Bongo Fury

Hi,

Something of a story of woe here. I bought a Bongo from a particular dealer, I'll not say who, but they are Scottish, about a year ago. When buying it I took the 6 month "guarantee". Basically, at about 5 and a bit months the blowers (like the in-cockpit air blowers on the dash) stopped blowing. In terms of heat and cold and air forced through if you were moving, this was still fine, but if you twizzled the fan controls - nothing.

So, assuming it would be covered by the guarantee I returned it to the garage. Here began a tale of woe, as the vehicle was driven (at my expense) up to somewhere 40 miles away to be looked at by an electrician as the garage initially diagnosed the problem as "with the electrics". A part was ordered, some sort of switch. When it arrived the garage checked with the insurers, who said it wasn't covered by the guarantee as it was some bit slightly different to the bit listed in their document. It was semantics at best. Anyway - I wanted it to be fixed, so agreed, but upon returning the Bongo to the garage for what must have been the third or fourth time (it made a second trip to the electrician for some reason, I forget why now - I think they tried the switch and it didn't work) suddenly the garage found - miraculously - that the actual heater/blower unit was siezed up. This is the one at the top front in the bonnet. Now this part IS covered by the guarantee, but the guarantee had just lapsed as they'd spent so long looking for the problem it was past the six months. "Well", I thought, "this is the root cause clearly so no doubt the'll honour the guarantee as they must have missed it last time".

Remarkably no. In fact in one of the most breathtaking moves I've yet witnessed from a garage they actually accused me of replacing the part, saying it wasn't the same one that was in there when they'd first inspected the vehicle! Now, I may be technically minded when it comes to building PCs, but in terms of cars I can change the oil, a tyre and fill it with petrol and that's it. Basically, due to their own cak handedness they missed the root cause, and took the car to an electrician twice and ordered a part I didn't need and then sent me a bill for over £100 for the pleasure (the "costs" for the electrician it didn;t need, and the switch it didn't need).

If the guy owning the garage is reading this, as is likely, and recognises the story, then you can stick your bill up your arse, and it's the last time you'll be seeing that Bongo.

Anyway, this long story does have a point. How easy is it to replace this part? Is it possible to repair it/free it up? Where could I source it from? Is there a garage in Scotland I can go to that isn't populated by Arthur Daley types who won't try to rip me off who would fix it for a reasonable price?

Also....

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 18&start=0

This seems very familiar to an issue I also have, which is a sharp clunk/crack from the front suspension when you go over a bump (like a speed bump). The garage (who I obviously trust as much as I would trust my children to a heroin addict babysitter) say that it is the car bottoming out and the wheels touching the top of the arches, which it clearly isn't.

I guess I need to look at all the different bits of the suspension. When the other thread says "easy and cheap to fix" does that mean easy and cheap to fix for someone who knows about car mechanics, or entirely doable and safe for someone who knows where the windscreen washer fluid is topped up? How do you find which bit is failing - can you see visually, or do you need to take the tyres off and get someone to bounce up and down on the bonnet and try to pinpoint the failure by sound?

Welcome to the madhouse.
There is a factsheet in the member's area about replacing the heater motor brushes (if you're not a member, join now cos' it's well worth the few quid it costs). This gives details on how to remove the motor. Many people have had problems with the motor seizing, due to water ingress as a result of a blocked drain from the bulkhead below the windscreen. They have successfully removed the motor and freed everything up with liberal applications of WD40 or similar - have a search for "heater AND motor" (without the inverted commas), you're sure to find something.
The clunking could be the anti-roll bar or droplinks - both are easy to do providing you have the basic tools (socket set etc).
Good luck

I am a member, so I will check that out.

Cheers!

If it is the droplinks or anti-roll bar, is that dangerous, or is the clunking harmless? In other words, is this a FIX NOW sort of thing?

Not usually dangerous, BUT it depends how bad they are - I personally wouldn't leave it too long.
By the way, have you contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau or Trading Standards regarding the warranty? As the fault was reported before the warranty expired, it seems likely that it would be covered.

I think I've filed it in the "life is too short" category to argue. I'm vaguely flattered that they think I could have swapped out the heater unit, replaced with a broken one, and tried to defraud them.

