Hi, seems like lots of useful info here. We are looking at getting a 206cc diesel as I want a convertible and we are about to try and sell our Smart Convertible.
The 206cc seems great for us. Normally just the 2 of us and a very small dog but occasionally need extra rear seats during short family visits.
Long story but only way I can get a 206cc is because it has 2+2 seats, diesel (for fuel economy), and low road tax. So it is only slightly dearer to run than the Smart, so misses happyish
So I am sure I will make huge use of the search facility but I was wondering if there was a what to look out for when buying type guide or standard faults list?
Nah, the main roof problems we see on here are either from lack of exercise or self-inflicted issues caused by new users who didn’t read the manual.
It’s not recommended to operate the roof without the engine running, or to stop it mid cycle.
I'd advise regular usage to stop any of the micro-switches from getting sticky, a squirt of WD40 into the latch mechanisms annually to keep the operation of the handles nice and free, and maybe a smear of silicone grease on the seals once every few years to stop them from perishing.
That’s it. You just have to take into consideration that it IS a complicated mechanism, the oldest cars came out in 2001 so could be 13 years old now, and none of them are getting any younger.
BCingU,
Neil.
Mine: Daily driver; Mk2 MG ZS+ (TD). Current projects; 2 x Lotus Elan SE Turbos
Previous project: 56 plate 206 CC 1.6 Sport (with added Allure!)
Thanks Enright. That is good news. Don't mind reading manual, in fact already on page 40. Micro switches are easy to look after and lubricating seals no problem. You guys probably already know but VW have an expensive seal lubricant (about £36 a 10ml bottle) but it softens and expands seals on their eos. When I looked at the seal across the 206cc it felt the same as the eos ones, i.e. not smooth but slightly rough. So the VW lubricant might be helpful. I think it's some form of krytox lubricant.
I'll second what Enright has already said. I've now owned my little 1.6 cc for about 2 months. It was clear to me that 99% of all its problems were the result of a) not being used and b) not being properly cared for.
I'll give you some examples of what to look out for, based on my recent experiences:
- Roof not working properly: In my case caused by a few things. 1. The previous owner had put totally the wrong battery in the car which so far as I can tell just wasn't man enough for the job. Solved by buying the correct battery with as high capacity as I could get. 2. Exactly as Enright said, the microswitches and roof latches were full of crud from years of neglect. This was solved by electrical contact cleaner aplenty, followed by a generous dose of WD40. 3. The seals let water in. This was solved by cleaning them, silicone greasing them and now keeping the car clean and taking care of them. 4. Rear drivers side window went down but didn't come up again without being yanked. This was solved by buying and fitting a new (used) mechanism, this cost £30 and a few scraped knuckles.
- Coolant gauge rocketing for no apparent reason: This was caused by water ingress into the ECU and a couple of dodgy sensors, all interlinked problems. Probably the result of the car being sat idle in all weathers for a year or so and not cared for. Solved by a good local garage who diagnosed and solved the problem. Bad news was it cost £250 in total to sort, but could have been worse. It has run like a dream ever since, touch wood.
- Cabin heater control was either OFF or on FULL, nothing in between: Correctly diagnosed by the good folks of this forum. Went to a local parts place, bought a used on for £10, found the guide on here, cut some knuckles and fitted it myself. Works like a charm again. Apparently a common problem. Bit tricky to fix, mainly just fiddly. If I can do it let me assure you, anyone can.
- Paintwork: The car is a Y Reg (2001), so I wasn't expecting perfection. That said, if I owned a car for 13 years it would look a billion times better than my 206 cc does. Mine is metallic orange, but it looked as though someone had washed it with a brillo pad. Couple that with lacquer flaking on various panels and it wasn't great. Quotes to give it a blowover came in around £660! Given I paid £900 for the car that wasn't an option. Solution: Went to Halfords, they mixed up the colour for me and put it in some rattle cans and touch up pens etc. Bought some lacquer, wet and dry paper etc. etc. Spent the last few weeks tackling the really bad bits using paint and lacquer and the results have really surprised me. It's not 100% perfect, but it is 100% better than it was and is now very, very respectable.
An awful lot of the scratches, marks etc. all came out using good cleaning products like Auto Glym Super Resin Polish, scratch remover, wax, tar remover etc. A bit of spit and polish goes a long way.
As well as the above, as with any used car I buy with a view to keeping, I have fully serviced the car myself including: Oil, Oil Filter, Fuel Filter, Discs and Pads front and back, Pollen Filter, Air Filter, Wiper Blades, Spark Plugs, Battery, Coolant flush and change and I'm sure I've missed a few things here and there.
