Engine over heating - has my engine gone?!

[monein64]

Hi,

Think Betty's Engine has seized

Betty went for her MOT last week (diesel) and we got a call from the garage saying that coolant had started to poor out when they was warming her up for testing.

Never had any issue's with coolant before and we have a coolant alarm fitted, suspected they was reving her to hard to get her up to temperature.

Garage topped up coolant and gave her a service along with couple of points to address for MOT

After some minor points she passed, BUT..,

As I drove home 4 miles from garage temperature gauge went into the Red, just as I got home, turned her off as quick as I could. The Header tank was empty. Went out today to check the coolant,She needed 4 litres of coolant, went to start to bleed the coolant but the engine will not turn (large clunk when firing up) Now preparing for my assumptions to be confirmed.

Prior to speaking to the garage tomorrow
- Do you think the engine has over heated and seized?
- If yes to above repair or new engine and cost?
- Or new vehicle

Only had her out of the body shop a couple of months after a prang in the snow, this is depressing

Thanks in advance

[monein64]

Thanks - will have a look tomorrow and inform

[mikeonb4c]

Doesn't sound good. But surely the garage must be persuaded to accept responsibility for this. You'd think they might be required to have professional indemnity insurance to cover something like this happening. Very sorry to hear of your misfortune - its a bummer when something like this happens.

[haydn callow]

The garage did not bleed it when they refilled it after causing it to leak...this one is for them to put right

[haydn callow]

Do they know about bongo bleeding??

[mikeWalsall]

For the MOT the engine needs to be up to temperature and the revs held the revs at around 2500 rpm for about 20 seconds.

I would not think they need 'Bongo knowledge' to top up the coolant as part of the service ...

To me it suggests that the head was about to go any way .. just unfortunate that it was in a 'strangers hands' when it happened' ..

Bit like lending your bus to a mate then a few miles from home it happened or the silencer falls apart .. brakes went .. battery failed ... I don't see he caused the problem at at that exact time ... so who would you expect to foot the bill ..??

[haydn callow]

Coolant came out whilst the garage got it warmed up........they must have just topped it up and carried on....without bleeding.......where did the coolant pour out from??

[mikeWalsall]

I would like to (re) say I am strictly anti garage ... to me they are there to make a few quid out 'Joe Public' .. to fund there life style and Villas abroad ...

BUT reading the original post .. I still believe the Garage took reasonable precautions when doing the MOT..

To be honest .. I don't believe any garage would have done a full bleed after topping up coolant .. and still personally think that there was an inerrant fault 'bubbling' below the surface .. and the hydraulicing is is the final result ..

Even at the MOT recommendation when doing the actual emission test at 2500 rpm (or 50% of the engines max. engine speed) it seems to much of a coincidence to suffer a coolant loss while warming up the engine ..

I hope "monein64" can 'maybe' reach some agreement with the Garage .. or maybe take the issue to .. http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/contactus/c ... iments.htm ..

[haydn callow]

Mike, if the coolant was lost via the header tank, I agree with you.....
If I t was lost because of a failed hose etc then they should have sorted the problem, refilled and then bled it.


So I ask again....where was the loss from....not clear in the top post

[mikeWalsall]

The comment about the garage saying the coolant was 'pouring' out .. but not saying from where is a an unknown fact at the moment ..

But the garage did contact the owner .. who then (I assume with the owner OK) carried on with the service / MOT .. the owner (in retrospect) .. may have been wise to mention the Bongo coolant air lock issues ..

I would use 'any' garage for an MOT .. but as I have never in 55 years had a car / bike serviced at any garage .. I could not comment on the level of expertise needed for a Bongo ..

I have never had to bleed my Bongo .. but when I do come to do a flush / coolant change I will use my Bergan Vacuum / purge kit that I have used successfully on mid engined (Toyota and MG) before ..



Which is maybe of a similar type of system the garage would have used .. if .. they thought / known a 'simple top up' would have needed a coolant bleed ..

Saying that .. I had my Bongo converted to LPG by a 'Bongo specialist' .. as it needs plumbing into the cooling system, I felt more confidence with him, rather than the guy who converted my mid engined Toyota ..

[teenmal]

This reminds me of an incident a few years ago,I carried out an MOTT,the customer collected the vehicle got several miles from the garage and a half shaft went.I had to have the broken shaft tested to convince the customer that I was not to blame.The test showed that the shaft had been holding together by a fraction of its diameter.

[monein64]

Thanks for your replies!

To give further info to some of the posts
- Coolant was overflowing from the Header tank
- Our Garage does not conduct the MOT and this was outsourced by them
- The garage informed they have bled the system but not sure to what extent
- The garage have worked on Bongo's in the past and work on our other car but not regularly
- Struggling to find a local Bongo specialists (used Andy's imports in the past but hard to get hold of them)
- Other problem is I haven't got the time or the tools to work on it myself at this level
- Going back in tomorrow for diagnostics...via trailer
Will keep you updated
Does anyone know any Bongo mechanics in the Loddon / Norwich area (depending on results)
(least we are not in France anymore)

May be a coincidence as you say but the Wife (wifes car) and I are pig sick.

[mikeWalsall]

Sincerely hope you can come to an amicable agreement ..

Bubbling from the coolant bottle points to an internal engine problem ..

[teenmal]

Hi you said that you have a coolant alarm fitted,I can imagine it was going CRAZY.

As I drove home 4 miles from garage temperature gauge went into the Red.... The Header tank was empty. She needed 4 litres of coolant.

Did you not stop when the alarm went off.

[francophile1947]

Does anyone know any Bongo mechanics in the Loddon / Norwich area (depending on results)

Try your local section here http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 29&t=16160 - Lance Vinall is in Acle.