Peugeot 405. Manual - part 9

6 It is advisable to remove the dirt from the
spark plug recesses, using a clean brush,
vacuum cleaner or compressed air before
removing the plugs, to prevent dirt dropping
into the cylinders.
7 Unscrew the plugs using a spark plug
spanner, suitable box spanner, or a deep
socket and extension bar (see illustration).
Keep the socket aligned with the spark plug -
if it is forcibly moved to one side, the ceramic
insulator may be broken off. As each plug is
removed, examine it as follows.
8 Examination of the spark plugs will give a
good indication of the condition of the engine.
If the insulator nose of the spark plug is clean
and white, with no deposits, this is indicative
of a weak mixture or too hot a plug (a hot plug
transfers heat away from the electrode slowly,
a cold plug transfers heat away quickly).
9 If the tip and insulator nose are covered
with hard black-looking deposits, then this is
indicative that the mixture is too rich. Should
the plug be black and oily, then it is likely that
the engine is fairly worn, as well as the mixture
being too rich.

10 If the insulator nose is covered with light
tan to greyish-brown deposits, then the
mixture is correct, and it is likely that the
engine is in good condition.
11 The spark plug electrode gap is of
considerable importance as, if it is too large or
too small, the size of the spark and its
efficiency will be seriously impaired. The gap
should be set to the value given in the Specifi-
cations at the beginning of this Chapter.
12 To set the gap, measure it with a feeler
blade, then bend the outer plug electrode until
the correct gap is achieved (see illustration).
The centre electrode should never be bent, as
this may crack the insulator and cause plug
failure, if nothing worse. If using feeler blades,
the gap is correct when the appropriate-size
blade is a firm, sliding fit.
13 Special spark plug electrode gap
adjusting tools are available from most motor
accessory shops, or from some spark plug
manufacturers.
14 Before fitting the spark plugs, check that
the threaded connector sleeves (on top of the
plug) are tight, and that the plug exterior
surfaces and threads are clean. It is very often
difficult to insert spark plugs into their holes
without cross-threading them. To avoid this
possibility, fit a short length of hose over the
end of the spark plug (see Haynes Hint).
15 Remove the rubber hose (if used), and
tighten the plug to the specified torque (see
“Specifications”) using the spark plug socket
and a torque wrench. Refit the remaining
plugs in the same way.
16 Connect the HT leads in the correct order,
and refit any components removed for
access. On 1998 cc 16-valve models, connect
the HT coils in their correct order.

12 Clutch adjustment check

and control mechanism
lubrication

2

Note: On models from 1994, the maker’s
specified interval for this procedure is 
9000 miles (15 000 km) or 12 months for clutch
adjustment, and 18 000 miles (30 000 km) for
lubrication.
1 Check that the clutch pedal moves
smoothly and easily through its full travel.

2 The clutch itself should function correctly,
with no trace of slip or drag.
3 Where possible, adjust the clutch cable if
necessary, as described in Chapter 6.
4 If excessive effort is required to operate the
clutch, check first that the cable is correctly
routed and undamaged. Remove the pedal,
and make sure that its pivot is properly
greased. Refer to Chapter 6 for further
information.

13 Driveshaft gaiter check

1

Note: On models from 1994, the maker’s
specified interval for this procedure is 
9000 miles (15 000 km) or 12 months.

With the vehicle raised and securely

supported on stands, turn the steering onto
full lock, then slowly rotate the roadwheel.
Inspect the condition of the outer constant
velocity (CV) joint rubber gaiters, while
squeezing the gaiters to open out the folds
(see illustration). Check for signs of cracking,
splits, or deterioration of the rubber, which
may allow the grease to escape, and lead to
water and grit entry into the joint. Also check
the security and condition of the retaining
clips. Repeat these checks on the inner CV
joints. If any damage or deterioration is found,
the gaiters should be renewed without delay
as described in Chapter 8.

At the same time, check the general

condition of the CV joints themselves, by first
holding the driveshaft and attempting to rotate

12 000 Mile / 12 Month Service  

1•15

13.1  Check the condition of the driveshaft

gaiters (arrowed)

11.12  Measuring the spark plug gap with a

feeler blade

11.7  Tools required for spark plug

removal, gap adjustment and refitting

11.5  Pulling the HT leads 

from the spark plugs

1

It is often difficult to insert spark plugs
into their holes without cross-threading
them. To avoid this possibility, fit a
short length of 5/16 inch internal
diameter rubber hose over the end of
the spark plug. The flexible hose acts as
a universal joint to help align the plug
with the plug hole. Should the plug
begin to cross-thread, the hose will slip
on the spark plug, preventing thread
damage to the cylinder head.

the wheel. Repeat this check by holding the
inner joint and attempting to rotate the
driveshaft. Any obvious movement indicates
wear in the joints, wear in the driveshaft splines,
or a loose driveshaft retaining nut.

