Have you fitted your Coolant Alarm Kit Yet ???

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:46 am

So far 8 kits have been sent to club members, I have one left out of the first 10 due to a counting error by me. The 2 members (from the first 10 preorders)who have not contacted me yet will have to fight over the remaining one. I'm expecting another 10 to be ready within a week so, if, the rest of you who have preordered contact me with payment details and addresses we can start things moveing.
If any of you have fitted your kits I would be very interested in any feedback from your experience, any suggestions for improving the instructions, any problems encountered.
When all preorders are dispatched I will have 4 kits left at the introductory price and they can be ordered by contacting either me or the Bongomaster.
When they are gone they are gone and the price will rise to a more relistic £73.75p (from the Bongomaster)
So why not save £15 whilst you can ??

nfn · Post by **nfn** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:01 pm

I've got my kit in the post and had a good look at the instructions. I'm not quite sure where or how to install the LED warning light. I have some unused switches on the left-hand side of the steering wheel, and am planning on drilling a hole through a switch blank. I'll then insert the LED and glue it in to the switch. I assume that this is how it is meant to be done?

I also went and bought a litre of coolant to top up after drilling through the reservoir (I have not had to add any coolant since I've owned the bongo -- approx 13000km). I opened the lid and found that it's pink. The coolant in my bongo is green. Pink and green make brown (I think), which won't look too good. Oh well -- I plan to flush and refill the coolant later this year anyhow.

I hope to get around to installing the coolant alarm soon.

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:32 pm

To fit the LED warning . Drill the correct size hole in a blank switch ( or wherever you want to put it). Now !! remove the black plastic bit from the bulb. This plastic bit will now "clip" into the drilled hole from the front. Now !! insert the LED bulb from the back. The plastic will grip it.. NO glue required.
Hope this helps.

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:47 pm

nfn...you will not lose enough coolant to need to top up....only the mearest dribble... have the probe screw/ring terminal/washer all to hand and screw in as soon as the drilled hole has been razor trimmed.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:41 pm

Got my kit Haydn. What with bad back, hols, other stuff to do it may be a while before I get the kit fitted. May risk it until Autumn when the beast can be off the road for general fettling. Will post feedback if I do get the job done sooner!

Mike

smartmonkey · Post by **smartmonkey** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:53 pm

Careful Mike, you are smacking fate in the face with a kipper by not fitting it. The only time I have ever had a cambelt go is when I had the new one on the shelf waiting to be fitted. I am sure you could find an hour for a bit of gentle tinkering. As long as you get the sensor in you could leave the rest and space it out over a few days.

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:11 pm

Mike...2732 posts since Nov 5th 2006 !!! lets say 2mins per post average....that ='s 5464 mins = 91.07hrs...='s 3.79days....Time to fit kit slowly ...about 90mins....come on ...your aving a larff !!

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:54 pm

Yea but no but yea but.

1) I can do those in stolen time later at night
2) I can do those with a bad back
3) I can do those without needing confidence/experience at mending cars
4) I can do those away from the summer season
5) I can do those in my lunch breaks.
6) I cna do those .......

....oh forget it! All I'm saying is right here and now at this moment in time I am unfit, short of time and disinclined to do something to the car that could go pear shaped and leave me being shouted at (even more) by the missus for getting a Bl**dy Bongo. At my age and in my condition I require these things to be reasonably pleasant to do. On that score, popping posts onto BF is pleasant, fitting coolant kits in a hurry is not. I'll take my chances on a burst pipe.

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:40 pm

This bongo lark has turned you into a busy boy eh mike?

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:55 pm

You're not wrong there BigD. I feel like Barry Bucknall, except he knew what he was doing

Dirty & Flirty · Post by **Dirty & Flirty** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:12 pm

What with me being a bit of a lazy sod, what are these kits, how do they work, are they easy to fit. I have to occasionally top up my coolant, but sometimes forget and think I might eventually do some harm. No I am not blonde but think I should be ( before anyone else chips in ).

clogger · Post by **clogger** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:31 pm

i have not got one (yet)
but remember there was 2 feelings on this the other being the engine temp sensor.
i have one of those fitted, i fit it directly onto the cylinder head

it`s amazing how much the engine temp varies and the bongos temp gauge just sits there at the 11 o clock mark

normal driving can be anywhere between 85-90 c
motorway driving 90-100 +

it`s also very sensitive to going up/down hills / altitude (ie top of m62 saddleworth area it hit`s 110c freaked me out the first but it does it everytime so i`m not worried about it)

so i have it set at 112 c
it checks itself every 2 seconds and has a nice big led readout plus a nice loud audible alarm if it all goes pete tong

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:32 pm

Dead easy to fit...tells you when the level in your header tank drops.

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:47 pm

Not yet - nice weather yesterday, but busy - peeing down all other times

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:59 pm

Is there a case for fitting both? Or in my case, just buying them both and putting them in the stores