Limp mode, no breakdown cover and 125 miles from home

Made it to Ballinluig so far…was behind a tractor for a chunk which helped my guilt at slowing traffic!

#PrayforDick

Oh. Wait.
errm.
Ahem.
😟

Erm, do I now have to send you the contact details of my S&M WhatsApp group?

The A9, earlier this afternoon just south of Ballinluig…

😆

That age engine might be the 8 valve not 16 valve which allegedly you don’t see the same regularity of turbo problems as the older 16v. We have / have had a number of those engines (8v and 16v) to decent mileages in the household and touch wood no turbo problems. Regular changes of the correct oil is also meant to reduce issues. We just had a 112k mile slightly leaky sump off for re-sealing and it was spotless around the oil pickup.

We’ve had two motorway breakdowns over the years (different vehicles but that engine) which were fuel pressure related. One was the pressure rail sensor (£30 for an original part). The other was a tiny hole rubbed in a plastic fuel pipe allowing it to suck air bubbles in. That is an easy check – squeeze the priming bulb a few times and you’ll hear the gurgle of fuel and then it goes hard. With the leaky pipe you could hear it suckling air through the tiny hole.

But unusual fan behaviour could suggest something else – you really need someone to diagnose the fault codes. But as the second one above – sometimes the sensor is telling the truth so it needs diagnosing rather than just swapping parts randomly.

Made it back and car now at garage… thankfully they waited until I’d left before rubbing their hands.

Will find out tomorrow how grim it is…however, Perth roundabout was a mild panic as although the car moved, it didn’t move quickly…however, made it round. Got to Keir roundabout and went through Bridge of Allan and town…was a much more relaxing drive when I could only do 30mph as a maximum.

If anyone was on the A9 southbound from 11.30 until 16.00, then I’m very sorry for holding you up!

Away overnight for a bike ride today at Badaguish and then Laggan and other than lying on the bed in the place, none of the rest of the plan happened! Serves me right for taking a day off work.

Having said that, two cars that did exactly what you describe would reset if switched off and then restarted… VAG group, not Peugeot.

My old Octavia used to do it, I quickly learned that keeping the revs up, pressing the clutch in, turning the engine off, waiting a couple of seconds then turning it back on getting the revs back up and gently letting the clutch back in meant I kept driving it for a few years until I gave it away. Turbo dying, apparently, it did have 160,000 on it, and had never been serviced… 🤷🏼

^thats the variable geometry vanes of the turbo sticking, Mrmuscle oven cleaner fixed it. My PD130 used to do it.

Garage has just called…fuel injector has failed, so only using 3 which is why it was in limp mode…getting it replaced at £650…

Garage has just called…fuel injector has failed, so only using 3 which is why it was in limp mode…getting it replaced at £650…

I wouldnt look at the cost of fuel injectors, must be some hours of labour cost

The AA replaced an injector (may not have been fuel) at the roadside in my 64 plate Partner Tepee last year for £408, so hope you’re not being ripped off!

My tepee lost a injector, RAC could have replace the ones on the front of the engine at the side of the road, the back side however involved rocking the engine forward so was a garage job

£650…

Seems rather high. Unless it is buried behind half the engine…

no breakdown cover

Yeah, but you can ring them and get cover. price might be more, but still less than having it and not using it for the preceeding however many years?

Else

Cycle the ignition a few times. Some ECUs take 2 or 3 ignition cycles before they self clear some codes. My transporter was limping cause of a stuffed turbo, but as long as you could pull over and cycle the ignition twice, it always went away (until you overpressured the turbo, the wastegate was stuck shut).

Then mobile mechanic? plenty of those around

Then quotes to join the RAC, vs quotes for private recovery

@DickBarton

Nothing to add, just want to say I hope you get it sorted/get home ok.

Been in a similar situation once and it’s ****.

My Zafira 1.9 Tdi (Fiat engine I believe) would do it often – would ring fine then suddenly when you were asking for a bit of power (not just flat out) it would go into half-power mode and a disco light show take place on the dash.  Power would return after a Control-Alt-Delete of stopping and locking the car for a few mins.  And would sometimes recover after 10 or 15 mins.

£12 OBD reader would allow reset and go too.  I eventually had one plugged in permanently.

Total bag of shiite car as far as the engine was concerned.  Eventually the repair costs were too high and I got rid.

–

They had to remove a fair chunk to get it replaced so sounds like it was one of the rear ones.

