Incessant beeping on a test drive

[Bob]

I think I'd walk away from this one, plenty more out there.

[Driver+Passengers]

Cheers, Bob and rapid.

The van is now mine (for better or worse).

Perhaps I'm just in denial, but coolant level is not low. If anything it's too high. I can see no sensors on the tank, and unless I'm both missing the sensor and a coolant alarm is installed with the buzzer located near the blue buzzer box in the driver's footwell (the quiet beeps eminate from here), I'm not panicking just yet (despite your comments).

Is there still a chance that this could be benign? I've searched for info on the buzzer box but found none. Wiring manual should be in the post.

I'm hoping I can find the pinout for the connector (that some people unplug to shut it up), remove the blue box and find a short, a bust piezo, or a volume pot, or something.

There are two triangular green lights under the dash, one either side. I noticed these were off when I drove the van away, and on after I shut the door last night until I locked her up. I've been assuming that they indicate when the AFT is open (or the sensor switches are faulty, as is my working assumption for the fact it is beeping when driving, ignoring the volume issue). There is no roof warning light on the dash as indicated on page 104 of the JPNZ handbook.

As you can probably tell, I'm desperate not to concede. I'm not ignoring your suggestions that I might have a coolant problem, but it's already mine and there are still things still to try.

I'll keep this thread updated with developments related to this buzzer issue.

Thanks for reading. Words of wisdom, encouragement and caution welcome!

[dunslair]

Don't think anybody has said this yet.......... Congratulations on the new van! it sounds like you will be getting to know it better than most by getting to the route of the beeping, which for my money is no bad thing, at least when you solve the problem (and you will) you will understand the workings of the bongo much better, and may have avoided other problems in the future. If you run out of ideas these guys (GBL Autos in Duff Street Lane EH11 2HS) know their bongos, and may be worth getting in touch with. They have been reccomended by somebody with a much much better technical background and bongo knowledge than me

Welcome. Keep us posted, and best of luck, maybe bump into you at a meet some time.

All the best

David.

[Driver+Passengers]

Cheers, Dave. I'm chuffed as! I've never bought a 2nd hand vehicle before, and never had issues with our other car. I've also never worked on a car before, but consider myself techie enough to give it a go.

I've removed the buzzer box (S25E (67 720) Timer & Buzzer DC 12V Imasen.

After removing the PCB (slides out with aid of pliers, avoiding the connector and any other components) it is clear that the buzzer itself has sustained some physical damage... perhaps a previous owners solution to the buzzing was not to disconnect the box, but to attack the buzzer with pliers!

I don't seem to be able to inline an image here and have no web hosting to link to, but it looks like the top of the buzzer's plastic housing has been cracked off, exposing the membrane (I'd expect a buzzer like this to be a stumpy black cylinder with only a small hole in the top. It looks like a straightforward two pin solder job but and as I don't imagine I'll find any specific information on the components within the buzzer box, I will probe the original buzzer in-place to measure the voltage across it when it "beeps", measure the pin pitch and source another buzzer to substitute (12V, I imagine).

(Candidate part (?) from eBay - link valid on 22/03/2011 - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0466294228)

[celtictigress]

I've just encountered the very same problem!! My partner called to say that there's very loud beeps coming from our Bongo, we don't have a coolant alarm, we don't have an AFT so the only other possibility is the key beep thing? Which was already disabled.

I'll have a look later to see whats what

[Driver+Passengers]

I've just encountered the very same problem!! My partner called to say that there's very loud beeps coming from our Bongo, we don't have a coolant alarm, we don't have an AFT so the only other possibility is the key beep thing? Which was already disabled.

I'll have a look later to see whats what

Good luck, let us know how you get on. I'm afraid as I've only had the Bongo for 18 hours, I can't be of much help to you at the moment.

[celtictigress]

I've just encountered the very same problem!! My partner called to say that there's very loud beeps coming from our Bongo, we don't have a coolant alarm, we don't have an AFT so the only other possibility is the key beep thing? Which was already disabled.

I'll have a look later to see whats what

Good luck, let us know how you get on. I'm afraid as I've only had the Bongo for 18 hours, I can't be of much help to you at the moment.

