Problems with Peugeot 206 (2003)

[Stephen74]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice. I recently had my car written off and needed to buy a car quickly and cheaply so I bought a Peugeot 206 and through a silly mistake by myself started to notice some problems.

1. Took the oil cap off and saw white gunge.
2. Checked the expansion tank and saw brown gunge.

Spoke to the place I bought it from and they said they would check it out and get it fixed if there was a problem. However, due to location, I chose to have it checked out by a local garage. They said nothing wrong. They said brown gunge was rad weld and they did point out that my oil low pressure light was not working.

100% it was working the day before I got it looked at as it kept coming on every time traffic stopped.

I've not had a chance to look at it until today (serviced 1 week ago) as I was suspicious of the light not working. I thought maybe the lightbulb needed replacing but turns out its an led.
I took the oil cap off and its still all white and gungy despite an apparent oil change. Looked in the expansion tank. No water, just what I thought was brown gunge, but when I went to stir it, its rock solid. I cant get to the clip to take it off and see if the pipes are bad as well.


The oil pressure switch seems to be in place but I don't know what to look for to see if it is working or has been tampered with.

I feel like i've been done over but I don't know how to go about resolving this. If there is an oil pressure issue and they have disabled the switch I could end up in serious trouble.

[Bob225]

more than likely the head gasket has gone oil in the water, water in the oil, pull the dip stick if it has emol on it you know its the head gasket

if its been driven like it, it may of warped the head and block and/or killed the oil pump, 2003 it would be scrap as its worth £5-600 in mint condition

[Stephen74]

My point here is I am being told by the garage there is nothing wrong with it other than the oil light not working, which it was 100% working before they did a service on it. I don't want to take it to yet another garage, so i'm looking for alternatives to try and see if there is a problem, and to see if there is something they may have deliberately done to the oil pressure switch to stop it working.



I've just bought the car so im not scrapping it. I cant just afford to swap cars willy nilly.

[Bob225]

Pull the dipstick and check the oil, there is no point in worrying about a sensor if there are bigger issues

if there is a issue with the head/block it will cost you the value of the car that's what I was saying

You said the oil light would come on when it come to a stop - that's a sign of a oil pressure issue what could be a duff sensor (that should throw a code) but you state that there are oil/water issues if that is the case the oil pump may have been damaged and trashed the engine, again it will cost more than the value of the car

[kellys_eye]

Do a full oil and coolant change. It may have been neglected in the past but the fact that you're driving the thing seems to indicate nothing 'too' amiss although the gunge isn't a good sign. But, then again, neglectful maintenance can cause such gunge to accumulate too.

Disrespectful garages may add additives to 'quieten' any rattles and cover any minor leaks but a blown head gasket is something that manifests itself as a BIG issue pretty darned quickly and if you've driven/used the car for many miles (?) then it's less likely a cause.

[wine~o]

The sludge could just be due to it being off road/not run for a while, check it's MOT history as a starter

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

Any significant gaps ?

You say you've had it serviced, I would expect that to include an oil and filter change and at least checking the state of the coolant. Sounds like they didn't check the coolant. Dipstick out and what is the state of the oil ? clear and bright or ???

The seller of the vehicle (I assume trade??) would be the best port of call, even if it is out of the way. They have a duty of care to make sure the vehicle is roadworthy and as described. From your initial post they offered to have a look at the vehicle and you really should take them up on the offer.

[Stephen74]

Bob225. I understand what you are saying and I agree. My point however is that I have two different garages telling me the head gasket is fine. I'm not convinced, which is why I went to a different garage in the first place, but it would be odd for them to say its ok as well if it was not.

Kellys_eye, Wine~o.
The service, according to their sheet, did include and oil change and coolant change. Again, i'm just not convinced as the bottom of my expansion tank is a lump of solid radweld.

My concern here is that the garage who did the service are lieing to me. Saw the car had a ton of engine problems and have just fobbed me off assuming I wont know any better or check further, and in the process, disabled the oil pressure light, which was definitely coming on the day before they looked at the car. Now, the expansion tank issue I can take up with them. I've bought a new tank, though i'm concerned about the state of the pipes.

What I can't tell is whether or not the oil pressure switch has just gone wrong of its own accord of they have somehow disabled it so it doesn't indicate a problem.
The oil on the dipstick looks fine, but the dipstick itself has been broken and im just waiting for a new one to turn up in the post along with my new expansion tank. Annoyingly I cant get to the tank to fix it myself.


I would take it back to the original garage but its finding the time. I work 9am to 11pm 5 days a week and at the moment i'm tied up on my days off as well.

Had a look at the MOT history. Lots of failures, mainly lights and tires, but also suspension which is worrying considering they've only been doing around 5000 miles between mot's. Doesn't look like the owner took a great deal of care (or any care) of the car at all and must have been driving on flat tyres or tearing up donuts in it to go through tyres every 5000 miles.

[Bob225]

What engine ? at a guess 1.1 manual ?

2 ways to read the sensor, physically with a multimeter or via obd2 with a reader

I will have to look up the sensor specs for the value

[Argyll]

Doesn't look like the owner took a great deal of care (or any care) of the car at all and must have been driving on flat tyres or tearing up donuts in it to go through tyres every 5000 miles

I'd imagine it's done more miles than stated and it's been clocked back every year. It only costs £60 to have it altered and loads of garages do this.

It definitely sounds like the head gasket. Depending how flush you are I'd splash out and get a full inspection done by the AA/RAC. I think you have 3 months guarantee with any car bought from a garage.

[Bob225]

A quick look and its a single wire and it uses the block as ground its either a spade connector or a grey socket type no more than £6 iirc its on the bottom/front of the filter housing (maybe thinking of the later cars with a paper filter)

engine off it should read closed, engine running it should be open - its a simple switch other things it could be is a loose earth, loose battery terminal, or a gauge cluster issue

if its the on that's in the filter housing it may just be gunked up from the lack of oil/filter changes (stuck open)

[Stephen74]

Argyll, I honestlly dont see the two previous owners both going to a garage every year to have the mileage rolled back. AA and RAC wont touch it because of the age.

Bob225, it's a 1.4 engine. It looks like its the sensor is a grey socket type. I can see it, can't easily get to it without raising the car up on something. All the other lights on the gauge cluster work fine and this light was working fine the day before the service. I may just buy some blocks and change it out myself.

[Bob225]

A quick search.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMMEJiJTXhg

[Argyll]

I honestly dont see the two previous owners both going to a garage every year to have the mileage rolled back

I know several people who do it.