Overheating: The Statistics

[Rhod]

I had a coolant leak so "ticked" the box..... it was a seam leak on the radiator, nothing what I consider to major.....

I was being honest in the answer to the question....it the question said "have you had coolant loss and this caused a major repair bill i.e Cylinder Head"...... I'm sure the figure would be fairly low....

I would expect a degree of coolant loss to occur from "old" hoses and as the Bongo would be used far "harder" in the UK than in native Japan as well as low mileages then some Items can be prone to fail.

Likewise - I ticked the box because I'd had a couple of leaking hoses. Nothing sinister, just 14 year old hoses getting to the end of their life. IMHO the survey info is useful in that it suggests that replacement hoses should be budgeted for on an older Bongo, but that doesn't necessarily imply that there is any more chance of a hose springing a leak on a 10-15 year old Bongo than on any other vehicle of the same age. Although I suppose that the Bongo has more hoses to go.....

[dunslair]

What is the saying? There are lies damn lies and statistics..... We had a coolant loss via the rear heater matrix, due to not using the bongo and basically freezing it to death! Checked and spotted in time to avoid any over heat. I filled in the survey....but before this happened. I think the age and mileage correlation is critical as well! But for us being aware of potential areas of risk is the most important thing.

[Ian]

How many have actually had to have their heads/head gaskets replaced is more relevant.

That was a question on the survey as well....still working through the answers to that one...

[Ian]

Length of ownership will have an effect too, if you've had a bongo for 4 years, it's more likely to have had an issue than if you've had it for 2 months.

Not true! If you have owned a Bongo for less than 2 months, and bought it from an unreliable source, the chances are that the radiator is more likely to be blocked because it is blocked.

[missfixit70]

Length of ownership will have an effect too, if you've had a bongo for 4 years, it's more likely to have had an issue than if you've had it for 2 months.

Not true! If you have owned a Bongo for less than 2 months, and bought it from an unreliable source, the chances are that the radiator is more likely to be blocked because it is blocked.

May be blocked, but how many people don't know they have a problem, happily driving around doing the school run, shopping, etc with the heater part of the cooling system & a partially blocked rad happily coping as it's never really put under load & then when they load up the bongo & hook up the caravan thestat & rad are actually asked to do something & can't it all goes tits up, so I stand by my initial statement

[mister munkey]

I had head replaced within 24 hours of purchase a long way back. ( Due to numpty buying blind) & head gasket done 2 years & 45,000 miles later (down to wear & tear on 13 year old rubber hoses).

Hope all is well now for a few good years to go.

[The Great Pretender]

Can anyone confirm the position of the thermostat on the 2lt? If it is on the cylinder head that could offer a clue as to why so few problems.

[dandywarhol]

Can anyone confirm the position of the thermostat on the 2lt? If it is on the cylinder head that could offer a clue as to why so few problems.

I think its next to the petrol filler cap..................

I'll be more interested in the result to the more in depth question about the head etc.
25% of vehicles up to, and mainly13/15 years old loosing some coolant, isn't a bad failure rate IMO

[missfixit70]

Here you go Mel, 15171 S top right outlet side on the block by the looks on the 2l?- http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... 2of02.html

heres the V6, looks like that's still on the inlet side? - http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... 2of02.html

Ian, are the petrol bongo coolant issue figures divided into V6 & 2 litre?

[Alison01326]

That is indeed a worrying statistic. I think if I'd seen that before buying my Bongo, I probably wouldn't have gone through with it. I wonder how many potential purchasers will see this and be put off (at the same time I don't think it should be suppressed neither). A bit of an eye opener!

I bought my Bongo without knowing anything of any potential issues, having not discovered the club or the forum until some two months had elapsed after I bought it.

Fortunately, I got a good one, and I also now know how to look after it properly.

However, I specifically wanted a Bongo, so I expect I would have looked at the statistic and read

Percentage of people who own a diesel Bongo who have not reported coolant or overheating problems: 850 out of 1142 = 74.4%

Percentage of people who own a petrol Bongo who have not reported coolant or overheating problems: 137 out of 146 = 93.8%

It's interesting to read this discussion on this particular statistic, and I agree that there are degrees of coolant and overheating problems and the resulting damage, if any, and that one individual's interpretation of what the question meant is not the same as another's, so maybe future surveys (if there are to be any) could make distinctions between the problems which arise with the cooling system.

[mikeonb4c]

I agree with the above. Its a bit like saying a lot more older people - especially if they don't get themselves checked regularly - tend to get a serious illness. Its true, but its life.

