406 noob

[Garthy]

Hi all,

A cheery wave from someone new to the forum!

Just purchased a '98 1.9 TD LXS with 130k, which is proving to be a more than capable motorway tractor despite a few eccentricities!

Hoping this site is going to be the answer to all my niggles, of which there are a few:

1. Rev counter likes to drop to 0 when my foot is taken off the accelerator, before going back to normal when accelerating again

2. Fuel guage likes to wobble all over the place

3. Plipper rarely works, though there is a dim light from the power indicator on the fob (please just need a battery!)

4. Central locking only works from the passenger side; drivers side just spins and spins

5. Discovered by accident that I have a multichanger in the boot (woohoo - it wasn't advertised so was a nice result!), then discovered that it appears to have no power going to it. Grrrr.

6. Clock display is so dim you can barely see it

7. Radio display is so dim that you can only just make out the display if there is natural light shining on the display (any other light doesn't do it strangely enough!)

8. Fuel cap cover release is very tempremental (which gave me a mini heart attack when I first went to fill up!)

On the plus side it came with aircon (being an LXS i think?) which was also not advertised but blows ice cold! Nice

Like I said, it's proving very capable and I'm chugging up and down between Bristol and Devon at the mo which it does it without any complaints (engine wise anyway!). I'm looking forward to crossing some of these things off the list though!

Let's get fixing! lol

[DaiRees]

Hello mate, welcome

Never heared of an LXS before

Right, I'll have a go at a couple of your questions....

Clock, gently prise it out (it does come out I promise) and change the bulb.

Radio Display - I assume it's the one with the seperate display (at the top of the centre console, not under the tape deck), if so gently prose it out and change the bulbs.

Remote plip - change the battery.

Spinning locks is a common problem, it's a security feature to try to prevent them being forced, but they just seem to cause problems. Squirt some wd40 in there and try again, jiggle the key about a bit and try to "feel" for the resistance where they should be catching.

Rev counter, heared that before too, but can't remember the answer. Was there some control box that plays up or something??? Someone will be along soon!

Fuel gauge? Do you mean it moves around when cornering etc? or does it have a life of it's own?

Changer, use a tester to see if there's power getting to it to determine if the unit's dead. If there's no power check the fuses.

Fuel filler flap is another common problem, it's usually do do with a broken plastic lug on the back of the flap itself. If you get desperate just wedge something under the lever in the car, then get out and press the right hand edge of the flap to open it.

[Welly]

Looks like a good answer from DaiRees (as usual)


Welcome to the forum

[Garthy]

Wow, thanks for all the tips! Plenty to get on with there! lol

I spied the WD40 tip yesterday and gave it a go - it actually made it worse! Where it was limited to about two rotations before appearing to get stuck, it now just spins and spins! Going to have fun with that one! I'm wondering if someone hasn't had a crack at the barrel at some point

The display on the radio is actually the one below the tape deck, so I might have a pop at removing the whole thing if it's just a case of changing bulbs.

The fuel guage is a constant fluctuation, though it does seem to settle at a standstill 75% of the time. I'm hoping that is the true reading! Is it just an overly sensitive sensor or something?

Think I'm going to fashion a wedge for the fuel cap; i'm a big fan of low-tech (read 'cheap'!) solutions.

Thanks again for the tips!

[DaiRees]

The display on the radio is actually the one below the tape deck, so I might have a pop at removing the whole thing if it's just a case of changing bulbs.

Ah now I don't think it's possible to change the bulbs in that one..... It is the genuine pug stereo and not an aftermarket one? It just surprises me that you've got a changer with that head unit because that head unit doesn't have changer control.... So that might be why the changer is disconnected.

[Garthy]

lol - i appear to have purchased an anomaly!

The changer is a Philips (if memory serves), don't know if this is a standard bit of kit? I wonder if someone's played silly beggars with the ICE at some point then...

[mbell666]

Think I'm going to fashion a wedge for the fuel cap; i'm a big fan of low-tech (read 'cheap'!) solutions.

I just use my demister pad, already had it so was cheap as it gets (i.e. free)

[mjb]

1. Rev counter likes to drop to 0 when my foot is taken off the accelerator, before going back to normal when accelerating again

If it's only happening when you've got the clutch in, it could be the idle control valve/stepper or something like that actually causing the car to stall - see the thread in jameslxdt's sig. Otherwise there's something right dodgy going on with your electrics...

2. Fuel guage likes to wobble all over the place

How all over the place? The thing with the 406 is the fuel level sensor thing isn't in the middle of the fuel tank, so depending on if you're going up or down hill you can see a variance of up to 1/4 a tank, and on mine it can take a few minutes to stabilise Best to just look at it when you're on the flat

3. Plipper rarely works, though there is a dim light from the power indicator on the fob (please just need a battery!)

Prise it open and change the batteries...

[DaiRees]

lol - i appear to have purchased an anomaly!

The changer is a Philips (if memory serves), don't know if this is a standard bit of kit? I wonder if someone's played silly beggars with the ICE at some point then...

I can't remember who made the ICE on the mk1, might very well have been Philips, I'm sure someone will tell us soon.....

I meant is the head unit a genuine one or aftermarket? Also go you have another screen to the top right of the centre panel (above the heater controls) or is there just a little cubby hole there?

[Welly]

Just purchased a '98 1.9 TD LXS

it could be the idle control valve/stepper

Please pay attention m.

[mjb]

Just purchased a '98 1.9 TD LXS

it could be the idle control valve/stepper

Please pay attention m.

shhh

[Garthy]

Thanks everyone, a few fixes seem to be done already... a folded up flyer now serves as a wedge for the fuel cap cover release (filled it up today) and it appears that if I point the plipper at the sensor in the roof and hold it for a fraction longer than I was doing then it works everytime... it's all in the wrist

The fuel guage seems to be accurate if I'm stationary and level, so I can use that to make sure I don't run out of fuel!

She's returning 36mpg on 90mph (sorry officer that was a typo, I did mean 70) motorway driving mixed with urban, might try and ease up on the throttle next time but that doesn't seem too bad. It's supermarket diesel as well, what are everyone's opinions on this; does it really return less mpg?

All in all very happy with my litle 406, despite the niggles!

[Welly]

Awwww, young love......... aint it just great

Welly
Bitter old 406 HDi owner

[steve_earwig]

Hi new fella, just a couple of ideas: still sounds like the battery in the plip may be on it's last legs, you could still wait for it to die though. The spinning lock may or may not sort itself out so give the WD a chance and keep trying it for a while, if not you'll have to strip it out the door and... Yeah right, me neither, just keep using the damn plipper Carry a can of diesel until you know which game the gauge is playing. What make is the stereo head unit? I read here the changer's Phillips but maybe the head's been changed, possibly by a lower form of life... Check it's not one of those stereos that have its' lights fed off the car's lights and the previous owner's not wired it up!

The supermarkets don't sell diesel where I live, nor do they pickle

[Harshan]

Wow, thanks for all the tips! Plenty to get on with there! lol

The fuel guage is a constant fluctuation, though it does seem to settle at a standstill 75% of the time. I'm hoping that is the true reading! Is it just an overly sensitive sensor or something?

I had a constantly fluctuating fuel gauge, it was there until I change the meter cluster and the Rev counter, it all started work fine with a new meter cluster. Hint is get hold of a new meter cluster and just unplug the existing one and plug the new one and see whether is there any difference.