Bongo Fury

Hi, can anyone advise what might be the problem and anyone know a Bongo mechanic on the Lleyn Peninsula?
I am about 9 hours drive from home in Dorset, camping in the rain at Nefyn on the north side of the Lleyn Peninsula.

My 'HOLD' light is flashing, the charge light and the sediment light stay on (so I thought perhaps alternator problem from what I looked up on here). But also at the same time the speedometer (and odometer) have stopped working.

Could they be connected? Or more likely co-incidence?

Does the battery charge light refer to the starter battery only, or might it be the leisure battery?
I am not at all technical and don't know if it's safe to drive it. I had a solar panel fitted by Dodgey and the meter reads 13.2v

I rang a garage in the next village but the guy said he doesn't know anything about bongos.

Feeling somewhat stranded and fed up, not least because I have hurt my back and can barely stand or walk.

Any advice as to what might be the problem, whether it should be safe to drive (back willing), and any bongo mechanics or auto electricians in this part of North Wales would be much appreciated.

Oh and a bit of sunshine like there has been in Dorset for weeks would help!

The charge lamp indicates if the alternator is working or not and hence providing charging to the batteries. If its ON then that indicates that the alternator is NOT generating any power, check the belt and the fuse below;


The fact that the solar panel controller is indicating 13.2 suggests that the LB is fine.

The Hold light flashing might be that the starter battery is very low, but if your able to start the vehicle then that would suggest not, BUT don't push your luck with starting the vehicle too many times as otherwise you will have a flat SB and no means of charging it!!!

Hi.
1 Did you check the belt?
2 Have you any jump leads on board?
3 Where is your leisure battery?
4 Does it start and drive OK apart from the issues you have stated?

Thanks for your replies. I keep losing wifi at the campsite so can't always reply.

Fuse looks ok, at least it looks like the others so nothing obvious to show it has gone.

Leisure battery is under bonnet and I think is connected to starter one, but not absolutely sure. Either Haydn or Dodgey fitted a relay of some sort and made sure the internal lights etc came off the leisure battery as I think it was wired incorrectly when I bought it.

Will have to look where belt is (embarrassed I don't know) assuming wifi keeps working

Have no jump leads but it seems to start and run ok and I will estimate miles done as fuel gauge not very accurate.

It's a diesel 4 wheel drive automatic.

But nervous it will conk out on tiny road on bend or somewhere dangerous. I don't think the AA will help if it is still going but I will ring them for advice.

AA will probably come and have a look and if it is the altenator packed up rather than broken belt it should be OK to drive home. A diesel will run without the battery but obviously its needed to start the engine.

I don't think it will suddenly die on you but may not start if you've used the battery power starting a good few times/running accessories etc.

You will be passing close to me on the way home so if you want to break your journey somewhere close I'll meet with booster pack and jump leads to get you on your way.

PM If you like.

If you're near mains it might be worth borrowing/buying a cheap charger to set off with a full battery.

Any other members opinion would be useful on this proposal as I am not familiar with the diesels as to whether they have an electrical lift pump or not and there is the question of how often the coolant fans would kick in and the hold and sediment light too.


Plan A
Call the AA they will come out to you if there is a red light up and they carry temporary belts or they will source one for you.
Plan B
If you cannot get any assistance from down there then my plan would be to pack up so you are ready to roll.
Set out for home. Keep to an absolute minimum engine stop starts and try not to use anything electrical on your journey like heater/air con, lights and so on use handbrake when at the lights that kind of thing.
Once the engine is running it wont draw much from the battery and I would think you would make a nine hour daylight drive.
Plan C
All of the above plus:
You could hook up, using the jump leads,if you had them the starter battery to the leisure battery + to+ and neg to neg and journey.
Make sure the clips are secure and laying flat if possible because you need to shut the bonnet and that the cables and clips are not going to foul anything, secure them as best you are able.
Then you would have the leisure battery and solar panel in support and you should sale through.
But you would need to reasonably sure the cables were not going to come adrift and touch any thing metallic or foul any moving parts.
Best of luck and I hope the weather improves for you.

I just posted a long reply or thought I did. But it's gone.

