Peugeot 207 - MOT fail due Blue smoke from exhaust

WIAWSNB

Did Kwikfit say the Lamda sensor was actually faulty, or just giving a bad reading? Was the garage you took it to afterwards one you use regularly? Do you know their reputation?

It's disappointing they didn't do a proper dignostic check as this would likely help you make a decision on the car. If the lamda sensor is broken, then it might be an easy and cheap fix. If the remaining issue with your car is general engine wear which is why you have blue smoke, then you could consider upping the oil viscosity a level or two.

What does your engine take? 0W or 5W-30? If so you should be ok going up to 10W-40. You could do this just for an MOT and revert back to the proper grade afterwards, certainly as winter approaches. Since the value of the car doesn't appear to make it cost effective to repair then you are limited in your options, unless the garage wants to buy it for a fair price.

Worth googling for examples of this being done. Are you on a Peugeot forum, for example? There even seems to be oils made for this job like Mag1 but I don't know anything about them.

WIAWSNB

You need to be happy doing what i said! Don;t use thicker oil unless you are ok with this.

makara

facade said:

"He may be having you on.

More than likely he is offering scrap money for your car because he knows that he can fix it up enough to punt on to someone else for around £1000 profit"

I too had that suspicion when he immediately said without checking that he already knows what the issue is 

- and I am always suspicious when a mechanic kindly offers to scrap the car - especially as this guy said he has loads of 207 engines lying around 

"If it is actually valve stem seals causing the oil burning, they can be changed easily (if somewhat expensively due to the labour cost) which will "cure" the problem for a short while- and may even have been done to "get rid" just before you bought it!"

This car has had oil leak issues in nearly every MOT advisory since the 8 years we've had it - and more than one mechanic has told us it's leaking from more than one place 

"I'd try another small garage who know this engine for a quote, they can likely quote you over the 'phone if you tell them what it has failed on and it smokes when revved, definitely not Halfords!

If they can sort it for now for sensible money you won't need to replace it for several years"

I've discussed it with my mother as technically she bought the car - she thinks anything up to £800 as a total repair bill is worth spending to keep the car - but not the £1000 plus he is quoting - would you agree on an £800 upper limit being reasonable for parts and labour? 

Many thanks 

makara

WIAWSNB said:

Did Kwikfit say the Lamda sensor was actually faulty, or just giving a bad reading?

Was the garage you took it to afterwards one you use regularly? Do you know their reputation?

What does your engine take? 0W or 5W-30? .

Are you on a Peugeot forum, for example? There even seems to be oils made for this job like Mag1 but I don't know anything about them.

Kwik Fit I think said bad reading - but they couldn't tell the reason


The garage is a one-man band I believe - he's done good work for us in the last few years - Starter Motor replacement / some other part (EDIT - it was the Slave Cylinder) that was stopping the gears from engaging / services / new Rocker / new clutch - all good work to my non mechanic eye / and a bit cheaper than others quoted

OIL is 5w30

Someone on a Reddit Peugeot forum suggested trying this - 

https://amzn.eu/d/cN26Xm5 

Any clues on whether it might help the MOT pass?  Seems to have mostly positive reviews 

makara

Someone on a Reddit Peugeot forum suggested trying this - 

https://amzn.eu/d/cN26Xm5 

Any clues on whether it might help the MOT pass?  Seems to have mostly positive reviews 

SiliconChip

10,000 miles in 8 years is an astoundingly low mileage and very likely means that the cost of ownership is not viable, taking taxis or using public transport may well be significantly cheaper.

facade

There isn't a magic fluid that will get it through the MOT now.

I obviously haven't even seen the car, but I am guessing that the continual oil burning has finally damaged the lambda sensor, and now the car is running rich, this together with the burning oil has blocked the catalyst.

A cheap replacement catalyst is about £100 + fitting, a cheap lambda sensor around £25, so around £200-£250 ought to get it through the MOT. With your mileage it may well go through a couple more afterwards before the new catalyst blocks up.

Valve stem seals I really have no idea, but they will also cure some oil leaks as they have to take off the valve cover and replace with new gaskets. It could well cost the remaining £550 to replace them- the cams have to come off.

I don't think it is worth doing the valve seals at that sort of price, I'd chance how long the catalyst lasts, but I'd fit it myself- £100 every other or third year to get an MOT is pretty good!

makara

facade said:

He may be having you on.

More than likely he is offering scrap money for your car because he knows that he can fix it up enough to punt on to someone else for around £1000 profit. 

Something I just remembered which suggests to me that you may be right...


Yesterday practically right after I arrived at the garage, and he told me "it's worth scrap now"   - an elderly guy strolled up - looked at him - then weirdly looked at me - and started a strange spiel about "I've lived around here for ages - but never come down here..."

He appeared to be looking in my (and therefore also in my car's behind me) general direction

He asked my mechanic where the guy who painted cars now was - and did my mechanic have his number

Mechanic gets out BOTH his mobile phones - makes a show of looking for the number - but then doesn't actually GIVE any number to the elderly guy - who in turn ALSO walked off without waiting for the number to be given

I now suspect the mechanic wants to sell my car to this elderly chap who lives right near the garage - and had contacted him just before I arrived to take a look at my car...

Also odd was that I had contacted the mechanic the very day of the MOT failure (March 8th - so 10 days ago now...) to ask if I could bring the car down for him to check

- after initially saying "Yes" he then texted to say he couldn't look at it - and then he caused further delays by not responding to my texts asking WHEN I could come...almost as if he was intentionally waiting for me to have less and less time for the 2-week MOT re-test window

Of course all the above is speculation on my part - but the "passer-by" was very conveinently "passing by" just after I arrived!

EDIT - and he also knows the clutch is new - as HE replaced it for me just over a year ago - as is the Rocker cover that he replaced along with the clutch - plus he knows the car is ULEZ compliant

- so a nice little sale for him...

...except I won't be giving it to HIM for "scrap" after remembering all the above!

angrycrow

Had one of these 1.6 prince engined 207s years ago. It drank oil by the bottle full getting through best part of a litre every 1000 miles and destroyed the catalytic converter every few years. I suspect the person who drove into it and wrote it off did me a favour.

makara

angrycrow said:

Had one of these 1.6 prince engined 207s years ago. It drank oil by the bottle full getting through best part of a litre every 1000 miles and destroyed the catalytic converter every few years. I suspect the person who drove into it and wrote it off did me a favour.

Hilarious about doing you a favour - but I know what you mean - some accidents happen for a reason