Bad starting bongo

[sunnyjim82]

Getting bad starting in the mornings turns over at least 20 times before any action followed by a cloud of white smoke, once warm starts and stops as normal for the rest of the day and drive faultlessly.
Any ideas anyone??

[francophile1947]

Glow plugs have probably packed up - loads of similar threads on here.

[sunnyjim82]

Glow plugs have probably packed up - loads of similar threads on here.

Thanks for the reply yer have read up on glow plugs thought there might be something cheaper I could try to start but probably wishful thinking!

[stuc]

Just ordered 4 off ebay for £25 inc. 12month warranty, had various prices today ranging from £7 each to £25 each. I will take my chances with the cheap ones. The job looks easy enough to do as well. Finding the correct length of the current ones is the hardest, I had to take one out today and measure.

[sunnyjim82]

Just ordered 4 off ebay for £25 inc. 12month warranty, had various prices today ranging from £7 each to £25 each. I will take my chances with the cheap ones. The job looks easy enough to do as well. Finding the correct length of the current ones is the hardest, I had to take one out today and measure.

And were they long or short?what age bongo? Could you also let me know how they fare as I might go for the cheaper options as the van is up for sale any how

[Northern Bongolow]

there doesnt seem to be a year thing with the length of the plugs ive found all sorts in all ages. there is supposed to be a 1996 move from long to short generally but .

you may be lucky and get a year or 2 winters out of the cheaper ones.

[stuc]

As Northern Bongolow says doesn't seem to be an exact science as to which ones were used, mine are the long ones which seem to be a bit rarer, but you will have to measure them somehow.

[MountainGoat]

As Ady says there is a lot to be said for buying good quality glow plugs. No idea what kind mine are but the glow plugs on my Bongo were fitted in Japan before my Bongo was imported and they are still going strong after 6 years of ownership.

That said people have found that the best plugs available in the UK are NGK's but the only make the short glow plugs.

Tony

[Chris-W]

Are long and short plugs interchangeable at all?

[Northern Bongolow]

yes they are.
the decider is if the connecting bar for the 4 touches anything, usually the injector link pipes. if you should have the taller/long plugs fitted and you fit shorter ones without moding something the rail will rub and short out, usually burning through the pipe, lecky and fuel .
you can bend the link pipes down out of the way carefully, or extend the top of the short plugs to raise them. the difference between the long and the short plug is 10mm.

[Chris-W]

ahhh, so the length difference is external not internal?

[tigger]

External - yep.

And for what it's worth you can get good ones (NGK - short type only) for about 7 quid each if you shop around - look for Mister Solutions on ebay.

[sunnyjim82]

What's the external measurements of the shorter and longer type please so I can give mine a measure!?

[Northern Bongolow]

long plugs top tip to start of thread approx 36mm.
short plugs top tip to start of thread app 26mm. different brands do vary by a mm or two.

[sunnyjim82]

Thank you