nowadays) and water ingress.

Check to see if any of the interior carpets are damp/waterlogged. Look at the rear light clusters to see if you can see any water or condensation behind the lenses. Check the boot carpet to see if it's damp. Lift it up to see if there's any water in the spare wheel well. If it's got a sunroof, make sure that it opens and closes securely, and that the headlining isn't damp around the sunroof area.

The cambelt change interval is usually 8 years or 80,000 miles. When you change the belt, make sure you change the tensioners and water pump as well, and you should also change the auxiliary belt at the same time.

Yours is likely to be equipped with the COM2000 indicator stalk system, which have been known to cause some gremlins (it's not a guarantee of difficulties though; mine has it and mine is fine). Check to ensure all the functions of the stalks work. Ensure there are no warning lights on the clocks and that the multifunction display (MFD) doesn't show any error conditions during your test drive.

Remember: with an eBay car purchase, if the car is described by the seller as being in mint condition and fully reliable, no known problems, then you turn up to get the car and you find it's a shitter, you can walk away without paying, and report the listing to eBay as "not as described" and/or "not fit for purpose" (depending on how bad it is). If you've already paid them through PayPal or whatever, then I think you can also complain to PayPal and get a refund that way. If the car has a problem that they don't list on the auction, you have a way out of the purchase.

Chances are, you'll love your 406 every bit as much as we love ours.

[rwb]

Nice choice

Like Highlander, my COM2000 is trouble-free (most of the time).
Check that you can indicate left, and that the stalk self-cancels as you straighten up.

The problem with water is it getting into the driver's footwell where there's an electrical connection.
I've had trouble with this: here are some pictures. Look for water standing on the sill and the trail of silt down the door seal.

The power steering pump lives above the alternator. If it's been leaking then both will need replacing.

[lukekrysie]

Thanks for the info will check all the above when i get it sunday, not paid for it yet as i want to make sure it is as described first. Ive brought and sold other cars on ebay and the bloke seems geniune enough so im hoping ive got a good buy.