ClareQuilty

I have a 33-34 year old Toyota Corolla (KE70), love the car due to the rear wheel drive & excellent design, though it looks like a rolling wreck nowadays. 

This car has never given any significant trouble in the 10-12years I've owned it. Well, a few weeks ago the aftermarket electric fuel pump began to cut out occasionally, so the mechanic suggested going back to the original mechanical type pump. It works great, but the problem was he allowed the fuel level to get very close to empty and the new pump apparently sucked an enormous amount of filth from the bottom of the 34 year old tank, befouling carburetor, plugs, etc. The car simply wouldn't run, or would run incredibly roughly (like most old pushrod Toyotas it had been sewing machine smooth previously) 

After extensive carb cleaning, new spark plugs, etc., the car is again drivable but with a terrible "flat spot" in the carb on acceleration, and is also noisy and somewhat rough-running. The idle speed, previously fine at a very low speed, has had to be set very high. 

I present this story as the sad tale of the decline of probably the best car I've ever owned (well best non-American car anyway), and as a cautionary tale: never let the fuel level go below 1/4 tank in an old car! 

Some of you may have followed my tale of struggle in the past - the extreme difficulties of Peugeot ownership in Thailand. I haven't updated in a year, but the saga continues. 

The car's engine is stout, strong, and runs better than ever out on the highway, after about 10-12 cleanings/adjusting of the sensors, intake manifold, etc. But the ongoing problems are worse than ever - 1) car won't idle/very low idle/dies at stoplights or under deceleration, and 2) occasionally "cuts out", for the briefest instant, under acceleration. 

I've tried taking the car to a few other mechanics - most won't touch a Peugeot, those that do say "it cannot be fixed", and cannot identify the problem. My regular mechanic continues to limp along with me, unable to fix or even diagnose the problem, he merely cleans and adjusts each time. Sometimes the car runs better for a few days after he's had it, sometimes not. 

I'm still considering putting in a Toyota engine as is the norm for European cars in Thailand, but given the 30-40,000 baht cost, is it possible to replace the fuel injection system with some kind of jury-rigged Toyota carburetor? 

On 7/7/2017 at 10:18 PM, bazza73 said:

Precise, or accurate? There is a difference to scientists.

Obviously there would be no way for me to know if it is accurate. It's quite precise and one can very easily see the difference between 72° C and 79° C on the gauge - prior to the recent difficulty the gauge needle always sat just a bit above the 70° mark & now it sits very close to the 80° mark. There's a wide space between the two marks and the needle moves up progressively as the engine warms, never wagging about or displaying any lack of precision. Thus I'm absolutely confident in reporting the change in temp, as well as quite confident there must be some cause 

Yeah thanks guys I think it will be OK. I'm just a bit paranoid about overheating with European cars in this harsh climate. About the gauge, it's an unusually precise one.

Hmm, today got the car back.. he'd taken the extraordinary move of replacing the larger of the two fans with a second hand Japanese one, informing me that it required a considerable amount of work to adust the housing or whatever you call it - to ensure a proper seal so the air flow was contained/directed. The cost of all this was 1,800 baht, more than I'd expected to get into, and in the end the engine temperature is the same - it sits dead still at 79° regardless of whether it's night or day, air-con on or off, driving highway or in town. He's stumped.

By the way thanks all for advice & comments. I don't want to add any fuel to the thermostat debate, but I have experience with using a car in Thailand sans thermostat - my mechanic removed mine from my old Honda Civic without asking. It really was annoying during Isaan "winter" - between about November & February - as the car never really warmed up, & as it's carbureted it didn't run quite 100%. It's also worth noting that I mostly drive at night. I finally had to replace the thermostat & now that car runs better again.

10 hours ago, kenk24 said:

Did you go to the Peugeot dealer?

 

I have found that though it might be more expensive than some shop, there is nothing as good as going into the dealer... 

No Peugeot dealer for hundreds of miles, but happily I just got a call from my local mechanic. He said he traced the problem to the fan & it'll be finished tomorrow afternoon. :)

Edit - someone mentioned the "heater" above, but like all cars in Thailand, there is no heater.

1 hour ago, Foozool said:

In highway radiator cools down by getting airflow, but on streets fan only cools down.

It could be sensor that kicks on higher temp. It could be aftermarket part (fan sensor). Get an OEM. 

Yes the temperature is exactly the same on the highway or driving around town.

The fan wrong way round sounds like a good suggestion, especially given that's what they were just recently fiddling with (usually it takes 2-3 tries to get something done right here.

As for the coolant in the radiator & overflow tank, yeah of course I checked that - first thing I did. Full like always.

17 hours ago, NanLaew said:

...is probably the reason.

 

How old is the Peugeot anyway?

Nonsense. It was cheap because it was the connection, nothing to it. I asked him to set both fans running continuously, just like before. The age of the car has little relevance to running hot, but it's a 1997.

The fan speed or fan temp sensor couldn't be the issue because as I said the car runs the same temp on the highway as in town driving.

No plastic bag in other obstruction. 

I always keep a very close eye on the engine temperature when driving in Thailand - in this brutal climate it seems the number one car-killer. A couple weeks ago my Peugeot developed a fluctuating temp - about 90° around town but still the normal 72° on the highway. Turned out to be one of the two radiator fans & was quickly fixed for a few hundred baht.

