Peugeot 307 technical questions - please help

am thinking of buying a used / nearly new pugeout 307 2.0 hdi 5 door hatch or a renault megane 1.5 dci . not very exciting i know but need a family car.

before i decide which one to go for there are a couple of tech details i would like to know.

a/ at what mileage does the cam-belt require changing on both models & b/ what is the recommended mileage for the brake fluid change.

have tried both manufacturer web sites to no avail.

am hoping some-one on sf can help me on this one.

Can't help on the technical side sorry but can tell you I had 4 Peugeot 307's in the space of nine months as they kept breaking down and having to go back to the lease company. Have now had the renault 1.5dci Scenic for a couple of years and, despite being a bit underpowered, have had no problems at all with it.

I believe Peugeot currently quote 96,000 miles, Renault 70,000, maybe even longer on brand new cars. However you should never let a cambelt go that far unless you spend your entire time cruising up and down motorways. It's generally best to get them done just before 60,000 miles, and at least once every five years. It's an expense, I know, but nothing like the expense when your belt goes. And do make sure the pulleys get changed at the same time.

Brake fluid? Almost regardless of make, you should do it every time you need to fit new shoes at the rear brakes, or around every three years. I suspect rear discs need more frequent pad changes, and lose far less fluid than when changing shoes. But modern brake fluid has an almost indefinite life. It's really cheap to change though so why try to save a few bob? I always change pads, shoes and fluid on any second-hand car when I buy it, then I know where I'm starting from.

If you're thinking newish enough to want dealer service, just go and ask the dealer what the intervals are.

Have now found the book I was searching for earlier but couldn't find, which lists such things. Renault did, as I remembered, say 70,000 miles; Peugeot were at that point saying 72,000, I am pretty confident that it has gone up to 90,000 now.

Brake fluid: Peugeot 40,000 miles; Renault 36,000 miles.

Both cambelt and brake fluid mileage life depends more on how the car is driven. Lots of stop-start city driving with short journeys takes the heaviest toll on cambelts.

There has been no significant change in cambelt technology over the past few years and the belts don't last longer, although manufacturers like you to think they do. There are only three things you can be certain of in this life, death, taxation, and car manufacturers who refuse to accept any responsibility whatever if your cambelt goes before you reach the quoted mileage.

I Know A Bit Harsh But Wouldnt Have Either,it Would Be Better Getting A Vw,seat,skoda Or Something Japanese Slightly Earlier Year But Lot Less Hassle In Long Run Especially The Vw Diesel Engines What Still Run Sweet As With Regular Services N Genuine Oil Etc,but If Had To Have The Renault Or Peugeot As A Family Car It Would Be The Megane Cos I Think It Did Better On Safety Ratings

Have now found the book I was searching for earlier but couldn't find, which lists such things. Renault did, as I remembered, say 70,000 miles; Peugeot were at that point saying 72,000, I am pretty confident that it has gone up to 90,000 now.

Brake fluid: Peugeot 40,000 miles; Renault 36,000 miles.

 

Both cambelt and brake fluid mileage life depends more on how the car is driven. Lots of stop-start city driving with short journeys takes the heaviest toll on cambelts.

 

There has been no significant change in cambelt technology over the past few years and the belts don't last longer, although manufacturers like you to think they do. There are only three things you can be certain of in this life, death, taxation, and car manufacturers who refuse to accept any responsibility whatever if your cambelt goes before you reach the quoted mileage.

thanks for that ,once had a pug 405 diesel,they had what was called an "interference" engine which meant if the belt went it usually snapped the cam shaft too, cam-belt life on that was 60k, but that was several yrs back thought it may have changed since then.

I Know A Bit Harsh But Wouldnt Have Either,it Would Be Better Getting A Vw,seat,skoda Or Something Japanese Slightly Earlier Year But Lot Less Hassle In Long Run Especially The Vw Diesel Engines What Still Run Sweet As With Regular Services N Genuine Oil Etc,but If Had To Have The Renault Or Peugeot As A Family Car It Would Be The Megane Cos I Think It Did Better On Safety Ratings

guess it's a personal choice thing, i'm not really struck on seat's and think there is still a bit of stigma attached at owning a skoda, good as they are.

have considered the vw option and not ruled one out as yet.

I change cambelts at 50,000 miles, irrespective of what the manufacturers say. I learned the hard way, the belt on my Volvo 850 snapped on me when I was on holiday, I had the car serviced before we went on holiday and I had asked them to check the cambelt and change it if needed, they reported that it looked alright. I had the car taken back to the garage that serviced it via the RAC, and had a complete engine overhaul and rebuild, they paid 50% of the cost.

I change cambelts at 50,000 miles, irrespective of what the manufacturers say. I learned the hard way, the belt on my Volvo 850 snapped on me when I was on holiday, I had the car serviced before we went on holiday and I had asked them to check the cambelt and change it if needed, they reported that it looked alright. I had the car taken back to the garage that serviced it via the RAC, and had a complete engine overhaul and rebuild, they paid 50% of the cost.

Quite right. You were lucky to find a garage who even contributed to the cost of sorting it.

It's worth saying that many cambelt failures are a direct result of pulley wear; the pulley suddenly starts shredding the cambelt, and rips through it in the space of a few miles. It is not possible for a garage to check for this ahead of the failure without removing the cambelt, so you shouldn't rely on a visual inspection during a service. Always get the pulleys replaced and, despite the expense, ask the garage to use OEM parts. Some people still change their cambelts religiously at 36,000 miles, reckoning that any more than that involves living on borrowed time.

Experienced home mechanics would reckon to change either of the cambelts involved here well inside two hours; watch you don't get overcharged for labour.

If servicing costs are an issue when buying a car, you can't beat a Ford.