Bongo Fury

After three years, new head, new radiator, coolant alarm etc. etc. I was driving in to work and (probably) blew a hose. Everything hot again, the AA delivered the Bongo to the garage (where it was serviced just three days ago).



This thing is expensive.

I'm hoping the head/gasket survived but I was on a bend on a dual carriageway and couldn't stop immediately.

Maybe I should get me a Volvo.....

Is there a market for spare parts or are there so many dead Bongo's that it's worth nothing now.....?

Jon

Waycar8 managed to flog quite a bit off his - there appears to be a thriving market in spares.

God yes, spares are in great demand, and can command high prices.

I would buy a bongo for bits to break and pay good money for it, I chatted to a dealer who buys the smashed bongos straight off the boat to break...

djunjon...I would be VERY interested to know exactly what caused your overheating......Was coolant lost?......If it was, where from? It didn't drain from the header tank or your alarm would have gone off, so I assume that if it was a burst hose it must have gone big time. Any info at all could be most useful.
I hope it turns out to be fixable without to much expense...From the sounds of it your Bongo experience so far has been a bit fraught to say the least.
Best of luck.

djunjon wrote:After three years, new head, new radiator, coolant alarm etc. etc. I was driving in to work and (probably) blew a hose. Everything hot again, the AA delivered the Bongo to the garage (where it was serviced just three days ago).



This thing is expensive.

I'm hoping the head/gasket survived but I was on a bend on a dual carriageway and couldn't stop immediately.

Maybe I should get me a Volvo.....

Is there a market for spare parts or are there so many dead Bongo's that it's worth nothing now.....?

Jon

I don't understand. Isn't the idea that you 'break down' as soon as the coolant alarm goes off and well before the engine gets hot. Stuff the dual carriageway, if your engine had cut out that is where you would have stopped.

3 years and one new head (as long as the rest has been good) is not necessarily worse than other motors. I paid £8k for a Spacewaqon and it blew its ECU just out of guarantee. £600 to replace - no arguments even though known to be a type weakness. It went on after that to give 5 years great service.

Good luck getting it fixed and fingers crossed no head problem.

Yes, all cars are a pain in the a**e. The Land rover Disco I just sold cost as much to repair in 4 years as I paid for it, came with a full service history. Had a nice part exchange on the Bongo

Ford Mondeo, Cam belt and gears, car just spluttered and stoped, cat converter, exhaust, alternator, wishbones, had this for less than two years sold it for less than half I paid for it. Again this had a full service history with a recent cam belt change

This is not counting tax, mot, insurance, for these things.

This is just two of a list of cars that I have had.

The Bongo is just another car that may go wrong or not, leaking is the main one, as I have found out. The chances of selling the bits to get most of your money back is a bit remote.

Keep your pecker up.

Sorry to hear about your problems Lizard. I recon that if you had a push bike the gears wouldnt work, cables would snap and the chain come off, some people are unlucky like that. You sound like a prime candidate for leasing a car. Our last 3 cars, Toyota Carina estate 2.0TD 5yr Just running costs. Nissan Micra 1.0 5yr Running costs plus bumpers and most panels (wifes car) Mitsubishi Pajero 2.5td SWB Mk1 1989 4yr only servicing and sold for what I paid for it. Met the guy that bought it from the garage that I put it in px against my Bongo. He said that he had owned a few Pajero's and it was the best.
Hope you get it sorted.


Haydn im also intrested in the fact that the header tank dosn't always empty when there is a leak. Design fault?

The Great Pretender wrote: Haydn im also intrested in the fact that the header tank dosn't always empty when there is a leak. Design fault?

Cripes - I'd not heard before that that had happened. Must be v rare surely?

At this point we don't know what happened..see my post above.

When I fitted the heat exchanger for my veg oil conversion some coolant was lost but the level in the header tank hadn't moved.

you probably had a cold engine (no pressure) and the header tank cap on. It wouldn't drain co's it would have had to creat a vacuum.

Correct me if im wrong there is no pressure in the system when there is a substantial leak (not a pinprick) as the system is open to atmospheric pressure

If the engine begins to overheat, for whatever reason other than a leak of coolant, the coolant expanding will head up to the expansion tank and hence the alarm not going off

haydn callow wrote:At this point we don't know what happened..see my post above.

My point precisely Trev

Yes, strange that you mention the bike Mr Great Pretender, must pump up the tires, and sort out the rusty gear cable , the wobbly wheel and the brakes.

I have also had a new water pump last week and have to take Mr leaky back to the garage as there is a leak from the top rad hose (metal tube)end. Must get the drop links sorted, pads, and rear exhaust box done.

Have installed a Haydn alarm but cannot see the level in the expansion tank as it is a dark cloudy colour. I am a bit paranoid as I check it each time I drive it and stop some times just to make sure. Must get a mason alarm now

How corroded do the rear disks have to be before they fail MOT or are dangerous.

Found rust on the N/S wheel arch now, bugger.

This is just a part of the rich tappestry of happy motoring.