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Stranded - help please!

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 6:56 pm
by KMH
Hi, I am sitting in a service station waiting for the AA, having lost coolant due to some numpty leaving the cap off the header tank (that would be me). If I can get a new cap and top up again am I good to go or do I need to have the system bled? It did not overheat. Thanks!

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 7:11 pm
by wonkanoby
if level is above pipe on side then no air will have got in

if below it needs bleeding

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 8:06 pm
by Gasy
Hi
You not near me are you
I have a spare
How's the wheel

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 8:54 pm
by Bob
As said, if the coolant tank is empty it will need bleeding.

Let's hope you've caught it in time. [-o<

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 9:31 pm
by cmm303
Location? You never know, Somebody may be able to help with cap for header tank or even bleeding.

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 12:05 am
by KMH
Thanks everyone! Spending an hour on the verge of the m25 waiting for the AA to send the wrong van wasn't a great start to a holiday. But huge thanks and respect to the very very nice AA man who eventually helped me ( by that time on a garage forecourt near Watford) sourcing a cap, carefully studying the fact sheet on my phone and bleeding the van carefully. So thankful to be part of bongo fury, I'd have been stuck tonight without it :-)
(The wheel is great, thanks gasy!)

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 8:27 am
by Bob
Glad you're mobile again. :D

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 9:21 am
by TheStinkyHippy
So what method did the AA man use to bleed on the road side?
Did he have a funnel and you and him see-sawed into the merry night?

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 2:50 pm
by mikeonb4c
KMH wrote:Thanks everyone! Spending an hour on the verge of the m25 waiting for the AA to send the wrong van wasn't a great start to a holiday. But huge thanks and respect to the very very nice AA man who eventually helped me ( by that time on a garage forecourt near Watford) sourcing a cap, carefully studying the fact sheet on my phone and bleeding the van carefully. So thankful to be part of bongo fury, I'd have been stuck tonight without it :-)
(The wheel is great, thanks gasy!)
Great that you are mobile again - such a pain when that happens :-(

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 4:51 pm
by KMH
The end of my sad story of being stranded was that I made it to Cornwall, rather more tired and stressed than I had hoped, but the trusty Bongo and me both in one piece. I wasn't all that happy though, and looked up the bongo friendly garages list, where I found the wonder that is Mark at Pitstop in Bodmin. I phoned him from the motorway, and he offered to look at the van that day, and made a couple of fixes on the spot. He booked me in for the next Tuesday, and spent the day draining and replacing the coolant plus new hose, servicing, and checking her over thoroughly. I can't recommend him highly enough - I reckon it's a good reason for a trip to Cornwall!

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 6:26 pm
by Bob
Sound. =D> =D> =D>

Re: Stranded - help please!

Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 6:52 pm
by Gasy
Good
Alls well that ends well

Hope you had a good time
I like Cornwall , but it is a long way for us