Bongo Fury

Hi all,

I viewed a '95 diesel 2.5 auto today. Everything was nice until I looked at the engine and then got under it. The oil leaks were obvious straight away.
A friend who owns another Bongo told me that hers leaks often and she just tops the oil up and forgets about it!? I understand what she's saying but looking at the leaks today I'm worried its a fair amount of work required.

I hoping for advice on if these pictures look too serious to leave until I have the time/money to address, was hoping to be using it all summer with the family (now its finally warmed up!) then fix in winter. I'm fairly handy but have never owned a Bongo, you could all be hearing a lot from me soon.

Many thanks in advance

While I’m not a qualified mechanic, I’ve owned and driven many older vehicles over the years and staining like that is, in my experience, common.
If there were drips of fresh oil appearing I’d be concerned and looking for a cause, but general dampness wouldn’t worry me.
My old Espace would leave oil on the drive, but seldom needed topping up and performed sterling service for over a decade.
I’m sure there’s some folk on here with more technical skills who can advise better, but I’d not be overly concerned.
I’ll see if I can get pics of mine, it too has various damp areas but has been really good during my relatively brief 18 months of ownership.

Thank you for the reply Bongolian, if you did manage to get any pics they would be much appreciated. Just trying to get my head around if I would get years or a week out of it. There was also a hose wet and a single drip below it on the road.
I hope yours continues to run well!

It's hard to tell when youre viewing a vehicle as that staining could be built up over a long time and not be a serious issue or it could have developed very recently and be of more concern.

I definitely had a similar amount of staining on mine, I had it steam cleaned once and monitored after that, which wasn't of concern.

I have the same problem. Can anyone solve my problem?

What fluid is leaking ? It could be coolant, gearbox oil, engine oil or even brake fluid. Pictures of the place its leaking from, rather than where its dripping off a hose helps identify they type of fluid.

g8dhe wrote: Tue Apr 15, 2025 4:19 pm What fluid is leaking ? It could be coolant, gearbox oil, engine oil or even brake fluid. Pictures of the place its leaking from, rather than where its dripping off a hose helps identify they type of fluid.

Actually, I'm at my job when I'll be free I definetly share some pictures of the place.

Thanks to all who replied, we bought it. Are we automatically part of the club now or is there some sort of initiation ceremony?

Your a member of the forum that part is free, to be a member of the club then see the "Join Bongo" button at the top of the page!

You bought it.. great

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Bongo

Welcome aboard.