Just bought and now I have a couple of problems :-(

[eNigMar]

2001 Mazda Bongo AFT
Full 321Away side conversion
2.5 Diesel


Hi,

I bought my Bongo a couple of weeks ago knowing that it needed new brake pads/discs soon so I've bought the parts from the club shop. I'm lucky enough to have the Coventry Bongo garage from the club list only a couple of hundred yards from where I live.

After installing a new stereo head unit (probably coincidental), the brake light has come on on the dash. I've checked the cable at the rear of the handbrake and it's making a good connection, I've checked the brake fluid level and it's full, I've done the tests to check the servo (without a specific tester) and all seems fine. It brakes well. The only problem is that the steering wheel wobbles during heavier braking which I believe means that the discs are probably warped (this is why I've bought new brakes all round).

Mike, the mechanic in Coventry says that even if it brakes fine, the brake light would mean an MOT failure so I need to get to the bottom of the problem.

Could my fiddling under the dash to pull wires for the new stereo have pulled a sensor wire loose?

I've checked the sensor wires on the master cylinder and the servo and they seem secure.The engine seems to have all new looking pipes so I don't think it's a vacuum to the servo issue.

I'm no mechanic so I'm hoping that somebody more intimate with the workings of the Bongo can help me out.

As a second issue, I'm seeing oil seepage on the drivers side of the engine. I can't tell where it's coming from. It's not excessive, but the engine glistens with it. I don't see any performance issues and haven't owned it long enough to know if there is high oil usage due to this. I can sometimes smell the oil on the engine getting hot inside the cab though.

I'll be asking the mechanic, but on the phone he was dismissive of the diesel engines anyway labelling them as simply crap because they crack their heads. I do have the water level monitor installed an am not seeing any water loss.

[haydn callow]

Oil on the drivers side is very common and as long as you are not topping up the oil often don’t worry. Looks as though you might have disturbed a brake wire whilst messing about under the dash.

[g8dhe]

With regard to the Brake light, what happens when you disconnect the wire to handbrake switch ? You may find that something is bridging the switch around the switch as it is so exposed. If the light stays lit with it disconnected then it would point to something else on the loom, which really needs a multi-meter to track down and a bit of electrical/electronics knowledge. Wiring diagrams are available on-line, requires Flash to be enabled if using Chrome, http://www.g8dhe.net/bwm

[eNigMar]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm an electrician so pretty good at fault finding with a meter. I was just missing the wiring diagrams.

Cheers

[Bob]

If the mechanic is saying the 'Diesels are crap because the head goes' I would find another mechanic.

If the cooling system is not looked after you can have a problem, but there is no inherent fault with this engine, it's the same as the Ford Ranger.

[haydn callow]

I agree with Bob

I support Soldier F

[mikeonb4c]

If the mechanic is saying the 'Diesels are crap because the head goes' I would find another mechanic.

If the cooling system is not looked after you can have a problem, but there is no inherent fault with this engine, it's the same as the Ford Ranger.

My diesel is so crappy Ben that I've been unable to sell it and have been forced to keep it for nearly 13 years

[Bob]

Don't let it hear that Ben.

They can be naughty if you upset them.

[mikeonb4c]

Don't let it hear that Ben.

They can be naughty if you upset them.

I must have really peed mine off then, I'll try apologising later when I fiddle with it's existence

Maybe we should do a remake of Back To The Future, but with an old diesel Bongo. We can call it 'Forward To The Past'

[teenmal]

eNigMar Re your mechanic "I'll be asking the mechanic, but on the phone he was dismissive of the diesel engines anyway labelling them as simply crap because they crack their heads."
How dare he make this statement , it must be about a week since I have heard of one of these vehicles suffering from a Cracked Head.



Take care

[haydn callow]

eNigMar Re your mechanic "I'll be asking the mechanic, but on the phone he was dismissive of the diesel engines anyway labelling them as simply crap because they crack their heads."
How dare he make this statement , it must be about a week since I have heard of one of these vehicles suffering from a Cracked Head.



Take care

Probably due to coolant loss...I wonder if he had a Low Coolant Alarm fitted ??

Toot Toot !,

[mikeonb4c]

Don't let it hear that Ben.

They can be naughty if you upset them.

Poor old Muzorewa has driven his crappy diesel about 300k miles trying to get its head to crack, but it refuses to. Must have cost him a fortune in diesel, poor bloke. He was probably stupid enough to fit a Haydn low coolant alarm, which wont have helped it to crack

[teenmal]

eNigMar Re your mechanic "I'll be asking the mechanic, but on the phone he was dismissive of the diesel engines anyway labelling them as simply crap because they crack their heads."
How dare he make this statement , it must be about a week since I have heard of one of these vehicles suffering from a Cracked Head.



Take care

Probably due to coolant loss...I wonder if he had a Low Coolant Alarm fitted ??

Toot Toot !,

For what they cost It would be worthwhile fitting one of these , very good value.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Low-Coolant- ... ctupt=true

[mikeonb4c]

Do you have one of those fitted teenmal and if so how long have you had it. I only ask because I see the vendors description lists improvements made in response to requests from customers. One of those in particular says "The new circuit is smaller and is covered with a self-adhesive pad that insulates from being shorted to any metal parts, " which could be read as older models having had a problem in that respect. And there seem to be a couple of iffy reviews also. Might be worth contacting their customer support to see if you are entitled to a product recall free replacement.

In passing, my more expensive Haydn alarm is now in its 12th year of good service - it was one of the first ones fitted to a UK Bongo I think. I had the occasional false murmor from it when it was 9 years old and Haydn aftercare sent a free of charge replacement screw that sorted it. I've been happy to pay the extra for the great service its done me but, as ever, people must make their own choices.

Footnote: For any who dont know, Haydn Callow was a Bongo owner who saw the risk to Bongos and since nothing was available for them he got in touch with a well established Australian high quality coolant alarm manufacturer - you really dont want an overheat in the Outback! - in order to develop a version for our Bongos.

[haydn callow]

That alarm does NOT self test when turning the Ignition key, quite important really as that self test tells you the alarm is actually working. On the ‘cheap’ alarm you have to remember to press a button to test.

Take care