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'79 300TD "needs new central vacuum hoses"
QUESTION: So if this '79 300TD I'm looking at comes with a "needs new vacuum
hoses" message, what all is involved in "updating the system" with
all-new hoses? I understand that vacuum controls everything, but how
accessible is it all? I suppose I need to talk to someone other than
who I did about the car (talked to the driver, her husband did all the
maintenance on it though), but where is vacuum routed, and how
accessible is it throughout the car?
I've only ever owned GMs and one Honda, and the prospect of what might
be involved in this is a bit frightening, but perhaps the vacuum system
either doesn't degrade too bad outside of the engine bay (which I'm
guessing is relatively straight-forward to just whack some new hoses
into?) or it's all fairly accessible unlike the other cars I've had?
thanks for any tips, although maybe I should skip this car (there's a
nifty Peugeot 505 turbo wagon available for sale down here for half the
money, but that frightens me in other ways
ANSWER: I'd be skeptical about the car "needing all new vacuum hoses" - unless
its been in a fire!
(IMHO, that sounds like something told "the spouse" to justify replacing
the car.)
But it may well need repairs and these could range from:
a rebuilt vacuum pump
a new brake booster
repair to the vacuum powered door locks
The brake booster is the $$, the door locks just time consuming.
Vacuum aside, you should know that the climate control system on the '77
- '80 MY cars is quite expensive to repair - so much so that there's now
a digital retrofit kit to replace most of this OEM system. (I installed
one on my '80.)
Considering these points, and that this is a non-turbo engine, I'd look
for a TD (if that's what you want) in the '82 to '85 MY as these have an
improved climate control system and a turbodiesel.
Of course if this car is very cheap and you like it then.....you know.
The Pug is a good car. Very soft ride. A buddy of mine had one, it's impressive.
The vacuum hoses are a stupid simple fix. You need two things 1) a supply
of the hose and a few of eevry connector, end and t them make. 2) A car
like yours that's plumbed correctly.
You just put on the vaccum bits till it matches exactly the other
car.
You'll need new little white fingers for the things in the black box
on top of the valve cover where the vacuum goes into.
Rumor has it the hose is no longer available in clear or colored and
that it only comes in black so your car will look logically, not
physically the same as the other car.
But that's all there is to it. Vacuum bits are cheap at the dealer
and it shouldn't take you more than a half hour to put them all on.
Get a vacuum handpump/gauge. You'll need it anyway if you hve one of these cars.
DO NOT cheap out and get the plastic one, they break, get a metal one.
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