Dreaded coolant leak

[smillingjimmyc]

Hi,
Noticed temp going up on t1 alarm,normally sits at 84/86,started creeping up to 95 alarm is set at 100,the veh temp gauge never moved from its normal 11 o clock position Dipped the fluid and nothing showing but did after put in about pint of water have since topped it up couple of times with antifreeze mix,there is slight drip from the engine region.
I have booked into garage tomorrow but little concerned as garage about 9 miles but straight down dual carriageway,should I be ok?

[Bob]

Sounds like the level dropped below the header tank, in which case I would (and did) get it recovered on a flat bed.

Seems like you may have caught it so don't crack the head for the sake of a few quid.

Others may have different views.

[smillingjimmyc]

Sounds like the level dropped below the header tank, in which case I would (and did) get it recovered on a flat bed.

Seems like you may have caught it so don't crack the head for the sake of a few quid.

Others may have different views.

Thanks for the reply! Strangely enough when I checked coolant level this morning it was ok although there was a very small(few drops) "wet patch" under the van.Garage seems to think it will be ok with it topped up if need be before I take it in.

[Simon Jones]

Don't drive it until it's been bled & while you've got a damp patch under the van, see if you can spot the source of the leak. To be honest, if the garage think it will be ok then I'm not convinced they understand the idiosyncrasies of the Bongo system & may not be the best place to take it for repair.

[haydn callow]

Down load a copy of the bleeding instructions from our website below.
Also look at YouTube ...bleeding bongos.
As said above ..it could be your garage think a Bongo is the same as any other vehicle...,lIT ISNT..

[Bob]

Simon and Haydn have taken the words from my mouth.

Just because the level hasn't dropped while cold doesn't mean it won't blow when hot and pressurised.

Does this garage understand the Bongo cooling system?

[smillingjimmyc]

Thanks guys for all the advice however i may have mislead The header tank was not empty and i may have exaggerated when i said pint.I checked level early this morning and no loss, took it out 2 miles there 2 miles back and temp gauge(tm1) never even reached the norm of 84 checked level again after an hour or so and no loss and no wet patch as of now(2 hours later).

[haydn callow]

If your tank was not empty then you should be o.k. ... However....the comments regarding bleeding if the garage have to drain the coolant do still apply..
Fit a low coolant alarm for preventative peace of mind.

[smillingjimmyc]

If your tank was not empty then you should be o.k. ... However....the comments regarding bleeding if the garage have to drain the coolant do still apply..
Fit a low coolant alarm for preventative peace of mind.

I have one of your tm1 which is how I knew there could be a problem....eng temp normally sits at 84 but I noticed it creeping up to 90s,alarm set at 100.As an aside does the veh temp gauge ever show hot? Mine has never risen above the 11 o clock position.
Without your alarm I would never have known I had a problem until too late i expect!

[mikeonb4c]

If your tank was not empty then you should be o.k. ... However....the comments regarding bleeding if the garage have to drain the coolant do still apply..
Fit a low coolant alarm for preventative peace of mind.

I have one of your tm1 which is how I knew there could be a problem....eng temp normally sits at 84 but I noticed it creeping up to 90s,alarm set at 100.As an aside does the veh temp gauge ever show hot? Mine has never risen above the 11 o clock position.
Without your alarm I would never have known I had a problem until too late i expect!

The standard vehicle temp gauge is heavily damped and sits at 11 oclock until serious overheating has occurred. Even a TM1 can only tell you of a coolant loss after it has happened and engine starting to overheat. An LCA is a must I think (mine saved me several times as the old girl got leakier). Good luck getting the Bongo sorted.

[Simon Jones]

Does the TM1 you have fitted got the low coolant add-on or is it just a temperature gauge? Bear in mind that a short journey may not give it a chance to get to a temperature where a lack of coolant is apparent. For it to have dropped in the first place indicates there is a leak that needs to be fixed.

[haydn callow]

I believe a low coolant alarm should be the first line of defence, the temp alarm is a added bonus

[Gasy]

Why did the engine temp rise if the header tank was not empty
There must be a problem there

[haydn callow]

Why did the engine temp rise if the header tank was not empty
There must be a problem there

Yep!! Gotta agree with that!!

[smillingjimmyc]

Does the TM1 you have fitted got the low coolant add-on or is it just a temperature gauge? Bear in mind that a short journey may not give it a chance to get to a temperature where a lack of coolant is apparent. For it to have dropped in the first place indicates there is a leak that needs to be fixed.

THIS was exactly the problem! Just temp/low oil alarm and i was just doing short journeys so hardly reaching "working" temp usually.It was only when on a longer journey the temp went from its normal 84/5 into the nineties that I got worried,has to be said though that without the temp alarm i would have been unaware of any problem until too late.
Drove to the garage yesterday with no problem,temp never rose above 85(9 miles down dual carriageway @ 40/50mph) bad news is the garage(recommended) found the leak,stopped it with a clamp but said it was still "damp".They tell me that if they replace the pipe/Hose there is a lot of corrosion in the area and other pipes etc would have to be replaced.
The bottom line is the parts including thermostat/housing and I think five pipes/hoses will be £380
They did say clamping the pipe would probably suffice If I kept an eye on it but I'm not taking the chance and have told them to order the parts.
Again thanks for the advice/support,really does make a difference