Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

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surfkernow
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by surfkernow » Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:49 pm

Thanks Mike. I have pretty much decided to fix what is broken, as opposed to spending money on the Cylinder head that appears to be ok.

I will though add a Cylinder Head Temperature alarm and Self Bleed Kit to add to my existing coolant alarm when the repairs are undertaken. I will also replace the radiator as Northern Bongolow has pointed out, it is not an original.

As long as the coolant system bleeds ok, then I hope I will be good to go. Will update soon.
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mikeonb4c
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by mikeonb4c » Tue Oct 01, 2019 10:17 am

surfkernow wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:49 pm Thanks Mike. I have pretty much decided to fix what is broken, as opposed to spending money on the Cylinder head that appears to be ok.

I will though add a Cylinder Head Temperature alarm and Self Bleed Kit to add to my existing coolant alarm when the repairs are undertaken. I will also replace the radiator as Northern Bongolow has pointed out, it is not an original.

As long as the coolant system bleeds ok, then I hope I will be good to go. Will update soon.
Yes I think following garages advice would be good, and Adys point about the rad is a good one. Good luck.
surfkernow
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by surfkernow » Tue Oct 15, 2019 4:07 pm

My Bongo is home from garage. Touch wood all is ok now. 2 hr drive home and my new Cylinder Head temperature alarm averaged around 88 around town and 90 on the dual carriageway. The highest I saw it hit was 93. There were a lot of long steep, winding hills on the way home and no overheating so that is good.

Anyhow, finger's crossed all is ok. Thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread. I will update in a few months if no news is good news. In short :

New Radiator
New Thermostat
New Water Pump
Dripping coolant pipe fixed

Diesel Leak fixed
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mikeonb4c
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by mikeonb4c » Tue Oct 15, 2019 4:20 pm

surfkernow wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2019 4:07 pm My Bongo is home from garage. Touch wood all is ok now. 2 hr drive home and my new Cylinder Head temperature alarm averaged around 88 around town and 90 on the dual carriageway. The highest I saw it hit was 93. There were a lot of long steep, winding hills on the way home and no overheating so that is good.

Anyhow, finger's crossed all is ok. Thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread. I will update in a few months if no news is good news. In short :

New Radiator
New Thermostat
New Water Pump
Dripping coolant pipe fixed

Diesel Leak fixed
Sounds good and fingers crossed its all sound now. If not already fitted (sorry if you've said you have one), a low coolant alarm is a good idea.
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by surfkernow » Sun Nov 03, 2019 6:47 pm

And bang. The Bongo overheated again two days back and had to be recovered by the RAC. Well, they were supposed to recover me but left me for 5 hours until I abandoned my vehicle and made my own way home.

Background

I had been sitting in the Van with a girl and some hot chocolate on a cliff looking at the sea. Yes it was romantic. I had the engine idling for about 2 hours so I could use the vans heaters to keep us warm. As I drove off , the following symptoms occurred within about a mile.

Symptoms

Temperature suddenly started to rise, Hayden Cylinder Alarm went off and got to 105 before I could pull over
Gurgling noise from Bonnet - once again, about a litre of coolant pushed out the expansion tank
No heat from the front or rear heaters (this was new)
At idle it would begin to overheat within 1 minute, before I shut off the engine

Recovery

I got the Van recovered by a local garage and bled the system today. The temperature remained stable at 87-90 when bleeding and I went for a 20 minute drive and the temperature remained stable. I have hot air in the front and rear heaters.

Conclusion

I seriously don't know what is going on . I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by Flanners » Sun Nov 03, 2019 6:59 pm

Idling for 2hrs!!!! In a Bongo you have had overheating issues with? sheesh. :shock: I hope it is not terminal
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surfkernow
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by surfkernow » Sun Nov 03, 2019 7:06 pm

Do you think that caused the problem? I have a Cylinder Temperature alarm and it was in front of me for those 2 hours and the van never came close to over heating when at idle.
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by haydn callow » Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:44 am

What on earth did you find to do for 2 hours ? Hot choc only lasts a few mins.....are you sure you didn’t take your eye off the gauge ?
http://www.coolantalarm.co.uk
Developer of the Mazda Bongo Coolant loss Alarm
Also BMW Clocks
surfkernow
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by surfkernow » Mon Nov 04, 2019 4:27 pm

Thanks for the replies, at work but will read more tonight. But, we spent two hours enjoying each other's company . Luckily, she had her own car to go home in :)

I could see the alarm from the back and it was fine. It was only when I was about a mile down the road it started to rise, in actual fact, I heard the tell tale gurgling on coolant being pushed out my expansion tank and then saw the alarm lCD numbers rising rapidly.

