Advice required, 4 Wheel Drive Bongos ***DON'T DELETE***

[Eat Aunt]

Greetings Earthlings

A very good mate of mine and his missus are nearly entering Bongo world

Would like advice on whether they should buy a 4WD version, esp from current owners of such beasties. Also approx what they should pay depending on condition etc

We have found a nice looking example of an AFT 4WD

approx 125 km on odometer, at first appearance, I would say it was genuine indication.

P reg.

Electric everything

Tinted windows.

Its much tidier than mine, with goodies as well (gits ha ha )

I have read up on here about slight technical issues that may crop up , but would like advice from peeps that have owned the 4WD version or have one at moment

Many Tanks (as Rommell once commented)

Ian

[francophile1947]

I don't really think it makes too much difference. I have a 4WD and am pleased with it.
4wd is supposed to handle slightly better and is useful on muddy fields, but it's definitely not an off-roader 2wd is slightly more economical to run and has less to go wrong. There won't be many times when conditions will be bad enough for it to get stuck in mud either - some old carpet under the rear wheels will usually work.

[mikexgough]

I have a 4wd & love it - 2wd owners like Scanner, say theirs are good too........I was fine in the recent snow but then Tyres are also play a factor when in slippery conditions mud, snow etc - Fuel consumption for me is around 30 max, well has been since I have had it, on mixed running, it is rubbish like 23 around town though so I hardly use it like that, as for mechanical issues with 4wd........I don't even think about it....

[scanner]

I have a 4wd & love it - 2wd owners like Scanner, say theirs are good too........I was fine in the recent snow but then Tyres are also play a factor when in slippery conditions mud, snow etc - Fuel consumption for me is around 30 max, well has been since I have had it, on mixed running, it is rubbish like 23 around town though so I hardly use it like that, as for mechanical issues with 4wd........I don't even think about it....

As Mike says tyres are more important than the number of driven wheels and as he also says don't even think about problems - if you did you wouldn't buy anything.

To me it's something (like the AFT) that is one more thing to go wrong (and worry about) and that I didn't think I would need that often so I didn't buy either and thus have a 2WD TinTop.

[dandywarhol]

The viscous coupling, which is a crude device rather than go to the expense of 3rd diff an approximate has life of around 100,000 miles. Then the gel in the coupling gets "tired" and the result can be premature tyre/propshaft/diff wear.http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential5.htm

I thought long and hard (and researched a lot) and decided that 2WD was sufficient for my purposes.

I'm not saying the VC setup is bad - it's just that its got a service life, which is reduced by several factors, namely not replacing all the tyres at the same time and wrong tyre sizes for the job.

[MountainGoat]

Your explanation Alan points towards the importance of numpties like myself chosing the right garage to look after their Bongo for them. Wheelquick who specialise in selling wheels and tyres in addition to servicing Bongos seems to fit the bill perfectly.

Tony

[phiiiiil]

When a VC starts showing signs of age does it need to be completely replaced or will a simple fluid change get it back to normal? It sounds like a simple enough mechanism so presumably the only reason it has a limited lifespan is the fluid aging...?

[Trouble at t'Mill]

Eat Aunt, pretty much covered above.

Unless there is a particular need for a 4x4, I'd personally suggest keeping to 2WD simply for the 'less to go wrong' and 'much cheaper if it does' reason!

HOWEVER, since they generally seem to be pretty reliable in this area, it would surely be silly to 'dismiss' 4WDs from your friend's search even if they agreed with my reasoning above; if the 'right' vehicle comes along at the right price, then the 2WD vs 4WD decision tends to be pretty low down the list of important points.

Whichever setup they go for, make sure diff oil changes are included in their first service - it is the easiest of DIY tasks (so cheap also for a garage to do it), so you can afford to use the best quality fully synthetic oil in there.

I don't know about this viscous coupling thingy - hopefully the oil in there can be swapped too, in which case it clearly should be.

[dandywarhol]

Its a sealed unit IIRC - the "fluid" is silicon gel which deteriorates - especially with an incorrect tyre mix or only a pair of new tyres fitted at one end of the vehicle.

[bigdaddycain]

Whilst bongo hunting, i decided that 2wd was the way to go... I found the right bongo for me (i couldn't pass it up) It happened to be 4wd, so i bought it! The 2wd/4wd option was quite far down my list of "ticks".

[Rhod]

My 4WD is approaching 106000 miles, so I now await it's demise with trepidation........... Thanks Dandy Any thoughts on how the imminent demise of the VC will show up? Currently, it seems to be working well enough & has got me up snowy/icy roads this winter that no 2WDs (except with chains) would even look at. Next question - anyone got a source of replacement VC units? Are they Bongo specific or is there a generic unit which fits?

The Bongos real limitation is it's low ground clearance, so unless your friends are planning to be out on snowy roads or in muddy fields regularly, the simplicity of the 2WD has something to recommend it.

[bigdaddycain]

My 4WD is approaching 106000 miles, so I now await it's demise with trepidation........... Thanks Dandy Any thoughts on how the imminent demise of the VC will show up? Currently, it seems to be working well enough & has got me up snowy/icy roads this winter that no 2WDs (except with chains) would even look at. Next question - anyone got a source of replacement VC units? Are they Bongo specific or is there a generic unit which fits?

The Bongos real limitation is it's low ground clearance, so unless your friends are planning to be out on snowy roads or in muddy fields regularly, the simplicity of the 2WD has something to recommend it.

The "expected" lifespan of the turbo on my old ford focus diesel was 120,000 miles.... At 280,000 it was still as good as new.

[dandywarhol]

My 4WD is approaching 106000 miles, so I now await it's demise with trepidation........... Thanks Dandy Any thoughts on how the imminent demise of the VC will show up? Currently, it seems to be working well enough & has got me up snowy/icy roads this winter that no 2WDs (except with chains) would even look at. Next question - anyone got a source of replacement VC units? Are they Bongo specific or is there a generic unit which fits?

The Bongos real limitation is it's low ground clearance, so unless your friends are planning to be out on snowy roads or in muddy fields regularly, the simplicity of the 2WD has something to recommend it.

Just keep ploughing up snowy tracks Rhod - the constant slip will help the VC last longer

If there's no indication of excessive tyre wear or "blocking" on the treads or "wind up" then the VC is ok. I'd guess it an item specific to the Bongo gearbox.
I'm not saying it'll pack up at 100k but they do deteriorate from day1 - it was a deciding factor on my choice of van unless I could have been guaranteed a very low mileage 4WD..........

[Rhod]

Oh well, I suppose I can always convert it to 2WD like Harry if I have to

[Eat Aunt]

Thank you very much for all the advice folks

Good to see no horror stories lol


Ian