Bongo won't start!

monkey · Post by **monkey** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:33 pm

Bongo (2.5 diesel automatic) has been off road for 3 months and now won't start. When turning the ignition key there is just a click or sometimes a series of rapid clicks followed by the fan coming on.
Is it likely to be just a completely falt battery or is it more likely to be a starter motor problem? It does have a standard car battery and a leisure battery fitted with a relay. Any ideas welcome.

You've Been Bongod · Post by **You've Been Bongod** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:48 pm

MONKEY sounds like you need a new battery mate
have you tried a booster pack or jump leads yet?

you say you got a car battery on a bongo diesel
you should have a big battery fitted so that wont help

you've been bongod

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:54 pm

Yep - sounds like the battery isn't man enough, or you've got sticky contacts in your starter motor.

David Edwards · Post by **David Edwards** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:59 pm

Exactly the same as our mondeo diesel, once the battery was charged up and the pump primed by hand it fired up. The bongo takes a hell of a battery drain to start.

MountainGoat · Post by **MountainGoat** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:54 pm

Could be the battery and the relay. When I got my 2.5 diesel bongo back from the converters with a leisure battery installed it kept failing to start and blowing the relay fuses. It needed a jump start to start it most of the time as the starter battery kept going flat. The starter battery was relaced with a new one from Ian but still the problem persisted and my bongo was off the road for three months.

Finally the new starter battery was replaced with another new one on the guarantee as it had gone faulty (was it faulty in the first place or did repeatedly running it flat cause the fault?) and the relay was replace by an intelligent split charging wiring loom from Willinton. Now my bongo starts first time and every time.

My belief is that the relay installed by my converter was not up to the job and the leisure battery was continually draining the starter battery and running it flat.

nfn · Post by **nfn** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:21 pm

Monkey, do you have a voltmeter or multimeter to test the voltage at the battery? To start the van, it should be 12.5 volts or more after sitting overnight. With marginal voltage, around 12.5 volts, my starter solenoid just goes click -- I believe because the soleoid contacts aren't brilliant.

monkey · Post by **monkey** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:48 pm

I have had trouble with the relay blowing fuse before. I will charge up the battery and check the fuse to see if that makes any difference.
Thanks for advice.

Nevets · Post by **Nevets** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:56 pm

Yep does sound like fault on battery....
If the volt meter drops below 9volts when cranking it's gonna be knackerd.
The clicking is a starter solenoid engaging in and out and not enough power to turn the engine
As long as you have at least 12.2volts in the battery to start with(static charge/volts)
A fully charged good battery will have 12.6volts static charge...

monkey · Post by **monkey** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:58 pm

After a couple of hours connected to mains through the EHU Bongo has started perfectly. Only problem now is the sliding door won't open. Any ideas? Looks like a bit of a coincidence to me.

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:26 pm

Try disconnecting the battery monkey,the door may need to be "re-set".
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... iding+door

Bongo won't start!

Bongo won't start!

bongo wont start

Bongo won't start

Bongo will start