Peugeot Video of the Week 27th Feb 2012

Great video of a  BMW Z3M Coupe Vs. Peugeot 306 GTi-6 round the Nurburgring. Just to show what these cars are capable of with the right suspension modifications and an experienced driver at the wheel.

Just for comparison this particular 306 GTi-6 has 175bhp and weighs 1020kg giving it 171.5bhp/tonne. Assuming the Z3M Coupe was standard it has 321bhp and weighs 1392kg giving it 230bhp/tonne. You can clearly see this power difference on the straights but in the corners the 306 is all over it.

Like this? Please share on Facebook and Twitter.

Peugeot Video of the Week 20th Feb 2012

Each week I will be posting an awesome Peugeot video for your enjoyment. Rally videos, BTCC footage, in-car track videos etc.


Kicking things off with an epic 306 Maxi video compilation with pure engine sounds driven by Gilles Panizzi. Giles Panizzi won the French Championship title in a Peugeot funded 306 kit car in 1996 and 1997. He also raced in a Peugeot 306 at WRC level from 1995 to 1998 apart from a brief break in the 1998 WRC Rally of Finland where he used a 106 1.3 Rallye instead. He went on to have several World Rally Championship event victories in the Peugeot 206 WRC.


Anyway, turn up the sound and enjoy...

Check back next week for another video. Like this video? Use the share buttons below.

Peugeot 306 Paint Codes Directory

A comprehensive directory of all standard Peugeot 306 paint codes with photo references. This is a common question which comes up on forums so I thought it would be a good idea to gather them all together in one place. Extremely useful if you are looking for the paint colour code to buy paint cans or touch up pens.

Tracking down the Peugeot paint codes was quite tricky and took a lot of time. If you are aware of any other 306 colour codes please leave a comment at the bottom of the page and I will add it in.

Some of these codes also overlap with other models such as the Peugeot 106. Photo's are coming soon when I find the time.

Type	Official Name	Paint Code	Photo Ref
Solid	Onyx Black	P3XY/P0XY
Pearl	Astor Grey	M0YJ/EJYC
Metallic	Cossack Grey	M0TH
Metallic	Platinum Silver	M0YC
	Aluminium Silver	EYCC	Image coming soon
Metallic	Mercury Grey	EZAC
Metallic	Moonstone Blue	M0YL
Metallic	Provence Blue	M0GR
Metallic	Miami Blue	M0MY
Solid	Genesis Blue	M0NW
Metallic	Sigma Blue	M0NQ/MENQ
Metallic	Nile Blue	M0GQ
Metallic	Rhodes Blue	M03P
Pearl	China Blue	M4GE/EGED/ DEGE
Solid	Dragoon Blue	P0NP
Metallic	Aubergine	M0IG
Pearl	Diablo Red	M4KQ/M0KQ
Solid	Cherry Red	P3KB
Solid	Regency Red	P3JZ
Metallic	Egyptian Red/Newport Orange	M0HA/M0U7/U7M0
Metallic	Firedance	M0W9
Metallic	Champagne
Metallic	Blaze Yellow	M0DX
Solid	Sahara Yellow	M03F/M0C3
Metallic	Venetian Green	M0QU
Metallic	Laser Green	M0SS
Solid	Nordic Green /Vert	P0QY
Metallic	Pinewood/Roland Garos Green	M0RP
Metallic	Kingfisher/Tropical Green	MOQS
Solid	Bianca White	P0WP/P3WP
Solid	Alpine White	P0WT

There are over 25 Peugeot 306 paint codes listed above. Please let us know if you know of any others :-)

Is the Peugeot 205gti a chavvy car?

A question raised by this post over at Peugeot-gti.com which we thought was worth a little comment.

I think it's fair to say the 205gti got it's fair share of reputation for being a bit 'boy-racer' but then what 80's/90's hot hatch didn't? Right through from MkII Golfs to XR2i's all have the same reputation and I don't think one in particular stands out as being worse than the others. Thankfully, they have aged gracefully and coming onto 20 years down the line for most of these cars they have become classic icons.

Try and find a unmolested 205gti on Pistonheads now and you will be looking at at least £2,500 and the prices are continuing to rise. As I write this now there are seven on there with an asking price of over £5,000. It is a similar situation for the MkII Golf GTi as well.

That band of 80's/90's hot-hatches are definitely one of those cars where standard example = classic icon but as soon as the modifications start coming it's all too easy to slide into shed of the week territory.

The question is will the GTi6 ever become as desirable as the 205gti and mkii golf gti? Prices right now (Feb 2012) are pretty much rock bottom and it's hard to imagine how long it will take for them to start rising again. Saying that, decent unmolested Peugeot GTi6's are already becoming hard to come by...

