I have a 1998 406 1.9td with 70k miles with a varying idle speed. Most of the time it idles at just over 1000rpm(which I think is too high) and occasionally it drops to approx 850-900 rpm for short periods. What should the idle speed be at normal operating temperature? What would be causing this variation?
I have also discovered some dampness around the spare wheel... any suggestions?
The car is becoming increasingly reluctant to start even when warm. I have to let the glowplug light extinguish and then another few seconds before it fires up. Do the glowplugs need changed? How do I check them?
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I guess you have only recently aquired the car. Could the change in idle speed be the additional load intermittently generated by the electric fan, or a/c compressor?
Dampness around spare wheel - I assume this is under the boot carpet. Not all that helpful I'm afraid, but water must be getting in. Check there is an un-obstructed drain hole in the bottom of the well and try to find where the water is entering. A hose pipe can be useful with this!
Glow plugs won't affect starting when warm. I'll let someone more diesel-expert comment.
hth,
Andy
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If the car starts OK when cold, then warm start problems won't have anything to do with the glowplugs.
Both my 309 and 306 diesels have (and always have had) a similar characteristic. I always let the glowplug light go out whether the engine is cold or hot, and then ...
1. When cold it starts immediately (within one engine revolution).
2. When warm it usually takes a couple of engine revolutions to start.
If this is what you are talking about, it's just a characteristic of the engine.
Ian
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It could possibly an air leak in the fuel system.If it's drawing in air, albeit a small amount, this could account for the variation in idle speed as well as the reluctance to start when warm.
Not absolutely confident on this, but I would look to exclude it.
Idle should be (I think) around 800 to 900 rpm.
If the engine is warm/hot it should fire up almost immediately. The glow plugs have little or no effect on the starting on a very warm/hot engine.
Reggie
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Ian T, my 306 has the exact same starting characteristics. When stone cold it starts immediatley but when hot it takes a couple of spins. But i always let the glow plug light go out. If i don't let the light go out it is very reluctant to start,even when the engineis hot. Anyone know why this might be? Just curious really!
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My Xantia TD is the same - it won't start hot without the glowplugs - I suspect the valve clearances want adjusting, but I can't be bothered the faff about taking the camshaft out to adjust them....! There's also a suggestion that a small air leak can open up in the fuel filter when it's hot, causing the reluctance to start hot. Battery and starter needs to be in tip-top condition as well (mine isn't, very slow cranking).
Now back to the original post....
The idle should be 1000 rpm cold, or when the A/C is engaged. It should drop to about 850 when the engine warms up (A/C off). On a 1998 car it will be vacuum activated controlled by electronic solenoid (there are two of these, the other controls the EGR). To check it's working - run the engine from cold without the A/C on, and the idle should drop suddenly when it reaches about 65°C. Now switch the air con on, and it should come back up to 1000 rpm. If not, the valve / wiring / vacuum piping is suspect.
As to the water in the boot - ISTRM something about water leaking past the rear light clusters on these cars?
A failed glow plug will usually manifest itself as misfiring / white / grey smoke straight after start up - unless multiple plugs have failed, it should still start straight away. If it takes a few turns to start, but then fires up and runs nicely straight away then suspect an air leak in the fuel system - I would look at the injector leak off hoses first.
--
RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Thanks for all the advice. Much appreciated. Will try to make some time to have a look under the bonnet. They are not major problems but I do like things to be right. Family have had Peugeot diesels since 1983 and I like to keep up with tradition. Good car otherwise!
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I had water in wheelwell and under back seat of my '96 150000 miler, an ancient bump to the back bumper caused a leak in the left side of the boot where the bumper nuts enter the body. Look under the left storage bin and see if there is water in that well, I used silicon to seal the holes in the well and where the water entered. The water tracked through holes in the storage well along the wiring loom and black sound damping material. You see lots of these 406's with this type of bumper knock so I hope it's of some use.
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