Bongo Fury

Hi All I posted a request for help last week which many of you very kindly offerd some constructive suggestions to my intermitent overheating problem!!

Having looked at the advice offered and researched some previous posts im now confused more then ever! (which granted isnt hard). Anyway im about to try and get a Mason Alarm for my Freeda but before I do can anyone offer any guidance as to what is the optimum running Temp for the Bongo?

My Freeda sits at 11 0clock on the gauge 99% of the time my issue was it heats up pretty raipdly when put under serious pressure going up very steep hills. I appreciate that as im on the standard temp gauge this reading means pretty much nothing anyway - hence the reason for getting the alarm.

But............
What is the optimum running Temp?
And at what point is it classed as over heating and the damage is done?

According to the mason alarm fitting instructions it is feasable that the temp Gauge would now sit at 1.00 oclock intead of 11 oclock. I would have initially worried at this point as I would have seen that as overheating?

is movement in the temp gauge normal and what do other peoples do,

Im now more confused then ever!!

If your Bongo tends to start overheating when under stress it points to couple of possible causes....Fitting any alarm is not going to make this basic problem go away.....it could be caused by.
A partly blocked radiator (my best guess)
A thermostat that is not fully opening.
I would suggest you get the rad & stat checked out by a garage that is recommended on this forum (not doing this can be a big mistake) then once it is running "cool" up hills again then think about fitting a alarm of some sort.
Not getting the basic problem sorted is going to leave you with BIG BILLS

Hi haydn

I think you responded to my origional post aswell last week so thanks, Im pretty sure it is the radiatior so am in the process of having that replaced, the alarm is just an extra pre cautionary measure and to provide a more accurate guide as to what the temp is actully doing, several people have posted that the standard Temp gauge is next to useless.

My point was more to assertain what is the optimum running temp and is any movement on the tempreture gauge normal? im not sure if the tempretaure getting to say 1.00 oclock is within the normal parameters or is this classed as over heating!

Normal is to sit at 11 0clock and stay there

I have a tm2 alarm From Haydn and the mazda guage gos to 11 oclock when the digital read out shows about 50 and still stays there even when the digital readout shows 95

now the digital read out will depend on where its positioned but the point being a 45 degree minimum span and the mazda guage does not move

mcgivern2326 wrote:My point was more to assertain what is the optimum running temp and is any movement on the tempreture gauge normal? im not sure if the tempretaure getting to say 1.00 oclock is within the normal parameters or is this classed as over heating!

To my ignorant mind, that is going to be hard to ascertain in absolute terms as it will depend on what temp you are measuring (coolant, engine block, oil) and at what position. Haydn is trying to get peeps to standardise on the mounting position for his TM2 based engine block gauge so users of that may soon be able to discuss temp figures that have a meaning. Others (me included) are interested in oil temps but noone has done anything on that yet. Others are interested in coolant temps though yet others think the active cooling that goes on in the coolant system (thermostat regulation, rad fans cutting in, airflow through rad. fins due to vehicle motion etc) and the fact that temp measurement is limited to a little over 100 degrees C (i.e. boiling temp of 50/5o coolant mix in a lightly pressurised system) may make that a tricky option for getting good comparative figures.

I wait to get shot down on the above

Had mine up to 115 and the Bongo gauge didn't move....when it moves it can often be to late.

haydn callow wrote:Had mine up to 115 and the Bongo gauge didn't move....when it moves it can often be to late.

Thanks for all of this!! hopefully the new rad will sort our issues. Im not to sure though as to why our gauge moves and nobody elses seems to!

I can only assume our coolant / Engine is reaching Temmpreatures it just cant handle thanks to a dodgy radiatior (hopefully) or the Temp gauge is just doing crazy things!

I have had overheating probs when climbing hills or towing - with a Mason alarm fitted the gauge would get just to the red with both heaters on full belt and all the windows open

After replacing the Rad (don't buy a used one - imho, could be as bad as the one you have) I have noticed a significant improvement in that even when loaded with camping gear and towing a small trailer the temp gauge does not get above appx 1 o'clock even on the slog up to Summit on the M62 E (Coming back from Anglesey it was on the top limit with the same loading in the Bongo before we changed the rad ) Normal running is appx mid scale.

When we first got the Bongo we ran on the standard gauge for a few weeks with no variation in temp from the 11 o'clock norm - after we fitted the Mason alarm we immediately noticed the high temp running on hills (absolutely fine round town though) - fortunately as we knew there was a problem we could take measures to reduce the running temperature by using the heaters and fans and I believe prevented and serious damage being done.

So - IMHO - get a Mason Alarm and also a low coolant alarm (Haydn does one ) for peace of mind.

Movement of the unmodified standard gauge is NOT linear i.e. it does NOT move in direct relation to temperature change - it just reaches 11 o'clock and stays there until the engine temp rises waaaay over normal THEN it suddenly responds (unfortunately for many, much too late).

If modified with one of Dave Mason's alarms - (which both makes the needle movement more accurate and adds an audible alarm) - the needle doesn't "stop" at 11 o'clock.
Mine in normal running settles between 12 and 1 o'clock and rises slightly on long climbs or any occasion the engine is forced to work hard, but that's only to be expected.

The standard unmodified gauge may as well not be there, as it serves no useful purpose whatsoever.

scanner wrote:The standard unmodified gauge may as well not be there, as it serves no useful purpose whatsoever.

Hmmm. Nit picking I know but it did allow me to ascertain that my new thermostat was working much better than my old one (5 mins to engine warm up as opposed to 10 mins on the old one). Also, it might allow users to ascertain if thermostat had failed in open position (my Sunny had a 11.00 damped gauge but when the thermostat stuck open it stayed low except in hot weather and stationary in traffic). Finally of course, no temp gauge = no Mason alarm as it provides the display