Anti Pollution Fault - Result! or wot?

[Doggy]

Driving to work this morning when the engine management light came on, together with a genteel beep and the message, 'ANTI POLLUTION FAULT'
Now this happened 6 months or so ago, I fiddled a bit, changed the air filter and it went away a day or so later and didn't come back ... until today Shortly after I discovered it was in limp home mode too
Considered my options - service due in 500 miles, so do it now - changing the air & fuel filters might help.
Had a quick trawl on the web, particularly those fine, upstanding gentlemen on the 406 Coupe forum, as they have rather more 2.2 Hdi's, (aka tractors), than we do here on the proper site.
Now it seems others have had similar issues, oft mis-diagnosed as something really expensive, (turbo, FAP / additive, differential pressure sensor, solenoid valves, etc, etc). If you change that lot at Pug prices you'd spend more than I did on the car.
Some problems, (I discovered), are down to a little vacuum actuator that works a set of throttle butterflies, which regulate the intake airflow. This can fail for a variety of reasons - the test is simply to observe it move while working the accelerator from under the bonnet.....

Took ages to find mine, but I eventually found it on the gearbox end of the head and Eureka! the linkage has snapped off!

My initial euphoria at finding the problem has now abated a little, because:
a). Limp mode didn't happen again after getting to work.
b). The fault has cleared itself without me fixing the actuator.
c). How would it know this was broken in the first place?
d). According to ServicePox, this'll rush me £18.94 for the complete actuator, when its only the plastic rod end bearing thingy that's broke, (which is probably worth about 4p)

Guess I should still count myself lucky, but if anyone has an alternative suggestion for replacing the offending bit, (part of item 12 below), please do tell. Scrappy's the obvious answer, but not many 2.2 Hdi's to be found.

[steve_earwig]

That came pre-broke on my bro's C5, I don't think he said anything about am eml tho. His cure? Araldite...

[Captain Jack]

Don't those chaps on the coop forums replace the FAP pipe thing with a straight through one, therefore bypassing the whole malarkey?

[Doggy]

That came pre-broke on my bro's C5, I don't think he said anything about am eml tho. His cure? Araldite...

Interesting. I've since heard BMW dealers routinely remove the throttle butterflies to stop the engine ingesting them...?

Don't those chaps on the coop forums replace the FAP pipe thing with a straight through one, therefore bypassing the whole malarkey?

I've been watching that particular space for some time.....
AFAIK one gent removed the guts from both cat & FAP sections on a spare assembly he bought, but then sold his coop without ever fitting it.
A 2nd chap reported removing the inards from the FAP only, but never reported whether it worked or not.

Believe me, I would remove mine if I had some convincing evidence it would work long term, or preferably got a spare unit to play with, keeping the original 'in case'

[steve_earwig]

That came pre-broke on my bro's C5, I don't think he said anything about am eml tho. His cure? Araldite...

Interesting. I've since heard BMW dealers routinely remove the throttle butterflies to stop the engine ingesting them...?

Nice move, maybe I should remove my engine...

The jury is still well and truly out on the hollow FAP situation. The world needs a volunteer...

[Doggy]

Knew it was too good to be true - ANTI POLLUTION FAULT is back

Went in limp home mode again this eve - now this time I did notice a different noise, at first thought it was wind noise but realised it went if you lifted off and was too regular for gusts of wind.

Now, I'm thinking something temporarily putting the injection timing out?

It's natural to think this is likely to be FAP system related, but it's got all the same bits as any other HDi as well as the FAP. Could it be a camshaft or crank position sensor, TPS, MAF etc. etc? Any suggestions?

Next time I drove it, limp mode is gone as before

About a mile further on there was a distinct knock / clonk from NSF, repeated on every bump & each time you brake

Jacked it up / wheel off / examined, tugged everything in sight....nothing. Eventually found a bit of stone wedged behind the bottom wishbone inner rear mount - thinks can't be that, but the knock is gone.....
So's about a quarter of the rear section of the undertray so I've had to take it all off
Looks like the zorst's blowing from the front of the flexible too

[supafrisk]

I'm right with you there Doggy in the woe is meee corner.
I just spent £300 on a cam belt and bottom pulley change only to lose 3rd synchro on the g/box. I wasted 3 or 4 days calling and visiting various scrappers, all of whom claimed to have a "406 110bhp hdi box" only to have to tell them it wasn't the right one.
Then cue half of them saying "Oh... right... you have THE ODDBALL box in your car".
I even had one peugeot/rover breakers in coventry attempt to sell me the wrong box (linkage operated, not cable) and they tried to tell me the linkages/cables were "interchangeable, all you have to do is swop brackets". This is the same breakers that 5 minutes after my final "No I'm not buying it" tried to talk me into buying a 206 hdi gearbox (and yes they did tell me it would fit)
Finally got a box from NCS in Narborough Kings Lynn, the guys were spot on and knew their pugs (being a citroen/peugeot breakers they should do) and sold me one out of a C5 which was identical for £225.
New clutch and solid flywheel was £575 including new gear oil.
A colleague told me I had a bad earth on the rear so I took it in half an hour ago for my mechanics to take a look - they found the fault, the plug going into the n/s/r cluster had a burnt pin, unfortunately as we were attempting to clean it up we must have shorted it and now I have no tail lights, although reverse, brakes and indicator and the fog light works. We have checked every fuse under the bonnet with a tester and they're all ok, we've checked all under the drivers side of the dash and theyr'e ok too. I've run home on my O/S fog light to get my Haynes manual and according to the Good Book it is fuses 34 and 35 that I need to check, however my haynes states they're in the passenger compartment
Are there more fuses that I haven't come across before?

