Buyers Guide

Anything related to the 206CC
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Capncol
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Buyers Guide

Post by Capncol »

Peugeot 206CC Buyers guide.

Never look at a car in the dark, or the rain!
The car should be presented in a clean condition with all documents available for inspection.
It is wise to have downloaded the owners manuals from this site and familiarised yourself with the operation of the car.


Firstly make sure the car you are looking at *IS* the car as described in the V5C. Gather together the service history, V5C (logbook) any documentation, and the MOT certificates. You should have 2 keys and a plastic card with the keycode on it, the service book, and owners manual.
Make sure the VIN numbers visible in the bottom passenger side of windscreen and boot threshold match the V5C, and also match the Vin No: as shown on the MOT(S)

Check the mileage records in the service record against the mot mileages (the previous 4 years mileages now show on the MOT certificate) to see that there are no big gaps or sudden jumps and that the current mileage shown is about what you would expect it to be. Check any receipts for mileage anomalies, for instance “car is showing 48000 miles but 2 years ago it had a water pump fitted at 70000 miles”.
Example: If the car has done an average of 20k per year up to 4 years ago, and no service history since, why is it now showing only 2k miles more than the last recorded service 4 years ago? Has it been *clocked*? You can check the mileage recorded at each MOT here:- https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history-vehicle You can also check what failures & advisories were issued back for the last few years.

Make sure the cambelt has been replaced at the prescribed interval (if applicable) If it is due soon, expect a £400 bill to do so.
Question if it has had a fair turnover of owners. Is it a lemon?

Check its HPI status and whether it’s ever been written off by texting the reg number to 83600.

Once you have satisfied yourself the car is as genuine as it can be, start to check the car over step by step CAREFULLY!

Lift the bonnet and make sure the engine is stone cold. Feel the radiator and top of the engine for residual heat. Check the oil is not too dirty and there are no silvery particles visible in the oil on the dipstick.
Check the coolant expansion tank is up to the max with a coolant mixture and not a rusty sludge. Check all around and underneath the engine & gearbox for oil leaks. Slight weep is ok, but not floods. Also look for evidence the engine bay hasn’t been cleaned of any tell tale oil slicks. You would expect engine to have signs of road grime on it but no oil slicks.

Turn on the headlights for a couple of minutes before starting the engine, this is to load the battery and make sure it is up to the job of starting the car.

Standing next to the car, lean in through the window or door and switch on the ignition and make sure all warning lights illuminate and then extinguish. Pay special attention to ABS and airbag warning lights. If these don’t come on and then extinguish, it’s an MOT failure and possibly an expensive fix.

Now start it. It should start instantly, the oil and charge lights should extinguish immediately. Go round to the back and make sure there is no puff of blue or grey smoke emitted. Go to the front of the car and make sure the engine started with no undue rattles, noises or uneven running. Make sure there are no bubbles showing in the coolant tank (poss head gasket fault).
Listen for any signs of an exhaust blow.
While the engine is warming up, go around every panel inspecting each one for scratches and dents. Take your time as small scratches can be disguised with coloured wax polish.
Stand at each corner in turn and look along the length and width of the car raising your eye level up and down so you can see the reflection running along the length of the car at varying levels to check panel alignment and any large but shallow dents will distort the line of the reflection. Any repairs may show as a dull or bright patch compared to paintwork around the suspected repair.
Don’t forget to check the roof. and the sills

Check the gap between the panels are even all the way round, and nothing is standing proud, especially the bonnet. Make sure the doors open without dropping, and the top of the door aligns with the top of the rear wing.
The doors, bonnet and boot should all open without catching or sticking.
With the boot open, make sure the weight is easily supported by the gas struts and that the boot floor is completely dry everywhere. Check the emergency tyre kit is present and correct, and that the locking wheel nut key is there, also check the allen key for the roof hydraulics is present. Check the operation of the load space safety blind and that it’s not torn or holed. Leave it drawn across so you can check the roof later.
Check all the wheel arch liners are in place and undamaged, they are commonly left off or broken if the car has been accident repaired.
Another good indication of whether the car has sustained a front or rear end collision is to check that the front and rear number plates match. Often the original Peugeot dealer will have fitted plates with their logo on the bottom. If one has a logo, and the other hasn’t, have a very close look for any evidence of a repair to that end of the car.

Next check the wheels and tyres. They should have no kerb damage to the wheels (expensive repair) or tyres with no cuts or bulges to the sidewalls of the tyres (don’t forget the inside edges) or tread area. The tyres should all be the same size, evenly worn across the tread and evenly worn as a front or rear pair (the fronts will always wear faster than the rears) visually check they are all inflated to the same pressure (no obviously flat or soft tyre) While you are there, check the condition of the discs and pads. The Discs shouldn’t be heavily scored or corroded and the pads should have a reasonable amount of *meat* left on them. If the wheels have locking wheel bolts fitted, make sure the *key* is with the car.

