Over heating problems ... Throwing good money after bad

[wislon]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone could give me any good advice with an endless cooling problem I`m having as I really do not know what to do next.

I bought a bongo from ( what I thought ) was a reputable dealer in October 2007 for £7,500. Its a 1996 2.5 turbo diesel with a lifting roof. It came with a 6 month warranty so I was feeling it would be a safe bet. Just to be sure I also got it under sealed.

In August 2008 my troubles began, while in the outside lane of a motor way the engine started throwing out steam and I noticed that the engine temperature was right up a H. Being in the outside lane while there was another motor way joining it took about ½ mile before I could bring the vehicle safely to a halt.

I got the vehicle recovered to back to the dealer and as it had probably over heated for some time I was really worry about the extent of the damage, so I suggested that they should replace the engine with a reconditioned one.

The dealer ensured me that that would not be necessary and that he had never had any problems with the bongos blocks going wrong. So I took his advice and a new head was fitted instead. After the head was fitted the engine was found to be missing when cold due to the piston rings wrapping. This meant that the engine needed to be stripped again and new rings fitted. All in all this work cost me £2,600 however I was assured that all the cooling problems where fixed and that the work had a 12 month warranty.

I then got the vehicle back and my wife with my new born son where driving it back home and it over heated again leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere. Some 4 hours later I had the vehicle recovered back to the dealer again. The vehicle had done less than 200 miles since it was “fixed”.

This time the dealer claimed that there was a blockage in the radiator and could not explain why this was not found the first time around. So I had to pay for a new radiator and to have the cylinder head retested. This cost me a further £1,200.
Last night while driving home the engine started spitting out steam again and the temperature was sitting at 5/8, just passed the half way mark. It had only done 133 miles since I had picked it up from the dealer.

I really do not know what to do next. I don`t believe that if I take it back to the dealer they will do any work under warranty and that they will just claim that something else they have not touched coused the problem. I don`t have any confidence that they have the competence to actually fix the problem. Even if I can get it fixed no one will touch it with this recent history.

Am I really looking at sending it to the breakers yard and writing off the £11,300 I`ve spent on it?

I`m just looking for the quickest way out, I don`t want to own it anymore and I just want to recoup some of the money I`ve spent.

Any help anyone?

[scanner]

The temperature readings you quote - are they from the (practically useless) standard temp gauge or have you had a Mason Temperature alarm fitted that modifies the gauge to give meaningful readings?

[stilldesperate]

I think Id make a call to a solicitor.

How come you are paying for repairs when the van clearly wasn't fit for purpose?

SD

[patnben]

Hi wislon,

My advice at this point would be not to make any hasty decisions.
Simply scrapping the vehicle will return you nothing but if the
vehicle is generally in good condition other than the engine, then
other options may prove to be of more benefit to you.

A better description of the Bongo and a couple of photos may help
others on the forum to come up with more beneficial options, but
whatever you do, don't make any decisions until you really have to.

[wislon]

The temperature readings you quote - are they from the (practically useless) standard temp gauge or have you had a Mason Temperature alarm fitted that modifies the gauge to give meaningful readings?

unfortunately it just the standard gauge.

Having grown up in VW campers I had a lot of hope for the Bongo, however my passion has been well and truly extinguished. With my new born son I just don't have the time and money to tinker like I used too.

[stilldesperate]

I think Id make a call to a solicitor.

How come you are paying for repairs when the van clearly wasn't fit for purpose?

SD

Sorry, Wislon, just re-read your post, and realised it was out of warranty when it overheated. Maybe a local Bongo member with some knowledge, or a recommended local garage could give you a more honest appraisal of the work needed.

It might be that the system wasn't bled properly, or you have a leaking hose, it would certainly be worth trying to re-fill and bleed the system, if you can find time with your little one You should soon see if the head has gone again.

There are lots of helpful people on the site, (suspect lots are at work at the mo!), and sure someone could call round to give you a hand

SD

[MountainGoat]

Where about in Scotland are you. Your experience shows the value of being a member of Bongo Fury, there are an increasing number of bongos in Scotland these days so there is a possibility that a knowledgeable member could live near you and give you independent advice.

Your experience sounds exceptional, I bought my bongo just over two years ago and apart from having a duff split charging system installed by a converter I have had no problems with the basic bongo. The Scottish area has some very good mechanics and automotive studies lecturers amongst its members. You should have asked for help sooner.

Tony

[wislon]

I'm in Linlithgow.

