prevention better than cure?

[falcoron]

hi all,
being a newbe and getting all bongo'd on friday, all being well.
I am reading my way through the techie stuff and particularly the overheating issues that raise its ugly head a lot. looks scary and has me worried
When i get my bongo home what should i do to keep the coolant system in 100% condition and what should i change?
I.E. hoses, coolant type, thermostat etc.
Want it to be sort of future proofed, as i where.
I have seen silicone hoses on ebay and in our own forum shop. are these worth doing?
Do all hoses and pipework need changed to be sure?
Would appreciate your advice and any links you might fell helpful
Thanks
ron

[stilldesperate]

Treat it to a coolant alarm for Christmas

You can get paraniod reading the horror stories - remember that people generally post with probs, there's plenty out there working well.

Enjoy!

SD

[falcoron]

Treat it to a coolant alarm for Christmas

You can get paraniod reading the horror stories - remember that people generally post with probs, there's plenty out there working well.

Enjoy!

SD

Can you suggest a link for this alarm please, havent got my head around the whole forum yet.
Thanks

[apole]

Hi there,

Any car forum will be more focussed on issues, people write in less to say all is well.

That being said teh bongo's do have a rather complex cooling system, with many pipes etc. As time goes on these can leak, split etc, plus if not properly maintained the rad can get gunged up.

Just changing parts to pre-empt issues can help, but tbh if it were me I'd make sure it was properly checked over by a bongo mechanic. That way you are starting from a good point rather than changing random things in the hope all is well. A full set of silicon hoses can be pricey when you factor in the labour etc, then your fan belt could snap and you still get left stranded. So a good check over by someone that knows what to look for, any any things he finds addressed is a better way to go IMHO.

Dont' forget a low coolant alarm is a worthy investment.

Hope this helps.

Andy

[bigdaddycain]

Hi Falcoron...And welcome to the world of bongoing!

I got my bongo early on 2004, in that time she overheated once, when i foolishly forgot to replace the header tank cap once The coolant evaporated away on the 120 mile journey,and didn't result in temp gauge movement/gurgling/steam till i pulled onto my driveway. Thankfully no harm was done. I must have caught it in time.

I have had a coolant alarm fitted, and a mason alarm to make the gauge more "real world" in it's estimations, plus silicon hoses,and a scav and engine fans manual override switch.

So fortunately (to alleviate your fears) overheating bongo's are the exception, not the norm.

Yes they are more prone to problems if a leak appears, or if a leak which lets air into the system causes the dreaded "airlock". Many coolant hoses, and TWO heater matrix' can make airlocks troublesome to remove if not bled properly.

Original equipment Japanese coolant isn't compatible with euro coolant, gelling can occur if the two are mixed, causing a narrowing, if not a complete blockage of the galleries in the cylinder head, this will surely lead to a localised hot-spot (usually exhaust side) Then imminent head failure.

If unsure, get an experienced bongo mechanic to empty the Asian coolant, flush the system clean, then replenish with euro coolant, followed by the obligatory bleed.

A great many of bongo's with imminent head problems running around right now have a mix of mainly Japanese coolant, with the odd top up of euro coolant...This is Russian roulette for the old cooling system...Something will inevitably "give".

[falcoron]

Hi Falcoron...And welcome to the world of bongoing!

I got my bongo early on 2004, in that time she overheated once, when i foolishly forgot to replace the header tank cap once The coolant evaporated away on the 120 mile journey,and didn't result in temp gauge movement/gurgling/steam till i pulled onto my driveway. Thankfully no harm was done. I must have caught it in time.

I have had a coolant alarm fitted, and a mason alarm to make the gauge more "real world" in it's estimations, plus silicon hoses,and a scav and engine fans manual override switch.

So fortunately (to alleviate your fears) overheating bongo's are the exception, not the norm.

Yes they are more prone to problems if a leak appears, or if a leak which lets air into the system causes the dreaded "airlock". Many coolant hoses, and TWO heater matrix' can make airlocks troublesome to remove if not bled properly.

Original equipment Japanese coolant isn't compatible with euro coolant, gelling can occur if the two are mixed, causing a narrowing, if not a complete blockage of the galleries in the cylinder head, this will surely lead to a localised hot-spot (usually exhaust side) Then imminent head failure.

If unsure, get an experienced bongo mechanic to empty the Asian coolant, flush the system clean, then replenish with euro coolant, followed by the obligatory bleed.

A great many of bongo's with imminent head problems running around right now have a mix of mainly Japanese coolant, with the odd top up of euro coolant...This is Russian roulette for the old cooling system...Something will inevitably "give".

