OUR FLEET TEST DRIVE: Peugeot 508 SW - 6th Report
Date:
02 March 2012
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Author: Tristan Young
Mice damage
Having driven to Northumberland for the Christmas break with the Peugeot playing the part of Santa's sleigh, the car had been left unused for five days.
Not a great deal of time, so I was quite surprised when the car wouldn't start, even though the engine would turn over when I fired the ignition.
A call to the AA (membership is standard with every new Peugeot) and less than an hour's wait saw the reason for the problem. As the AA man lifted the bonnet and removed the plastic engine cover, there was a small nest made from chewed plastics.
A few minutes later he had identified that while there were a lot of things that had been chewed, it was a pierced hand primer bulb, which forms part of the fuel line, that meant air and not diesel was being fed to the engine.
And while the 508 is efficient it can't yet run on air.
I assumed this would mean the car being towed to a garage, but impressively the AA man patched the hole, allowing the car to be driven.
The problem was a first for me, but the AA man had come across it before, although he said it was usually petrol cars and not diesels that were affected.
Peugeot 508 SW 2.0 HDI SR | Mileage | 4068 | Claimed combined consumption | 48.3mpg | Our average consumption | 48.4mpg | P11D price | £22,220 | Model price range | £19,475-£30,275 | CO2 (tax) | 125g/km (18%) | BIK 20/40% per month | £66/£133 | Service interval | 20,000mls | Insurance | group 25 | Warranty | 3yrs/60,000mls | Boot space (min/max) | 512/1598 litres | Engine size/power | 1997cc/140hp | Top speed/0-62mph | 130mph/10.1secs | Why we’re running it | To find out if this key fleet model can offer a high-value, lower cost, alternative to the prestige players | Positive | Comfortable with good kit | Negative | Parking sensors should be standard |
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