14 Front and rear 

disc pad check

1

Note: On models from 1994, the maker’s
specified interval for this procedure is 
18 000 miles (30 000 km) for the front brake
pads, and 36 000 miles (60 000 km) for the
rear brake pads or shoes.
1 Firmly apply the handbrake, then jack up
the front or rear of the car (as applicable) and
support it securely on axle stands (see
“Jacking and Vehicle Support”). Remove the
front or rear roadwheels.

2 If any pad’s friction material is worn to the
specified thickness or less, all four pads must
be renewed as a set.
3 For a comprehensive check, the brake pads
should be removed and cleaned. The
operation of the caliper can then also be
checked, and the condition of the brake disc
itself can be fully examined on both sides.
Refer to Chapter 9 for further information.

15 Handbrake check and

adjustment

3

Note: On models from 1994, the maker’s
specified interval for this procedure is 
9000 miles (15 000 km) or 12 months.

Refer to Chapter 9.

16 Steering 

and suspension check

2

Note: On models from 1994, the maker’s
specified interval for this procedure is 
9000 miles (15 000 km) or 12 months.

Front suspension 
and steering check

1 Raise the front of the car, and support on axle
stands (see “Jacking and Vehicle Support”).

2 Inspect the balljoint dust covers and the
steering rack-and-pinion gaiters for splits,
chafing or deterioration. Any wear of these
components will cause loss of lubricant, with
dirt and water entry, resulting in rapid
deterioration of the balljoints or steering gear.
3 On vehicles with power steering, check the
fluid hoses for chafing or deterioration, and
the pipe and hose unions for fluid leaks. Also
check for signs of fluid leakage under
pressure from the steering gear rubber
gaiters, which would indicate failed fluid seals
within the steering gear.
4 Grasp the roadwheel at the 12 o’clock 
and 6 o’clock positions, and try to rock it (see
illustration). Very slight free play may be felt,
but if the movement is appreciable, further
investigation is necessary to determine the
source. Continue rocking the wheel while an
assistant depresses the footbrake. If the
movement is now eliminated or significantly
reduced, it is likely that the hub bearings are
at fault. If the free play is still evident with the
footbrake depressed, then there is wear in the
suspension joints or mountings.
5 Now grasp the wheel at the 9 o’clock 
and 3 o’clock positions, and try to rock it as
before. Any movement felt now may again be
caused by wear in the hub bearings or the
steering track-rod balljoints. If the outer
balljoint is worn, the visual movement will be
obvious. If the inner joint is suspect, it can be
felt by placing a hand over the rack-and-pinion
rubber gaiter and gripping the track-rod. If the
wheel is now rocked, movement will be felt at
the inner joint if wear has taken place.
6 Using a large screwdriver or flat bar, check
for wear in the suspension mounting bushes
by levering between the relevant suspension
component and its attachment point. Some
movement is to be expected, as the
mountings are made of rubber, but excessive
wear should be obvious. Also check the
condition of any visible rubber bushes,
looking for splits, cracks or contamination of
the rubber.
7 With the car standing on its wheels, have an
assistant turn the steering wheel back and
forth, about an eighth of a turn each way.
There should be very little, if any, lost
movement between the steering wheel and
roadwheels. If this is not the case, closely
observe the joints and mountings previously
described. In addition, check the steering
column universal joints for wear, and also
check the rack-and-pinion steering gear itself.

Rear suspension check

8 Chock the front wheels, then jack up the
rear of the car and support on axle stands
(see “Jacking and Vehicle Support”).

9 Working as described previously for the
front suspension, check the rear hub
bearings, the suspension bushes and the
shock absorber mountings for wear.

Suspension strut/
shock absorber check

10 Check for any signs of fluid leakage
around the suspension strut/shock absorber
body, or from the rubber gaiter around the
piston rod. Should any fluid be noticed, the
suspension strut/shock absorber is defective
internally, and should be renewed. Note:
Suspension struts/shock absorbers should
always be renewed in pairs on the same axle.
11 The efficiency of the suspension
strut/shock absorber may be checked by
bouncing the vehicle at each corner.
Generally speaking, the body will return to its
normal position and stop after being
depressed. If it rises and returns on a
rebound, the suspension strut/shock
absorber is probably suspect. Examine also
the suspension strut/shock absorber upper
and lower mountings for any signs of wear.

