> when the oil filler cap was removed. Your post talks about "a lot of
> puffing"; how much is "a lot" this case, where is the boundary between
> normal and not-so-normal?
On the N9T excess puffing out the oilfiller cap is most likely due to cracked
piston(s). Excess puffing will just about float the cap when you loosen it,
and be quite noticeably oily. If it is your own car that you've had for a
while, and you have no oil consumption, and no teenage drivers, you probably
don't have cracked pistons. Piston cracking is not normal on N9Ts, but on
cars which are for sale, it is worth looking out for.
By the way, I am not an expert on N9Ts. I have just listened to a lot of sad
(and happy) parts customers about them, and have bought quite a few cars
which, had they had any other engine, would not have been for sale for
another 100M miles or so. Arlo Cota, the owner of Import Car Center (my
local dealership) is an expert on N9Ts, and he puts a much more positive spin
on them than I. But he's a race driver and hillclimber to whom presumably
the performance means everything. And even he has called the N9T Wagon the
Peugeot from hell, speaking with his Service Manager hat on.
How to delay the head cracking and turbo problems? My suggestions: Use an
engine heater in the winter for an hour before a cold start; take it easy
on the throttle before the temp gauge is off the cold mark; change oil every
2M miles; let the engine power down gently before shutting it off after
working it hard (e.g. idle it for a minute or so at a rest stop on the
interstate before shutting it off).
Is there anyone on the list with more than 150M miles on the original head or
turbo on an N9T? Any comments? I'd love to hear from you. (I have heard of
two cars with 200M claimed on original heads.)
Brian Holm