Bongo Cooling system

[New Forest Terrier]

The Big Problem with the Bongo is not that failures occur but the mid engine and useless temperature gauge make them devastating.

I have driven old and battered cars for decades including the British Motor Industries finest , on and off road. During this I have had my share of dead wster pumps, split hoses, leaking radiators and a couple of head gaskets going. None have had the consequences these failures can have with a Bongo. No written off engines or even heads.

Never had a scrap of trouble with my Bongo. The cooling system seems more than adequate when working correctly. As its from a mountainous very hot part of Japan it would have probably died long ago otherwise.

But the normal safety zones are missing. Without a useful temperature gague the normal warning needle flicks are missing and the engine position means no cooling airflow. Add the airlock problem, so that you cannot even safely chuck in water to get you home and extra precautions are needed.

With this potential disaster situation a high level of prevention is needed. Alarms for coolant and temperature make sense where, if it is not broke don't fix it does not really apply since once its broke you can't fix it easily.

One extra consideration a Bongo is a potential classic like a VW and too good to be like most aged cars, scrap if disaster strikes.

[kelv]

Forums are usually a place for folks to discuss various topics and also sometimes hold different viewpoints about those topics.
I may be an "alarm sceptic " I may not be.
My view may differ from yours and yours from mine.
or it may not.

Can't undertsand the need for childish emoticons and snotty comments just because a viewpoint may differ to be honest.
But, hey ho.

[kelv]

Thanks Mike and NFT for a sensible and constructive viewpoint on the topic. Most helpfull.
More what I was hoping to receive than the headbanging emoticons and the snotty comments

[mikeonb4c]

the headbanging emoticons and the snotty comments

Don't worry about it Kelv - its standard humour on here. Used to get me down but now I enjoy rolling with the punches (and throwing a few well timed ones back now and again ). And I think its probably taught me (ashamed though I am to admit it at my age) to be a bit thicker skinned.

...and "No" You Lot, that is not an invitation to start kicking me round the playground

[kelv]

Hey Mike
Shouldn't that photo come with a health warning

I just thought the headbanging emoticons and snotty comments detracted from the debate and served no useful purpose really.

I didn't realise it was only humour, because I was under the misconception that humour is normally at least remotely funny
Rather than something else........

[missfixit70]

So you didn't read any of my postings then kelv that led to the headbanging emoticons? Not helpful at all? Don't know why I friggin bother.

[kelv]

No on both counts.
I don't know why you friggin bother either
There you go, total agreement

[missfixit70]

If someone replies to your posts with information that they have taken the time to type & share, it is common courtesy to read it, you are an ignorant man.

[mikeonb4c]

Don't know why I friggin bother.

Ummmm - because you and one or two others are top dogs on anything Bongo. And you tell a mean travel story too in words and pictures. Then there's the amazing pyrotechnic displays that have graced so many Bongo meets. Then theres all the moderating work of course etc. etc.

But apart from those insignificant reasons, I've no clue why

[kelv]

If someone replies to your posts with information that they have taken the time to type & share, it is common courtesy to read it, you are an ignorant man.

Hey, was only joking
A bit like the headbanging really
Humour is sometimes easily misunderstood.
I don't agree with your opinion about the ignorant bit, but even so, I will not be using emotive character references regarding you.

[missfixit70]

The head banging was not joking, genuine frustration

[kelv]

The head banging was not joking, genuine frustration

Can't help with that one.
Sometimes life can be frustrating, comes as part of the package

[scanner]

Yes and you have to remember that 17 hoses = at least 34 joints to leak.

How many normal cars have that many potential leak points?

[Aethelric]

Kelv, the difference between a bongo cooling system and most ordinary cars, is the speed at which an overheating incident can occur. If most cars run short of coolant then the engine gets hot, the temperature gauge rises and often the heater stops working. Stop, leave it to cool off, bung in some more water and away you go. Any air in the system will usually expel itself.
In the bongo, the only way that coolant can get out of the engine is "down hill". The hottest part of the engine is the cylinder head, and its at the top, and this is where air will collect. If there is only air, or steam in there, the head will crack very quickly.
If the coolant level gets low, because of a leak somewhere, then air may end up in the engine. It will NOT get out by itself, and if driven, a cracked head is the usual outcome. This is the logic behind the LCA alarm - to give immediate warning of low coolant, hot or cold.

The engine is in the middle of the car, and proper cooling needs the radiator, fans, fan relays, temperature sensors, water pump, and ECU all to be working properly, even when there is plenty of coolant in the system. Failure in any one of these can cause the coolant to stop circulating so that it will boil in the head thus causing a steam pocket, with a similar disastrous results as an air pocket. This is the logic behind the Mason Alarm or the TM2 - to give a warning if the engine is getting too hot. (The original unmodified temperature gauge is useless)

To fix the problem? Well all we need is a way so that trapped gas can get out of the engine by itself, whilst travelling.

Dave

[kelv]

Dave
Makes sense what you say, but has anybody put a figure on "too hot" ?
And, if the temp guage is useless ( certainly it is damped) why on earth did Mazda put it into a mid engined car with all shortcomings you describe ?

The Triumph Spitfire, had a weak cooling system caused by design.
The "cure" for that was fitting an electric fan.
The "cure" was not fitting an alarm to tell folks when it was getting too hot.
Obviousley the Bongo is a more complex beast, but there is surely an argument for slightly modifying the cooling system in some way, rather than just living with it and fitting an alarm which confirms when it has failed ?
Not knocking alarms here, just presenting a slightly different approach.

Nice dog