HOT INSIDE BONGO

CALVIN2002 · Post by **CALVIN2002** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:28 am

HI THERE IVE HAD MY BONGO FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS I USED TO HAVE A 25 YEAR OLD VW,GLAD I GOT THE BONGO BY MILES, THE ONLY PROBLEM SO FAR IS IT GETS SO HOT IN THE FRONT, AFTER 5 TO 10 MINS OF DRIVING, ITS LIKE THE HEATER IS FULL ON WHEN IT FACT ITS NOT, ITS COMING FROM THE ENGINE I GUESS AS WE ARE ROUGHLY SAT ON TOP OF IT, SHOULD IT GET THIS HOT SO QUICKLY OR DO YOU THINK SOMETHING IS WRONG, PLEASE HELP AS I DONT WANT TO BUGGER MY ENGINE,ALSO IM IN NEED OF SOME FRONT CURTAINS THAT GO AROUND SIDE OF WINDSCREEN TOO, I CAN ONLY FIND PEOPLE WITH THE CURTAIN THAT GOES BEHIND THE TWO FRONT SEATS AND NOT THE ONE THAT DOES THE FULL FRONT AND SIDE, MANY THANKS FROM GARY A NEW BONGO OWNER

NeilT · Post by **NeilT** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:33 am

Ahem... type in lower case

upper case is a shout ... Hello.. and welcome.. Yes the Bongo does get warm, as you are sat, almost on the engine.. But its not that bad...
I have not had any problems, but if the handbrake gets hot,i sit on it. It could be the scavenger fans??
If you are not used to a forum, you will see a search button .... try the search with some key words with regards to the problem....

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:44 am

Hi Calvin, welcome to the forum....

As you may well know, the bongo is a "mid engined" Gt cruiser...

Well,.. its mid engined.

A lot of heat can enter the cockpit from such an engine configuration,if it wasn't for the SCAVENGER FAN in the engine bay.

This device doesnt actually cool the engine,it simply blows and circulates the rising hot air from the engine, BEFORE the air reaches the cockpit.

As a test, at the end of a long drive,leave the bongo ticking over for a couple of minutes, switch off the engine.

Then go into the house and put the kettle on,whilst its boiling, return to your bongo and switch the ignition on, (not the engine though)if you hear a fan kick in your scavenge is working!

There are some other possibilities,if your bongo is a fresh import,it may have been topped up with the wrong TYPE OF COOLANT!

A mismatch of coolant can react with each other making it inneffective as a coolant.

Its probably worth having the coolant replaced anyway, as this needs to be done every two years on a bongo anyway.

Another simpler (but potentially dangerous)option is that the catches that secure the engine cover have been left undone,which would cause the heat generated by the engine to rise into the cabin.

There is a rubber seal that surrounds the engine bay shroud,if the cover isn't clamped down, that seal then ceases to be a seal.

A garage can do a quick and simple (often free) test on the coolant,to make sure its up to scratch

Dabs · Post by **Dabs** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:31 am

Good Advice BigD
I also think that external temperature also has a bearing on it too!!

It does work as an advantage especially whan its icy as if You stop somewhere for a brew the engine keeps the inside nice and toasty for quite a while after so its not all bad.

Calvin I wouldnt think there is anything wrong my favourite would be the latches not being hooked up properly on the covers under the seats its suprising how much heat can seep if these are loose.They may be hooked but might need adjustment to pull them a bit tighter an easy fix.

Good Luck and Welcome
Dabs

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:54 am

sounds as though somthing is not right. It does indeed get hot under the cover but shouldn't really be noticeable in the cab after such a short while. I wioud make sure the cover is well clipped down for starters and it is sealing pretty well. Would be nice to know what your engine temp is. Shouldn't go much over 95c under normal driving. I get no heat riseing up through at this temp. Be careful you are not on the verge of overheating. Is your bottom hose cool/just warm to the touch after a good run?? it should be just warm. If it is hot then you have a problem that needs sorting. Do this test and let us know.
Good luck and be careful. (by a good run I mean 30mins or more) I just towed a caravan 150 miles and the bottom hose was just warm to the touch)

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:31 am

...and one other (unlikely, but better not to assume) point. The underside of the engine covers should have an insulating layer of (yellowish, rubbery) foam on them. I assume this is present and intact?