Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:58 pm
Bell Hill Garage. Advert on this site. Can you call into Somerton on your way back?? Near Yeovil.
http://www.bellhillgarage.co.uk
Tel 01373 834252
Bongo Fury
A forum for Bongo fans and owners
https://igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/
still temperature gauge problems.
Page 2 of 2
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:02 pm
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:09 pm
i had to buy a new warranty as the one i got with it didn't cover the head or something.cost me £130.the whole reason for the new head was that one garage found an engine bolt going down through the head to main part was sheared off and rattling around.this was thought to be the cause of my overheating problems and air locks.yeah there is a garage that is bongo friendly but away from home till fri......all the time bongo is in garage i lose wages due to no transport. cost me around £700 in wages so far. 
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:14 pm
If it is only the Themostat you can get one frome Bongobits for £11.66 + £2.50pp. The website is below - it appears to have changed from the .com shown on this website to .co.uk.
http://www.bongobits.co.uk/Main.asp?Pag ... t=3&Page=6
http://www.bongobits.co.uk/Main.asp?Pag ... t=3&Page=6
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:04 pm
Can you get it to Bellhill ? or can you call in here on your way home??
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:11 pm
Your 1st post says, you can drive for 2 plus hours without overheating. Just the needle going from 11 0'clock to cold/ back to 11 down to cold and so on. This does not sound like a big problem to me. Got to be somthing simple. If it was going up past 11 0'clock then I would worry. Your engine cannot in realility be cooling down (to cold)once it has reached working temp.
I would be interested in the outcome and if you can call in that would be good.
I would be interested in the outcome and if you can call in that would be good.
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:21 pm
I don't belive it is a faulty thermostat. If it was jammed open then all would be well and it would just take longer to warm up.. If it was closed you would soon go into meltdown. And if it was partly open then it would run hotter and not go to cold. Your temp gauge when it first reaches 11 0'clock position is only regestering a engine temp of about 55degrees. After 20 mins it is still at 11 0'clock and your engine will be about 95degrees. No way could your engine temp drop below 50 degrees whilst still running.
Got to be either gauge/sender unit/faulty wireing
What do others think ??
My best bet...Faulty sender or the wire from sender to gauge shorting to earth
Dandywarhol. over to you.
Got to be either gauge/sender unit/faulty wireing
What do others think ??
My best bet...Faulty sender or the wire from sender to gauge shorting to earth
Dandywarhol. over to you.
Thermostat
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:25 pm
If the thermostat sticks in the open position the engine will run cold.
The temperature gauge could drop to its lowest point because it requires a decent temperature to activate it, I would guess guess around 70 to 80 degrees C.
It should be a simple investigation to determine if the thermostat or the temperature gauge wiring/sender is at fault.
The temperature gauge could drop to its lowest point because it requires a decent temperature to activate it, I would guess guess around 70 to 80 degrees C.
It should be a simple investigation to determine if the thermostat or the temperature gauge wiring/sender is at fault.
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:29 pm
It wouldn't run cold, just take longer to warm up or perhaps run a kittle cooler. It would not fluctuate from normal to cold and up again. Surley it would find a temp and stay there. 50degrees is all my digtal gauge reads when the needle first reaches 11 0'clock
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:49 pm
I ran my old Nissan Sunny with a stuck open thermostat for years (I said it need a new one but Mr Expert persuaded my wife I didnt not know what I was talking about until one year I finally said JFDI and - what a surprise - normal service returned). But I digress.
With a stuck open thermostat like I had, the engine was slow to come up to temperature and - see below- probably never reached the correct temp in cold weather.
In cold weather, and whilst on the move (i.e airflow over rad.) the gauge stayed low - almost cold. Stopped in traffic, it would rise to something near normal. Back on the move, it would move down the scale again.
In hot weather, it was much the same but the 'baseline' moved up a bit.
One thing it never got was too hot as the system was always in a max freeflow condition.
No doubt varying loads on the engine (e.g. slow uphill climbs) would cause gauge movement for similar reasons. Difficult to predict precise effects as high engine rpm means (I guess) high flow rate of water round coolant system as water pump rpm is in proportion to engine rpm.
Sorry if this is basic stuff to the mechanical gurus but I mention it just in case.
With a stuck open thermostat like I had, the engine was slow to come up to temperature and - see below- probably never reached the correct temp in cold weather.
In cold weather, and whilst on the move (i.e airflow over rad.) the gauge stayed low - almost cold. Stopped in traffic, it would rise to something near normal. Back on the move, it would move down the scale again.
In hot weather, it was much the same but the 'baseline' moved up a bit.
One thing it never got was too hot as the system was always in a max freeflow condition.
No doubt varying loads on the engine (e.g. slow uphill climbs) would cause gauge movement for similar reasons. Difficult to predict precise effects as high engine rpm means (I guess) high flow rate of water round coolant system as water pump rpm is in proportion to engine rpm.
Sorry if this is basic stuff to the mechanical gurus but I mention it just in case.
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:02 pm
oh man i wish you guys were my next door neighbours ha ha.bongo life would be so much easier....going to check wiring tomorrow and maybe look at thermostat.if still no good may try bell hill or call in to you haydn possibly.let you know how i get on.stay tuned lol
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:18 pm
Sounds like most avenues have been covered but I wouldn't rule out an incorrectly/stuck open new thermostat coupled to a blockage somewhere in the system causing the needle to fluctuate that way.