The car has done 28,000 miles which is incredible for a car of its age, and I know the mileage to be genuine as the previous owner is a close family friend who I know had it from brand new. It has a full, main dealership service history and has been relatively well maintained mechanically. Has 4 excellent tyres which saved me a packet, and also had the cambelt done recently. All in all, it's probably been a really good buy. If you can do a lot of this servicing/maintenance yourself you should be fine.
Hope this helps, as I said, these are just my personal experiences.
James, thanks very much, that's great info. I am happy to do most things on cars, about only thing I have not attempted is gearbox rebuild. I have rebuilt brakes, suspension, engines, turbos, put different engines in cars that were not designed for them, to name but a few things I have done on cars over the years. Only thing I dislike on cars are bodywork, well that and not being able to find technical info when required due to manufacturers not willing to divulge info.
So the forum is great for me, full of lots of invaluable info and helpful people.
Still need to sell the Smart Convertible (with braked a frame, towed behind motorhome) so I can get a diesel 206cc. Which will be fun to find as misses wants as good a spec as Smart if we are to still have 2 cars Smart has heated leather seats which she loves but I have not seen a 206cc with a heated option.
When requesting help of a technical nature, please give as much detail of the fault as possible along with details of exact model, engine size & type, gearbox, year, mileage, and any relevant work carried out to try to solve the problem to help us help you.
Better still, put the details in your signature.
ched999uk wrote: Smart has heated leather seats which she loves but I have not seen a 206cc with a heated option.
Once again thanks very much for the info.
Do you actually use them? Got them on my Merc and never use them.
Have them on our Merc and Smart and regularly use them. I sort of prefer the heat from the seat than the heater. Misses does use them more as she has medical condition that makes her cold very easily.
If I had my way I would have Smart roof down (fixed it yesterday) or Pano roof on Merc open unless it was raining
I converted my seats in the ZS to heated ones - partly because I hated the switch blanks in the dash, but also as a lifesaver because the engine is such a big heavy lump that it takes miles to warm up! Once the Elan's up and running again I may get another set and put them in that too.
BCingU,
Neil.
Mine: Daily driver; Mk2 MG ZS+ (TD). Current projects; 2 x Lotus Elan SE Turbos
Previous project: 56 plate 206 CC 1.6 Sport (with added Allure!)
Enright wrote:I converted my seats in the ZS to heated ones - partly because I hated the switch blanks in the dash, but also as a lifesaver because the engine is such a big heavy lump that it takes miles to warm up! Once the Elan's up and running again I may get another set and put them in that too.
In the ZS? Yeah, dead easy because they were an optional extra, so the wiring looms were already in place for them, and there were sockets and spaces ready for the switches and relays to simply plug into.
The seats had to come out and have the covers removed to get the elements installed, but I used to work for a car seat manufacturer so I'm pretty familiar with how they go together. The technology hasn't changed very much in seats in the last 20 years!
BCingU,
Neil.
Mine: Daily driver; Mk2 MG ZS+ (TD). Current projects; 2 x Lotus Elan SE Turbos
Previous project: 56 plate 206 CC 1.6 Sport (with added Allure!)
Enright wrote:In the ZS? Yeah, dead easy because they were an optional extra, so the wiring looms were already in place for them, and there were sockets and spaces ready for the switches and relays to simply plug into.
The seats had to come out and have the covers removed to get the elements installed, but I used to work for a car seat manufacturer so I'm pretty familiar with how they go together. The technology hasn't changed very much in seats in the last 20 years!
Thanks for reply.
Electrics are no probs for my (electronics engineer) but the covers might be fun for me Do you need the special 'hog ring pliers'?
Nope - it was all J-strips and it went back together with cable ties. 2 1/2 years and 50,000 miles later, still working and my bum hasn't fallen through and hit the floor yet! Probably will do tomorrow now that I've said so though!!!
BCingU,
Neil.
Mine: Daily driver; Mk2 MG ZS+ (TD). Current projects; 2 x Lotus Elan SE Turbos
Previous project: 56 plate 206 CC 1.6 Sport (with added Allure!)
Enright wrote:Nope - it was all J-strips and it went back together with cable ties. 2 1/2 years and 50,000 miles later, still working and my bum hasn't fallen through and hit the floor yet! Probably will do tomorrow now that I've said so though!!!
