406 water in footwells :-(

I'm losing water, mostly into the passenger footwell, but a small amount
into the drivers side too...... Already used radweld which bought me the
last 3 months or so (put it in when I first detected the coolant smell). Car
is 1998 estate. Is this likely to be the heater matrix, or rubber connecting
hose that has been mentioned here before?

Either way, I guess this it gonna cost me :-( .....anyone know how much?

John

 

If it were a 405 I would say it's most likely to be the rubber o-rings
where the matrix is connected to the water system, otherwise the matrix
itself ... but I don't know how much a 406 differs from a 405!

If it were a 405 then this link would help. It's for a Rangerover, but
the o-ring contruction is virtually identical
http://rangerovers.net/repairdetails/heateroring.html

Matrix for a 405 is (was) £50 from Peugeot. They say you have to take
the fascia off and all up cost is £500 in London. (Worth going to France
where it's cheaper) But on a 405 you can take the glove box out. But a
406 might be different ... I'll watch this thread with interest

Cheers

 

The matrix can be removed by removing the glovebox, as the 405. Then
you can prperly see whether it is the matrix itself or the o-rings. I
don't know how much a matrix is from Peugeot, but you should be able
to get one cheaper from a radiator place. The book time for doing the
job is under 2 hours.

 

Local Peugeot dealer (Warners, Gloucester) who I have found in the past to
be quite good, quote:

Labour £352 including vat
O rings 39p each!
Matrix £44 plus vat

Now the question is, is my saturday worth £352.............

 

I may be corrected, but I was told by three Peugeot garages (the third
in France) that the book time is around five hours because they have to
take the whole fascia out.... BUT we're still talking about a 405 and
have yet to hear if a 406 is the same set up.

On a 405 a temporary solution to stop the flood while heat not required
is to clamp the hoses at the bulkhead inside the engine compartment, or
release the hoses (whoich can be difficult) and bridge with a ubend pipe
and jubilee clips.

Cheers,

 

Book time 4 hours for 406 (according to Warners, Gloucester)....that makes
the labour rate £75 an hour plus vat! Pahh...

 

I'm going to look in to this. I understood the book time was under 2
hours. Maybe there is a difference between an early and a late 406. I
shall find out tomorrow.
As for the 405. The early models, up to 1992, were easy to change the
matrix, around an hour. But the facelift models were different and
they increased the time to 6 hours because of the different dash. In
the event, we found out it can be done in around 2 hours by loosening
the dash and pulling it out while removing the matrix--a 2 man job.
Anyway, 405,406,early, late, always renew the o-rings!

 

The book time is 1.4 hours. It used to be 4 hours, and a dash removal,
but then someone discovered they could do it without removing the
dash, and I guess Peugeot heard about it, looked in to it, and
modified the time.
Interestingly, the time for later 405s is still 6 hours although it is
well known it can be done in 2!!

 

Thanks Nigel!

After being quoted 4 hours labour (£352) plus the parts at my local Pug
dealership, I mentioned to the service manager that I thought the book
figure had been reduced to 1.4 hours. The result was that the total price
for the job including vat and new matrix came in at £193. They even made up
the coolant strength with some they had "lying around".

I don't know if the price would have come out the same if I hadn't mentioned
it.....

John

 

Amazing what you come across! I was going to suggest the same thing but
someone beat me to it.

I wrote most of that RangeRovers.Net page!

Ron

 

I can only say "Thank you". It's amazingly helpful when you are diving
under the dash wondering what you'll find. But I think someone else here
originally pointed it out. I've saved it on my harddrive.