Thanks @Poopscoop – was ‘ok’ on the dual carriageway sections but not good on the single lane stuff…I thankfully got behind a tractor just after Dalwhinnie down to Pitlochry so the delay wasn’t me for that bit.

Legs and shoulders are nipping today as I hadn’t realised how stressed I was driving back down the road!

Fixed now and given the queue of cars they had to be worked on, I’m guessing I skipped the queue (I’m a regular at the garage for car servicing), so not complaining about the price.

Just stumbled across this thread. Should be a peugeot partner STW owners club…

My Partner tepee, 2011, just had an injector go. garage got a re manufactured one for £90 vs £300 so all in cost about £250 with a couple of hours labour and vat.

That said, the van is still at the garage. The fuel line clamp sealed, didn’t, so pissed diesel, then the expansion bolts wouldn’t stay tight, so blew smoke from the engine, and the injector clamp on one of the others is borked. should get it back today though.

had to get a recovery truck out to get me from Crow road carpark, which, if anyone is looking at getting breakdown cover, don’t go with emergency assist/covermybreakdown. after 45 minutes of being on hold, I finally managed to talk to a call centre, with the line cutting in and out constantly.

after answering lots of questions, including the kerb weight of the vehicle and exact postcode of where it was at, as W3W would take longer for them to find me ?!? then a 10 minute discussion about us being a few miles from the postcode and we were not in fact in the carpark at wheelcraft!

so..recovery truck time of 2 hours, but would call when confirmed.

they called back 30 minutes later, no one available.

By this time, I’d arranged a lift back to the house from my MIL, called for an update, still no availability, so said I’d deal with it in the morning.

Called back in the morning, another 20 minute wait to get the call answered this time, and another 2 hour wait for the recovery truck.

only advantage is that we have the tepee as a micro camper, so on we were eating bacon and sausage rolls and fresh coffee while waiting.

Interestingly, way before the injector went, I was getting ‘risk of clogging’ warnings periodically. garage checked, regen was OK, DPF was OK, fluid levels OK, nothing really obvious. what they think now is that the injector was iffy and on it’s way out, preventing a full regen, hence the light.

That sounds a bit more of an adventure than I had!

Still trying to work out if we keep it or get it moved on. If we keep, I’ll need to book it in for the timing belt replacement!

I’ve just done my Blingno timing belt / knackered water pump!
Nice easy job.

I know, my OH was saying to me, if it’s more than a grand it’s getting sold!

the problem is, you get to know them, and the little niggles, so tend to keep them regardless of the niggles meaning they’re in the garage a few times a year at £300 a pop…

we’re on the hunt for something slightly larger anyway, so maybe this is the last garage adventure for it.

They do make great little micro campers. I’ve got a small kitchen unit in mine, about maybe 40cm deep, at the tailgate. when we sleep in it, I just pull out the bench bed I made, drop both front seats flat and even at 6’2 I can stretch right out. Cosy, but it works for a few days away, with B&B’s in between to shower properly and be more comfortable.

I’ve just done my Blingno timing belt / knackered water pump!
Nice easy job

weirdly, I can fully service and fettle a multitude of bike parts, refurb brakes, strip and shim suspension, but when it comes to cars, I don’t touch them. no idea why, maybe something to do with lack of workspace, or maybe to do with, bikes, if I mess up, it’s just me riding it, and I’ll likely not be going that fast, whereas in a car, It’s everyone precious, and 70mph.

I have a mate who’s the opposite. no problem fannying about with cars, but when it comes to bikes, he’s not keen on breaking it.

Isn’t the root cause of the turbo failures with that era engine there injector seal/washers?  The seal leaks, oil gets drawn into the cylinder, soot gums up the turbo/egr, or was it combusted crap through into the valve cover contaminating the oil which lead to starvation?  Something like that?

Might be worth asking if they think doing the rest of the injector seals whilst it’s in bit is worthwhile.

when it comes to cars, I don’t touch them. no idea why, maybe something to do with lack of workspace

Some of it is more complicated, some of it is easier, but access to most of it is a total bastard.  The best you can hope for is being able to get at the thing whilst lying on the floor on your back.  Also, stuck bolts are an even worse problem.

Aye, from a practical point of view, it is a superb vehicle. As much as I’m really liking the Enyaq I’m driving, I really miss the Partner for just chucking stuff in and going…