 

Q&A: Peugeot 306 Fuel Tank Capacity

Q: What is the capacity of the fuel tank on a Peugeot 306? 

A: It’s a question which comes up quite frequently and here is the answer according to the official Peugeot owners handbook:

The Peugeot 306 fuel tank capacity across all models is 60 litres (just over 13 UK gallons). This includes petrol,diesel, hatchback and estate variants.

Bonus tip: Did you know about the secret fuel cap holder on all Peugeot 306s?

Peugeot 306 Sports Exhaust Buying Guide

Everything you need to know to buy the right Peugeot 306 sports exhaust for your requirements. Includes reviews, exhaust noise videos and links to supplier websites.

Buying a new exhaust system is an important decision which you should spend some time considering as it will make a huge difference to what the car is like to drive. I’m not talking about performance gains (we’ll get onto that later) but more about the noise levels you will be subjected to day in day out. It’s easy to think a loud exhaust will be great fun, but when you can’t have a regular conversation with your passengers at motorway speeds the novelty soon wears off. I’ve broken down the factors you need to consider before making your purchase.

Noise
Probably the most important factor to consider when buying a sports exhaust for your 306 is the noise. The standard exhausts made by Peugeot are very quiet across all the engine ranges including the sportier XSi and GTi6 - if your standard exhaust is noisier than you think it should be the chances are it is either blowing somewhere and needs fixing or has been replaced with a cheap pattern part which are renowned for being poor quality, this is especially noticeable on the larger 1.8 and bigger engines. The noise any exhaust makes is determined by the material it is made of and the number of/properties of the exhaust mufflers. There are several types of mufflers but it’s not really important for this article.

In an ideal world most people would want an exhaust which sounds almost standard on idle and driving around town / cruising at 80 70mph on the motorway but has a great sporty sound when you want to have some fun. Unfortunately in my experience such mythical properties do not exist and by fitting a sports exhaust you are going to have to relinquish some comfort. Just how much comfort you are about to part with is the tricky bit which is why i’ve added some videos at the bottom of this section.

The main problem sports exhausts can suffer from is the dreaded ‘boom’, this is a low frequency noise which travels through everything and will quickly drive you insane. Most noticeable when the engine is under load or cruising at approximately 2500 - 3500rpm. Conveniently this rev range always seems to coincide with 60 or 70mph which makes motorway driving a pain in the arse. There is no way of finding whether you have a ‘boomer’ until it is on the car so the best thing to do is find someone who already has the system you are thinking of buying and going out for a drive with them to see if you feel it is acceptable.

Track day noise limits
All UK tracks have noise limits which they must abide by. These noise limits vary from track to track but they are generally between 95db and 105db, generally your car will be tested with a decibel meter at a certain rpm and if it exceeds the set limit then you will not be allowed on track. As all Peugeot 306’s are only 4 cylinders under 2000cc most sports systems ‘should’ pass this however if you are running something horrendous there may be issues. If you are planning to use the car for track days definitely mention this to the sales person / exhaust fabricator when you are buying.

To de or not to de
The option of de-catting (replacing the catalytic converter with a silencer box or straight pipe) will of course result in your car failing to meet emission laws for driving on public roads and therefore illegal. If you are unlucky enough to be pulled over and subjected to a roadside emissions test you will fail and could get a fine or other some other inconvenience. You will also fail the MOT.

The ‘benefits’ of fitting a de-cat are much debated amongst 306 owners - the exhaust will be noisier and there will be more pops and bangs caused by unburnt fuel igniting in the exhaust system. On the flip side some owners have reported removing the cat reduced mid-range torque (probably caused by upsetting the gas pulses / back pressure). Some owners who removed the cat but kept the standard Peugeot middle and back boxes have found this caused premature failure of the baffles as they are not designed to work under the extra stress caused by removing the cat.

Videos
A collection of 306 sports exhaust noise videos from YouTube to give you an idea of how some of the popular systems can sound.

Magnaflow exhaust sound

Ragazzon exhaust sound

Magnex exhaust sound

Scorpion exhaust sound

Jetex exhaust sound

Longlife exhaust sound

Performance
The standard exhaust systems made by Peugeot have been designed to work with the engines to give good mid-range torque as this is where 95% of every day driving is done. As mentioned above some owners have reported a gain in top end power at the expense of reduced mid-range torque after fitting a sports exhaust.

This is a choice you must make based on what you use the car for, if it is a weekend toy then losing some every day driveability is not an issue however if it is a daily driver then it might be more favourable to stick to standard. In reality I think any changes in performance will be almost unnoticeable on a standard engine and unless you have extensively modified it (e.g. longer duration cams and individual throttle bodies) there will be minimal performance benefits from fitting a sports exhaust.

