Bongo Fury

So on a recent trip my coolant level dropped, overheated and popped the lid off the coolant tank.

No sign of white stuff in the oil.

The garage checked the stat, pump and still had a huge difference in temperate at the in and outlets apparently.

They replaced the radiator and said that had fixed the problem.

On driving it again today for the first time it is overheating again.

Any ideas folks ?

A friend a work sadi sounds like head gasket which sounds like ££££

Aye, sounds like the head gasket. Probably didn't need a new rad either

colshandy wrote:So on a recent trip my coolant level dropped, overheated and popped the lid off the coolant tank.

No sign of white stuff in the oil.

The garage checked the stat, pump and still had a huge difference in temperate at the in and outlets apparently.

They replaced the radiator and said that had fixed the problem.

On driving it again today for the first time it is overheating again.

Any ideas folks ?

A friend a work sadi sounds like head gasket which sounds like ££££

It might well be. How hard does the radiator top hose feel when engine is warmed up. If it is rock hard then tht suggests system is over-pressurising due to head gasket problem. Also, if you switch the engine off when its warm, leave it for 15 mins or so then start it up, do you get steam coming out of the exhaust, as that can sometimes be a pointer. Is there much/any sign of rust staining in the header tank as this might point to a poorly maintained system that has clogging in the system. Similarly, if the top hose (or any hose) feels 'crunchy' when you squeeze it, this would suggest a clogged up system due to lack of effective anti-corrosion/anti-freeze in the past

Commiserations and good luck - keep us posted.

Mike

PS - to Muz's post - it may be that a new rad won't be a waste of money if it alleviates the underlying cause of overheating? But thermostat and waterpump should be changed also. And fit a proper engine temp monitor also. I know, I know,up and up goes the bill

It could be that the rad was knackered, caused the overheating which has done the head in - in which case the new rad was necessary.

A pressure test is probably the next step

You don't mention if the garage has bled the system correctly. Head gasket is a possibility & also possibly cracked head if you've driven with insufficient coolant / air in the system, but start with a proper bleed & take it from there.

Muzorewa wrote:It could be that the rad was knackered, caused the overheating which has done the head in - in which case the new rad was necessary.

A pressure test is probably the next step

Adrian at Japan Direct squeezes a Bongos top hose to make sure it is firm, but not rock hard. That ought to bring a smile to any Bongos face

Worry with the radiator I think is there's two forms of knackered: either it leaks, or it is clogged. If it was the latter, then to what extent might the channels in the block and head be similarly clogged (due to poor maintenance with respect to corrosion inhibitor). Impossible to mend if so. Maybe ask whoever removes the head to inspect channels / test them for throughput whilst they are visible at block / head junction. Or, as said, crunch test on original hoses might give a clue in this respect. Any mechanics care to comment?

thanks so far. on phone so can't reply properly but apparently the bottom pipe was cold. they bled the system while I was there twice.

colshandy wrote:thanks so far. on phone so can't reply properly but apparently the bottom pipe was cold. they bled the system while I was there twice.

Bottom hose has to be hot for bleeding to be completed properly - if it's not hot, the thermostat will not have opened. Does the garage know how to bleed a Bongo, including using the bleed hose?

colshandy wrote:So on a recent trip my coolant level dropped, overheated and popped the lid off the coolant tank.

... say that again ...?

What's written on the label on your coolant tank cap? For completeness, what's on the radiator cap?

Sorry for delay in responding to the responses ! i will respond to the questions soon.

It was in the garage for a week or so and the garage said it was fixed.

I though they had bled the system but noticed the temperature gauge was not moving from cold so called then and they have removed the thermostat. Thoughts ? I am not mechanically minded at all but this does not seem to be addressing the initial issue.

I am doing a long journey with the kids tonight and now worried that it could overheat again...

You're right to be worried, removing the stat is like having a water leak and, instead of fixing it, towing a bowser behind you to keep it topped up. It's not fixing the original issue.

You need a garage that understands how a Bongo cooling works and is refilled/bled.
Sounds like they have not refilled it properly.

haydn callow wrote:You need a garage that understands how a Bongo cooling works and is refilled/bled.
Sounds like they have not refilled it properly.

Well the fudge managed to get me to legoland and back, over 1,000 miles, now to sort the problem properly.

Can anyone recommend a garage in Aberdeen that could do this ? I know they used the bleed hose, a few times when I was there. I am

Is is much different to refill/bleed the bongo that other motors ? Is there any good advice online if is it fundamentally different.

Thanks

colshandy wrote: Is is much different to refill/bleed the bongo that other motors ? Is there any good advice online if is it fundamentally different.

Thanks

Yes - search for "bleeding bongo" on youtube - there are 3 videos to help you