Bongo Fury

I have swapped my 96 diesel for a 2002 2.0 with lpg - which is great, apart from a problem with the temperature gauge.

It does not register at all, remaining below zero while I am driving - not even a flicker.

However, when I stop and turn the engine off, but leave the key in the ignition (switched to on, but with engine stopped) the gauge starts to move and goes up to the normal running position.

Restart the engine and it goes back to less than zero.

Any suggestions?

I had the same problem and just changed the temp sender unit, it's been ok ever since.

Cheers

the 2 liter does run very cool

Thanks - sender ordered.

psquiddy wrote:I have swapped my 96 diesel for a 2002 2.0 with lpg - which is great, apart from a problem with the temperature gauge.

It does not register at all, remaining below zero while I am driving - not even a flicker.
However, when I stop and turn the engine off, but leave the key in the ignition (switched to on, but with engine stopped) the gauge starts to move and goes up to the normal running position.

Restart the engine and it goes back to less than zero.

Any suggestions?

Hi I am new to Bongoland but if the sender is working in one position I would say that it is getting a supply from the wrong scource. I will be surprised if a new sender cures it.
Peter

has the speedo been chipped.

The speedo works in mph, but the odometer in km

Hi psquiddy,


What does the gauge do if you earth the sender wire.

Its not just heat soak is it? When the engine is stopped there is no pumping so the temperature will go up, causing the reading to rise, if you leave it long enough it may well go back down again ? I wonder if the thermostat is present / working ?

I had the same problem on mine wwhen I bought it, the temp gauge never rose at all while driving, but if stood idling for 10 to 15 mins it would rise, then drop again as soon as you started driving.

My problem was no thermostat.

New thermostat fitted and all working OK now

I wonder if the thermostat is present / working ?

Is there some way of checking?

psquiddy wrote:

I wonder if the thermostat is present / working ?

Is there some way of checking?

I would think that if it is not present the bottom hose would start to warm fairly quickly.
Peter

What does the thermostat actually do?

I have driven it for over an hour on the motorway without problems - I would have thaught that if there was a thermostat problem it would have overheated.

The thermostat on a Bongo measures the temperature of the the coolant at the engine and if it is above 82C it allows extra cool coolant to be added to the flow from the radiator thus keeping the engine at a reasonably fixed temperature. Some owners of Bongo's have found that garages have "fixed" over heating problems by removing the thermostat thus allowing cold coolant to always flow into the the system whether needed or not! However once the engine is turned off the water pump stops and the heat in the engine is left to raise the temperature of the coolant thus causing a normally brief rise in temperature whilst the engine looses heat from simple radiation rather than being removed by the coolant.

psquiddy wrote:

I wonder if the thermostat is present / working ?

Is there some way of checking?

Quick test to see if one is present, squeeze the top hose and you should hear a click which is the little bead which acts as a bypass valve. It's 100% guaranteed as it has been known for some thermostats to be mod'ed to remove the centre core which leaves the outer section and the little bead in place.