It's nice to be credited with more cunning than you actually have!

True, but you might stop some other poor soul getting caught out if Trading Standards sort out the dealer.

To answer the original thread , It's not difficult to remove the fan & repair it if it's not too badly damaged. Probably got wet due to the drain in the middle of the bottom of the windscreen being blocked. It's very easily accessible from the bonnet, took me a couple of hours to remove, strip, clean, regrease & rebuild, have a quick hoover of the matrix while you're at it. If you have a search there should be some older threads on this, common problem, sounds like they replaced the fan speed resistor, which had probably gone as well due to the increased load as it siezed. Sorry to hear of your problems, but hopefully it's something sortable

Sound like a bit of a naughty garage to me they do. The cynic in me wonders if they dealyed discovering the truth until beyond 6 mnths

Life is probably too short though for problems as (hopefully) fixeable as yours - I take this line too most times. Just put a curse on their house

Cav since you reported the fault within the guarantee period, you are still covered in law even now to force them to carry out the repair, you need to go to trading standards and report this. It will be clear for anyone to see whether the part has been "replaced" as you have been accused of doing. I would not let them get away with it. If the garage concerned are members on here then to them I say " YOU ARE A BLOODY DISGRACE!" Dont let them get away with it or some other poor bugga will be ripped off as well.

Sorry to hear of your problems. I helped a member out last year who was having problems with the fan & we found that the fan resistor AND the motor was shot. The water got into the bearings which then caused the bearings to seize which in turn caused the resistor to overheat & the solder connections to ping.

Have a look at: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=15511

Not difficult to fix (with the help of a spare fan), but really your warranty should pick up the tab for this.

Simon Jones wrote:Sorry to hear of your problems. I helped a member out last year who was having problems with the fan & we found that the fan resistor AND the motor was shot. The water got into the bearings which then caused the bearings to seize which in turn caused the resistor to overheat & the solder connections to ping.

Have a look at: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=15511

Not difficult to fix (with the help of a spare fan), but really your warranty should pick up the tab for this.

Hi Bongonaughts!

I’ve had a look at fixing this, and I think there comes a time in a man’s life where you have to accept the boundaries of your masculinity. I can strip and rebuild a PC from component level, yet I have to admit car mechanics are beyond what I’m genetically comfortable doing. I think I may be too middle class. I spent my youth, pale-skinned, playing inside on a computer and my dad was a Plant Biologist, so I really didn’t have a good enough real-man background to understand much more about cars than where the fuel goes in, and how to refill the wiper wash....

So the question is now – who would you recommend in the Edinburgh/Stirling/Perth/St Andrews area in Scotland that could repair my Bongo’s heater. I’d even appeal if there is a soul here who would be willing to do the work while I watched (and paid you, obviously) so I can start on the long road towards manhood. It’s either this or I go out into the bush and fight a tiger or something.

So yes – any ideas? Any garages in Scotland that could do this sort of work, and wouldn’t freak out at the sight of a Bongo? Or any kind soul here got a free couple of hours, a can of WD-40 and wants to make a little ale money?

I wish I was a bit nearer so I could help you out. I also think you have a good attitude and sense of humor.
Quite right, life is to short somtimes to get involved with Pricks like the ones who run the garage you have had bother with. Not worth the hassle, though I hate to see them get away with it...After all it's only money. Much more important to get Bongo fixed.

I agree. I'm not sure I have the fight left in me any more to argue this with a garage that essentially has become convinced that I'm some sort of con artist, swapping parts in and out of cars I've just bought for reasons of personal gain.

It's all just weird really, and I just want to find someone nice, who knows about cars, who'll fix it, without making me feel like one of the Krays!

Pity I'm not a bit closer, as I would have a look. Both my fan and resistor were goosed when I bought the bongo. ( private sale, at a good price) I ended up getting a new fan and resistor from an online scrappie, like breaker.com? or findapart.com? as I was not keen of stripping out the motor or resoldering the resistor ( lazy b****r). I now wish I kept the old parts, to recondition them, or at least to try.

Hope others nearer to you, see this thread, and that your bongo gets well soon.

All the best.