17 Body drain channel check

1

Check and unblock all door and sill drain

channels. Also check the heater drain tube
located at the rear of the engine
compartment.

1•16

12 000 Mile / 12 Month Service

16.4  Check for wear in the hub bearings

by grasping the wheel and trying to rock it

For a quick check, the
thickness of friction material
remaining on each brake pad
can be measured through

the aperture in the caliper body.

20 Coolant renewal

2

Note: On models from 1994, the maker’s
specified interval for this procedure is every 
2 years, regardless of mileage.

Cooling system draining

1 With the engine completely cold, remove
the expansion tank filler cap. Turn the cap
anti-clockwise until it reaches the first stop.
Wait until any pressure remaining in the

system is released, then push the cap down,
turn it anti-clockwise to the second stop, and
lift it off.
2 Position a suitable container beneath the
coolant drain outlet at the lower left-hand side
of the radiator.
3 Loosen the drain plug (there is no need to
remove it completely) and allow the coolant to
drain into the container. If desired, a length of
tubing can be fitted to the drain outlet to
direct the flow of coolant during draining (see
illustration).

4 To assist draining, open the cooling system
bleed screws. On all except 1.4 litre engines,
the bleed screws are located in the thermostat
cover and thermostat housing. On 1.4 litre
engines, the bleed screws are located in the
thermostat housing, and in the cylinder head
coolant bypass hose. Additionally, on 2.0 litre
XU10J4 engines, there is a bleed screw
located in the coolant bypass hose behind the
cylinder head. All models also have a bleed
screw located at the top left-hand corner of
the radiator (see illustrations).

18 Hinge and lock lubrication

1

Note: On models from 1994, the maker’s
specified interval for this procedure is 
36 000 miles (60 000 km).
1 Work around the vehicle, and lubricate the
hinges of the bonnet, doors and tailgate with a
light machine oil.
2 Lightly lubricate the bonnet release
mechanism and exposed section of inner
cable with a smear of grease.
3 Check carefully the security and operation
of all hinges, latches and locks, adjusting
them where required. Check the operation of
the central locking system (if fitted).
4 Check the condition and operation of the
tailgate struts, renewing them if either is
leaking or is no longer able to support the
tailgate securely when raised.

19 Air conditioning refrigerant

check

1

Note: On models from 1994, the maker’s
specified interval for this procedure is 
18 000 miles (30 000 km).

1 In order to check the condition of the
refrigerant, a humidity indicator and a sight
glass are provided on top of the drier bottle,
located in the front, left-hand corner of the
engine compartment (see illustration).

Refrigerant humidity check

2 Check the colour of the humidity indicator.
Blue indicates that the condition of the
refrigerant is satisfactory. Pink indicates that

the refrigerant is saturated with humidity. If
the indicator shows red, the system should be
drained and recharged, and a new drier bottle
should be fitted. Note: The system should be
drained and recharged only by a Peugeot
dealer or air conditioning specialist. Do not
attempt to carry out the work yourself, as the
refrigerant is a highly-dangerous substance
(refer to Chapter 3).

Refrigerant flow check

3 Run the engine, and switch on the air
conditioning.
4 After a few minutes, inspect the sight glass,
and check the fluid flow. Clear fluid should be
visible - if not, the following will help to
diagnose the problem:

a) Clear fluid flow - the system is functioning

correctly.

b) No fluid flow - have the system checked

for leaks by a Peugeot dealer or air
conditioning specialist.

c) Continuous stream of clear air bubbles in

fluid - refrigerant level low - have the
system recharged by a Peugeot dealer or
air conditioning specialist.

d) Milky air bubbles visible - high humidity

(see paragraph 2).

18 000 Mile / 18 Month Service

18 000 Mile / 18 Month Service  

1•17

20.4a  Cooling system bleed screws on

thermostat housing and cover (arrowed) -

1.6 litre engine shown

19.1  Air conditioning system drier bottle

sight glass (1) and humidity indicator (2)

20.3  Radiator drain outlet (arrowed)

1

Warning: Do not attempt to
open the refrigerant circuit.
Refer to the precautions given
in Chapter 3.

