Coolant alarm/ temp gauge rising

[Jonny Tunnel]

Please help, my bongo is at the garage and has had some bits done, new glow plugs, exhaust gasket. After i collected it, the coolant alarm keeps beeping and the temp gauge is reading high despite the car not overheating. The current garage do not know what prob is and have taken it to another nearby garage who are stuck too. Its really frustrating bevause otherwise the bongo works amazing!

Many thanks, Jonny

[cmm303]

I presume you have checked that the level in the expansion tank is at FULL, at least above the LCA screw.

I would hold off driving the Bongo to prevent possible damage until you've found out what has gone on. Overheating cracks cylinder heads.

Ask the garage whether they did anything at all with the cooling system and exactly what they did do. If it went into the garage ok, and came out with the problem then they have created it and even if you are not going to hold them to fix it (at least just yet), the least they can do is be honest about what they did.

Which exhaust gasket did they replace? Can't think of one that needs the cooling system to be broken into, but it creates more space for doing the exhaust manifold gasket.

What colour is the coolant and is it the same colour as previously? New coolant can, in certain circumstances cause the LCA to sound off.

If the cooling system had to be topped up during the garage work I would bleed the cooling system. In fact given the possible uncertainty (I'm assuming the garage is not a Bongo specialist) I would do this anyway. There is a very important bleeding process that has to be followed - sequence of 3 videos on youtube. Whoever does this will be able to tell you if there was a lot of air in the system which would indicate that it was filled up but not bled properly. Air in the cooling system can cause overheating.

[Edit] P.S. Thinking a bit legal. The worst case scenario is that the garage messed with the cooling system, not bled it properly and have subsequently caused more serious damage from overheating. Might be prudent to be careful about the steps you take to ensure you don't weaken any case you may have against the garage. My instinct says 1) they must be advised, 2) they must be given opportunity to fix it and 3) maybe anybody else doing anything should be independent and record their findings and what they do.

Hopefully it is nothing this bad.

[Jonny Tunnel]

Hi Chris, garage says they didnt touch the coolant system at all, and it has plenty of coolant in. It isn't overheating but temp gauge/ coolant alarm indicates it is. Just really baffled as what to do next.
Cheers

[cmm303]

Coolant Alarm: Is this a Low Coolant Alarm, using a screw in the expansion tank or is it a second temperature sensor with alarm?

[haydn callow]

Is it the standard bong temp gauge (the one in the instrument cluster) that is reading high or do you have a extra non standard temp gauge?

In what way is the coolant alarm sounding? When and how is it sounding?

[Simon Jones]

...and the temp gauge is reading high despite the car not overheating.

How do you know it's not overheating if the gauge is reading high? Overheating doesn't always manifest itself with clouds of steam / smoke & a puddle of coolant on the road.

What sort of coolant alarm is it: low coolant / temperature / both?

Does the coolant alarm & temp gauge on dashboard indicate a problem as soon as the ignition is switched on or just when its been running for a bit?

[Jonny Tunnel]

Hi Simon, i have the standard temp gauge in van, plus the after market coolant alarms. Van only alarms which corresponds to temp gauge after driving for about 5 minutes. Never had any problems with heating before, doesn't seem obvious that its overheating but i suppose it is possible. Should i ask the garage to bleed it?

Cheers, Jonny

[haydn callow]

The only reason the coolant alarm can 'alarm' is if the coolant level in the tank drops below the sensor screw........try 'dipping' the tank.....dip a dry stick vertically down through the neck of the tank until it touches the bottom of the tank.....when you remove it the bottom inch should be wet.

If the standard temp gauge goes to hot ... You have a serious problem and you should not drive it at all until you know why.

[Jonny Tunnel]

Thanks Haydn, but any ideas what the serious problem could be, as it runs like a dream.

[Bob]

First reply from cmm303 'Overheating can crack the cylinder head...'

Don't risk it.

[haydn callow]

Get it recovered to a bongo specialist asap

[mikeonb4c]

Hold on guys. The OP says:

* Garage not touched coolant system
* Standard temp gauge behaving normally
* Coolant level not low (but OP to double check)
* Aftermarket systems (which could have had their wiring affected when work was done?) misbehaving
* Bongo not showing any signs of overheating

I'm thinking that if aftermarket systems were not fitted, OP would not be worrying about anything. The Bongo would seem like any other healthy Bongo and there would be no reason to think anything had happened for it to be otherwise.

I wouldn't want the OP to be complacent, but might it cause panic and unwarranted alarm (no pun intended) to suggest it shouldn't be driven? I'd be tempted to review the wiring on the aftermarket devices and/or look at how the work the garage had done could have induced a malfunction.

Can the OP confirm the standard fuel gauge is behaving normally i.e. is it on cold end of scale when engine is started from cold, and does it rise to the 11 o'clock position and stay there after 5 mins or so of driving. If so that would provide further reassurance of normal behaviour. Likewise, does the heater blow cold air when cold, but hot air when gauge at 11 o'clock position. That too might suggest (though not guarantee) cooling system behaving normally

[haydn callow]

Standard temp gauge working normal????where does he say that??

[mikeonb4c]

Standard temp gauge working normal????where does he say that??

Sorry,should have been clearer - I meant to say he says he has the standard gauge also and doesn't seem to be reporting it as misbehaving. I'm really asking the OP if he can confirm the veracity of what I'm saying. Don't want to cause him more alarm than necessary

[haydn callow]

Mike...he says he has the standard temp gauge and a low coolant alarm....that's all..... The temp gauge is going hot.......the LCA. IS beeping..........something seems to be wrong....I would NOT advise driving it until the problem is sussed