Now the car's temp no longer fluctuates, but city or highway, air on or off, it holds at 79°. Now - my question is, why didn't the fix return the running temp to 72°? The thermostat wasn't changed, so why the change in temp? Any advice?

Finally got a result after loads of trouble and expense. I got an SMS showing GSB replaced the 5,000 I'd withdrawn, and it also showed the correct balance, so I felt more relaxed.

After returning to my home after a couple of days, today I visited my originating bank and got a new card. 699 baht :'(

Of course I called the GSB emergency number on the machine, but they said they could do nothing for me - only gave me the Krung Thai 24 hour number. I saw no indication anywhere on the machine of a "machine number", though both I and the Family Mart staff searched extensively. Perhaps this is an indication it is a fake machine placed by fraudsters?

Not sure how it would help, other than offer hackers yet another way to steal my money. 

Apparently the necessary thing is, whenever on holiday, to carry one's passbook or at least account number around the whole time.

5 minutes ago, tonray said:

Do you have online access ? 

No, I don't trust online anything. But this evening I finally got through to a semi English speaker on Krung Thai Bank's 24 hour line & he told me (as I'd suspected) that they couldn't do anything for me without the account number. So now there's nothing to do but cut short my holiday & rush back to my hometown originating bank on Monday. :'(

Last night an ATM "Government Savings Bank" ate my Krung Thai bank card. The money also did not come out.

The card-hole had felt extremely tight as I pushed the card in, so I felt suspicious from the beginning but it was too late, it had been sucked in. After the transaction failed I could see the card attempting to push it's way back out, and I swiftly reached in my pocket for a key or coin to try to assist it, but too late - sucked back in never to return. The automatic SMS reported the withdrawal but so far no correction or any further SMS.

Since then I called both Government Savings Bank and Krung Thai Bank's "emergency" it after hours numbers many times but no English & no help. Also I don't carry my account numbers with me (who does?) so doubt they could help even if they understood.

This account contains (what is for me) a large amount, so I'm very nervous about it. Any advice or similar experiences? I can only think to cut my holiday short & return to my originating bank branch Monday. :'(

Sadly, my old Peugeot 405 has developed an annoyingly high idle (usually 1,700-1,800 rpms), which my mechanic says cannot be fixed with parts available in Thailand. He said the "water sensor" is to blame for this problem, and that various other minor drivability problems I've previously had (and talked about on here) are caused by the mass air flow sensor.  However, I don't feel confident that he is correct about this.

For this reason, I'm considering having the engine removed and replaced with a Toyota engine.  Every once in a while I see a Peugeot 405 driving around Isaan, and every time I ask the owners what engine it has - in every case it has been a Toyota engine transplant, and they all stated they were pleased to be rid of the European engine.  One of the side benefits, besides reliability and parts availability, would be transitioning from the annoying 5-speed shifter to an automatic transmission. 

Also, the air-conditioning on the car is so weak now that it is useless against the intense Thai heat, and can only help at night or on a rainy day, despite being in proper working order.  I'm not sure if a Toyota unit would be any better, however, as it would be impossible to change the fan in the dashboard, which seems to be the main problem, and is like everything else on a Peugeot, impossible to source.

I'm wondering of anyone here has done an engine transplant in Thailand, and if you've had any luck with it.  It's certainly very common.  What engines might be available, cheap, and appropriate for a largish car like this - perhaps a 2.0 liter like one would find in a Corona or?

On 3/24/2017 at 0:25 PM, transam said:

Just keep your fingers crossed as it may have had an adverse affect on non metallic components that may show up in the future...

Yeah I do worry about that. But I suspect the replacement parts may not be all that expensive or difficult to find.

30,000 is a big loss in my book, JAS21.  But so far car's OK according to the renter.

grollies no thanks I like something cold in the morning. Not a huge fan of tea at any time of day.

Has anyone seen Kickapoo Joy-juice anywhere? Or does anyone know of any specialty import-shops which carry Mountain Dew in Pattaya or Bangkok?

So sad, Mountain Dew cannot be found anywhere in Thailand now. :'(

A few months ago I got a new passport. Just last week extended my annual Thai visa, & they transferred it to the new passport, no extra fee, no problem.

Now I need to do the same transfer with the ten-year China visa I got last year. Just wondering if anyone here has done this. When I got the visa the consulate was a madhouse and I paid enormous "fees" through an intermediary they had there to have my case expedited immediately. I wonder if this is de rigueur for transfer of visa as well.

The engine, transmission, and other mechanical parts of my 30,000 baht 1996 Peugeot 405 remain rock-solid, but the running/drivability issues related to the electronics (sensors, fuel injection, etc.) Keep getting worse, little by little.

My mechanic says there is nothing he can do about this as it is impossible to get any replacement sensors in Thailand. He suggests that the only solution will, eventually, be a Japanese transplant engine.

What a shame! Wish it was carbureted.

A fellow who rents my old '91 Nissan Sunny accidentally put in E85 gasohol. He drove it about 20 kilometers before having the tank drained at B-Quick & refilling with real benzine.

Will this have done significant damage to my carburetor, fuel lines, etc? 

I don't like fast food. Alas now I've officially run out! can't find anywhere.. So sad - had to drink a Coke for breakfast this morning. :'(