* The older Bongos are mainly diesel.
* The older ones have more chances of tired hoses, stats, rad. etc.
* The older ones have more chance of having fallen into neglected maintenance at some time in their lives
* Bongos have a lot of plumbing
* Plumbing is not likely to get looked at as much as a simple 'lift the bonnet' car
* Finally, people come on here often because they've had an issue, which could skew things.

Those who've done their research on there and kept a cool head (no pun intended) will have had the best chance of picking out a good Bongo. If they follow the advice on here, they are unlikely then to be in that 25%

I suppose it could be said the diesel engine (and others like it) are especially intolerant of an overheating episode. Anyone care to comment on that?

All this, whether well founded or not, may make some prospective buyers nervous. To be honest, I wouldn't recommend that someone not prepared to take any interest in its welfare should buy a Bongo. But with just a little common sense, its a great prospect and it is spectacularly good as an all round motor and often at a price way below what you might pay for other MPV/campervans (which can throw expensive albeit different bills anyway)

[The Great Pretender]

Ian the survey has thrown up more questions than answers as the posts show, not a criticism an observation. How about a more in depth survey as Dandy said with specific questions regarding level of problems, also splitting it into 2.5 diesel, 2.5 petrol and 2.0 petrol as the coolant system through the engine differs.

[helen&tony]

Hi
I have to agree with Kirsty on the length of ownership issue, and the questions asked...I've had 43 years of motoring, and changed cars every 6 months, or before the guarantee ran out on new cars....never had a thermostat problem , only one broken hose, and one fan belt fray a bit
Now ask how many cars I have blown up...how many total brake failures, catastrophic suspension failures due to over-zealous use....blown axles , a near fire....
It's all in the asking
Cheers
Helen

[mikexgough]

With the Bongo, especially as they are all imported, we also have a different culture with our driving habits....

Also I think we forget the age of these vehicles and it's easy to do so due to the price of them.......

When in Boroughbridge on Saturday evening, we walked passed a car dealer...... he was a dealer that only sold what I would describe as Interesting Cars, basically the garage was selling cars he knew he could sell easily and prices reflected that.
He is selling Range Rover, Jaguars, Nissan Figaro, BMW 3 series, Audi's and he has the odd Caterham and classic Mini's......
Now putting age/price into perspective..... he had an '03 Jag XJ saloon for £4990....yet an H plate Figaro was £6495... .......... so in a flight of fancy and you buy the Figaro, you will probably use it like a modern small car....... the same issues that Bongo owners will fall at the feet of the Figaro owner..... Old hoses, coolant types and mixing..... not as many hoses to fail but the same underlying issues.......

[helen&tony]

Hi
Mike...yes, I agree on the driving style...over here we have low speed limits...40 KPH 50 KPH, 60KPH on main roads, and 90 KPH...on occasional stretches...as regards people sticking to them , you're pulling my leg, BUT I stick to them, being a foreigner, so I have low speeds, constantly moving, and both extremes of temperature...from minus 20 to plus 45 or more, so all the Japanese functions which do not show in UK conditions occur here...except the 2nd fan working on the radiator, but scavenger and everything else work fine.
Regarding the weeping hoses that Kirsty mentioned , I have an issue with that in the severe cold. It was slightly more weepy this year, as the system has almost all hoses in silicon....when the temperature dropped below minus 15 this year, I lost 5-6 mm water, but as the temperature rose to minus 5 and current 9- 12 C. there hasn't been a mm loss in 300 miles....so, there may be an issue with the resiliance of the silicon , as the spigot over which it fits contracts....I tested with leak detector fluid, and can find no stains, but it is more of something to be aware of, rather than worried about, and only in severe cold...maybe a bad Scottish winter.I tend not to drive in very cold weather, as the diesel I bought this year may not have been winter diesel at the local pump, but larger garages do automatically sell winter diesel, and some shell stations will sell arctic diesel.
I believe other folk with silicon hoses do notice a small weeping in real cold, but it certainly would not stop me buying silicon, as they are reputed to last longer, AND they cost less
Ah...the issue of diesel compared with petrol....It may be unfair to say that diesel is more likely to experience overheating....er...well, a diesel is SUPPOSED to run hotter, by nature of design, and all it means is that coolant / hoses etc. should feature high on maintenance....and that's what many people forget, who may only have petrol engine experience. Personally, I've only had a few diesels...oh, and air-cooled...but I always have difficulty with air-cooled, as I can never see where to put the antifreeze
TaTa For Now
Helen