Price
The price of a sports exhaust will vary from around £50 for a replacement rear box to £500+ for a custom stainless full system from the manifold all the way back. “Cat-back” systems are the most popular which consist of a middle box and rear box and can generally be bought for £250 - £400.

Longevity
Pretty much all aftermarket sports exhausts are made of stainless steel. The exact grade of stainless steel may vary but apparently T304 is the best in terms of longevity. Some fabricators will offer a lifetime guarantee on their exhausts which is also something to bare in mind.

Custom made or off the shelf?
Due to the popularity of the 306, there are a wide range of off the shelf systems available to suit all tastes. One system which is very popular amongst those who prefer a more refined sound is the Jetex, this system has a good reputation on owners clubs for being almost as quiet as standard as well as not looking too "boyracerish".

A benefit of going to a custom exhaust fitters such as Longlife or Maniflow is that you have the choice to specify how loud you want the system to be and (in theory) the fit should be perfect.

Bought a 306 performance exhaust? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think of it.

XU10J4RS Engine Information

XU10J4RS fact sheet

I’ve compiled as much information about the XU10J4RS engine as found in the Peugeot GTi6 and Citreon Xsara VTS. This post was first made on 01/02/12, I will update this page as I find more data.

The XU10J4RS engine is the latest in the XU engine range by PSA Peugeot Citreon. This four cylinder engine replaced the XU10J4 ACAV which was found in the Peugeot 306 S16.

Facts & Figures
Capacity: 1998cc
Max power: 167bhp @ 6500rpm
Max torque: 145 lb/ft @ 5500rpm
Specific output: 84bhp per litre
Layout: inline 4 cylinder
Valve gear: 4 valves per cylinder, DOHC.
Bore: 86mm
Stroke: 86mm
Compression ratio: 10.8:1
Weight: ~210kg (with gearbox)

Additional engine design information
The XU10J4RS has a lighter rotating assembly and timing gear, a reworked cylinder head with specially designed cams and a new inlet and an extremely impressive four branch tubular exhaust manifold.

By way of a Helmholtz resonator in the inlet manifold the acoustic harmony between inlet and exhaust has been optimised to produce a smooth torque curve. Some owners have found fitting aftermarket exhaust systems can disrupt this balance and so reduce midrange torque.

XU10J4RS block information
The thin wall cast iron block incorporates the 4 cylinders which have an oil spray nozzle at the base of each for crucial piston base cooling. The crankshaft is made from cast iron and has been fitted with a vibration damper and supports redesigned conrods which are lighter.
The timing gear is driven by a toothed belt system of hubs and idler wheels which keeps the belt tension fully independent of camshaft timing.

XU10J4RS cylinder head information
Arguably it is the cylinder head which really sets the XU10J4RS apart from previous engines. The cylinder head is made from light alloy (AS7) and has been extensively redesigned for increased power. The shape of the head pipes  give an improved gas mixture flow and the wedge shaped combustion chamber features a 'flush' - a special protuberance to improve the permeability of the cylinder head.

Peugeot have also made improvements to the camshafts which are of a brand new design to match the valve diagrams which are specific to this type of engine. Each cam is individually lubricated and as in the other multi-valve engines in the PSA range, the cams act directly on the hydraulic zero lash tappets which have been put on a diet and reduced from 62.5g to 50g which limits the forces at work caused by inertia thus improving operation at high rpms. The valves are assisted by two return springs and are very similar to the those found in the earlier XU10J4R except they are 10g lighter due to the reduction of the valve stem diameter by 1mm.

Inlet and exhaust information
At the front of the manifold is a progressively acting throttle body (64mm diameter). Air regulation when the engine is idling is controlled by a separate stepper motor (also known as ICV), this air is fed from the airbox through a small rubber tube which branches off the main air feed. This is well known to perish and snap off which may cause idling issues, also be aware that unfiltered air is being drawn into the engine if this happens which may cause damage over (along) time.

The air inlet itself consists of an aluminium manifold plenum with a composite Helmholtz resonator joined to the underside. As mentioned earlier these two chambers work together to establish acoustic harmony within the chamber resulting in smooth torque curve.

Four aluminium pipes run from the manifold to the cylinder head each one consisting of a  283mm long tube coupled to a 37mm trumpet build into the plenum. Above the throttle body the inlet manifold is also fitted with a pressure sensor (MAP sensor) which keeps the ECU system constantly fed with engine load information.

The sequential ignition and injection are controlled by the Magneti Marelli AP10 control unit fitted with Flash EPROM. Twin jet injectors spray in vapourised fuel which is regulated by a fuel pressure regulator. Moving on, the ignition is triggered with one coil per cylinder. The engine is fitted with a knock sensor to protect the engine against abnormal combustion.

Please read: Although I have tried to verify this page as much as possible I take no responsibility for the accuracy of the above information and am not liable for any damages caused by inaccuracies which may occur.