Bongo Fury

Having had the Bongo for three months and having been away for loads of weekends without any trouble, we were really looking forward to our 2 1/2 week holiday in France. Leaving this afternoon, no sooner had we got onto the motorway and hit 70 mph when a loud and worrying sound started. Basically it sounds like a kind of muffled 'drilling' sound. The wierd thing is that it's intermittent. I'd have thought if it were a problem in the drive train or a wheel bearing it would be a constant noise. I was also concerned by the suddenness of it's appearance. It's given me no clues that this might be about to happen. The Bongo has been lowered and has a bodykit (fitted in Japan, not by me), so we thought that maybe a tyre was fouling the bodywork, as that's what it sounds like, but can find no evidence of this. It was serviced at the beginning of the week and had new rear brake pads and a cv boot. It's just had a new pair of tyres, as well. Obviously we're really keen to get it sorted as soon as possible to salvage what's left of our much looked-forward-to holiday. I'd be really grateful if anyone's got any ideas so I can point the garage in the right direction.

Cheers

Coggsy

Is it the dreaded manifold stud noise or something more mechanical?

Plenty of people have been caught out thinking the manifold leakage was something worse.

Have a look at the tyres on the front wheels are they Goodyear GT2? If so have a look to see if the tread in the centre of the tyre is worm unevenly. If so that is your problem.

The cure, change the front wheels over the noise will eventually abate after 1K km.

I don't know what the dreaded manifold stud noise sounds like, and having done a search am none the wiser. It sounds like someone's drilling with a hammer drill on the underside of the vehicle, but as I said, it's really intermittent, but seems to be related to speed rather than revs. Blinking noisy though!

It might be the plastic tray that covers the sump. It is held on by a handful of M6 bolts. If one or two have worked loose, then the whole lot could be flapping around at speed. Either jack the vehicle up & use axle stands, then have a feel round underneath. Alternatively, ask a local garage if they could put it on their ramp for you

This realy sounds very much the problem I had with my tyres and at least one other BOngo on this site has had a noise similar to what you describe and it turned out to be the tyres.

It doesnt sound like the manifold that sounds more like a belt slipping than anything else.

Swap the wheels over see if the symptoms change sides?

Just been to the local bongo garage and the only thing they can find is some leakage from a rear wheel bearing. They said that when the brakes were binding the grease might have heated up and leaked out. Sonds feasible so that's the route we're ging down at the moment.

Heya Coggsy,

I too have been listening intently to the noises my bongo is making.. it has been off the road for almost a year now - and I am expecting the worst. Mostly rattles, clanking/crunching and strange rubbing/ticking.

Mostly gone now apart from the rattle over bumps, so maybe its just 'bedding-in' (new pads, wheel hub and other bits).

Whilst carrying out a 90 degree right hand turn last night on the way home from work, I heard a kind of a loud drilling noise.

It happened again this morning whilst going round a round-about.

It sounded like tyres rubbing - and I do actually think that is the case. Somehow the front wing arch seems closer to the wheel than the other side, but I only had a quick look - I need to get it on a car park and get somebody to drive around me in circles or something! Is your noise constant or is it cornering related?

Anyway - I have had the whole gasket leak thing a couple of years ago. With mine - it started off sounding like a mousey squeak/bird twittering on acceleration, and eventually turns into a loud squeal when the gap is big enough.

You may also start to notice things get abnormally bit hot in the handbrake area after a while...

Good luck in the diagnosis - let us know how you get on.

Just got back from France after having the Bongo checked over by the bloke that AVA use and his opinion was that it wasn't the bearing so we didn't fit one. He also checked the rear diff and that was okay. We've done 2500 miles in the last 2 weeks and the noise hasn't got better or worse. I haven't had a chance to change the tyresover and I'm not sure I can because they're directional, but Ill pop down the tyre place and see what they say. I'll let you know how I get on.

Coggsy - have you checked your power steering fluid levels recently?

Turns out my right turning 'driller killer' noise was caused be low fluid levels. Topped up (and added a little 'stop leak') and it has been fine.

If only everything was so simple...

Thanks Gobongo. Have had a power steering leak but have kept it topped up so I don't think it's that. What leak stop did you use and where can I get it? Have just had the manifold studs done as they went as well last week. I'm not having much luck with it at the moment!