[supafrisk]

Oh and my radiator fan motor is knackered still and I can't seem to source one (twin fan model). I'm using the original as a paperweight in the front room at the moment. Need a new catalytic converter and flexi hose as well and next brake pad change is a biggie - discs and pads all round including handbrake
At least the 306 sw is a goer at the moment, flew all the way to kings lynn and back on 1/4 of a tank with 2 gearboxes in the boot on the way back (and they're bloody heavy)
The only thing I need to do to that is possible vaccuum pump (brakes are rock hard and don't work for 5 minutes first thing but okay afterwards) and clutch as it's stiff, heavy and you have to dip the pedal ALL the way to the floor and it doesn't always return (me and a colleague thought it was pedal box related, but the local clutch clinic swear the clutch is scrued as it's cable operated not hydraulic).
Apart from that how I wish I could transplant the engine into the 406 cos it goes like the proverbial sh*t off the shovel

Oh, N.B. for those wishing for a remap for Xmas, I thought mine was a siemens (therefore not suitable for remapping) as the fuel filter is a siemens. So is the fuel filter bowl. However when I finally got off my *rse to take the cover off, turns out the rest of the fuel system is a Bosch. Would you Adam and Eve it, eh?

[jasper5]

I'm right with you there Doggy in the woe is meee corner.
I just spent £300 on a cam belt and bottom pulley change only to lose 3rd synchro on the g/box. I wasted 3 or 4 days calling and visiting various scrappers, all of whom claimed to have a "406 110bhp hdi box" only to have to tell them it wasn't the right one.
Then cue half of them saying "Oh... right... you have THE ODDBALL box in your car".
I even had one peugeot/rover breakers in coventry attempt to sell me the wrong box (linkage operated, not cable) and they tried to tell me the linkages/cables were "interchangeable, all you have to do is swop brackets". This is the same breakers that 5 minutes after my final "No I'm not buying it" tried to talk me into buying a 206 hdi gearbox (and yes they did tell me it would fit)
Finally got a box from NCS in Narborough Kings Lynn, the guys were spot on and knew their pugs (being a citroen/peugeot breakers they should do) and sold me one out of a C5 which was identical for £225.
New clutch and solid flywheel was £575 including new gear oil.
A colleague told me I had a bad earth on the rear so I took it in half an hour ago for my mechanics to take a look - they found the fault, the plug going into the n/s/r cluster had a burnt pin, unfortunately as we were attempting to clean it up we must have shorted it and now I have no tail lights, although reverse, brakes and indicator and the fog light works. We have checked every fuse under the bonnet with a tester and they're all ok, we've checked all under the drivers side of the dash and theyr'e ok too. I've run home on my O/S fog light to get my Haynes manual and according to the Good Book it is fuses 34 and 35 that I need to check, however my haynes states they're in the passenger compartment
Are there more fuses that I haven't come across before?

Yes, fuses 34 and 35 for the tail lights, listed in my book under the dash under the drivers side (large fuse box, not the small one)...not Haynes BTW. I have a vague recollection of seeing a fuse box under the passengers side, but I may well be thinking of something else.

Regarding your clutch, I would be thinking cable fault rather than clutch, certainly that would be my starting point.

[supafrisk]

Thanks mate, I DID ask them to put a new cable on but they told me it was deffo the clutch, he popped the bonnet whilst the car was stationary with the engine off and made me pump the clutch pedal and he said he could hear it making a noise and said it was the clutch that had knackered the cable and he would not put a cable on as it wouldn't last long. Base op had a look months ago when I first got it and he said he thought it was the pedal box as it seems to be at an angle as if someone has took it out and not put it back in properly?

[jasper5]

Take off the cable at the gearbox side and feel how the inner cable moves, if it feels at all tight, replace it.

Regarding the pedal box, unlikely to be that, but to check it, remove the cable completely and check the movement of the pedal and the security of the pedal box, eg, if the box has collapsed (broken up where the clutch pedal mounts.

I would still fit a new cable, nothing lost because then you know the clutch needs replacing, the cable isn't going to break straight away, after all, the old one is still working.

[supafrisk]

Thanks mate, will try that.
Got to sort out the back lights on the 406 first though
P.S. how many fog lights do the 406's have? I always thought they had two but my mechanic when testing the lights said the n/s/r fog can't work as there is no wire going into the plug for it (but there's a bulb there? )

[jasper5]

The O/S is the only one required by law, the N?S is usually not wired.

BTW, I keep forgetting to post the address of my local Peugeot breakers...here goes for your information and everyone else....
http://www.pugcit.co.uk/

Please note, I am merely posting this for info purposes, I have nothing to do with these people and make no claims for how good they are or otherwise.

[mjb]

P.S. how many fog lights do the 406's have?

Two, but only one working from factory

[Doggy]

F34 is O/S/F & N/S/R sidelight, F35 is N/S/F, O/S/R & number plate lights.
HBOL sats they're in the passenger fusebox, (12-fuse) as opposed to passenger fusebox, (28-fuse).