Will do, I've had mine for just under 12 months, I've just had the radiator replaced so...The beeping is a worry but I really cant see what else it could be other than the ignition beep thing

[haydn callow]

I have a supply of 12 volt buzzers if you want one....hovever I expect this will only give you a louder problem.....first find out what is causing the buzzer to be buzzing.

[skater]

Hi,

You seem to know electronics better than me, I've no clue
but here's bit of a list of things that cause beeping/electronic noises ( of various tones, speeds, etc ) on mine.

Doors open warning
lights on
reverse sensors
roof opening/closing
driving with roof up
reverse gear selected
Mason alarm ( temp gauge mod )

You should hear it when I reverse too close to a wall with the roof up and door open
( has been done on the driveway ).

Other Bongos can have extras for other accessories.
You're getting to know yours, who knows what you might find.

Good luck, hope it's nothing serious.

James

[Driver+Passengers]

I've just encountered the very same problem!! My partner called to say that there's very loud beeps coming from our Bongo, we don't have a coolant alarm, we don't have an AFT so the only other possibility is the key beep thing? Which was already disabled.

I'll have a look later to see whats what

Good luck, let us know how you get on. I'm afraid as I've only had the Bongo for 18 hours, I can't be of much help to you at the moment.

Will do, I've had mine for just under 12 months, I've just had the radiator replaced so...The beeping is a worry but I really cant see what else it could be other than the ignition beep thing

Looking at the wiring manual, it could also be the reverse gear sensor, or headlights? I'm not an auto-elec, but this might give you more things to try?

[Driver+Passengers]

I have a supply of 12 volt buzzers if you want one....hovever I expect this will only give you a louder problem.....first find out what is causing the buzzer to be buzzing.

Hi, Hadyn.

Aha... do you happen to know already if the ones you have are compatible with the buzzer box PCB, both physically and electrically? They seem cheap enough on eBay - PM me.

I'm keen to get the buzzer itself fixed first so that I can actually hear it, which will aid diagnosis somewhat! I can always unplug the box if I'm driving, until I determine the cause.

[Driver+Passengers]

I have measured up the old buzzer. It has a 6.5mm pitch, and I'm reading 6.85V AC @2.51kHZ across the pins (using a meter rather than a scope) with the key out, headlights on and door open. There is an IC next to it (C3247 55J) which appears to be an NPN transistor used to drive the buzzer. The only marking on the buzzer casing still visible is "95'G".

I have a few of the uncased ceramic piezo transducers from Maplin (the inch diameter shiny discs with two flyleads) and I considered isolating one and substituting for the knackered original, but they are only rated 3V max.

However, Haydn has very kindly offered to supply a replacement buzzer - lead pitch 7.5mm but this does not concern me as there should be enough clearance at the bottom of the casing to persuade them into the holes and still seat it down properly. The eBay ones I linked have internal oscillators, but I don't think this is required for this board (given the supply to the buzzer is already being modulated). I suspect even a buzzer with internal oscillator would work. Not sure about Haydn's ones, but shouldn't be a blocker, unless I'm mistaken.

Soon, I hope to have a *loud* incessant buzzer.

As always, I'll post progress here. I may be going a little heavy on detail in this thread as I doubt anyone else will come across a similarly and deliberately mangled buzzer, but you never know...!

[Bob]

Welcome to Bongo ownership, hopefuly it will be an easy fix and years of happy Bongoing lie ahead.

As the guys have said, you will know yours better than most of us.

[celtictigress]

Hmmm, my partner has just informed me that the bleeps are happening when the vehicle is switched off with keys out of the ignition...just a constant very loud bleep

Can I just disconnect?

[Driver+Passengers]

Hmmm, my partner has just informed me that the bleeps are happening when the vehicle is switched off with keys out of the ignition...just a constant very loud bleep

Can I just disconnect?

By constant, do you mean continuous? A continuous beep usually indicates that the lights are still on. If this is what you meant and the lights are off (it is daytime!) then perhaps there's an issue with that input. If by constant you meant never ending pips, then perhaps it's something else, and this might tie up with what you said about the key-detect being faulty (though disabled, I think you said).

All that said, given that I've never seen/used a working beeper, I'm perhaps not the best person to help! I hope someone else can sort it for you - any Bongo specialists nearby?

I understand some people do just disconnect the beeper box, see:
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=42295
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=35660
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avbhnk8k8lI

The first shows how to only disable the beeps for keys and doors.