Thursday, November 26, 2009

P-Tronic - How it works

I always wonder... how P-Tronic works. So, I did some research to find out and this is what it does...

The unit is connected between the calculator and injection system. All signals come from the car's ECU. The information they receive is analysed, electronically modified, then sent to the injector pump, to the rail or directly to the injectors. This means the P-Tronic does NOT increase the boost of the turbo directly. What it does is that, it increases the boost of the fuel pressure at the injectors.

Once there is higher boost on the injectors, the fuel will be richer. The car's ECU will sense that and will boost the turbo pressure to compensate and equalise the fuel mixture, hence, the car becomes more powerful. The only problem that our fellow friends are facing is that the Blow Off Valve will leak because it cannot handle the pressure of the power, when its being set at level 7. This would mean that, once that happens, the engine will fail due to the fuel being too rich, and the DEPOLLUTION sensor will sense that and give a error, and the car moves into LIMP mode.

The only way to solve this problem, is to change to a better Blow Off Valve. Peugeot don't make the BOV. The standard PSA/BMW blowoff valve, fitted in Peugeot 308 THP 140/150/175 (GT), Peugeot 207 1.6THP (GT/GTi/Rallye/RC) and Mini Cooper S R56 1.6T. It is made by Pierburg.

Pierburg blowoff valves have common internal parts. So the internal parts of this valve are interchangeable with VAG (audi/vw/seat/skoda) TFSI 2.0 blowoff valves.

However, the connector is not the same, which will need some modification if you change the BOV.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Peugeot 308 GT writeup by Nigel Burton

Peugeot 308 GT
6:26pm Tuesday 12th May 2009

By Nigel Burton »

THE FRENCH have always been a cultured lot. Whether it be a nice glass of wine, a new posh perfume or a masterpiece hanging in the Louvre , they love the finer things in life.

So maybe it’s no surprise Peugeot’s hot-hatchbacks have grown more and more laid back over the last 20 years or so. Unfortunately, they’ve also become more languid.

But is that such a bad thing? Do we really want to go back to the 205 Gti with its noisy engine, tailhappy handling and tissue-thin bodywork? I doubt it.

The 308 GT is not a rival to the Renault Megane 225 nor even the Golf Gti, but it would be wrong to dismiss it as a ‘luke warm hatch’, rather than a truly hot one.

It has the same blown 1.6-litre engine you’d otherwise find in a Mini Cooper S (co-developed with input from BMW), lowered suspension, stiffer springs and smart five-spoke alloy wheels shod with hefty 225/40 R18 tyres. That’s still a rather tasty package.

Interestingly, the visual changes don’t go anywhere like as far. Principally, the GT is distinguished from lesser 308s by its tailgate spoiler, a few tweaks to the shark-like nose and a couple of bits of racy trim scattered about the comfortable cabin.

As far as facelifts go, that is more of a nip ’n tuck than full surgical reconstruction.

Peugeot’s stealthy approach to hot-hatchery means you can hustle this French fancy rather faster down your favour piece of black top than, say, an Impreza WRX without fear of attracting the attention of the local gendarmes.

So you’ll probably end up having as much – if not more – fun than a full-on performance hatchback because the 308 is a car in which you can enjoy yourself without the attitude that goes with so many hot-hatchbacks these days.

If only the exhaust note hadn’t suffered the same way. I like to enjoy my sporty cars with a suitable accompanying soundtrack, the 308’s exhaust note sounds anodyne, the same pootling around town at idle as it is revving out in second.

Not that the powerplant needs to be revved hard, thanks to plenty of torque from low down and a handy 195 ft/lb overboost facility that really gets the 308 moving.

The standing start figures are fairly standard but once you are moving the Peugeot feels like a handy tool and I was never once left wishing for a bit more punch.

One common criticism of most Peugeots of fairly recent vintage has been the switch to electric steering pumps. The powered assistance lacks feel – a vital requirement for a car with sporting intentions. On the GT Peugeot’s engineers have switched back to a traditional hydraulic arrangement (albeit with an ‘on demand’ electric pump as back-up).

