I have a 1987 505 STX V6 with about 150 k on the clock. I have owned it
since 29 k. I LOVE THIS CAR!!
I did, however have the transmission fail at 46 k (4 k shy of being screwed
by warranty expiration). I had a factory rebuilt tranny installed which I
was told was thousands of dollars. At 120k it seemed like the new one might
be acting up so I did a little fact finding. Local transmission shops can
remove, rebuild and reinstall the tranny for around $1500. In Maryland, the
emission inspection required you to rev the car. Also, air conditioning
places tend to rev the engine too. I had both and one of them probably
killed the tranny. Georgia has a new emmissions policy and strangely enough
in fine print of page who knows what of the emissions inspectors manual it
says DON'T REV THE 87, 88 Peugeot 505 along with a Volvo and a couple of
BMWs. Thank God someone is looking out for us! The only major things I've
had go wrong with the car are: water pump, starter motor, transmission. The
engine is truely remarkable. It uses no oil (everything I put in comes back
out at 3000 miles) and the oil on the dipstick stays fairly transparent for
the entire period! I imagine the inside of this engine is squeaky clean! I
have used SLICK50 for the last 100k and would recommend it (what do I know).
It recommends that you have the valves adjusted once every 60k. I did it at
60 k and the mechanic told me how tough a job it was. (So tough that he
screwed up putting it all back together and I had some cronic oil leaking
for a while -- took 3 visits to another dealer until they found the problem:
valve cover leaking!!).
Mine does have a fair amount of power steering leaking. I just keep putting
more fluid in (maybe 3-4 ounces every 3 months). The replacement parts are
way too expensive and the car drives fine (also the opinion of my current
mechanic).
When I got the car, I was thinking, I wish I got the 5-speed. I was even
thinking about having a 5-speed put in when the auto trans failed. But
actually, the auto is nice and the car does have plenty of silky smooth
power. There is a good article in Aug 87 (I think) Road and Track or Car
and Driver about the 87 STX. Ditto, EGON on the harsh shifting. Mine does
it from 3rd to 4th, not 4th to torque converter lockup. And it only happens
if I get to about 40 mph and then let off the accelerator slightly, THUNK
into 4th. A little practice and you can avoid this situation. Driving in
3rd is a good idea around town.
Braking is great with the ABS. I have serviced my brakes front and back
myself. They are very easy. I have not replaced the front rotors yet,
though they probably need it. The ABS rotors are like $300 / set and the
labor is many hours.
SO, the car is wonderful. Most everything is very durable but when it
breaks, IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE!
I think I'll get at least 200 k out of the car which makes the $12,000 I
spent on it back in 1989 money well spent.
When you look at the car again, get under it and see if the tranny is
leaking, the PS racks are leaking and if there is any oil leaking from the
pan or above. Also, with a flashlight check all hoses terminating in the
water pump. Especially the ones that go from the pump straight back into
the manifold. There are two angled bypass hoses on either side and two
straight hoses that go straight back into the engine. I just had all of my
hoses replaced since one of those straight ones was leaking coolant which
was collecting on the engine block right below the hoses. They have to
remove the intake manifold to get at these babies (4 hours labor). The
only other test is starting. Try running the car for about 30 minutes (full
warm up) then let it rest for about 10 minutes and try to restart. I often
have the hardest time getting the car to start in this HOT SOAK condition.
You may want to ask the owner if he has experienced any starting difficulties.
Let me know if you have any other questions about the car.
How many miles, what color, how much are you paying for your V6?
At 08:19 PM 2/21/97 -0600, you wrote:
>Hi everybody,
>
>I'm looking into buying a '87 505 STI V6 (I forwarded the ad to the list
>about a week ago). I don't know what I'm going to do with three Pugs, but
>I've been always salivating for the punch of a 6-cyl engine in a Peugeot.
>
>I know this car has the infamous 4HP22 transmission; what does it do when
>it's acting up? The owner wasn't aware of the 1,500 RPM rule. Are there any
>other weak points I should pay special attention to?
>
>Thanks for your time,
>
>Radu
>
>
>