Moving to the inside of the car make sure the seats move backwards and forwards, tip forward, and lock in several different positions. These are a common failure on Peugeots.
Make sure there are no damp or wet spots on the carpets or seats. Check for damage and wear to carpets, seat belts and seat material. Sit in the car and check the windscreen and glass are scratch free. Check all the switches, controls, instruments and seat belts work correctly. The temperature should be starting to show now. ( here is where it helps to have studied the owners manual here )
Check the illumination of the heater controls, centre binnacle, and dashboard. There should be no dim spots or broken pixels.
Check the operation of the roof. You should get a confirmation chime when the roof latches are released. When the roof switch is operated, the roof should complete its cycle in a timely manner with no strange noises or jerky movements. (watch the roof video here for correct operation explained) at the end of the cycle you should get the confirmation chime.
Check the roof operation at least 3-4 times to be sure there are no issues.
With the roof up, you should now be ready to test drive the car. With the roof down you wouldn’t hear certain problems.

The car should pull away smoothly with no harsh noises whines, rattles or lumpiness. You should have no trouble selecting gears and the clutch should engage roughly halfway up the pedal with no judder or evidence of slippage particularly in higher gears under hard acceleration. Autos should change smoothly and in a timely manner (not revving too high)

Get to approx 40 mph on a flat a road as poss, and lightly hold the steering wheel between your finger and thumb (almost letting go but be ready to grab it if something un-towards happens) the car shouldn’t pull to either side and the wheel shouldn't vibrate or judder.

There should be no rumbling noises from any of the wheels, or clunks and bangs from the suspension or exhaust. Now do the same under braking and acceleration start gently and build up to firm braking / acceleration, again, the car shouldn’t pull to either side or judder under braking. Now gently set up a slalom motion in the car by steering left /right /left /right making sure the road is clear to do so.
If you hear a rumbling noise coming and going as you do this, it is a sign that you have a wheel bearing on it’s way out. Again, you should hear no bang or clunks from exhaust suspension or general underbody area.

Stop the car and put the roof down and drive it again. you may notice the car seems to be a *little loose* compared to roof up, and you may get some rattles from the bodywork on bumpy roads but it shouldn’t be excessive or rattle your teeth out. The glass shouldn’t be rattling around with the windows up either.

When you return from the test drive which should be at least 15 -20miles in mixed traffic, try restarting the car from hot several times. Also try starting with the second key. Both keys should operate all the locks including glovebox and fuel cap. You should have no problems restarting.
The radiator fan should cut in before temp goes over 90 deg and cut out several seconds later as temp starts to drop.

No warning lights should have appeared on the dash or warning messages in the centre binnacle, or warning chimes . during your test drive and all instruments should be giving a *within normal limits*reading. A roof problem will often give continual chimes above 5mph.

By now you should have identified any faults or shortcomings with the car and you need to decide if it’s for you or not.

If everything checks out, it is now down to you to haggle a price that you are happy to pay.
If you are not sure of anything, leave the car, check here on this forum for info / prices and go back with a revised offer maybe, for instance a discount because it needs two front tyres.

At all times bear in mind this is a rough guide only and not *The Definitive buyers guide*
If you are in any doubt, then seek professional guidance in the form of an AA or RAC type of inspection.
Cheers Col.


206cc 1.6ltr (Wifes toy)
Mercedes ML (workhorse)
Corvette C3 (my toy)

When requesting help of a technical nature, please give as much detail of the fault as possible along with details of exact model, engine size & type, gearbox, year, mileage, and any relevant work carried out to try to solve the problem to help us help you.
Better still, put the details in your signature.

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Capncol
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Location: Reading & Southampton

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by Capncol »

If anyone has anything to add, post it here. :thumbs:
Cheers Col.


206cc 1.6ltr (Wifes toy)
Mercedes ML (workhorse)
Corvette C3 (my toy)

When requesting help of a technical nature, please give as much detail of the fault as possible along with details of exact model, engine size & type, gearbox, year, mileage, and any relevant work carried out to try to solve the problem to help us help you.
Better still, put the details in your signature.

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GrandadMonkey
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Joined: Thu May 04, 2006 8:00 am
Location: Leicestershire

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by GrandadMonkey »

What an excellent job of work, thank you Col.
Ron
"If it ain't broke don't fix it!"
Golf 1.5 Tsi Evo SE Nav Estate Atlantic Blue
Polo 1.0 SEL DSG Reef Blue (wife's)
(Previously owned a 2005 206CC 1.6 Allure Moonstone for 10 years)

shadow
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Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 7:51 pm
Location: gloucestershire

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by shadow »

maybe to add, link of paint codes and wheel/tyre sizes from the "B" piller sticker info, this might be useful if its been resprayed from original factory colour, previous owners put different size wheels/tyres on to factory fitted.

