Peugeot 306 7B

The Peugeot 306 (7B/7D) was built from 1993 to 2002 as a three- or five-door hatchback, a four-door saloon, a five-door estate and a two-door cabriolet. The petrol range spans the 1.4 (TU3JP) and 1.6 16v (TU5JP4) naturally aspirated engines shared with other generations in this contour, the 1.8 16v (XU7JP4), and the high-output naturally aspirated 2.0 16v of the GTi-6 (XU10J4R) with its six-speed manual. Diesels are the naturally aspirated 1.9 D (XUD9) and turbocharged 1.9 TD (XUD9TE).

The GTi-6's 2.0 16v deserves a specific check: this is a high-output naturally aspirated engine with tight valve-to-piston clearance at top dead centre, and incorrectly timed camshafts after a belt replacement are a documented cause of bent valves on this family. Ask for documentation of exactly when the timing belt was last replaced and by whom, and treat any rough running or noise that appeared specifically after belt work as a reason to have the cam timing checked before buying. The 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines and the diesel variants follow the general timing-drive and service-history checks documented elsewhere in this contour for their families.

To judge a specific 306, confirm which phase and body you are looking at, since engine availability differs across the car's long production run. Get a full fault-code read across all control units and keep the printout, and have a franchised dealer run the VIN to check for any open manufacturer actions.