Gearbox and droplinks

[Alex86]

I've had the bongo for about a year now. when i start it up in the cold it always stalls in reverse. it has always done this. Its ok after 2 mins or so. ive just checked the dip stick on the gearbox and it is very low. How do i top it up and what do i top it up with?

Also i've had a clunking sound coming from front wheels ive had a mechanic look at it. he says droplinks and ??bushes need replacing £120 all in. is this reasonable?

Thank you Alex

[teenmal]

I've had the bongo for about a year now. when i start it up in the cold it always stalls in reverse. it has always done this. Its ok after 2 mins or so. ive just checked the dip stick on the gearbox and it is very low. How do i top it up and what do i top it up with?

Also i've had a clunking sound coming from front wheels ive had a mechanic look at it. he says droplinks and ??bushes need replacing £120 all in. is this reasonable?

Thank you Alex

Hi Alex,what spec of bongo do you have.

[You've Been Bongod]

hi alex

droplinks are easy to change by yourself and you can get the heavy duty ones from
jake-the-must off ebay £39 free delivery takes half an hour to do the job

garage wanting £120 will prob get link bars for around £12 non heavy duty as they wont care so will be making a hell of a lot out of you

look under front droplinks on here to see how easy they are to do

[Trouble at t'Mill]

Having said that, £120 for both tasks really isn't that unreasonable - around £60-odd for labour? They need to make a living, you know!

Having now said that, both jobs are pretty straight forward DIY jobs, although be prepared for some tough nuts (ooh-er, missus) on the drop links, and possibly some sheared ones on the anti-roll bushes...

For an easy life, £120 ain't criminal.

[Trouble at t'Mill]

(As YBB says, I'd like them to fit the proper HD drop links - they may well think of getting cheapo Vauxhall Vectra ones... Worth asking them beforehand. If you also ask for the old links back, it's pretty easy to compare the gauge of the actual bars with the new ones - the Vectra ones are noticeably thinner.)

[dandywarhol]

Top it up down the dipstick hole with Dexron

[mikeonb4c]

Having said that, £120 for both tasks really isn't that unreasonable - around £60-odd for labour? They need to make a living, you know!

Having now said that, both jobs are pretty straight forward DIY jobs, although be prepared for some tough nuts (ooh-er, missus) on the drop links, and possibly some sheared ones on the anti-roll bushes...

For an easy life, £120 ain't criminal.

I agree T a t'M. Also, on the Vectra droplink issue below, I fitted them and they seem to be working fine. Even more interesting, when I replaced them it seems a garage had replaced one before and fitted.......an identical Vectra one! I think the real hope with heavy duty ones is that the bushes are stronger, but I think it was some so called HD ones from ebay that packed up in no time suggestign they were duff imitations. And the real Mazda ones cost much pesetas.

Get the garage to do the anti-roll bar bushes at the same time as droplinks if there is any doubt over their condition, as they also contribute to unplesant clonking sounds. Provided nuts aren't seized, its a mega quik job so should be much labour. Then again, the whole lot is very DIYable if you have tools and nuts arent too rusted.

[Alex86]

Hi thanks for your replys. I'll probably get garage to do it, but buy the heavy duty Drop links. Everytime I try to do anything on cars it always ends up opening a can of worms. I'll see what the garage say about heavy duty drop links??

Thank you Everyone! Alex

(btw teenmal its a 2.5td freetop)

[dandywarhol]

Best avoid cheapo Ebay links - you get what you pay for. The rubber protective boots have disintegrated on mine in about a year Hope the manufacturers don't make prophylactics too