Bongo Fury

Posted: **Thu Aug 15, 2019 8:21 pm**

Hi everyone, I'm new here. We've had our bongo for 2 years now. A few weeks back the water pump had to be replaced & since then we've had overheating problems. Following the fact sheet here & the youtube videos we've tried to bleed it three times now still with no luck... we get no air bubbles when cold or when revving, however whilst idle the coolant boils up in the funnel from the bleeding hose. Also we are not sure the bottom hose is getting hot enough to open the stat. Can anyone help or perhaps recommend a mechanic in the Medway (Kent) area??? Feeling deflated as we were supposed to go away this week with the kids to Snowdonia...

Thanks in advance for any help... Caroline

Posted: **Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:27 am**

What problem / symptoms lead you to replacing the water pump ?

Posted: **Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:00 am**

Hi Geoff, thanks for your reply. The water pump snapped due to faulty alternator belt (replaced).

Posted: **Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:29 pm**

Don't know your area that well, but there's a list of Bongo Friendly garages in the Members' Area.

Posted: **Fri Aug 16, 2019 4:06 pm**

Hello
I have used TCT in Ashford to work on my bongo before, mine is a petrol but Steve there is aware that the diesel model needs a specific bleed procedure. Might be worth a call

Posted: **Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:43 pm**

Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it.

We have found a bongo-friendly mazda garage, booked in for Monday. Crossing all fingers but worried it may be the cylinder head (reading a thread here with similar issue of 'angry boiling' coming through funnel)... just hoping our bongo is fixable & hopefully before the holiday is over...

Btw does anyone know why the air con fan would be on constantly?

Posted: **Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:48 am**

It sounds like the engine has overheated when the water pump was damaged, and the reason for the fan running constantly could be a damaged / faulty CTS sensor.

Can you confirm if the overheating occurred initially ??

Posted: **Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:44 am**

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it, where is the sensor located?

The pulley of the water pump snapped whilst driving but no overheating flagged at the time, however after this incident the bongo started having overheating issues. Also, after a new water pump (as well as an alternator etc) was put in the battery went flat & had to be replaced. The fan might have been constant since we bought the car (2 yrs ago), could be that we only noticed it now...

Posted: **Sun Aug 18, 2019 4:39 pm**

I've had coolant problems myself recently. Leaked water out from a rot hole in a steel pipe. Garage fixed the pipe, bled it, took it for a run, then told me it was vapouring white smoke, so will be head gasket or head. Wasn't convinced they'd bled it correctly, so took it to my workshop and bled it myself. Got it running better, had a second opinion and it was the gasket. Water in cylinder No2.

Got a recon head from Bongo Spares with gasket etc, did timing belt and pump and thermostat. Second garage couldn't get it running right either. Kept pressuring up after bleeding.

I watched a 3 part video on YouTube on how to bleed them. Easy to do, just time consuming. Bled it off, running great. Took an hour and a half to get all the air out.

We're off to Holland with the kids on Thursday. Been getting it fixed for 6 weeks. Constant worry until I sorted it on Thursday. Phew!

Posted: **Sun Aug 18, 2019 5:13 pm**

Well done, and thanks for the update.

Posted: **Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:40 pm**

SRMarkwell41 wrote: Sun Aug 18, 2019 4:39 pm I've had coolant problems myself recently. Leaked water out from a rot hole in a steel pipe. Garage fixed the pipe, bled it, took it for a run, then told me it was vapouring white smoke, so will be head gasket or head. Wasn't convinced they'd bled it correctly, so took it to my workshop and bled it myself. Got it running better, had a second opinion and it was the gasket. Water in cylinder No2.

Got a recon head from Bongo Spares with gasket etc, did timing belt and pump and thermostat. Second garage couldn't get it running right either. Kept pressuring up after bleeding.

I watched a 3 part video on YouTube on how to bleed them. Easy to do, just time consuming. Bled it off, running great. Took an hour and a half to get all the air out.

We're off to Holland with the kids on Thursday. Been getting it fixed for 6 weeks. Constant worry until I sorted it on Thursday. Phew!

Phew & well done for getting it sorted. Similar scenario here. Stressful! We've been trying to fix the car for weeks & now it seems to be the cylinder head according to the garage. They quote £1000 & a week or two to fix it. Does this sound reasonable?

