Bongo Fury

Hi
You can't access the hoses/ stubs in the car...only under the bonnet, and it only takes 10- 15 minutes to remove the heater motor and gubbins to access the hoses / stubs...BUT...if that's where the problem is...with dodgy heater stubs...they go in a HURRY...and you'll dump a large amount of coolant! Check it out pronto and don't use the Bongo...I've had that occur twice...once on the drive, and once within 5 miles of home...If the engine is hot , you'll crack the head...GUARANTEED
Cheers
Helen

Hi i am going to strip the heater motor out today and see what i can see, if it is the stubs will you be able to tell from under the bonnet when everything is out the way?

Was it Kirsty who was lucky enough to be able to mend and make do after a stub break, by attaching the hose to the stub of the stub (if you get me)?

When i get it stripped out i will take some photos for advice. It lost a lot of coolant last night just constantly dripping onto road from footwells, carpets soaked. I topped up the expansion tank this morning and drove about 6 miles to work and temp gauge just read as normal? But it does take a long time to warm up,i suspect the stst is stuck open.

Here are some pics of the front heater stubs poking through the bulkhead (after heater motor and gubbins have been removed) . Red arrows point to stubs. The lower one is 'feed', upper one is 'return'.
If you are getting damp carpets, I'm not sure if exposing these stubs is going to show where the leak is coming from. I would have thought that any leak from this side of the bulkhead would drip onto the floor and not inside the car.......wouldn't it??????

If you take the stat out at some time, and it IS stuck open, will you post some pics of it please? Or better still, let me have it for examination. I've never seen a stat in the 'stuck open' position (but have heard about it).

Hi
I'm sorry to say that sounds just like mine did. Definitely a heater matrix / stubs.
If you want the "griff" on how it's done, just ask...It's a wotsit of a job, but "do-able"...I'm not strong, but patient...no good leaving it to "Him Indoors"...he's strong and IMPATIENT When you have the heater out, take advantage of the time to clear the A / C matrix of bugs...surprising how much better it will be!. Yo will see the stubs/ hoses...a quick "Feel" will tell whether it is stubs or matrix!...either way, you'll need to remove it!
Allans down in Plymouth ( advertises on here), has a VERY neat line in ALL METAL matrices ...PLEASE don't use a Mazda placky job, or you'll be kicking yourself from (*********) 'till Christmas time...BELIEVE ME !!!!
Good Luck
Cheers
Helen

Hi,

From my experience of exactly this problem and replacing the matrix, I would say that if you can see it dripping from the bottom of the heater box then in all liklehood the matrix itself is leaking and will need replacing.. If its the stubs you should be able to see it leaking from them directly- there is that small plastic cover in the passenger side footwell which could be hiding the stubs, but remove that and you'll be able to see the stubs as they exit the heater box and do a 90^ turn through the bulkhead. - if it was this leaking then I would expect the passenger side to get wet first-- mine didnt, and was sloshing all over the drivers side first and eventually out onto the floor!

cheers

Steve

Got the matrix out and looked ok but end of stubs brittle and snapped one off. Took the matrix to local radiator repairer and tested it and the matrix end was cracked under the foam on the drivers end. £115+vat for new one, made completely out of metal not plastic but in production so would be week and a half. Or One off for £145+vat make one for Friday. Good price i thought but paid visit to local scrapyard where there is a bongo with not much left on it but luck was in and the matrix was still there looking nearly new. £25 later +1 hour and it is fitted back in just need to fit new stat and bleed coolant. Here goes.

Did your radiator fella cast his eye over the replacement matrix at all? Or could you tell it was a good un?

The one i got from the scrappie looks like new but before i took it out i felt the stubs and they were solid,so hammer and chisel, cut a hole in the bulkhead to remove it from car without removing dash. Back to work and half an hour later it was back together. Not as bad a job as expected,just loosened the dash each end and centre, loosened heater box, loosened steering column and this gave enough room to slide the matrix in and out. Bongo is now left on lift at work ready to fit a new stat and renew the coolant. Is it really that complicated to bleed. Heres some pics of the old one showing where it was cracked.

While you have got it at this stage, before you reconnect the hoses to the matrix, flush the matrix both ways to make sure there is no crud in there and it is free flowing.
Much easier to do it now while you have got the system open. Reason for doing it now is that you don't know what antifreeze it had in it. Best to be sure.

Thanks for those photos steve they were most helpful just to see what it was like with the stuff out of the way. Stat changed today,that was harder to do than the matrix. Topped up with coolant, going to bleed tomorrow. pressurised the system today to push the air out then ran it up to temperature and everything seemed ok. Still dont understand why it is so hard to bleed can someone explain cos i think i am missing something.

In laymans terms:

Its not like a regular engine because the system runs two heater/AC systems from the same lump. The rear plumbing is higher off the ground than the front so is a popular place for bubbles of air to congregate in large numbers with a view to moving on to somewhere more serious.

Once they navigate their way to the head it becomes expensively serious.

The bleeding process may seem a little extreme to start with but after a couple of sessions it becomes an essential Life Saver.


Its not hard, just fiddly & well worth getting the hang of if you plan on keeping it on the road for as long as poss.

Have you always got to do it using a funnel in the bleed hose?

No.

There is some kind of vacum pump gizmo that sucks all the air from the header tank but I think only Proper Workshops have those.