Peugeot 405. Manual - part 3

In the boot, use the wheel brace to
loosen the spare wheel cradle bolt.

0•8

Roadside Repairs

Wheel changing

Some of the details shown here will vary
according to model. For instance, the location
of the spare wheel and jack is not the same
on all cars. However, the basic principles
apply to all vehicles.

M When a puncture occurs, stop as soon

as it is safe to do so.

M Park on firm level ground, if  possible,

and well out of the way of other traffic.

M Use hazard warning lights if necessary. 

M If you have one, use a warning triangle to

alert other drivers of your presence.

M Apply the handbrake and engage first or

reverse gear.

M Chock the wheel diagonally opposite the

one being removed – a couple of large
stones will do for this.

M If the ground is soft, use a flat piece of

wood to spread the load under the foot
of the jack.

Changing the wheel

Preparation

Warning: Do not change a wheel in a situation where you risk being hit by
other traffic. On busy roads, try to stop in a lay-by or a gateway. Be wary of
passing traffic while changing the wheel – it is easy to become distracted by
the job in hand.

Finally...

M Remove the wheel chocks.
M Stow the jack and tools in the correct locations in the car.
M Make sure that the spare wheel cradle is properly secured, or it could drop onto the road

while driving.

M Check the tyre pressure on the wheel just fitted. If it is low, or if you don’t have a pressure

gauge with you, drive slowly to the nearest garage and inflate the tyre to the right pressure.

M Have the damaged tyre or wheel repaired as soon as possible.

Before raising the car, loosen the wheel
bolts slightly using the wheelbrace.

Locate the jack head in the jacking point
and use the brace to raise the car until
the wheel is clear of the ground.

Temporarily place the spare wheel under
the sill as a precaution should the jack
topple.

Use the wheel brace to remove the wheel
trim.

Remove the spare wheel from the cradle.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Remove the bolts and remove the wheel.
Fit the spare wheel and hand-tighten the
bolts. Lower the car, then tighten the

wheel bolts firmly. Have the bolts tightened to
the correct torque at the earliest opportunity.

7

Roadside Repairs  

0•9

When all else fails, you may find yourself
having to get a tow home – or of course you
may be helping somebody else. Long-distance
recovery should only be done by a garage or
breakdown service. For shorter distances, DIY
towing using another car is easy enough, but
observe the following points:
M Use a proper tow-rope – they are not
expensive. The vehicle being towed must
display an ‘ON TOW’ sign in its rear window.
M Always turn the ignition key to the ‘on’
position when the vehicle is being towed, so

that the steering lock is released, and that the
direction indicator and brake lights will work.
M Only attach the tow-rope to the towing
eyes provided.
M Before being towed, release the handbrake
and select neutral on the transmission.
M Note that greater-than-usual pedal
pressure will be required to operate the
brakes, since the vacuum servo unit is only
operational with the engine running.
M On models with power steering, greater-
than-usual steering effort will also be required.

M The driver of the car being towed must
keep the tow-rope taut at all times to avoid
snatching.
M Make sure that both drivers know the route
before setting off.
M Only drive at moderate speeds and keep
the distance towed to a minimum. Drive
smoothly and allow plenty of time for slowing
down at junctions.
M On models with automatic transmission,
special precautions apply. If in doubt, do not
tow, or transmission damage may result.

Towing

Puddles on the garage floor or drive, or

obvious wetness under the bonnet or 
underneath the car, suggest a leak that needs
investigating. It can sometimes be difficult to
decide where the leak is coming from,
especially if the engine bay is very dirty
already. Leaking oil or fluid can also be blown
rearwards by the passage of air under the car,
giving a false impression of where the
problem lies.

Warning: Most automotive oils
and fluids are poisonous. Wash
them off skin, and change out of
contaminated clothing, without
delay.

Identifying leaks

The smell of a fluid leaking
from the car may provide a
clue to what’s leaking. Some
fluids are distinctively

coloured. It may help to clean the car
carefully and to park it over some clean
paper overnight as an aid to locating the
source of the leak.

Remember that some leaks may only
occur while the engine is running.

Sump oil

Gearbox oil

Brake fluid

Power steering fluid

Oil from filter

Antifreeze

Engine oil may leak from the drain plug...

...or from the base of the oil filter.

Leaking antifreeze often leaves a crystalline
deposit like this.

Gearbox oil can leak from the seals at the
inboard ends of the driveshafts.

A leak occurring at a wheel is almost
certainly brake fluid.

Power steering fluid may leak from the pipe
connectors on the steering rack.

0•10

Weekly Checks

There are some very simple checks which
need only take a few minutes to carry out, but
which could save you a lot of inconvenience
and expense.

These "Weekly checks" require no great skill
or special tools, and the small amount of time
they take to perform could prove to be very
well spent.

M Keeping an eye on tyre condition and
pressures, will not only help to stop them
wearing out prematurely, but could also save
your life.

M Many breakdowns are caused by electrical
problems. Battery-related faults are particularly
common, and a quick check on a regular basis
will often prevent the majority of these.

M If your car develops a brake fluid leak, the
first time you might know about it is when

your brakes don't work properly. Checking

the level regularly will give advance warning of

this kind of problem.
M If the oil or coolant levels run low, the cost
of repairing any engine damage will be far

greater than fixing the leak, for example.

Introduction

§ 1.6 litre

carburettor

A

Engine oil level dipstick

B

Engine oil filler cap

C

Coolant filler cap

D

Brake fluid reservoir

E

Screen washer fluid reservoir

Underbonnet check points

§ 1.6 litre

fuel injection

A

Engine oil level dipstick

B

Engine oil filler cap

C

Coolant filler cap

D

Brake fluid reservoir

E

Power steering fluid reservoir

F

Screen washer fluid reservoir

Weekly Checks  

0•11

§ 1.9 litre

A

Engine oil level dipstick

B

Engine oil filler cap

C

Coolant filler cap

D

Brake fluid reservoir

E

Power steering fluid reservoir

F

Screen washer fluid reservoir

§ 2.0 litre

A

Engine oil level dipstick

B

Engine oil filler cap

C

Coolant filler cap

D

Brake fluid reservoir

E

Power steering fluid reservoir

F

Screen washer fluid reservoir