The Peugeot PureTech 1.2L 3-cylinder engine with 130hp is being used on a wide variety of Peugeot, Open, Citroen, and DS cars. When it first came out, people were really surprised as to how Peugeot managed to make an engine as small as this one to offer 130hp without breaking apart. This does make a bit of sense as the engine began its use back in 2016 when it actually won a few “Engine of the year awards”.
However, as the years went by problems started piling up and many people now deem the 1.2L PureTech to be fairly unreliable. The worst 1.2L PureTech problem is related to the timing belt which can snap and cause a number of other problems. The 1.2L also suffers from cylinder head clogging which can cause the car to experience “check engine lights”.
The 1.2L is also prone to consuming a bit too much engine oil which will eventually lead you to add more oil more often. Lastly, we also need to mention a few engine control module problems which will prompt up a few well-known warning lights and cause the car to lose power or prompt up the check engine light.
All in all, the 1.2L PureTech needs timely and proper maintenance, without it, it will experience a bunch of issues. If you do everything you should do, the engine is more than good enough for a better part of 200.000 miles.
Timing Belt Problems
First and foremost, we need to talk about timing belt problems which can cause the belt to snap. The problem here is that the belt on the 1.2L can become fairly oily and deteriorate at a faster rate than normal. This means that your recommended replacement intervals will not be valid and that the belt is more than likely to snap.
If this does happen, there can be a whole host of other problems with the engine and its nearby systems, some of which will be extremely expensive to fix. Even though this is true, we do need to mention that Peugeot believes that this is due to improper oil type/maintenance schedules. In other words, if you can show a record of timely maintenance and correct oil use, they will fix the issue for you.
Cylinder Head Clogging
The 1.2L PureTech engine is known to experience a bit of “jolting” here and there which can either be due to inconsistent driver inputs or potentially pre-spark ignition. If these jolts are accompanied by a check engine light, chances are that your 1.2L PureTech is suffering from a problem called pre-spark condition which is typically related to cylinder head clogging.
To resolve the problem, you will need to first inspect the oil levels, cylinder tightness, any oil residue in the manifold, or the intake valve leaking. If these are all affected, you will have to clean the cylinder head by injecting small beads into the cylinder head.
High Oil Consumption
Probably the most talked about problem with the 1.2L is one related to the car drinking too much oil. This problem is actually twofold. The first one is due to a faulty oil level separator which can prompt up the engine oil warning light even before needed. The second is related to leaks which aren’t particularly common but can indeed happen.
In order to know what needs doing, you will have to test drive the car extensively after topping the oil level correctly. If you come across a leak, replace the damaged part and everything should be fine. If there are no leaks and the pressure seems to be okay, the problem is likely due to the aforementioned oil level separator which will need replacing.
Engine Control Module Problems
The 1.2L PureTech can experience a few notable software problems, most of which are tied to the car’s engine control module. The P1137 code usually leads to problems with the ignition coils while the P1338 leads to a faulty camshaft position sensor. Lastly, the P1339 is related to the glow plug module.
The reality seems to point toward the ECU being the true culprit here as all of the aforementioned components can actually be okay, but the car will still continue to list all sorts of codes. If this does indeed happen, be sure to reset the engine control module which tends to solve all of the above and more.
FAQ Section
Is The Peugeot 1.2L PureTech A Good Engine?
The Peugeot 1.2L PureTech engine is exactly what environmentalists want from a state-of-the-art gasoline engine. Since it’s just a tiny 3-cylinder with 1.2L liters of displacement, it is more than capable to bore you to death on the spec sheet, but in daily driver applications, the 1.2L PureTech is actually a really good engine.
The reality is that it does offer a decent amount of power while also being really efficient. The 1.2L is hardly ever going to drink too much fuel, no matter how you drive it. Lastly, it is cheap to maintain it as most spare parts are easy to come by.
Does The 1.2L Peugeot PureTech Engine Use A Turbocharger?
Yes, it does. It would be fairly difficult for an engine to be able to offer 130hp without some means of forced induction. The 1.2L did come in a few variants that didn’t come with a turbocharger, but these have long been forgotten since they are much less powerful and therefore much less interesting to both Peugeot and its buyers.
With 130hp, you really aren’t getting a world class experience power-wise, but efficiency-wise, it is really hard to beat the 1.2L PureTech engine.
Is The PureTech 1.2L Underpowered For Large Cars?
It all depends on how you are asking. If you are asking a family man used to driving family cars with small engines and small insurance premiums, the 1.2L PureTech is not underpowered. However, if you ask a car enthusiast or someone who prefers big luxury cars, they will say that the 1.2L PureTech is indeed underpowered for large cars.
Peugeot with 1.2 PureTech 130
1. Peugeot 208 Hatchback 1.2 PureTech 130 Allure
2. Peugeot 308 Hatchback 1.2 PureTech 130 GT Line
3. Peugeot 2008 SUV 1.2 PureTech 130 Allure
4. Peugeot 3008 SUV 1.2 PureTech 130 Allure
5. Peugeot 5008 SUV 1.2 PureTech 130 Allure
6. Peugeot 508 SW 1.2 PureTech 130 Allure
7. Peugeot Rifter MPV 1.2 PureTech 130 Allure
8. Peugeot Traveller MPV 1.2 PureTech 130 Allure