The correct way to drive an automatic Bongo

[bigwave2u]

Being a newbe I have just purchaced 2004 2ltr (petrol) automatic Bongo. Never having had an automatic before can anybody please tell me the correct way to drive down steep hills ? If you leave it in drive it just runs away down the hill and needs lots of brakes.Not a good idea in my book.
Thanks

[dave_aber]

Just change down the gears before the speed runs away, as you would in a manual.

The hold button will effectively drop down a further gear.

Unlike a manual, you can't change down at too high a speed - the box will not change if you do something that would cause it any harm.

[bigwave2u]

Thank.s Dave. I had the Bongo from Phil at JAL and he told me not to use hold !!! cos if it sticks its engine out ????
I gess when you say change down you meen use S and L ?

[mister munkey]

I had the Bongo from Phil at JAL and he told me not to use hold !!! cos if it sticks its engine out ????

I know Phil can be a bit quirky but thats a new one on me . . . .

Are you sure he wasn't talking about the Engine Warmer switch on the twin batteried Winter Pack?

[dave_aber]

Yup, drive in D 99% of the time. On normal hills descents, leave in D. On steep hills, where the speed could run away, slow down before you go over the top, and drop to S. If you need to hold speed on a really steep hill, or hold a really low speed, use L.

The hold button keeps the transmission in a lower gear than normal. Only used very rarely. Phil is right in that you shouldn't use it on everyday motoring. Not sure if the hold function is prone to sticking (Alacrity may be able to advise?) but I doubt it's a pleasant job to fix if it does. Be especially careful reaching into the big cubby hole in front of the gearstick whilst moving at speed. It's really easy to knock the hold button with the left hand side of your arm - much revving and slowing down is the result.

[M 80NGO]

Yep D for normal driving, 2 for decents and 1 for steep decents, tho the old saying that a new set of brakes is a lot cheaper than a replacement gearbox

[dblake]

On a kind of similar topic - any advice when tackling a steep hill? Leaving it in D causes it to keep changing down and i've seen my temp needle head to the right quite worryingly!

[dave_aber]

Try to keep it in a higher gear and use the torque. I crossed the alps twice last month - mason-modified gauge went higher than I liked the look of a few times, so I backed off, and let the box change up. Of course, this means you go up hill slower - but not by much. A couple of times, I just pulled over and let it cool down a wee bit with the engine running. Not wise to pull over and stop the engine - no coolant circulation, no cooling, overheat. As soon as you get to a shallower gradient, and get the box to change up the temp drops off quite quickly.

[haydn callow]

If your temp gauge is moving to the right and it is a unmodified gauge and no Mason alarm fitted you have a problem IMHO.....It means you are very close to meltdown....Get your cooling system checked out

On a kind of similar topic - any advice when tackling a steep hill? Leaving it in D causes it to keep changing down and i've seen my temp needle head to the right quite worryingly!

[dunslair]

I regularly use the hold button to allow the engine to assist in braking in conjunction with the brakes. I don't understand why this should be a problem with the autobox on the bongo Could somebody give a bit of explanation as to why this would be a problem or detrimental to the box. It feels far more 'controlled' than only using the brakes in certain circumstances.....

[mister munkey]

I'm absolutely with you on this one.

I use my gearbox in the way it was designed to be used. The more you flex it, the more reliable it becomes.

I tend to keep mine in S in 30 limits too, it makes it easier to not creep too much over the limit.

Dive in, that button is there for a purpose, gearbox problems on the Bongo are extremely rare. Its one of the most over engineered parts of the design.

[springer]

As a fairly new bongonaught, I am starting to find this forum is full of experts all with different opinions

Having never used the hold button, I was expressely told it was supposed to be used for engine braking, its was what it was desinged for.

Now it seems there are as many poeple on here who say don't ever use it, as there are who say it must be used.

[springer]

my spelling went cold turkey

[dunslair]

I'm absolutely with you on this one.

I use my gearbox in the way it was designed to be used. The more you flex it, the more reliable it becomes.

I tend to keep mine in S in 30 limits too, it makes it easier to not creep too much over the limit.

Dive in, that button is there for a purpose, gearbox problems on the Bongo are extremely rare. Its one of the most over engineered parts of the design.

My son is for ever asking me to 'put the bongo in sports gear dad'..... i think he assumes it will somehow turn it into a Bugatti Veyron can't see Mazda fitting a self destruct button to the gearbox can anybody confirm I am wrong?????

[2sticks]

My son is for ever asking me to 'put the bongo in sports gear dad'..... i think he assumes it will somehow turn it into a Bugatti Veyron can't see Mazda fitting a self destruct button to the gearbox can anybody confirm I am wrong?????

You are right, the hold button is there to be used.