2001 (51) 307 1.4 HDI sluggish when cold

My wife said her car was sluggish when cold especially in first & second
gear. I hade a drive in it and agreed with her, and also noticed a slight
sound similar to a pinhole in a manifold. My wife took it to a Peugeot
dealer and the mechanic that road tested it said it is probably the gearbox!
He said they could put it on a diagnostic machine for the engine, but if
this did not show anything they would have to strip the gearbox. I phoned a
friend (good catchphrase) and he said what a load of C*** If it were the
gearbox it would be making horrendous noises and not mysteriously robbing
power.
He said it is more likely injection, waste gate or turbo. I am going to let
him have a go in it at the weekend. Anyone got any ideas?

 

YES dont take it to the peugeot garage unless you got lots of money to
waste.sound like it needs a cleaner put in the with the diesel or
petrol, try that first.

 

Hi,

I agree, definitively doesn't look like a gearbox problem. As said above, it
would be slighty noisy (not just the little whining we're all used to),
cracky, bumpy, either locking or unlocking gears by itself (like for example
jumping to neutral on deacceleration).

I'm surprised by "1st and 2nd gears", it seems to me that a sluggish car is
sluggish on every gear.

HTH,

 

I have a 1.4 HDI 307 and had the same problem, though at all
temperatures. No faults were recorded on Diag. Turned out to be a
blocked Cat. When taken off, which is relatively easy, and shaken it
rattled. The insides had come loose and turned 90 degrees, effectively
blocking the exhaust gases. Or partially amyway. The temporary fix was
to break it up with a hammer and screwdriver and tip it out, leaving
an empty canister. This worked well until I could get a new one.