Thanks for the info,
The bongo was imported in 2005 and has had 1 owner since so i can assume all is ok.
Wher do i get a coolant alarm and how quick can it be fitted? If minutes then i could do it when i collect her

[Ian]

The alarms are available vis the club shop http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/mercha ... tm#Coolant and you can find fitting instructions in the members area at http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/member ... factsheets

[bigdaddycain]

Daveblueozzie (an eccentric on the forum ) Fitted my coolant alarm for me in around 45 minutes, i watched him fit one for forum member "the shadow" at a meet a couple of weeks back in maybe half an hour... So they don't take long to fit, maybe an hour if you took it easy with a brew break chucked in.

[Ron Miel]

Hi there,

Any car forum will be more focussed on issues, people write in less to say all is well.

That being said teh bongo's do have a rather complex cooling system, with many pipes etc. As time goes on these can leak, split etc, plus if not properly maintained the rad can get gunged up.

Just changing parts to pre-empt issues can help, but tbh if it were me I'd make sure it was properly checked over by a bongo mechanic. That way you are starting from a good point rather than changing random things in the hope all is well. A full set of silicon hoses can be pricey when you factor in the labour etc, then your fan belt could snap and you still get left stranded. So a good check over by someone that knows what to look for, any any things he finds addressed is a better way to go IMHO.

Dont' forget a low coolant alarm is a worthy investment.

Hope this helps.

Andy

Good advice.

Like bigdaddycain also, I had a sudden coolant loss early on, caused by finger trouble, not component failiure. An otherwise good condition top hose had been clearly screwdriver-nicked under its top jubilee clip, on being re-fitted after a cambelt change, causing a very slow coolant loss which I had failed to identify cause for, and wrongly decided was probably normal. Then, one day, the nick suddenly developed into a big split extending beyond the cover of the tightened clip, and goodbye coolant. Fortunately, a TM-2 temperature monitor and a low coolant alarm had been fitted, just a couple of weeks earlier - the alarm shrieked, I stopped the engine immediately, and the TM-2 showed that I did so before any perceptible temperature rise. No harm done.

Like you, I then considered a full set of silicone hoses for future proofing. However, I was advised not to do so by Wheelquick (Bongo servicing gurus in the north west) because, as long as hoses were occasionally properly inspected (for softness, or other signs of deterioration), and then subject mainly to proper coolant maintenance as above, hose failure was uncommon - and they see more Bongos in trouble than you read about on this forum! Advice was, if it aint broke don't fix it, and you could even cause problems in the process if you ignored that. That obviously chimed well with what had already happened, so I didn't make the wholesale change, and instead I just properly look after what I've already got.

[missfixit70]

This recent thread was along similar lines as the query in this post, worth a read - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=36567

[The Shadow]

Daveblueozzie (an eccentric on the forum ) Fitted my coolant alarm for me in around 45 minutes, i watched him fit one for forum member "the shadow" at a meet a couple of weeks back in maybe half an hour... So they don't take long to fit, maybe an hour if you took it easy with a brew break chucked in.

My advise is fit a coolant alarm, when BDO was fitting my coolant alarm I was shocked when he showed me I had no coolant in the coolant expansion tank so its a good job I decided to have one fitted. I now need to keep an eye on the this, may have a slow coolant loss. My coolant expansion tank has discoloured, it's not clear so I can't visually see whats the level of the coolant, so the coolant alarm comes in good use.

[falcoron]

Daveblueozzie (an eccentric on the forum ) Fitted my coolant alarm for me in around 45 minutes, i watched him fit one for forum member "the shadow" at a meet a couple of weeks back in maybe half an hour... So they don't take long to fit, maybe an hour if you took it easy with a brew break chucked in.

My advise is fit a coolant alarm, when BDO was fitting my coolant alarm I was shocked when he showed me I had no coolant in the coolant expansion tank so its a good job I decided to have one fitted. I now need to keep an eye on the this, may have a slow coolant loss. My coolant expansion tank has discoloured, it's not clear so I can't visually see whats the level of the coolant, so the coolant alarm comes in good use.

Thanks guys really good stuff will get one sorted as soon as i can.
In the mean time please lookout for a silver ford freda/bongo from southampton to liverpool on Friday, if the driver looks lost, its me!

[blobber]

Southampton to liverpool............. on a Friday???
May all your gods be with you.

[falcoron]

well im all bonged up!
drive fron portsmouth to liverpool was a breeze yes even for a friday. Drove effortlessly perfect love it!!
only one thing not working and thats the fuel gauge. can anyone tell me how to check this please.
Filled her to the top cost £60 and she has now done 500km. What should i expect from a tankful?
Thanks
Ron

[g8dhe]

I would have thought that the Fuel Gauge problems should be in the FAQ by now, here is a good link http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=33920