Thank you for the replies, i am often working so only have a few hours to think about how to fix my bongo a day :)
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by surfkernow » Mon Nov 18, 2019 2:51 pm

As I work I often find it difficult to find the time to work on my Van. Still parked up but I managed to get under it yesterday and today. Since there is still UV dye in the coolant, i was lucky in that I could see some fresh drips which means I know I still have a coolant leak.

Also this morning, I noticed steam coming out of the lower section of the upper radiator pipe. The part where the upper radiator pipe connects to the metal coolant pipe. This is positive as if steam is escaping under pressure, then air can be sucked back in, and create air in the cooling system.

I am going to have to replace some pipes, and this brings me to a bigger decision. Do I replace one or two pipes, or just replace all the front pipes, as I am going to have to replace the coolant and bleed the system and I would prefer to only do this one from a cost perspective.

I am considering T off all the rear coolant pipes. They don't look in great shape and the front heaters are a few foot away from the rear of the van :) . Replacing all the front coolant pipes and I am seriously considering a self bleed kit, even though others had advised not to.

When my Van was at the garage it was their view that the head had not gone, so I am tempted to spend the money on all the pipes. I have just sold an old Bedford Midi for 450 to pay for a lot of this, so hopefully I am making the right decision.

Oh on FB in the Bongo Group (James Martin) I uploaded a video showing all the smoke at start up and the consensus was the glow plugs. I will wait until I have solved the cooling problem until I tackle the next those.
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by Doone » Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:09 pm

The first time your Bongo overheated, all the leaks were fixed. It bled without problems, was running at a very nice temperature and you managed a number of long trips. 😎

As advised at the time, overheating does weaken the aging hoses and associated parts.

As another hose has now failed, causing it to leak and overheat/over pressurised again, this will have put even more strain on the system, its parts and joints.
Do I replace one or two pipes, or just replace all the front pipes, as I am going to have to replace the coolant and bleed the system and I would prefer to only do this one from a cost perspective.
I'd spend the money fixing what is leaking now and bleed it myself to see if it bleeds ok this time. Even if you drain and re-use the coolant.

If it bleeds ok and the cylinder head has survived again, you're very lucky. :) But I wouldn't buy anything I didnt need, until I was sure the head/gasket etc was ok.

Also 'Northern Bongolow' (Ady) mentions a way of testing the cooling system, that might be useful for you, to check for leaks, see these 2 links:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=68594&p=648305&h#p648305

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=72905&p=684199&hilit=Bike#p684199
Allan's closed. We recommend PGS (Plymouth Garage Services) or Mayflower Auto Services in Plymouth.
surfkernow
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by surfkernow » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:41 pm

First chance to look at my Bongo today , four main coolant hoses replaced. Apart from one looking like it had bulged one too many times they did not look in too bad condition. The main metal pipe sections the hoses connect to looked worn but no apparent holes; i hit them with a hammer a few times and they still sounded pretty solid.

The van bled after and 1hr and a half but I had a problem getting the bung in the bleed hose pipe and the expansion tank drained empty before I could get the bung in so 1.5 hours wasted. The coolant used at the garage was blue and although I reused it, I lost most of the coolant with the bung incident so I am going to have to start from scratch and will replace all the coolant and bleed again in a few days when I next I have time.

Will update in a few days/week once I have taken it out for a test drive
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by Bob » Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:25 pm

Oh bad luck. :(

Thanks for the update though.
surfkernow
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by surfkernow » Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:53 pm

Thanks Bob, it was bad luck and currently nursing some very burnt hands, they are blistering up as we speak. I was wearing gloves but they were not heat proof, as the coolant was flowing out of the bleed hose onto my gloves as I was trying to get the bung in I could feel the the burning...eventually it go too hot and I had to let ok of the bleed pipe but too late for my hands !!! Will take a few days for them to recover me thinks
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Re: Overheating - Looking for troubleshooting steps

Post by Bob » Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:10 am

Woooch. :shock: :shock: :shock:

That's nasty. :(
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