Bongo Fury

I've done 3 searches and can't find anything on this.

Can any body tell me how it works, (beyond pressing the button )

You must have a "winter bongo" - look at the exhaust just behind the passy door - you should see a large box inline with a vacuum hose that goes to a solenoid under the passy seat. There is a baffle that twists to restrict the flow of exhaust out - I'm assuming it interacts with the EGR system. That unit itself looks like this... http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html

Under the driver's seat, along the top above the injectors there might be a metal pipe that comes from round the back of the engine and connects down onto the elbow of the inlet manifold. If it's not there, your EGR has been blanked.

I've never used my switch and have since blanked the EGR. Some do, some don't. Some folk also knock that button with their knee.

Thanks Matt.

The other unit I have is what the converters call a Turbo cool down gizmo, probably switched off as there are no lights lit on it.
I've already drummed it into the Mrs about turbo care with our car so I think I'll leave that unit alone too.


Have you heard if the 'quick warm up' system is any good?

Gordon

I would think it probably does what it says, but I can't say that I've tried it.

I was told to leave it alone unless it's worse than -10 degrees. So I haven't touched mine so far! I'd like to have a turbo timer button though . . . most useful for the motorway services where it's very easy to just switch off without thinking.

alimey wrote:I was told to leave it alone unless it's worse than -10 degrees. So I haven't touched mine so far! I'd like to have a turbo timer button though . . . most useful for the motorway services where it's very easy to just switch off without thinking.

The engine warner thing can stick open causing loss of power and bad mpg. You shouldn't need it in uk really. The turbo timer thing is I suspect only necessary if you were really caning the engine. 2500rpm cruising probably doesn't put the turbo in the danger zone, though i'd be interested in what the techies may have to say about it.

If you haven't seen a turbo working, then it's worth doing a search on YouTube.
They glow red hot at normal running temperatures.
The reason for giving them a few minutes low speed running is to let them cool and for the oil to dissipate the heat from the seals and bearings.

I'm a marine engine fitter, (large slow speed engines whose turbos didn't run as hot as medium or high speed engines), so I get the reason for the cool down procedure. Offshore we had V16 Caterpillar driven fire pumps, and their control panel had a 'cool down stop' switch. This ran the engine for 10 minutes at idle revs.

i always use my warm up switch at this time of year. when ticking over it allows the engine to warm up faster, so getting up to temp and using the fuel better, also gets into lock up earlier for you auto peeps.
dont try driving with it switched on though, it will b well down on power as the exhaust is restricted.

Northern Bongolow wrote:i always use my warm up switch at this time of year. when ticking over it allows the engine to warm up faster, so getting up to temp and using the fuel better, also gets into lock up earlier for you auto peeps.
dont try driving with it switched on though, it will b well down on power as the exhaust is restricted.

Is this good general practice though for most owners, given the number of stories there used to be about the unit sticking in the on position? At that time, everyone said best not use it.

i take your point mike but ive never seen one stuck, or know of anyone, maybe they just dont use em eh!.

With all due respect Ady, in the past it has been documented that this switch is an opiton for those sold in Northern Japan where temperatures can drop below -20c in winter. Bearing in mind this never happens here you are likely to whirl up a bit of gubbins that has sat solid for ten years or so and the chances of it reverting back to its original state once flicking the switch back decreases with age. Once its on - the Bongo runs like a bag of rusty spanners and if it jams & refuses to reset itself, which does happen - its a pain in the butt to get rectified.

I suggest either use it regularly, move somewhere really cold or disable the switch.

i know what you mean chris. suppose its up to the owner really.

Northern Bongolow wrote:i take your point mike but ive never seen one stuck, or know of anyone, maybe they just dont use em eh!.

Could be. Not having one on mine, I've never had to worry about it. So all I can do is repeat what the techies advised after we had a rash of victims who either hadn't realised the consequences of knocking the switch on, or whose unit had stuck on after using the switch. In the absence of a climate where it might be needed regularly, I wonder if the best general advice for non techies might be to disable it. But, personally, I like your idea of using it for engine and autobox warm up, as its something I like to do on cold mornings.

I'm thinking of disabling my 'Warm-up' switch completely by just disconnecting the block of cables from the back of the switch as I can't help feeling its a ticking time-bomb waiting to catch me out

Its only a matter of time before one of my kids decides to have a play with it whilst I'm in a shop or something and I then drive away none the wiser..

Anyone know if my idea would work or is there simply a fuse I could just remove?

Just disconnecting the block from the back will be fine, maybe, just as a precaution, wrap some insulating tape round it. Plus if you add anything else to the Bongo that requires a switch, you've got one spare already fitted