If you have an antipollution fault on your Peugeot then you are not alone. This is a very common problem with Peugeot cars and it can cause various problems such as not starting, poor idling, or stalling.
In this article, I am going to help you understand what antipollution fault means, what are the main causes and what you can do about it. read on.
What Does Antipollution Fault Mean on a Peugeot?
Antipollution fault on a Peugeot is a general fault code that indicates that there is a problem with fuel/air mixture and engine management.
This problem can cause the engine to stall or run poorly, usually caused by Faulty Camshaft engine timing or a blocked catalytic converter.
When the engine management system detects a problem with the mixture, it will set this fault code.
Peugeot Antipollution Fault Causes
There are several main causes of antipollution fault on a Peugeot; I had several Peugeots with this exact code in my workshop, and the main causes are different; here are the main causes of antipollution fault:
1. Cam Engine Timing is off:
This is the number one cause of this fault code: the camshaft position is not being read properly by the engine management system.
When the engine timing is off, the air/fuel mixture will not be correct, and this will cause a rich or lean condition. This is usually caused by a timing chain that has slipped or broken, which means you will need to replace it before driving again.
2. Faulty Camshaft Sensors:
The camshaft sensors are used to help the engine management system know when each cylinder is firing.
They do this by reading the position of the camshaft and sending a signal back to the ECU, which then uses this information to determine how much fuel should be injected into each cylinder.
If one of these sensors fails, it could cause your Peugeot to throw the antipollution fault.
3. Blocked Catalytic Converter:
The catalytic converter is used to reduce emissions from your vehicle, and if it’s blocked or damaged then it won’t be able to do this properly.
This could cause the engine management system to think that there is a problem with the engine, which would lead it to throw an antipollution fault.
4. Bad Coil Packs:
The coil packs are responsible for creating an electrical current that is used to ignite the fuel injection system. If one of these fails, it could cause your Peugeot to throw an antipollution fault.
One way to tell if one or more ignition coils are bad is if the engine management system throws a misfire code. If this occurs, then you should have one or more of your ignition coils tested.
5. Malfunctioning Lambda Sensor:
The lambda sensor is responsible for measuring the amount of unburned fuel in the exhaust system. If this sensor fails, it could cause your Peugeot to throw an antipollution fault.
In order to fix this issue, you should have the lambda sensor tested and replaced if necessary.
6. Failing Crank Angle Sensor:
The crank angle sensor is responsible for measuring the position of your engine’s crankshaft. If this sensor fails, it could cause your Peugeot to throw an antipollution fault.
One way to tell if one or more crank angle sensors are bad is Engine Vibration & engine misfire. If this occurs, then you should have one or more of your crank angle sensors tested.
How to Fix Peugeot’s “Antipollution Fault”
As you may have noticed that this fault is a general error code which means a lot of different things can trigger it. As an experienced Mechanic, I recommend taking the following steps:
- Get an OBD scanner or take the car for diagnostics: The best way to find out what’s wrong is to use an OBD scanner or take your car for diagnostics. The scanner will allow you to see the error codes being triggered and what they mean. If you decided to take your car for diagnostics, make sure that the mechanic uses a Peugeot diagnostic tool.
- Reset the fault and see if it goes away: The next step is to reset the fault and see if it goes away. If it does, then you’re good to go. If not, then you will have to replace or repair the faulty component. If you’re not sure how to do this, then consult the manual or ask a mechanic for help.
My Thoughts
Fortunately, most of these possible antipollution fault causes are pretty straightforward and relatively inexpensive to fix, however, if the root cause is bad engine timing then it can be a lot more expensive to fix (I charge $1300). If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment below!
Additional Sources:
https://www.cars.com/articles/what-are-common-catalytic-converter-problems-1420663031608/
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/ctrp-0805-camshaft-timing/
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-advice/beginners-guide-peugeot
Thank you for taking the time to publish this info.
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We have had this fault show, P0016, we changed the cam sensor and the error code went but has come back, the engine oil is fine etc…..are we now left with the problem probably being the cam timing chain or is there something else left to check that may be a more inexpensive problem?