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Capncol
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Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:40 pm
Location: Reading & Southampton

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by Capncol »

I would have thought a prospective buyer would know if it was not original colour or wheels (the HPI link I gave shows the colour according to DVLA records and any recorded colour changes)

If any one wants to decode the colour on the drivers side "B" post sticker, just ring any paint supplier and they will tell you the name of the colour. eg ours is Obsidian black, code EXL
Cheers Col.


206cc 1.6ltr (Wifes toy)
Mercedes ML (workhorse)
Corvette C3 (my toy)

When requesting help of a technical nature, please give as much detail of the fault as possible along with details of exact model, engine size & type, gearbox, year, mileage, and any relevant work carried out to try to solve the problem to help us help you.
Better still, put the details in your signature.

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Deni63
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Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:45 pm
Location: Ipswich Suffolk

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by Deni63 »

Unfortunately we didn't get a 2nd key or key code??

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KelD
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Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2014 8:43 pm
Location: Northampton

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by KelD »

Luckily saw this post before I bought my 206 on Friday and it was the biggest help imaginable, I knew exactly what to look for etc.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this Capncol.

Kel :love-thx:
206cc 2004 1.6 Allure, Blue, Gorgeous!!

sallyanna
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:51 pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by sallyanna »

I wish I'd seen this before buying mine last week. Been totally ripped off and now have Trading Standards involved...gutted. I'll be printing this off for next time though cos being duped by one cowboy has not put me off! Many Thanks for you're detailed account CapnCol :)

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Capncol
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Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:40 pm
Location: Reading & Southampton

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by Capncol »

sallyanna wrote:I wish I'd seen this before buying mine last week. Been totally ripped off and now have Trading Standards involved...gutted. I'll be printing this off for next time though cos being duped by one cowboy has not put me off! Many Thanks for you're detailed account CapnCol :)
Sorry to hear this. Glad it's not put you off as they are a great car if you take your time and get a good one.
Cheers Col.


206cc 1.6ltr (Wifes toy)
Mercedes ML (workhorse)
Corvette C3 (my toy)

When requesting help of a technical nature, please give as much detail of the fault as possible along with details of exact model, engine size & type, gearbox, year, mileage, and any relevant work carried out to try to solve the problem to help us help you.
Better still, put the details in your signature.

sallyanna
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:51 pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by sallyanna »

Thanks Col, I should've joined this site months ago ;) It won't happen again with my 'handy hints' sheet in hand ;)

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Skezza
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Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2016 1:04 am

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by Skezza »

Can someone explain the difference between an SE and a.... well, non-SE?

Slo
Posts: 446
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 12:02 pm

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by Slo »

Most folks will say Special Edition but seen as most are phase 2 multiplexed more likely to mean Second Edition
2003 03'reg Peugeot 206cc 1997cc Manual

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Loungelizard61
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Joined: Tue Jan 12, 2016 10:27 am
Location: Australia

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by Loungelizard61 »

What a fantastic guide to buying one of these cars, actually, it applies to every car.
Especially "....don't buy a car in the rain or at night"!!!!!!

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Rubyoptics
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Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:29 pm
Location: Warsaw - Poland

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by Rubyoptics »

This is some great advice and I used it when recently purchasing my 2.0. One thing I would respectfully add is the following used car buyers guide. I'm not affiliated or associated with him in any way, but his videos are widely respected and this buyers guide saved me from two cars that would have been money sinks that looked on the surface to be well cared for and looked after cars.

http://www.chrisfixed.com/HowtoInspecta ... risFix.pdf

Print it and take it with you whatever car you are looking at, not only does this make sure you don't forget something, it can also encourage a seller to be a bit more honest if they see you are prepared and willing to check EVERYTHING on the car and will find it anyway!
2003 2.0. Dyno'd @ 134BHP. 2.5" full stainless exhaust system, lexus style rear lights, LED sidelights and interiors. Latest mod - Full stainless steel Group N gear linkages.

AnthonyCas
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:54 am

Re: Buyers Guide

Post by AnthonyCas »

Loungelizard61 wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:24 pm What a fantastic guide to buying one of these cars, actually, it applies to every car.
Especially "....don't buy a car in the rain or at night"!!!!!!
A lot of level-headed advice in here. I like it. And you're over-thinking things, which a lot of people do. Great thread.
Last edited by AnthonyCas on Sat Jul 29, 2023 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.