Bongo Fury

Today we went shopping in the Bongo - no probs. When we left the supermarket after half an hour, put the key in the ignition wont start like the battery is completely flat. Light s work though. Got out check battery terminals - all nice and tight, tried again same like flat battery.
Take the key out of the ignition, put it back in ignition Bongo fires up no probs.
Wierd or what.
Any ideas?

If its an autobox it sounds like a dodgy gearbox inhibitor switch. The switch only allows the engine to start in N or P

when you say won't start, is that no noise at all or just the click ? If click is heard it's almost certainly the starter soleniod contacts.

ferdy

HI THERE HAVE BEEN LOADS OF NIGGLING PROBLEMS CONCERNING STARTING,I AM SORRY TO TELL YOU THAT IT COULD BE EITHER OF THE ABOVE,BUT DO NOT WORRY I KNOW THAT IT IS ANNOYING BUT IT WILL START EVENTUALLY.I HAVE HAD THE "CLICK" PROBLEM FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS NOW AND WHAT I HAVE FOUND THAT HELPS IS THIS:WHEN YOU TURN THE IGNITION ON LET THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT GO OUT AND LEAVE IT FOR A BIT LONGER AFTER THE LIGHT GOES OUT,I DO NOT KNOW WHY BUT IT SEEMS TO HELP AND STARTS ALMOST FIRST TIME EVERY TIME.WEIRD

sorry typed all that with my caps lock on

Bongo is definitely in park because the key cannot be removed otherwise.

I think that it is the starter motor. Today it failed to start, I turned the key back 1 click on the ignition barrel turned it full on (1 click forward) started no probs.
If it is the starter motor does anyone know where it is? Is it on the drivers side. I should be able to give the starter a tap to free the contacts - remember a similar fault on my old Marina many years ago.

It might be the Starter Motor contacts. From the Bongo Clinic Archives:

Q: How difficult is it to remove the starter motor so I can clean the contacts? (Expresso from Southampton)

A: It's a breeze. On the right hand side of the engine, at the rear, unship starter motor (disconnect power cable, solenoid line, earth connections, then three mounting bolts). Make certain power cable cannot touch any chassis/engine part (if in doubt, disconnect battery first!) The starter motor is switched on by an very crude cylindrical contactor. It lives under a roughly rectangular cover plate on the bottom of the motor body. Remove three screws, remove plate, examine contacts therein. Mine were proper crabby. Clean them up with fine abrasive paper and a little meths on a rag to remove the dust (don't forget the copper washer on the moving part of the solenoid) and stick it all back. The only loose part is the return spring on the inside of the solenoid-and there's a gasket on the cover plate which will probably stay in place. When removing/replacing the starter motor, take care not to damage the injector fuel feed pipes which are located just forward of it-there's just enough room for easy manoeuvre

What actually happens is, that the copper contacts in there arc and wear away so that the moving part of the soleniod no longer makes contact reliably. So cleaning them won't make much difference for long. You need to replace the contacts to get it operating properly again. Nippon Denso starters are apparently well known for giving this trouble after about 100,000miles.

Which makes all the low mileage Bongos that have had this trouble, including mine, look suspect I have always thought.

ferdy

Our bongo has done exactly what you describe a couple of times. Only when I drive it never when my wife drives. I think that as I also drive a 140 bhp common rail Renault diesel I have a habit of just jumping in and turning the key not allowing the heater plug to extinguish. Result - zilch. Panic - sweat - question the validity of my membership of Bongo - dom. (There has to be a downside - right). Relax, turn key wait for heaters to go out. Bingo (Bongo) launch control. Matter of interest - don't have a Turbo timer do you?

contact on one side...were juice comes in from battery wears down

mine was no thicker than a fag paper

and as the plunger hits the other thicker one first

the juice has to leap the gap...causing more pitting and errosion

a local eletrical motor factor sold me a pair for 6 quid

Ferdy B, re: 100,000 miles for starter motor probs, surely its all relative to how often the vehicle is started rather than how far it is driven. If the previous owner used the car daily to drive short distances, the starter motor would wear at the same rate as one used for long journeys. Therefore mileage would not be a true indication of starter motor wear.

I agree completely with your reasoning Simon. Mileage is a very rough indicator, fact is, I found that figure on a couple of internet sites and from the guy down the road who, reluctantly, sold me the contacts for £10, 'cos he wanted to do it for me himself and charge me £80.

How ever often you start an engine, I don't think a starter should display that fault after only some 50,00miles, like mine did.

ferdy

dandywarhol wrote:If its an autobox it sounds like a dodgy gearbox inhibitor switch. The switch only allows the engine to start in N or P

I think that Dandy might be right tried this morning and the only thing I did was to move the gear selector a little bit in Park and she started, no probs.

you should be able to do an adjustment to the gearchange cable Mikey - I think its to the front of the centre console when you lift it off.