Bongo struggles to start, something broken near glowplugs!

[Mike_Ackee]

Our Bongo has been very difficult to start for the last month or two. I finally decided to have a look under the drivers seat with a view to checking the glowplugs first. When I looked I found a tube that has snapped off of its mounting. It looks like the broken part should be easy enough to replace, the only trouble is that I don't know what it is or what it does. Could anyone tell me what the broken part is? ... and if possible ideas for where to get a replacement.

I'm guessing that I'll need both a new tube and a new thingy!

Many thanks, Mike. (Bit of a novice mechanic!)

[missfixit70]

If it's the front one it looks like either the cold start fast idle solenoid or the fast idle solenoid for when the fans come on (revs should rise slightly when ac switched on or if rad fans come on), common issue, the plastic gets brittle with heat and age. The rear 2 are for the EGR.
Click on the + sign on the component list here to get the drawing & part no -
http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... f02.html#8

If you're having problems starting, it could be the glow plugs, try waiting for the glow plug light to go out when you turn the key, then turn it off & back on again to give the glow plugs another blast, check you're getting voltage to the glowplug rail when the light is lit too, could be an iffy glow plug relay or the fusible link just after the battery terminal may be at fault.

[Simon Jones]

Looks like one of the vacuum valves that control the fast idle, EGR etc. There's one in the For Sale section at the mo, although I'm stripping an engine, so can let you have one a bit cheaper. You should be able to get the broken bit out by carefully screwing a self-tapper into the end of the hole & then gently warming the pipe with a hair dryer to soften the rubber.

[haydn callow]

Kirsty said...

try waiting for the glow plug light to go out when you turn the key, then turn it off & back on again to give the glow plugs


No need to turn the key off and on again.
Just wait another 5 sec after the light goes out before starting.....the glow plugs stay on after the light goes out. and in fact stay on for ages .. the main reason the plugs fail so quickly.

[missfixit70]

Mine don't, if I leave it more than a few seconds after the light goes out before turning it over, it struggles, yet if I turn it over straight after the light goes out, it's ok. I thought there was a timer relay to switch it off? It'll switch on & off again dependant on temperature but I don't think it should stay on?

[haydn callow]

I've done the "switch" mod which has a bulb in the switch.....mine stays on for 15 secs ...then cycles on /off for ages

[Northern Bongolow]

both mine were found to be broken,and were temp repaired as follows.
remove valves carefully, take a small roll pin and insert into valve outlet,take another roll pin of a larger size a slide over 1st roll pin, if done correctly you should finish up with the correct size to accept the pipe,fit pipe,and cover in a light coating of epoxy glue.
should last until replacement arrives.

[gmaczbongo]

When they were broken, was your van difficult to start.
After the fix, did it start properly.

[Northern Bongolow]

not diff to start at all really,bought new bongo,had it for three weeks,did notice that on start up the throttle was not being preset.so the cold start rev pickup was not working correctly and going off after approx 2 mins. unsure what the affects are on the egr but it is linked via the vacuum .

starts better now .

[missfixit70]

not diff to start at all really,bought new bongo,had it for three weeks,did notice that on start up the throttle was not being preset.so the cold start rev pickup was not working correctly and going off after approx 2 mins. unsure what the affects are on the egr but it is linked via the vacuum .

starts better now .

Fast idle solenoid has no effect on the egr, they just share the vacuum supply, so if it's broken & leaking I guess it's preventing the egr working properly if it's capable after 15 years anyway

I suspect the answer to the original query is the glow plugs, as NB has said, his started fine with the fast idle solenoid broken.

[mikeonb4c]

Mine don't, if I leave it more than a few seconds after the light goes out before turning it over, it struggles, yet if I turn it over straight after the light goes out, it's ok. I thought there was a timer relay to switch it off? It'll switch on & off again dependant on temperature but I don't think it should stay on?

Just guesswork, but it is just possible that battery voltage drops a tad under prolonged load so that the act of turning the key off and on again might just mean that the (now) warm plugs (which from distant memory will have higher electrical resistance too I think now they are hotter, so will require less current to heat them) get their best chance of glowing nice and bright and thus improving starting.