Another coolant problem, straight after service. Any advice?

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:35 pm

Good man mike....

Socket Set Sue · Post by **Socket Set Sue** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:37 pm

Have a look at item 140203085588 on E-Bay, if you are looking for a low coolant alarm.

the-bongo-mongo · Post by **the-bongo-mongo** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:10 am

LISTEN TO HAYDN....IF YOU COOK IT , YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE !! IT COST ME/MY FRIEND 800 QUID !! DONT TAKE ANY CHANCES AND I MEAN ANY ......!!!!!!!!!!!

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:21 am

Socket Set Sue wrote:Have a look at item 140203085588 on E-Bay, if you are looking for a low coolant alarm.

SSS - I had a quick look. Is this the coolant alarm that Haydn does? It sounds like something different.

Part2 - I have one of Haydns coolant alarms fitted and can show you that if you pop over (just PM me). This is the one most (all?) Bongo owners have used, where they have fitted one.

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:20 pm

mikeonb4c wrote:
Socket Set Sue wrote:Have a look at item 140203085588 on E-Bay, if you are looking for a low coolant alarm.
SSS - I had a quick look. Is this the coolant alarm that Haydn does? It sounds like something different.

Part2 - I have one of Haydns coolant alarms fitted and can show you that if you pop over (just PM me). This is the one most (all?) Bongo owners have used, where they have fitted one.

I see you bought one VME - how do you rate it?

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:42 pm

No, that is not my alarm. After all Vanmanerik has said about fitting warning gizzmo's instead of doing proper routine maintainace I'm surprised he has gone for one at all. Socket Set Sue will be getting one next.
Be sure to check the amperage you are putting into your coolant, To much and you could plate the inside of your engine with the Radiator.
My rad is alloy and it depends how and what the alarm was designed to work with.
You should be looking at a current of about 50 micro amps,
Still... they are cheap...so could be good

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:44 pm

Wait ferrit folks - the handbags will be flying soon........................

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:56 pm

part2...how did it go with the garage to-day??

part2 · Post by **part2** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:45 pm

Not much further I'm afraid.

I rang and he's happy to look at it but I can't get it there.

Looked into getting breakdown cover thinking I would ring in a few days but most will only take to a local garage or stipulate up to 10 miles. I couldn't find a package that will take it the 20+ miles so I'm stuck.

Probably ring him back tomorrow as he said he has a mate with a recovery truck, no mention of how much that will cost though.

If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears, particularly if there's any way round the breakdown thing, feel it is essential now but also pointless if they won't take it to a garage that knows what they're doing.

mister munkey · Post by **mister munkey** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:56 pm

If you had a friend with an RAC card who happened to be travelling with you at the time, you'd get recovery. . . .

At the same time, if your friend happened to be otherwise engaged when the Man turned up - you'd cover & pretend to be him & they'd take you wherever you needed to go. . .

I can't say this has ever happened before but I'm sure this situation must arise from time to time. . . . .

P.S. As a last resort, I have one & am quite often otherwise engaged - if that helps. . . .

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:57 pm

If the car is not driveable without doing damage I would say it is up to the garage to arrange collection as the problem was created whilst in their care. I am assuming that the Bongo was running fine when you took it in and had been for some time. If you put it to him that you could drive it but probably do a lot of damage then surley it is in his interest to get it into his workshop and sort it.
What did he do to the cooling system during the work he did do?

madmile · Post by **madmile** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:20 pm

haydn callow wrote:If the car is not driveable without doing damage I would say it is up to the garage to arrange collection as the problem was created whilst in their care. I am assuming that the Bongo was running fine when you took it in and had been for some time. If you put it to him that you could drive it but probably do a lot of damage then surley it is in his interest to get it into his workshop and sort it.
What did he do to the cooling system during the work he did do?

Sorry haydn, I know I misread the earlier post - but I am sure that we still have not been told by part2 that the garage actually did anything to the coolant system and therefore if they didnt, it is not their responsibility to get the car back, but they may be doing what most garages do for loyal customers by helping out where they can.

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:34 pm

agreed... But what I'm saying is ..that if they have created the problem then they should sort it. It would be a big coincidence that if a car running well was driven into a garage and worked on by them, came out of the garage and failed within 20 miles, that this was not related to the work done. It could be coincidance but unlikely. If I owned that garage I would want that vehicle back to see exactly what the problem is and if I then thought it was in any way the result of what we had done, fix it. It would not be worth the bad press to do otherwise.
If I felt the problem was not related to our work then this should be explained to the customer.

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:43 pm

I suppose it could be something as simple as they removed the radiator cap and didn't replace it properly. (not the header cap) ..damaged a hose without noticing...,same goes for the rad...Somthing that happened whilst work was being done to other parts of the vehicle and went unnoticed.
We have all done it at some time or other.
There was a recent topic where a Bongo was driven out of a dealers with loose wheelnuts.
It happens

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:57 pm

Part2

Just a bit of possible encouragement

I've 'cooked' my bongo four times in 2.5 years and just short of 150,000km of driving.

Once when bottom hose froze up overnight so coolant (mainly water) couldn't circulate.

Once when the water pump bearings went.

Three times with leaky hoses.

In each case I stopped before the engine siezed but the temp guage had gone off the scale. Repaired the leak...filled her up with coolant and bled..then driven off into the sunset.

Now if you havn't cooked it too badly, I'd try refilling the system with water/coolant, bleed the system using the seesaw method (Mainly involves raising and lowering the end of the bleed pipe above and below the level of the header tank with the engine running and pouring in coolant till no more bubbles appear.. and running the engine till it is hot (11.00 o'clock position.

Then check every pipe for leaks.

If you are gwtting lots of white exhaust smoke then it probably means the cylinder head is knacked....otherwise you are probably ok...just check for leaks and keep checking the header tank.

Incidentally..pinhole leaks in hoses only tend to show up when the engine is warm and the system pressurised. Look out for white powdery deposits where the hot water has sprayed from the pinhole.

If you've got a rad with a plastic top they do tend to leak along the joint with the metal. They are not repairable and radweld doesn't sort the problem (I've tried and ended up getting a replacement rad off ebay.

Hope that this has been some help and reassurance.

H

Another coolant problem, straight after service. Any advice?

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