new owner and new memeber advice

londonron · Post by **londonron** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:22 pm

hi guys/girls. my name is ron and i have just got my first bongo complete with a discount for various problems i need to fix. if anyone can help me with advice on the following.

1. generally what should i instantly check and change in a 2.5 4wd diesel 1995 bongo

2. the following are problems which i hope you can fix.

1. fuel consumption is really bad so what would you change first.
2. whinning noise which stops when foot taken off accelerator which old owner thinks if diff gone as he changed oil in it and made no differance.
3. drivers window switch doesnt work (both driver and pass windows) so how to i test if its the switch or the wiring?
4. not an issue now but aircon light come on but doesnt work. past owner said he got a refill can and made no differance, is there anything that normally is the culprit.
5. slight oil leak on rocker cover (past owners words) which i can put up with for now as its making me change the oil. overnight only a few drips so its not in any way bad

the fuel consumption and annoying noise are the ones i want to tackle first of course.

granitetim · Post by **granitetim** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:28 pm

Hi Ron, Lots of threads on fuel consumption on the forums already however at the end of the day it is a big heavy vehicle with the aerodynamics of an overweight breezeblock so economy is not its strong point but outweighed by a number of reasons that make the Bongo a Great vehicle. I am sure help will be on its way on other matters very soon.

londonron · Post by **londonron** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:43 pm

when i say bad i do mean bad. i got 15mpg on the drive down from wherre i got it and was a sunday and all motorway. i was nipping along a bit but at no point did i floor it and was only doing 80 ish all the way

daveblueozzie · Post by **daveblueozzie** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:11 pm

IT SOUND'S LIKE IT NEED'S A BLOODY GOOD SERVICE. oil and air filters new glow plugs might help obviously new oil, maybe even a coolant change. find yourself a good bongo friendly garage .as for the mechanical side ,like i said let a garage have a look ,you then can do what you can yourself if needed.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:27 pm

Old/clogged air filter is one well known cuase of poor MPG. V easy to check & change. Read 40mpg thread on BF for other clues (e.g. slick 50 treatment etc.) You'll never get v good MPG running in congested traffic and/or v short runs. Motorway over 70 mph fuel economy dives too.

Aircon - someone is selling an aircon compressor on ebay right now. I'd get an aircon specialist (or Kwikfit who are offering a 'no get it working no cost' recharge service) to look at it and diagnose. If its the compressor, go for it.

Whining noise - sounds like its related to engine rpm rather than roadspeed. There are others on here much more technical than me but areas like the turbo or - if its more of a whistle - broken exhaust stud - spring to mind.

Oil on rocker cover. They tend to be a slightly dirty engine in this respect. I had a slight weep and GENTLY tightened the bolts in the affected area (need to be careful not to make things worse by distorting / damaging the cover through uneven/excessive tightening). I then (using a compressor and paraffin gun but you culd use a brush) gunked the area clean and sprayed it off with water. From this I determined that whether the leak was old or new, it had stopped

Window switches - prone to going and expensive to replace though some people have managed to dismantle & repair - v fiddly though. Also, they says the wiring loom is prone to fracturing where it leaves th edoor and passes into the front wing so check for signs of fracture there.

The main thing I think is to give the car a thorough health check (loads of guidance on here) and service, with particular attention to the coolant system (e.g. exhaust manifold studs can shear through manifold becoming distorted from overheating - has this Bongo had an overheating episode and if so why?). Also, when was cambelt last changed, when was auto transmission fluid last changed.

Spend a lot of time (if you havent already) reading up on Bongo 'type' fautls as there's a wealth of stuff on here. Time well spent - I'd say essential reading if you intend to own a Bongo. With a cold beer next to you, its fun.

Good luck with the Bongo - a great car if you accept the + and - of it. Several members and London and all BF members v helpful.

