Sudden loss of revs/power - won't go above 1500

roscampa · Post by **roscampa** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:44 pm

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere, last night when driving home my Bonog seamed to lost power and only limp along at about 1500 revs (10-15mph), and this in the rushhour. Hence I stopped and called out the Breakdown company who towed us home. They dodn't give me much clues as to what the problem might be excpet perhaps a blockage in the fuel system.

The symptoms seem to be even with foot flat to the floor the revs don;t go over 1500 and there is a slight juddering felt in the van. Notice it come on slowly goign up a hill, then it went away, then came back and now is stuck in this scenario. I am wondering whether its the Bio diesel I have been using that has blocked injectors or fuel filters, I have been running at 50% Bio 50% derv as suggested by the Bio diesel place.

If aynone has had this problem I'd be very grateful of any help/advice.

Also does anyone know if the diagnostic on a Bongo are unique or are they shared with any Frod vehicles. I noticed the Auto transmission fault codes section but couldn't find any other fault codes/diagnositc documents.

Again sorry if I am going over old ground I am still a newbie, but any help would be gratefully received,
Thanks,

Andrew.

PS The breakdown did mention LIMP mode, do Bongos have one?

Socket Set Sue · Post by **Socket Set Sue** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:57 pm

You need to drain the fuel filter and /or replace it. You also need to check the filter at the end of the fuel line where it enters the fuel pump under the banjo, its a small circular piece of mesh.

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:02 pm

Hi Andrew

fuel starvation or lack of air. Check the banjo filter first, then fuel filter for crap or gloop from the bio diesel. Also check your air intake is clear and filter is ok. If still no joy you could try cracking open each injector slightly and see if fuel comes out when you crank the engine (protect your eyes).

My money is on the biodiesel being poor. I've heard some bad stories about it. Safer to add your own SVO as you know what you are mixing.

roscampa · Post by **roscampa** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:05 pm

Thanks to both of you Ill give these suggestions a try, although I have only just (3 weeks ago) had a service with the fuel filter being replaced (as suggested by the Bio Diesel chaps - after about 150 litres of Bio).

You mention lack of air, what are the causes causes of this?

Thanks again for the quick replies I'll let you know what turns up,

Cheers,

Andrew.

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:57 pm

roscampa wrote:You mention lack of air, what are the causes causes of this?

Blocked intake tube - you can check for this by running engine with air filter cover removed. If it works OK, you've got a blockage somewhere in the air supply ducting (or a blocked filter).

BongoMTBer · Post by **BongoMTBer** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:49 pm

See this Andrew:

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 658#144658

SimonH · Post by **SimonH** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:22 pm

It's your fuel filter. Change that first, even though you have already done so. You may need to change it again, so buy in bulk!

Causes will be:

1. Running on bio flushes all the crud out of the tank and it very quickly blocks 2/3 fuel filters until it settles down.

2. Biodiesel will wax completely at zero celcius. Depending on your mix, this will block your filter instantly. At this time of the year I do not run with more than 5-10% mix. Try it yourself - put some in the fridge/freezer, and then compare to a bio/dino mix at various ratios.

I know, as I have had exactly this experience, with exactly the same symptoms. It has happened to me about three times, but only after I have used high ratio mixes. Stick to <20%, especially in the winter.

I have left the bio container out overnight and I will take a picture later and post to prove the point!

Cheers,

SH

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 3:09 pm

Good man simonH...I like the home experiments you have carried out. I have heard of a few problems regarding bio-diesel and bongo's....enough to put me off ever chancing any of the stuff

I was going to suggest to Roscampa that it may be the potentiomometer on the throttle that might be the cause of his troubles,but on second thoughts, the bio diesel sounds like the culprit.

roscampa · Post by **roscampa** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 11:07 pm

I think Simon is on the right track as my garage had just phoned and said there is a mass of gloopy gunge at the filter, he hopes (so do I) that it hasn't gotten through to the fuel pump.

I think my little experiment with Bio diesel may need to be scaled down to the lower percentages as suggested by Simon and Veg Ian, it's a shame as the place I used sold 100% recycled, not that cheap at 95p, but you do feel you're doing a little bit for the environment. Suppose if I have to have the tank drained and change several fuel filters I'm not being that good Eco-wise.

I may take up Veg Ians suggestion and run partly on veg oil, as at least it took in some CO2 when it grew !!

Thanks again for the help/suggestions and more pearls of wisdom please feel free to impart,

Chers, Andrew.

roscampa · Post by **roscampa** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:09 pm

Well got my Bongo back shes running fine now but needed tank emptying, fuel filter changing and tank, pipes and fuel pump cleaning with brake cleaner. All is now okay thank goodness.

Lesson learned, don't listen to those selling Bio fuel who suggest running on a 50/50 mix. I will probably run on a little veg oil and maybe 20% Bio fuel but only when the weather gets better.

Apparently the gloop drained out of the tank looked remarkably like the clear jelly you find at the top of newly opened corned beef tins

Thanks once again for all the help and advice, as well as being helpful it was very reassuring,

Regards, Andrew.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:22 pm

That is the very reason why car makers will not sanction the use of "Bio"-diesel in new cars. They just don't know WTF it might be.

All I can say is that any seller of "bio"-diesel who says it needs to be mixed 50/50 can't have much faith in their product.

I hope you are sending them the bill for your remedial work?

roscampa · Post by **roscampa** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:31 am

I'm thinking of taking them a large sample of the gloop that cmae out and ask for their comments.

I discovered these people via Friends of the Earth members, I may have to tell them that these Bio-Fuel people are not that friendly to the Earth making me chuck diesel and gloop away and replace new fuel filters ..........

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:01 am

roscampa wrote:I'm thinking of taking them a large sample of the gloop that cmae out and ask for their comments.

I discovered these people via Friends of the Earth members, I may have to tell them that these Bio-Fuel people are not that friendly to the Earth making me chuck diesel and gloop away and replace new fuel filters ..........

I'd be asking your FoE friends about it and letting the local media know if it were me. It's stuff like that that gets bio-diesel a bad name.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:55 am

You should pursue a complaint roscampa. I hate to be an old cynic, but all too often some dodgy market trader (and big corporations too) will happily jump on the 'good cause' bandwagon in order to shift product rather than increase sales through client recommendation built on a good quality product.

This people are likely to cause a lot of customers a lot of expense. They should be strongly challenged.

David Edwards · Post by **David Edwards** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:10 pm

Ros if you have been following my tales re oil use you would have seen all info I gleaned over a six month period of research pointed to bio fuel as total crap and to be avoided, that is why four years ago I started using pure rape oil. Hope there is no damage, stick to pure oil, bio fuel was not clean either. Happy motoring.

Sudden loss of revs/power - won't go above 1500

Sudden loss of revs/power - won't go above 1500

Fuel Blocked