Picking up my Bongo tomorrow - am I mad?!

[cmm303]

Quote ktsok
"P.s. What on earth is the S and L and overdrive button used for?!"

Theres a link on here somewhere that will explain all the gearbox letters and also the hold button.
Ive looked but cant find it
Im sure someone will know where to look and post the link soon

Oh,and welcome to the madhouse

Brian

searched and can't find anything either. I'm sure I've previously reposted a link to a table on what the Hold button does.

Hopefully somebody will post the page from the manual.

In the interim, to help the OP:
D is DRIVE which auto selects all
S and L are a bit like manual gear selection.
HOLD in D stops it using 4th (and 1st I think). Uses 2nd and 3rd
.......in S stops 4th and 3rd. Uses 2nd (1st not sure)
.........L keeps it in 1st

Use of S, L and Hold must be with thought. Just as with manual gears, selecting too low a gear can cause damage.

Hold is used for 2 main reasons
1) obtain engine breaking downhill by forcing a lower gear
2) stop the gears constantly flipping between 4th and 3rd on a twisty road.

[g8dhe]

Its probably best to get a drivers manual as there are LOTS of useful info you will be missing without one, unlike most cars the Bongo has lots of little features to catch you out which even a quick glance at the manual saves having to ask on here for every strange thing you come across!
I think the BF shop still has them in stock if not a search on Amazon will find it.

[BongoBongo123]

I have a rather hefty bill to cough up for soon and all said and done thus far I still don't regret it because there is nothing this side of £12,000.00 that would fit the bill other than a Bongo.

As has been mentioned the coolant system needs a watchful eye and the alarms. More advice than that I will not give.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Good news at last...and it should keep you happy for some years now!...as you say, there's nothing this side of £12,000....
Cheers
Helen

[ktsok]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. I have been offline as I have been away for the weekend Bongo bonding!

Two nights in the autotop on my new memory foam mattress, slept like a baby. So comfortable, although you have to be a bit careful with closing the roof. If the mattress isn't positioned just right it rubs a bit.

Billie attracted loads of interest, I think there was a fair bit of Bongo-envy going on! The automatic blinds are ridiculously pleasing. You have to have the key in the ignition to work them - do some versions wire it so they run off the leisure battery? I have ordered the Owners Manual as recommended so I can learn all of Billie's secrets.

My 6 year old was practically hyperventilating with excitement. We have been practicing with the hatch up, mattress down system and he can get up and down, in and out confidently. It took a 6 year kid to work out that the green canvas does not only rolls up, but that the mosquito net rolls down. I'm never going to get him out of there!

Took Billie to my local garage this morning. They don't really know Bongos but are willing to learn. I have never felt compelled to get down in the pit and look at the underside of my cars in the past, but Billie feels like a member of the family already - I want to look after her! She is going in for a new Cambelt, new gasket (there is a bit of of oil coming from somewhere), fitting a low coolant alarm (how do I find out what length screw I need to order the kit?! And is the £19.99 eBay version OK?), coolant test (it looked a muddyish brown colour) and if needed, coolant change - yes, my mechanic is going to watch the video!

Next step, designing my kitchen! Does anyone have some templates for cutting the panels to fit a rear side kitchen unit?!

So happy. Thanks again fellow Bongonauts!

[cazzyblues]

Welcome to the Bongo experiance Lol.
So pleased you and your son are so happy with your Bongo. There is something about them that makes you fall in love with them. I have not had that experiance with other cars or vans. It seems they do become a member of the family .....just like a pet does.
From reading the forum messages we are not the only ones who's Bongos are part of the family and they love them like we do.
Happy Bongoing
Caz

[g8dhe]

Yes its very common to move the blinds across to the LB. Take a look down at the fuse panel by the drivers knee, if it looks like below then provided there are some spare fuse sockets in the LB fuse block no reason why an extra two wires can't be added to pickup the two blind fuses as shown on the image below;

[ktsok]

Yes its very common to move the blinds across to the LB. Take a look down at the fuse panel by the drivers knee, if it looks like below then provided there are some spare fuse sockets in the LB fuse block no reason why an extra two wires can't be added to pickup the two blind fuses as shown on the image below;

I can't open that as it's a local file?

[ktsok]

Yes its very common to move the blinds across to the LB. Take a look down at the fuse panel by the drivers knee, if it looks like below then provided there are some spare fuse sockets in the LB fuse block no reason why an extra two wires can't be added to pickup the two blind fuses as shown on the image below;

I can't open that as it's a local file?

Oops. My bad, slow wifi meant it took an age to load! Thank you!