Adding coolant.... how much do I add???

tunoid · Post by **tunoid** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:26 pm

Hi folks,

Had problems ongoing with the cooling system. Hoses........ head gasket replaced........ still overheating........ garage cant find problem........ usual story. Runs for a week or two and then. .......overheats....

Anyway. She has been running for a few days now fine. No loss of coolant but has NO antifreeze inside her!!!!!

Need to get some in quick. Tis mild down here in Cornwall.

Anyway........ Does anyone know how much (litres) coolant to add.

Any tips on how to bleed system etc........

Looking forward to a quick reply on this one guys!!!!!!

Tunoid.

tunoid · Post by **tunoid** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:29 pm

I meant to say... NO LOSS OF WATER.

I need tips on adding anti freeze.

Cheers

Peg leg Pete · Post by **Peg leg Pete** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:35 pm

You need anti-feeze in all year round regardless of temperature, it works as a coolant and rust inhibiter too. I would be tempted to do a complete coolant system flush before refilling with a 50/50 mix of water and coolant. There are several factsheets covering the bleeding of the system

13 litres of coolant mix is required

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:37 pm

You'll need around 7 litres of antifreeze and there's a good factsheet in the member's area - well worth the tenner a year for info.

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:15 pm

If your bongo is running fine now after having overheating issues, is bled well,and everything else seems fine , why replace the coolant? Then bleed? then test? Then watch the temp gauge for the next two weeks?

Start the bongo up from stone cold,remove the header cap, (don't worry, the system hasn't pressurize yet)

Get 5 litres of straight anti-freeze,top up the expansion tank to full,If you
have access to a pela pump, or similar,pump out coolant, at the same rate as adding the anti freeze,the level should only fluctuate maybe half an inch or so,so no air will be introduced into the system.Bare in mind that some of the coolant you are adding is being sucked back out again,simply add this mixed ratio into the header as you go along.

This method should be fine, just so long as you can match the flow rates, (the pela isn't spectacularly quick)

The usual post coolant checks apply...

missfixit70 · Post by **missfixit70** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:42 pm

Or do a two person job, one filling at the header with neat antifreeze while one controls the bleed pipe draining, as BDC says matching the flow rates

Peg leg Pete · Post by **Peg leg Pete** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:06 pm

But is the bongo running fine now and how long has it run just with water? there could be rust and crud in the system, I would not just add coolant without checking out the flow etc. Was the cause of the overheating sorted???

tunoid · Post by **tunoid** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:31 pm

Th Bongo is currently running fine but has only WATER in the cooling system.

Can I just ask: Is the term coolant the other name for anti-freeze?

The History:

*Initially overheated and taken to the garage, losing water. they spotted a split hose and fixed it.

*Ran a couple of days and same again. garage fixed another split hose.

*Ran a day and overheated again.... garage fixed a hole in a metal pipe on water system.... under drivers side.

*Ran for a 10 mile journey and overheated again. This time diagnosed head gasket. Fixed with £500 bill.

*Ran a day and overheated. Garage replaced thermostat.

* Ran this time a few days including a 360 mile round trip to Bristol and over heated again. Back to garage where they ran the engine for all they were worth and could not make our Bongo overheat. garage throw in the towel and give us our Bongo back.

* Has now been running for three days without any anti freeze. All OK ... no overheating and no water loss.

Now I need to get antifreeze back in asap.

There has never been a diagnosis for the overheating. Just guess work by the garage. The problem remains a mystery. We do not know if the problem has gone as we do not know what the problem ever was.

Peg leg Pete · Post by **Peg leg Pete** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:33 pm

coolant and anti freeze are one and the same

flippa · Post by **flippa** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:15 pm

hi sounds like you been through the mill with this

few questions : firstly the garage has been doing all the work, how have they let you drive out of there with only water in the system

whilst doing this work , have they been bleeding the system correctly

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:54 pm

It sounds to me that if the garage had been dilligent enough to spot the initial faults, then a head problem may never had occured... They can't just throw in the towel...

I wouldn't be able to sleep till i discovered the fault, if it was a customer's, then i wouldn't be able to eat or anything else till i'd discovered the problem,this is bits of metal, plastic,and rubber we are talking about here...not a space shuttle.

Ok tunoid, from the latest update, i doubt very much that a proper bleed has been done,do the heaters work ok in your bongo? (front and rear?)

Any funny gurglings noises,smoke,unusual readings on the temp gauge?

There are a few methods of bleeding the bongo in the members area...It''s too involved a job to post on here really...

coco bongo · Post by **coco bongo** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:01 pm

Hi tunoid, Have the garage thought about flow testing the rad?.

This is unfortunately been an ongoing issue with many, myself included.

Ive had rad, head and gaskets,thermostat, and water pump replaced.

If you experience overheating again you might want to think about the other things. In my short experience with the Bongo it's more of a process of elimination im afraid. And proper bleeding of the system of course.

Im still hoping that mine doesn't overheat again, i will only learn to trust it a bit more after 12 months of perfect running.

Hope you have your coolant probs sorted.

tunoid · Post by **tunoid** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:33 pm

I dont think they flow tested the radiator.

Mechanic said that he flushed it through........ didn't mention flow testing..

We had access to members area.......... can't find the email with user name and password.!!

T

Post by **Doone** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:42 pm

If you contact Ian, he'll sort the members access for you. The rad is best flow tested, but if the overheating problems have been sorted, you might be OK.

coco bongo · Post by **coco bongo** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:46 pm

It is strange that they went and suspected head gasket before checking the radiator out. Might be better to get a second opinion from another garage.