I'll follow up tonight with some pictures and more detailed description of the vehicle.

Can any one recommend a bongo savy garage in the central belt Scotland area who would be able to give me a second opinion?

[francophile1947]

If you're a member of BF, there's a database of approved garages in the Member's Area - hopefully one not too far from you

[apole]

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear your misfortune, I can imagine it's very frustrating and has thrown a big shadow over your bongo ownership.

I can appreciate it's hard, but I would try and take a step back and take stock, there is normally an answer.

Firstly, from what you have said, it would appear that the garage has not properly diagnosed the root cause of your problems, and the fixes they have applied have just cost you more and more money.

Things go wrong in life, that cannot be avoided, but how they are dealt with by all parties is the key.

I'd contact a trading standards, citizens advise and if you are member of a breakdown organisation them too. Find out what recourse you have for all your expense and inconvenience. Find out too if you are covered for legal expenses on your household insurance, sometimes you are.

If you can find a good local Bongo garage it would be good to get a 2nd opinion, not only on the fixes to date, but also are the costs reasonable as they sound pretty high to me.

When you have all these things, and can take a balanced view on them (which is hard when you are in the middle of it all) you will hopefully be able to get a good resolution.

Keep us posted and updated and don't loose hope.

[bigdaddycain]

Tell the dealer how you feel about the vehicle now, leave it in their hands to sort it out once and for all... (free of charge). They do still have an obligation to provide you with a good service.
This really is a grim tale, i overheated just the once,quite a few years back...It was my own fault, i'd forgotten to replace the header tank cap after adding a splash of coolant

[mikeonb4c]

A grim tale indeed. It sounds like the garage have been making free with your money as a license for them to practice incompetence. I think you need a solicitors advice.

I have to say that many many people have I suspect been steered in the right direction and away from potential disaster when considering the purchase of these fine vehicles. The price you paid for yours was - from the sound of it - high. That might be acceptable if the dealer who sold it had themselves taken any real interest in their obligation to provide some service to purchasors (they could have fitted a low coolant alarm, they could have checked the radiator and thermostat were functioning properly etc.). But they didn't, and that is shameful as a failure to do one or other of these things is almost certainly what started your Bongo on the road to ruin.

I think you have to see this thing through if you can to the restoration of a working Bongo, even if only to sell it. But I think you would benefit first from some professional legal advice. One thing I'd have to say is that - esp. in todays economic climate - getting a court judgement in your favour and getting money back are two separate things. What you would like to achieve Ithink as the best outcome is that they now do proper work to rectify it with you paying only for parts, at cost, but not for labour, and that they consult with people who know about Bongos (I'm sure Discount Trucks, Ian Taylor, Wheelquick, Doone etc. would all give them counsel when needed) whilst they are working on the car.

Good luck. Yours (and Mr Halibuts - on another thread) are very depressing tales indeed. The Bongo is a great car (a really great car), but has been let down at times by bad dealerships peddling stuff purely for profit and preying on peoples dreams.

I hope you get it sorted and please come back at any time for further chats

[Bin Bongoed]

In general these vans bely their age, they look good but are getting on. You can expect problems like anything else, but you just have to look at the prices of something comparable. As they age, so there will be more of this issue of imperfect bodies (like mine!) or imperfect mechanics, and the expense of keeping them on the road. But they've got to be worth saving, even if it just is knitting one from two. It would be a terrible waste to break this one.

[kelv]

You need to decide whether you want it or not.
If you want it, maybe get a new engine dropped into it, and keep it.
If you don't want it, sell it as it is.
No point scrapping it.
Or, drop a new engine in, then sell it.



At the end of the day, the offers of help are great, but you need to decide whether it's given you enough grief.
I got rid a of a Peugeot 406 once, because no matter what I did, it kept going wrong.
That was the right move, lost some money, but gained a lot of reliability and time.

Best of luck

[wislon]

Thanks for the advice and support.

After spending some time today speaking to CAB, RAC Legal Advice and reading the SMTA (Scottish Motor Trade Ass.) code of practice I have come to the conclusion that the only thing I can do now is seek a second opinion to see if they can diagnose the underlying problem.

Once I have the second opinion I can the determine whether it is something they should have fixed, and if so whether I have any legal recourse.

I'm starting to come to terms with the fact there is no quick exit from this problem.

I have deliberately not mention the dealer in question in hope that they will eventually redeem them selves, however if I have no satisfactory out come and I`m force into legal action I`ll be sure to let you all know who you should be avoiding.