My car is a Peugeot 308 CC it’s a 2006 (old I know) 94000km. Never given me a problem until this past weekend when it started to sound like a sewing machine. My friend Google said it’s the timing belt but I think that was replaced at about 80000. I have been looking to replace it with a second hand car but yet to find one.
Peugeot can’t give me an appointment for another 2 weeks.
Any suggestions?
Petrol or diesel? It’s going to be almost impossible to diagnose from what info you’ve given I’m afraid. Is there anyone that can help listen to various parts of the engine (keep hands/hair well away)?
You need to be listening for noises from various pullies, alternator, water pump, cylinder head… is it all the time from the engine, or just when moving? Are there any other problems- electrical/charging?
Maybe a local independent garage could look at it a lot quicker.
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Independent small garage every time. Stuff main dealers and their ridiculous prices and excuses. Using a local or nearby garagiste, you can make a good reliable contact for any future problems and they like to take care of regulars or else they won’t have a business.
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Provided they are not a front national supporter. Local garage made a mess of BIL’s at a cost of €1100 and he still has the problem. Known to dislike non french people.
Thank you for your prompt replies, you are the best. It’s a petrol car. No noises when idling only when driving. I have a local garage but he is so popular, also waiting list.
I know it’s almost impossible to diagnose online. Nothing seems to rattle or shake, passed the contrôle technique in July 23
Is this something Norauto could diagnose?
Thank you Mark going to drive the garage with the good reputation and pray I don’t break down en route
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Cars make a variety of noises when things wear out or break. There’s a good chance Norauto could diagnose it if the guys there are good, but OTOH from what I’ve seen they’re like a French version of Halfords so probably not.
So on tick over its ok? But under power its more noisy than usual, have you smooth acceleration or does it feel lumpy and jerky?
Any dashboard warning lights?
Is the sound related to engine rpm or vehicle speed?
Is it heard under braking or acceleration?
Is it heard when cornering?
Is it heard when the engine is cold or when it is hot?
Are the oil and coolant levels correct?
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Lucky old you! Don’t go anywhere near them unless you have gold plated, set in stone recommendations from numerous past customers.
Ha! Spring chicken! My 307SW diesel is 2007 on 233k kms. My 2004 Opel Movano van was on 297k kms when I bought it. Sold to a happy chap on 345k kms.
Your car, barring catastophic failure of a major part and looked after properly, is good for another 100k kms+, no problem.
When I arrived in FR in Oct 2020 with the engine warning light up on the dash of my 307 diesel - it came on 30 mins after I bought the car and set off from Weston-s-Mare for a new life in FR - I went to the local Peugeot agency [Lemmonier] in Torigni [50]. After plugging in their laptop they reported the particle filter needed replacing.
€900 later, 5 mins down the road - engine light again.
This time, after ‘consulting’ the tech dept of Peugeot HQ, the diagnosis was ‘turbo duff - replace for €1200.’ As Mandy Rice-Davies so memorably said, “They would say that, wouldn’t they?”
As their work had not solved the problem, at a cost of €900 first time, I decided to pass. The car was driveable and I’d twigged how to reset it after it went into ‘limp mode’.
Then came the day when
Without me asking, the truck took the car to the very indy garage in Vire, where I now live, that a neighbour had recommended months earlier,
They reckoned the problem was a faulty sensor sending a false fault signal to the CCU. They changed one. No result. Changed another. No result. Changed a third. Result! No probs ever since. Cost? +/- €300.
I had them do all the advisories on the previous CT before the next one. These guys are gold.
They are, as the Michelin foodie guide says “Worth a detour”.
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Yep, disconnect the battery for 15-30 mins normally works. Then re connect and wait another 15 mins before starting. Another thing Sandi can try.
Oh the black art of the DPF, driving along a motorway for a good distance will clean them in most cases, short journeys are the usual issue.
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Very much easier/quicker than that. Pull over - Stop - turn off - count to 10 - start and go. Worked every time. I had to do it many, many times when I drove from Vire to Valencia.
This also worked when my Merc got its gear-change brains scrambled and went into limp mode.
A local garage down there replaced a pollution system part and the light was gone.
1000kms across Spain to the border at Hendaye, never a glimmer of that light.
100m into FR, the douanes pulled me over to check my papers, inc vaccination stuff [still dodgey Covid times] . All good.
Now on FR soil, I started the car - bloody light came on! This car does not like being in FR! But fixed by indy garage, as above.
Like all these chains and franchises, it’s entirely dependent on the staff in that branch. Occasionally, they’re excellent.
The Halfords in Cheltenham were good for MoTs of Class 7 - my Movano 3.5t van. I was impressed by the service. I also had a pleasant surprise at the instant and no-quibble replacement of a Kwik-Fit supplied battery which had failed just days before the g’tee. ran out.
Yes - that’s known as an Italian tune-up. It’s high revs that does the biz, getting the turbo really hot to burn off the carbon crud.
15-20 mins in 3rd when the car would rather be in 5th will do it … 3.5k to 4k r.p.m.
My car had not done 3k miles p.a. for the three years before I bought it. Perfect conditions for gumming up the turbo and DPA system.
I gave it large in 3rd a good way from Weston to Portsmouth but that didn’t work. The system may well have been sooted up but after new parts the fault was eventually found to be false ‘fault’ signal from a sensor.
I don’t do much more than trundle to the s/mkt and back now, so I gun it in 3rd up the hill to the Carrefour r.p. and occasionally run another 10kms down the Caen road in 3rd.
Depending on what type of alternator you have, and if it is the sewing machine noise you have, it is likely to be alternator - but difficult to diagnose exactly from an armchair.
After that, yes, timing belt. You say it was replaced at 80k - you do little mileage, so maybe four years ago…? These belts need to be replaced at five years max, four is better.
Thank you for your help, the good news is that there is nothing wrong with the car, the garage deserves its reputation so happy I went there. It’s like when your child is in agony take him to the Dr and nothing wrong, this is the example the mechanic used, not me. He, Nicholas, took it for a run then put it on a machine and nothing.The positive is I have found a great garage in Montpellier if anyone wants their contact. They also said if it happens again I should not bother to call just go there.
Thank you for your help.
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Yep, thanks, post the contact. I have looked high and low for someone to reassure me that my car has nothing wrong with it when it developes a sewing macine noise 
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You had me in stiches there Adam.
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That’s normally a compliment. It’s when it starts sounding like a concrete mixer you need to worry.
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