After about 1 hour on the motorway, steady 100kph, our 1997 4wd diesel Bongo auto began to shower the rear screen [and tailgate] with fluid. Thought it was rain spray at first but the road was not really wet enough and the wiper only smeared it, odd.
Shortly after there was loss of drive. Felt like a slipping clutch in a manual car, until we came to a halt on the hard shoulder. Engine starts and runs fine but no drive.
The entire tailgate and rear bumber was coated, there was a trail behind us on the road and a large puddle accumulated by the sliding door where we had stopped.
The recovery driver said it looked like gearbox oil.
Will be taking it to Japan Direct in Bury, who look after her, after the bank holiday.
Just wondered if anyone has had a similar problem or a diagnosis in the meantime.
Loss of drive and large fluid leak
Moderators: Doone, westonwarrior
Re: Loss of drive and large fluid leak
I'm wondering if a hose has come loose to the atf (gearbox oil) cooler under the radiator..? 

Cheaper by comparison to a race horse...


- mikeWalsall
- Supreme Being
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- Location: Walsall West Midlands
Re: Loss of drive and large fluid leak
A similar thing happened to my Toyota Estima which is a similar layout to the Bongo ..
On mine one of the steel oil cooler pipes from the gearbox to the bottom of the radiator had rusted through pumping / spraying transmission fluid out ..
I managed to couple the broken pipes to the gear box together to by pass the radiator until I got two new pipes from Toyota ..
If I was going to do the job again, rather than replacing the very long oil cooler pipes I would have cut out the rusted section and fitted hydraulic / oil proof 'rubber' pipe to join the good halves of the steel pipe(s) together ..
On mine one of the steel oil cooler pipes from the gearbox to the bottom of the radiator had rusted through pumping / spraying transmission fluid out ..
I managed to couple the broken pipes to the gear box together to by pass the radiator until I got two new pipes from Toyota ..
If I was going to do the job again, rather than replacing the very long oil cooler pipes I would have cut out the rusted section and fitted hydraulic / oil proof 'rubber' pipe to join the good halves of the steel pipe(s) together ..
JAL Mushroom roof,12/240v, fridge, cooker, sink, LPG V6 .. (written off @ £5500 Nov 2016)
Re: Loss of drive and large fluid leak
I think at least one of the cooler pipes maybe both comes out of the passenger side of the gearbox hopefully it's just a split pipe
Re: Loss of drive and large fluid leak
Amy Bongo is in at the garage now. Looks as if the main gearbox oil seal has failed. The new seal is on order and they are in the process of removing the gearbox. Hopefully no other damage so keeping our fingers crossed. Off to the S of France in her in 2 weeks.