Bongo Fury

This is on behalf of Kim who lives near Neath. He is known as Flyfisher here on the Forum but has asked me to post it for him.

I have a 1995 diesel two wheel drive Bongo and had the old girl since 2008 been a great truck and served me well! Though have this issue

Old Girl will not start when cold. Found out there no power going to Glow plug rail, checking the Glow plug relay found the was no connection being made when you turned on the ignition, though you can get at the coil circuitry on the relay. With you fingers press together and make the circuit and with the truck door open you can lean over and just manage to turn the vehicle over and it would fire up as a one man/woman job, but who wants to have bonnet and door open and in the rain on a cold windy night doing this? So mechanic mate suggested wiring direct positive switched feed to the Glow plug relay. It worked afterf a fashion except now the battery and sediment warning light has come on and the battery failed to charge through the alternator, so broke down. Managed a jump start but no lights to get home with young daughter in the truck; not great.

By the way, useful tip for other members being able to bridge connection using fingers to squeeze the circuitry on the glow plug relay to start vehicle when cold as a last resort

Any ideas? Have I caused more problems for myself? Not sure if there is any relay problem in the first place and if the modification has caused any other issues any help would be appreciated?

Urgh, that mechanics mate should be shot!

First check that it isn't as simple as the Glowplug fuse having blown, there available from the shop if it has;


If it isn't that, then it sounds like the relay itself needs replacing not as cheap a fix but do get the relay tested first before replacing as it might still be the signal from the ECU that operates the relay that is the fault.
http://tinyurl.com/gt33oag

g8dhe wrote:Urgh, that mechanics mate should be shot!

First check that it isn't as simple as the Glowplug fuse having blown, there available from the shop if it has;


If it isn't that, then it sounds like the relay itself needs replacing not as cheap a fix but do get the relay tested first before replacing as it might still be the signal from the ECU that operates the relay that is the fault.
http://tinyurl.com/gt33oag

Thanks Geoff for the advice and link

I have examined the sort length of fuse wire and that is still intact , I had auto spark look at the relay and said they could use it and place a direct feed to it at around the price of the link you sent.

Also its thrown up the problem that the altenator is not now charging and that it needs reconditioning, would any know if there are parts redily available for Factory fitted alternators

Exchange altenators can be had from the Bongo Shop, and I've an idea someone near Plymouth is recommended for refurbs.

you need specialist kit to refurb a bongo alternator, thats if you can get the parts.
make sure you get a 90 amp one, not one of the black painted 80 amp ones.

have a read of this link.

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =0#p521642

Worth checking the fuses as one of them (don't recall which) feeds the exciter circuit that makes the alternator charge. This will be on one of the ignition switched circuits, and maybe it's the one that has been used to power the glow plug relay.

Its the 30 Amp HEAD lights fuse that powers the exciter field;

g8dhe wrote:Its the 30 Amp HEAD lights fuse that powers the exciter field;

Would a symptom of that fuse being blown be that his headlights are not working (and he's not reporting that so....)?

Apologies in advance if that's a numpty question

mikeonb4c wrote:

g8dhe wrote:Its the 30 Amp HEAD lights fuse that powers the exciter field;

Would a symptom of that fuse being blown be that his headlights are not working (and he's not reporting that so....)?

Apologies in advance if that's a numpty question

Maybe a Wee clue here........

Managed a jump start but no lights to get home with young daughter in the truck; not great.

rita wrote:

mikeonb4c wrote:

g8dhe wrote:Its the 30 Amp HEAD lights fuse that powers the exciter field;

Would a symptom of that fuse being blown be that his headlights are not working (and he's not reporting that so....)?

Apologies in advance if that's a numpty question

Maybe a Wee clue here........

Managed a jump start but no lights to get home with young daughter in the truck; not great.

I took that to mean he was unable to use them due to charging problems, rather than they were not working?

If that was the case the Fuse would be OK.

some interesting suggestions , just dropped of the alternator to be reconditioned but by the sounds of it this may not be necessary and that the parts obtainable would be sub standard

And to answer the question when it was jump there where faint lights which died seemed to die the longer the vehicle was driven

flyfisher wrote:some interesting suggestions , just dropped of the alternator to be reconditioned but by the sounds of it this may not be necessary and that the parts obtainable would be sub standard

And to answer the question when it was jump there where faint lights which died seemed to die the longer the vehicle was driven

Thanks for clarifying - sounds like the fuse for headlights/exciter is OK then but I'm not a techie so will leave final thoughts on that to Geoff!