Anyways when my alternator failed I was told by a bongo man in Swindon not to drive too far because the SB was draining all the time. I was lucky to get home! I got to the garage in the morning, but he said he couldn't move the van 2 hours later! Just sayin'

Bongolia wrote:Any other members opinion would be useful on this proposal as I am not familiar with the diesels as to whether they have an electrical lift pump or not and there is the question of how often the coolant fans would kick in and the hold and sediment light too.


Plan A
Call the AA they will come out to you if there is a red light up and they carry temporary belts or they will source one for you.
Plan B
If you cannot get any assistance from down there then my plan would be to pack up so you are ready to roll.
Set out for home. Keep to an absolute minimum engine stop starts and try not to use anything electrical on your journey like heater/air con, lights and so on use handbrake when at the lights that kind of thing.
Once the engine is running it wont draw much from the battery and I would think you would make a nine hour daylight drive.
Plan C
All of the above plus:
You could hook up, using the jump leads,if you had them the starter battery to the leisure battery + to+ and neg to neg and journey.
Make sure the clips are secure and laying flat if possible because you need to shut the bonnet and that the cables and clips are not going to foul anything, secure them as best you are able.
Then you would have the leisure battery and solar panel in support and you should sale through.
But you would need to reasonably sure the cables were not going to come adrift and touch any thing metallic or foul any moving parts.
Best of luck and I hope the weather improves for you.

Exactly this happened to me travelling to the Bash a couple of years back. The excellent Bongomeister got me on an emergency hookup, Geoff lent me a charger, we enjoyed the Bash and got home after no trouble in daylight by behaving as you advise. I had jump leads so if needed could refresh SB from LB. Kept engine running at all times. Good luck!

AA are sending a nominated garage mechanic to look, eta 40 minutes ago, perhaps he is lost. Will see what he says.

Ah, he has arrived and said that the alternator has gone. Doesn't know about the speedo but said I shouldn't drive it.

The AA will relay me home tomorrow, which perhaps is just as well with my inflamed sciatic nerve because driving is painful.

Looks like my trip around the Lleyn Peninsula will have to wait for another time.

Thanks to everyone for your posts, the forum has made me feel less isolated x

Glad you are sorted.
Although nine hours in the cab with a relay driver could be another painful experience.
I now know everything about Roger the AA Relay driver who picked me up,his divorce,his kids,his job,his hobbies, Ad nauseam.
I pretended I was asleep in the end but he still waffled on. Dunno if you can get away with that for 9 hours though. My mistake was getting in the front once moving-to late to get in the back.
My new plan A would be take two CoCodomol and get in the back.

Bongolia wrote:Glad you are sorted.
Although nine hours in the cab with a relay driver could be another painful experience.
I now know everything about Roger the AA Relay driver who picked me up,his divorce,his kids,his job,his hobbies, Ad nauseam.
I pretended I was asleep in the end but he still waffled on. Dunno if you can get away with that for 9 hours though. My mistake was getting in the front once moving-to late to get in the back.
My new plan A would be take two CoCodomol and get in the back.

I might fit Roger's description except i don't drive for the AA. Glad you're sorted Snoozie and my sympathies about the back - had mine go when Bongo camping in the rain with 3 arguing small boys and their bicycles etc that i had the job of stowing etc as well as being tentmaster, chief cook, bottlewasher, and guitar playing minstrel for a load of merry Bongo campers who left me behind in a field while they went home. Ohhhh yes, bin there dun that, happy memories now.

Glad relay is sorted, you can put the saved fuel money towards the reconned alternator.

Bob wrote:Glad relay is sorted, you can put the saved fuel money towards the reconned alternator.

Very good point Bob!

Always look on the bright side etc...

bonglia - most excellent advice! I was rather hoping I could snooze in the bongo on the tow truck but figured I would have to sit in the cab with the driver. I've been on cocodamol for my back for 3 days, not that they have helped the pain but I will take 2 and say they make me sleepy and sit in the back with the dog! Wish I hadn't finished my bottle of Grouse!

All in all probably a good thing I won't be driving. I can't even stand up straight and that's not the whisky! Thanks for the sympathy Mike.

Sorry you lost your long post jilly, but good to hear of possible problems. I'm hoping there will be a couple of starts left in the bongo to get me to a garage at home, but if not I can get some jump leads which will be useful to carry in future.

And thanks Bob for the offer of a battery boost en route had I driven home - very kind of you.

I'll let you know how the relay experience went when I get home. Thanks for your support guys

So now to look for an alternator ......