I hope you have a great time in Holland! Thanks so much for your reply here...

Posted: **Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:04 pm**

No worries Bob.

Thanks for the advice on the bleeding it properly. It's another string to the bow. Feel a bit more confident now, having done it myself. The coolant problems seem to be the achilles heel for these, so nice to get a bit of knowledge on it.

Posted: **Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:07 pm**

cs78 wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:40 pm
SRMarkwell41 wrote: Sun Aug 18, 2019 4:39 pm I've had coolant problems myself recently. Leaked water out from a rot hole in a steel pipe. Garage fixed the pipe, bled it, took it for a run, then told me it was vapouring white smoke, so will be head gasket or head. Wasn't convinced they'd bled it correctly, so took it to my workshop and bled it myself. Got it running better, had a second opinion and it was the gasket. Water in cylinder No2.

Got a recon head from Bongo Spares with gasket etc, did timing belt and pump and thermostat. Second garage couldn't get it running right either. Kept pressuring up after bleeding.

I watched a 3 part video on YouTube on how to bleed them. Easy to do, just time consuming. Bled it off, running great. Took an hour and a half to get all the air out.

We're off to Holland with the kids on Thursday. Been getting it fixed for 6 weeks. Constant worry until I sorted it on Thursday. Phew!
Phew & well done for getting it sorted. Similar scenario here. Stressful! We've been trying to fix the car for weeks & now it seems to be the cylinder head according to the garage. They quote £1000 & a week or two to fix it. Does this sound reasonable?

I hope you have a great time in Holland! Thanks so much for your reply here...

A £1000 pounds doesn't sound to bad to me. I would expect around maybe £800 on a modern car. These are a bit different.

Does that include the head, gaskets, head bolts etc??

Posted: **Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:21 pm**

SRMarkwell41 wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:07 pm
cs78 wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:40 pm
SRMarkwell41 wrote: Sun Aug 18, 2019 4:39 pm I've had coolant problems myself recently. Leaked water out from a rot hole in a steel pipe. Garage fixed the pipe, bled it, took it for a run, then told me it was vapouring white smoke, so will be head gasket or head. Wasn't convinced they'd bled it correctly, so took it to my workshop and bled it myself. Got it running better, had a second opinion and it was the gasket. Water in cylinder No2.

Got a recon head from Bongo Spares with gasket etc, did timing belt and pump and thermostat. Second garage couldn't get it running right either. Kept pressuring up after bleeding.

I watched a 3 part video on YouTube on how to bleed them. Easy to do, just time consuming. Bled it off, running great. Took an hour and a half to get all the air out.

We're off to Holland with the kids on Thursday. Been getting it fixed for 6 weeks. Constant worry until I sorted it on Thursday. Phew!
Phew & well done for getting it sorted. Similar scenario here. Stressful! We've been trying to fix the car for weeks & now it seems to be the cylinder head according to the garage. They quote £1000 & a week or two to fix it. Does this sound reasonable?

I hope you have a great time in Holland! Thanks so much for your reply here...
A £1000 pounds doesn't sound to bad to me. I would expect around maybe £800 on a modern car. These are a bit different.

Does that include the head, gaskets, head bolts etc??

I believe the £1000 include sensor head bolts belts etc... btw is this something we could fit ourselves or best left to the garage? (We would like to gt it up and running as soon as possible).

thanks for all the great advice, much appreciated

Posted: **Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:33 pm**

cs78 wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:21 pm
SRMarkwell41 wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:07 pm
cs78 wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:40 pm

Phew & well done for getting it sorted. Similar scenario here. Stressful! We've been trying to fix the car for weeks & now it seems to be the cylinder head according to the garage. They quote £1000 & a week or two to fix it. Does this sound reasonable?

I hope you have a great time in Holland! Thanks so much for your reply here...
A £1000 pounds doesn't sound to bad to me. I would expect around maybe £800 on a modern car. These are a bit different.

Does that include the head, gaskets, head bolts etc??
I believe the £1000 include sensor head bolts belts etc... btw is this something we could fit ourselves or best left to the garage? (We would like to gt it up and running as soon as possible).

thanks for all the great advice, much appreciated

Unless you're a very competent mechanic, I'd leave it to the garage. If you do it yourself and it's wrong, could cost you much more.

Bongo Fury

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