As a result the GT feels good – the front end is ‘pointy’ with lots of grip from the tyres and a fine feel for the road surface.

Keen drivers will approve.

I was surprised by the excellent ride, too. The suspension may have been stiffened – there’s appreciably less body roll than with a standard 308 – but the damping rates have been carefully selected so as not to rattle your fillings. The GT is a car I could drive a long way without feeling uncomfortable in.

The most powerful engine in the line-up also comes with Peugeot’s smooth-changing, six-speed gearbox which is infinitely preferable to the standard five-ratio box with its slightly ill-defined change quality.

Otherwise the GT is standard 308 – a roomy, mid-sized family hatch with a decent boot and low(ish) running costs.

There are some nice toys, too, including slivers of fake aluminium trim and a smattering of leather on the seats. Mind you, I couldn’t work out how to turn the premium audio system off – pressing the power button just seemed to mute the sound.

So what if the 308 lacks the raw appeal of a 205 Gti? In the real world it is faster, cheaper to run, has more cabin space and won’t fall to bits when the warranty runs out. In fact, it’s a bit of a no-brainer.

Fears over global warming are making the brutality of oldstyle hot hatchbacks social suicide these days. Drive an Impreza turbo or a Lancer Evo and it’s hard not to feel as though you’re enjoying the last of a dying breed. Cars of the future will go fast without looking fast. The old notion of the iron fist in the silk glove has never been more relevant.

So maybe it’s about time someone took some of the juvenile delinquent out of the hot-hatch formula.

If it is, trust the French to add some savoire faire to the recipe.

SPECIFICATIONS
Price: £20,795
Engine: 1,589cc turbocharged 16-valve fourcylinder petrol
Max power: 175bhp @ 6,000rpm
Max torque: 190lb/ft@ 1,500rpm
Max speed: 140mph
0-62mph: 8.3 seconds
Combined fuel consumption: 37.1mpg
CO2 emissions: 180 g/km
Equipment: Alloy wheels, electric windows, CD/RDS radio, climate control, front, passenger and side airbags, cruise control, electric mirrors, leather trim.

Peugeot 407 2 door..



Peugeot 407 2 door.... looks so nice! CLICK THE PICTURE FOR FULL VIEW...

Saturday, November 7, 2009

No need to let the engine warm up in the mornings before we start to move the car!

Although you might think it’s easier on your car to let it sit and gently warm up, doing so is a bad idea for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it does indeed waste gas.

The vast majority of cars on the road today use electronic fuel injection. When your car’s engine is cold, the computer tells the fuel injectors to stay open longer, allowing more fuel into the engine to help it run cold. As the engine warms up, the injectors let in less fuel and everything returns to normal, so to speak.

The problem is, letting your car sit and idle is the slowest way to bring it up to operating temperature because it’s generally sitting in your drive at just above idle speed. And this method to warm up also invites other problems. Remember that modern cars are equipped with a multitude of devices to help them run clean, including a catalytic converter (sometimes three of them), a device in the exhaust system that works to burn off unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust stream. A cold engine emits a far higher percentage of unburned hydrocarbons than a warm engine. Unfortunately, the average catalytic converter can’t process 100 percent of unburned hydrocarbons even in the best of times. Importantly, the catalytic converter needs high exhaust temperatures to work properly. Throw in a cold engine emitting a high percentage of unburned hydrocarbons, repeat several hundred times, and you can end up with what’s called a “plugged” converter. In a nutshell, the converter becomes overwhelmed and literally ceases to function. This won’t happen all at once but over time, the end effect is the same: poor mileage and significantly dirtier exhaust.

The best bet? Even when it’s 10 degrees F outside, start your car, let it run for 30 to 60 seconds to get all the fluids moving, then drive off gently. Your engine will warm up faster, your exhaust system will get up to temperature faster so the catalytic converter can do its thing, and you’ll use less fuel. Which is what you wanted all along anyhow, right?

If it's below zero outside, it would be a good idea to give the engine five minutes or a little less before you drive off into the frozen wilderness!

— Richard Backus, editor in chief, Gas Engine and Motorcycle Classics magazines