24 000 Mile / 2 Year Service

Warning: Wait until the engine is
cold before starting this
procedure. Do not allow
antifreeze to come in contact

with your skin, or with the painted
surfaces of the vehicle. Rinse off spills
immediately with plenty of water. Never
leave antifreeze lying around in an open
container, or in a puddle in the driveway
or on the garage floor. Children and pets
are attracted by its sweet smell, but
antifreeze can be fatal if ingested.

5 On 1.4 litre and 2.0 litre engines, when the
flow of coolant stops, reposition the container
below the cylinder block drain plug. On 
1.4 litre engines, the drain plug is located at
the front left-hand end of the cylinder 
block. On 2.0 litre engines, the drain plug is
located at the rear left-hand end of the
cylinder block, next to the rear engine
mounting (see illustrations). On 1.6, 1.8 and
1.9 litre engines, no cylinder block drain plug
is fitted.
6 Where applicable, remove the cylinder
block drain plug, and allow the coolant to
drain into the container.
7 If the coolant has been drained for a reason
other than renewal, then provided it is clean
and less than two years old, it can be re-used,
though this is not recommended.
8 Refit and tighten the radiator and cylinder
block drain plugs, as applicable, on
completion of draining.

Cooling system flushing

9 If coolant renewal has been neglected, or if
the antifreeze mixture has become diluted,
then in time, the cooling system may gradually
lose efficiency, as the coolant passages
become restricted due to rust, scale deposits,
and other sediment. The cooling system
efficiency can be restored by flushing the
system clean.
10 The radiator should be flushed
independently of the engine, to avoid
unnecessary contamination.

Radiator flushing

11 To flush the radiator, first tighten the

radiator drain plug, and the radiator bleed
screw, where applicable.
12 Disconnect the top and bottom hoses and
any other relevant hoses from the radiator,
with reference to Chapter 3.
13 Insert a garden hose into the radiator top
inlet. Direct a flow of clean water through the
radiator, and continue flushing until clean
water emerges from the radiator bottom
outlet.
14 If after a reasonable period, the water still
does not run clear, the radiator can be flushed
with a good proprietary cleaning agent. It is
important that the manufacturer’s instructions
are followed carefully. If the contamination is
particularly bad, insert the hose in the radiator
bottom outlet, and reverse-flush the radiator.

Engine flushing

15 To flush the engine, first refit and tighten
the cylinder block drain plug (where
applicable), and tighten the cooling system
bleed screws.
16 Remove the thermostat as described in
Chapter 3, then temporarily refit the
thermostat cover.
17 With the top and bottom hoses
disconnected from the radiator (see Chapter 3
- it may be preferable to disconnect the
bottom hose from the engine), insert a garden
hose into the radiator top hose. Direct a clean
flow of water through the engine, and
continue flushing until clean water emerges
from the radiator bottom hose.
18 On completion of flushing, refit the
thermostat and reconnect the hoses with
reference to Chapter 3.

Cooling system filling

19 Before attempting to fill the cooling
system, make sure that all hoses and clips are
in good condition, and that the clips are tight.
Note that an antifreeze mixture must be used
all year round, to prevent corrosion of the
engine components (see following sub-
Section). Also check that the radiator and
cylinder block drain plugs, as applicable, are
in place and tight.
20 Remove the expansion tank cap.
21 Open all the cooling system bleed screws
(see paragraph 4).
22 Some of the cooling system hoses are
positioned at a higher level than the top of the
radiator expansion tank. It is therefore
necessary to use a “header tank” when
refilling the cooling system, to reduce the
possibility of air being trapped in the system.
Although Peugeot dealers use a special
header tank, the same effect can be achieved
by using a suitable bottle, with a seal between
the bottle and the expansion tank (see
illustration and Haynes Hint).
23 Fit the “header tank” to the expansion
tank and slowly fill the system. Coolant will
emerge from each of the bleed screws in turn,
starting with the lowest screw. As soon as
coolant free from air bubbles emerges from
the lowest screw, tighten that screw, and
watch the next bleed screw in the system.
Repeat the procedure until the coolant is

1•18

24 000 Mile / 2 Year Service

20.4b  Coolant bypass hose bleed screw

(arrowed) - 1.4 litre engine

20.5a  Cylinder block drain plug location

(arrowed) - 1.4 litre engine

20.22  Peugeot cooling system 

“header tank” in position

20.5b  Cylinder block drain plug location

(arrowed) - 2.0 litre engine

20.4c  Radiator bleed screw (arrowed)

Cut the bottom off an old antifreeze
container to make a ‘header tank’ for
use when refilling the cooling system.
The seal at the point arrowed must be
as airtight as possible