Reconditioned Peugeot 306 Gearbox

306 (1993–2002): four engine options, two gearbox families — and several identification pitfalls

The Peugeot 306 was produced over nine years as a versatile compact saloon, often used intensively in urban and suburban environments. This usage profile — frequent cold starts, city driving, high mileages accumulated on the clutch — places particular strain on the gearbox synchronisers and bearings. When a transmission fails on this model, the replacement part is not universal: the 306 received a total of four distinct engine options (1.6, 2.0 petrol, 1.9 D, 2.0 HDi) spread across petrol and diesel ranges, and two families of manual gearbox — 5 or 6 speeds — of which only the 2.0 petrol was offered with both variants.

Petrol: the 1.6 and the 2.0 — different gearboxes depending on the engine code

The 1.6 (engine code NFZ) is fitted exclusively with a 5-speed manual. The 2.0 is more complex: it comes in an 8-valve version (RFX / XU10J2C) and a 16-valve version (RFY / XU10J4), and it is on this engine that both the 5-speed manual and the 6-speed manual are found. The two are not interchangeable: the number of ratios and the gearbox references differ. Checking the engine code stamped on the block — and not just the engine capacity — is essential before placing any order.

Diesel: 1.9 D and 2.0 HDi — each with its own dedicated gearbox

The 1.9 D (engine codes XUD9A, D9B) and the 2.0 HDi (engine code RHY / DW10TD) each use a 5-speed manual, but their gearboxes are specific to each engine architecture and are not interchangeable. The 2.0 HDi, introduced towards the end of the model's production run, uses a distinct gearbox family from that of the naturally aspirated 1.9 D — the references confirm this (DHW, DHX for the XUD diesel; RHY for the HDi). On this diesel model, the most common symptoms leading to gearbox replacement are noise in gear, stiff gear changes, and gear jumping caused by worn synchronisers. EDEN BOITES offers these gearboxes on an exchange basis or as a rebuild of the customer's own unit, depending on the engine.