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Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:40 am
by berrega
I'm having a bit of a saga with my bongo so I thik it is time to ask for help.
I bought a year 2000 bongo a few months ago, after swerving to avoid an accident the yellow glow plug light started flashing. I took it to one of your 'Bongo friendly garages' for a diagnostic check (£200).
The results came back as 'wastegate' error code I believe. The Garage checked the Turbo and concluded that it was faulty.
I tracked down a VJ29 turbo using breakersyard.com (£460) which I had fitted by the garage (£490).
The garage tell me that no error code is now generated. This issue is that the annoying flashing yellow light is still flashing.
The garage have said that maybe it it becuase they disturbed the sensors while replacing the Turbo. They have suggested that I bring it back after 100miles for a oil and filter change.
Can any one suggest to me why the Yellow glow plug light is still flashing if there is no error code,
and possibly reasure me I havent just wasted £1100?
Ta
Guy
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 12:15 pm
by jaylee
Hi Guy, & welcome.
This may sound a little off track..!

Does yer vehicle still beep with the key in the ignition & the door open? (Ignition off.)
Mines a 95 model & in order to disable the annoying beep feature there's a white connector block under the the ignition connector loom, below the wiper stalk side? It has two wires running into it (i think) & the block is about 3.5 cm long x 1.5 cm square. (if that makes any sense?)
You can't miss it if you remove the steering cowl it't easier to see though you can just make it out if you look under neath adjacent to the steering hight adjustment lock where it hinges...
Stay with me...

Cuz my point is... When i disconnected the block though i had no trouble starting i had the glow plug light flash.. Reconnected it & it stopped!
Give the block a push together, make sure it's properly clipped together?
Good luck!
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:11 pm
by berrega
Yes, just checked, it still bleeps.
I have noticed that the Odemeter isn't working either,
but I presume the cable has somehow become disconnected..
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:33 pm
by 2sticks
The speedo and odometer are driven electronically from the gearbox
not a mechanical cable. If these signals are faulty it can cause the
glow plug light to flash to indicate a possible speedo error. Once the
ECU has set this error it can only be reset by disconnecting the
starter battery for a few minutes. If the error is still active it will
not reset. The odometer not working is a bit wierd if the speedo
is working OK as they are linked in the speedo head.
Sounds like you should have asked some questions on this forum
when the flashing error first started.

Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:52 pm
by bongolow
Do you have a leisure battery fitted? On my Bongo the LB has been wired somehow to the glowplug light so that when the LB is flat and/or not charging (due to blown fuse or faulty relay) the glowplug light gives a steady regular on/off flashing indication.
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:56 pm
by mikeonb4c
2sticks wrote:Sounds like you should have asked some questions on this forum when the flashing error first started.

But welcome berrega - maybe the experts on here can help you from here on in

Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:56 am
by berrega
bongolow - My Bongo has two batteries at the front and a leisure battery at the rear.
Does the engine recharge the leisure battery or does the van need connecting up to an external supply for this to happen?
2sticks- Are you saying that the battery needs to be disconnected for any error message to be deleted.
if this is the case, maybe it still has the old error message from the turbo in its memory?
2sticks - I didn't post on the forum straight away becuase I trusted that the 'Bongo friendly' garage would be able to understand and resolve the problems.
Before I used to loose power when the light came on. Now I have had a new turbo, I still have power when the light is flashing. Although there does seam to be a little delay in accessing it.
The light did start to come on after a violent swerve, so I'm wondering wether something has become dislodged.
I have no idea how to get the odometer working, the garage seam to think it has been clocked.
personally I just think it was botched when they changed the speedo over to MPH.
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:46 pm
by missfixit70
Could it be a dodgy speedo MPH conversion chip?
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:05 pm
by bongolow
Does the engine recharge the leisure battery or does the van need connecting up to an external supply for this to happen?
Normally the engine would charge the LB and also, if you have a capervan type conversion, it would also be charged when you use the hook-up. Normally though, one of the front batteries is replaced with the LB so it all depends on how yours is wired.
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:22 pm
by 2sticks
berrega wrote:I have no idea how to get the odometer working, the garage seam to think it has been clocked.
personally I just think it was botched when they changed the speedo over to MPH.
As Kirsty says, a dodgy speedo conversion module could cause the glow plug
light to flash in a regular pattern, but so does several other things. The problem
is that the glow plug light error signal doesn't seem to conform to standard OBD
error codes, I may be wrong here but it maybe that only the Mazda diagnostic
tools are capable of resolving these errors, someone with more knowledge than
me may be able to confirm this or not.
One thing is certain, when an error occurs, it will latch forever and will only
dissapear when you manually reset it. To do this you should remove the
negative cable from any main batteries and wait for the positive supply to
reach absolutely zero, capacitive circuits can keep this up to about 1 volt
so you could aid the discharge by turning on the headlights or pressing the
brake pedal with the ignition switched on. Whatever you do you must
ensure that the the positive supply is zero or the ECU may not reset.
If this clears the alarm then it may be an intermittant fault if it doesn't
then will have to go further to resolve the issue.
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:28 pm
by berrega
Thanks, I shall try this, I just hope it doesn't lock me out of my cd player or anything similar...
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:04 pm
by 2sticks
Well, you can't have everything.

Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 8:21 pm
by berrega
I disconnected the negative (black and yellow striped lead) from both batteries.
I then left the headlights switched on for 5 minutes to drain the capacitors.
I then replaced the leads and started the engine.
The glow plug light is still flashing.
I'm going to leave the battery disconnected all night, to make sure the system is decharged.
but assuming I left it long enough the first time, do you have any further suggestions that I could try to find out what is causing the light to flash?
Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 8:43 pm
by jaylee
Did you flick the key to crank with the battery disconnected...?
Some times it helps with alarm glitches too!

Re: Flashing Glow plug light ( but no error code)
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 9:55 pm
by missfixit70
Isn't it sumat to do with scavenge fan as a fault possibility? do a search on "flashing and glow and light" -
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... mit=Search
Something to have check through
