Bongo Fury

We recently had some work done on our bongo (new battery, head gasket and cam belt), but since getting the vehicle back from the garage, we have noticed some strange noises (compared to before!).

Whenever we start the engine after it has been raining, we can hear a regular "shshshshshsh" noise, which increases in speed as we speed up. The car didn't do this before, and it only seems to do it when the weather is wet. Also, on a few occasions, the engine has "coughed" a bit and won't catch straight away when the key is turned to start the engine.

Any ideas? Is this noise normal??

First thought would be A/C or alternator/fan belts although you'd expect these to be quieter when damp. Get a squeezy or trigger action spray bottle full of water and carefully spray over the belts while the engine is running. If the noise changes than I'd look at checking the tension or possibly replacing all three belts (assuming yours is a diesel engine )

Is the noise constant and increases in a constant manner-was the vehicle stood for a while?

We use the car about once a week. Sometimes we notice it when we turn the engine on (when it has been raining, we think) and sometimes we don't. When we do notice it, it is a constant "shshshshshshshsh" type noise

Just to follow up on my earlier suggestion of checking the belts, when it's raining you are more likely to have an additional load on the alternator such as lights, wipers and blowers which could cause the type of noises you describe when the belts are working harder.

My partner drove the Bongo today, and he said it was making that noise again, but it hadn't been raining....

Rear wiper?

Get your partner out there & check the belts. I reckon that'll be the source of the noise

My partner knows as little about car maintenance as I do, unfortunately.

The noises and "coughing" from the engine only started after we last had it seen to by a mechanic, which is what we are most concerned about, since we spent quite a lot of money...

My partner knows as little about car maintenance as I do, unfortunately




After spending a lot of money repairing the vehicle I would take it back to the Garage/Mechanic, its only guess work if you cant inspect/test the vehicle. It could be lots of things causing the noise.

I am sure your mechanic will know what to check and sort it out for you.

Good Luck.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Our main apprehension about taking it to the garage is that the garage is a long way away (we took it to an supposed "Bongo specialist"), so going back there isn't the easiest of tasks, given the hours that we both work.

We called the garage and were told that its probably the glow plugs. Any reason these would start playing up immediately after a service, or just a coincidence? Also (for the uneducated...), what are we looking at to get this fixed?

Thanks,
Helen

If you don't want to take it back to your "Bongo specialist" and they wont collect the vehicle you could take it to your Local friendly mechanic.

We have a lovely local mechanic, who was honest enough to say that he was a Bongo virgin when we went to visit him earlier in the year. Originally, we needed something fixed that he had no real knowledge of, and he actually told us that it might be better to take it to a specialist. It was after the visit to the specialist that all of these other issues started happening...could the other work have messed up our glow plugs, or is it just a coincidence? We want to take it back to them, if it is a problem that they have caused, but it a glow plug change is a super easy fix, then it would obviously save us time and energy to just go to the garage a few miles down the road