Bongo Fury

After being hit by a Sprinter that decided it was too big for one lane, I have discovered my poor Bongo has been leaking it's coolant from around the ATF sump (I think) It has totaly emptied the resevoir and I'm a bit stuck as to wether or not to chance putting water in untill I can get to a shop to buy coolant or to my garage 15 miles away as I am aware (rightly or wrongly) it has an ally head???

Also the collision was on the passager side front and has bent the chassis under the side light which now doesn't stay in place - has a plaster on to keep light in. It's bent in just at the corner fold - is this major as I can't see how it can be put right easily and excuse me for being dim but is it a structural part as I can't see how it would come off.

Thirdly, the problem I had previously of it running on three glow plugs has not been solved as the tip of the glow plug that broke off has ended up well down the cylinder. Hence why the end of the glow plug rail had been snapped off! I might try and suck it out with a hoover( mines awesome and lifts pennies) if it won't harm any thing???? I can't afford to have the engine out and stripped now being asingle mum but I'll let you know the out come of that madcap one! It might just work.

Any help/advise on any matters above would be greatly appreciated as I keep going round in circles in the archives

God Bless Our Bongos

All in all my poor Bongo has had a rough previous life and now got bashed with me!(I'm hurting too and thank goodness my 2yr old was in a Reccaro car seat it has saved him the same agony)

where's your rough location, some one may come round and help.

dont drive it anywhere if the coolant has been lost,get it lifted to a garage that knows bongo's if someone local cannot be found.

Sorry to hear of your woes. Why not put it all through the insurance company and let them worry about the problems. If you've lost coolant, you may have overheated which could start to get very expensive. If chassis is damaged, you may find it will end up being written off in which case the engine issues won't matter.

Awe no! I didn't like my bongo when I first got it felt I was ripped off but now I'd quite like to keep it. I don't think the coolant issue was due to the impact, it doesn't make sence. I don't think it overheated as I always keep my eye on gauge and nose on niffs lol. It was only driven 3 miles back home. I would buy it back off the insurers if it get written off (depending on class of course) and get the work done as it has 103KM on clock and a solid bongo and I've just made curtains for it!!!!I will make sure it only leaves the drive on a tow truck flat bed thank you for that.

I'm just waiting for the third party to admit liability before the insurers start proceedings. Hope it won't be too long we're off on our first holiday very soon and it's a pitch I've booked and paid for already. Well meant to be




Have now discovered a disliking to Sprinters

Hello there,

Where are you located?

Has your bongo been run since glow plug tip dropped off. If not do not run it as the tip will get squashed and embedded in the cylinder head/piston.

Suck it out. Empty vacuum cleaner so you can find the missing piece. Get some hose that can fit through the glow plug hole preferably and attach it to the hoover hose with lots of duck tape.

Regarding the coolant a good bump may have been enough to dislodge it. You will probably need to bleed coolant system to be sure

Good luck

Russ

Thanks Rusty P still not got it on the road, I'm in Leicestershire, still has glow plug tip in and now brake problem I've just posted.
The garage gave me the bongo back without rectifying anything, it got hot so I wanged it to the left to my mates road last miniute thinking I'll break down here thanks I can get a cuppa lol
I think the turning left did something as it spat out coolant and air from the overflow pipe on the header tank, sounded like a perculator. I drove it back to the garage when it cooled down as it wasn't far and then got the brake problem that no one knows how to deal with!