Long Term Update: Peugeot 3008 1,6 THP

The comfy chair car developed a sniffle a month ago. It would start perfectly but after a kilometre of driving, would idle roughly as if one cylinder was not receiving its spark. It would soon clear and run as normal. Then the engine warning light decided that it was time to be booked off sick before the sniffle turned into pneumonia. This was accompanied by a warning that read “anti-pollution system faulty”.

It is likely that this is a generic warning message that may cover a number of issues. In this case (and in many others, no doubt) it could have been a reading from one of the oxygen sensors detecting a mixture imbalance.

So I booked the car in to Peugeot / Citroën Culemborg for some TLC. It turned out not to be a spark problem as anticipated even though we all know how temperamental coil packs have been over the last decade and presumably still are? It was the high pressure fuel pump and a solenoid valve that needed replacement. It took a few days to get the parts and the job was done. While there I asked the parts manager for a price on the glass roof that had to be replaced after being viciously attacked by a flying stone. I figured that such a huge glass panel in safety glass with tinting (must be quite a mission to transport such a heavy item) must cost the earth.

I guessed R12 000 and the actual price was close to R10 000. Always helps to expect more than the worst – then the shock isn’t so great!

Mileage now:  11 160 km

Fuel consumption: 9,41 litres/100 km

We like: versatility, long distance touring agility, user-friendly auto parking brake

We don’t like: fuel pump malfunction (warranty replacement)