Electrics

[Staffz]

Hi All,

This is my firstpost, and it is to see if any of you can advise on an electrical prob I am having...

I bought my Bongo a couple of months ago, and have found everything O.K. but then went to start it and it wouldn't go!

I sent it to the Garage who diagnosed a constant live to the heater plugs, while it was running, which is causing these to burn out - a £60 auto technician visit later I am none the wiser, as he offered a rewire between £100 and £500 as couldn't trace it! (I had thought that was what the job was about, but hey, suppose I am not qualified to say:!: )

I have then had further advice on changing the wiring so the starter bypasses the system, adding a seperate button, so the automatic starter will no longer work on turning the key.

Obviously I am now totally confused, and wondered if anyone had experienced anything like this, and could let me know what was wrong before I start shelling out a few hundred quid.

Thanks,

Helen

[pippin]

In this warm weather your Bongo would probably start without preheating by the glowplugs.

The glowplug relay operates quite a lot to keep them on, even when the fascia light is not on.

When you write "but then went to start it and it wouldn't go", what exactly happened - fairly crucial to the diagnostics - starter motor worked? engine turned over? clouds of smoke? colour?

You need a BongoSpecialist to have a look.

I doubt that anything that has been recommended so far actually needs (expensively) doing.

[Staffz]

Hi,

First thng, thank you soo much for replying - more so as sounds positive!

I tried to start the bongo, it had taken a couple of attempts occassionally on cold mornings, but this time refused to start at all!
On the numerous occassions I tried, I inserted key, waited for everything to warm, then turned key, engine turned over, but it just wouldn't 'spark up' as my husband calls it - definitely wasn't anything to do with the battery, I tried hooking it up to my car just in case (as battery pretty old), but to no avail.

In the end got it taken to the garage on a recovery truck, where they changed the glowplugs, but said that there was a constant live to them while the engine is running, which the guy told me should cut out after the van has been running awhile. They asked about the auto-electrician, so I told them to go ahead, end result was £60 for the outcome I described in the last post.

The mechanic did change the glowplugs, and she now starts first-time beautifully, but we will apparently continue to have this problem as the constant live remains...

All a little too much for me with my basic knowledge - check levels, top up and service regularly!

All this is rather frustrating, as want to get my leisure battery and a basic electric supply installed into the van, but at the rate we are going if they can't find a reason for something like that not sure I would like to trust them with a bigger job! And all I really wanna do is load the gear and the dog and head for beautiful countryside while we still have sun!

Any advice is much appreciated, also if anyone can recommend a good person to deal with Bongos in or around Manchester (I will travel a reasonable distance if it means it gets done properly).

Thanks again,

Helen

[pippin]

I wonder if the glowplug relay contacts have welded together.

There is a fact sheet in the Members Only area (what? haven't you shelled out that tenner yet?!!) that describes a method of fitting an indicator to show just how long the glowplugs actually heat.

The glowplug relay is situated under the bonnet on the drivers side, on the wing just by the main engine battery.

Get someone to listen with the bonnet up to hear if the relay clicks off/on.

Best way is from cold, turn the ignition key to the position that all the dash indicators light up (ie not as far as the starter motor).
The glowplug light should illuminate then extinguish after less than half a minute. However - the glowplugs are still being heated (weird) until you hear a definite click from said relay after perhaps another half minute.

If you don't hear it click off then perhaps that is the fault.

Now, off you go and use them ears!

[Staffz]

Thanks very much, off to listen to my Bongo tomorrow - and people think I'm strange talking to my dog, now I'm listening to what my van has to say!

Will let you know how it comes along, will definitely shell out the tenner, would appear that it can save me a lot of pennies!

Thanks Again,

Helen

[bigdaddycain]

I wonder if the circuit reads as permanently live on the multimeter when the auto electrician tested the circuit?

The bongo's glowplugs remain on/off ( on a constant cycle) till the engine has warmed up fully.

If the auto electrician didn't allow the bongo to reach full operating temperature ( a good ten minutes or more from cold on tickover) then could the glowplug circuit still be reading as "live" even if the glowplugs aren't actually on at that moment?

[Mark & Shelly]

Hi staffz,
Well at least changing the glowplugs is getting you started, after that I would tend to agree with bigdaddy & listen to pippin. If the auto-lecky didn't know his Bongos or wait untill it was fully warmed up then he might assume it was permanent live when it was just doing its rather odd glow routine.
If they really are on all the time then a stuck relay is probably the worst case scenario, and though they are q. expensive they're not £100 or £500 expensive.

[moonshine]

Hi Staffz,
If the heater plugs really are staying on permanently, and not just for a few minutes, I would also suspect the relay to be stuck. Please let us all know how you get on, as it may help others.

What's wrong with talking to your dog? I talk to mine all the time. At least he always listens to me, even though he doesn't always take any notice if he doesn't feel like it.

[pippin]

In my case, for "dog" read "wife"!!!!