Keep in touch

Mike

tridentlee · Post by **tridentlee** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:59 pm

hi ron, you sent me a pm earlier about how near you are to me, i have a guy at work whos a diesel mechanic and he has just serviced my bongo, fixed the "o" ring on the diesel pump, fitted a new back box, checked and greased everything for not a lot of money, i supplied all the parts which were bought from e bay @ very competertive prices, if you want to know more geti n touch again and i will supply his number to you, you would have to bring the bongo to him at dartford where he has full use of lifting ramps in a fully fitted hgv workshop, lee

David Edwards · Post by **David Edwards** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 9:11 pm

Aw that's not fair, why can't he live closer to me in Wales as well.lol. Take good care of him, good people like that are hard to find.

londonron · Post by **londonron** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 9:12 pm

all sounds good to me. yes lee love the number. will check the airfilter when i find out where it is and am going to quick fit to have my aircon done 44 quid to fix and free if they cant.sounds good to me.

brorabongo · Post by **brorabongo** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 12:47 am

londonron wrote:all sounds good to me. yes lee love the number. will check the airfilter when i find out where it is and am going to quick fit to have my aircon done 44 quid to fix and free if they cant.sounds good to me.

Big black, round box under drivers seat, can't miss it

( filter that is!) oh and welcome

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:27 am

Hi Londonron & welcome...I dunno how mechanically minded you are? I'd prioritize the faults ron...the whining diff takes priority i'd say...

How much trust did you have in the chap that sold you the bongo?

Its just possible that he really was very skint,and couldn't afford the service,and told you he'd had this and that done?(his way of thinking may be that not having a service would put you
off the sale more than the bongo's actual faults)
Which, if true' could be good news for you! especially if the diff is just a bit low on oil, or if it just turns out to be a wheelbearing or something...

If your not a spanner man (me neither) a good going over of all the probs is essential,so that at least you have an idea of what the cost may be, it sounds like tridentlee's mechanic is a good un

Could you let us know how you get on? And good luck

granitetim · Post by **granitetim** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 7:11 am

Hi Londonron if your window switch is found to be Kapputt take a look at Ebay Item number: 200172299251 good luck

londonron · Post by **londonron** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:32 pm

well airfilter found and it looked clean apart from a big black circle and clogged where the intake first hits it. so i cleaned it up a bit turned the filter around so clean filter at intake hose and replaced it. so question is

does the intake take air from the whole chamber or just suck it from the one place?

what is my next job i keep hearing oil and coolant change, by this do you mean change the water?

Post by **westonwarrior** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 7:53 pm

yes by coolant change they mean change the water.

There is a fact sheet in the members section make sure you flush the system and may consider a new radiator as the can clog.

Thing is there may be a few things that need doing and you may need to prioritise as funds allow.
collant change and good flush along with a service will not break the bank and may also highlight other problems in any.

also some diesel additive may help clean the injectors and improve the mpg.

londonron · Post by **londonron** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 8:26 pm

i went to kwikfit and guy said he needed the levels for air con and he would have a go.i have read on here about 1150 grams of r134a and best guess on pag oil around 14grams. is this all the guy will need to know also he found the valve at the front under the bonnet and said he can do it. there is another valve behind the radiator according to other posts and if i have a 954wd model does anyone know anything else i should know to tell the guy like there is only one unit to gas etc.

smartmonkey · Post by **smartmonkey** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:19 pm

By turning the filter around you will just get more of it blocked more quickly. Leave it where it was so all the sticky gunk lands in the same place and doesn't ruin the rest of the filter. Or better still change the filter. It obviously needs a service so I would change all the diffs/gearbox/engine fluids plus fuel/oil filters. Dont forget to check the filter in the banjo housing on the pump inlet. Check for diesel leaks around the tank and filter/pump. The fuel gauges are unreliable so I am assuming you have checked consumption with a brim fill?

Worth checking the brakes are free as well. Also have a look at all the air hoses around the engin bay.