If you were to fit a coolant alarm which would you go for?

[tomheaney99]

I've got a bongo the other week. There is a fair bit of talk on the forums about fitting

1. low coolant alarm
2. temperature alarm

Noticed there is the Mason alarm and haydn coolant alarm.


What is general consesus about which to fit to a bongo? there is a big difference in price between them.

Your words of widsom would be appreciated!

Tom

[cabte]

i would defo fit the haydn coolnt alarm and may be put the mason alarm on too.
better to be safe then sorry,
haydn alarm will let ye know if you get a burst water pipe before the you loose all your water.
giving time to stop and not damaging the head.
with the mason alarm this give your temp gauge a true reading,
most bongos without run around 11oclock on the dial, with the mason installed it will give a true reading so if the temp rises so will the gauge, if the temp rises to much ( which you to set ) an alarm will sound

[bobngo]

i would go for the hayden alarm .(and have) because overheating on bongos is usually caused by lack of coolant ,leaks, split hoses etc , and therefore even a relatively small loss of coolant will be detected,and alarmed, so provided you stop driving immediatly , you have caught it before any damage is done to the engine, ie the temp has not risen.

whereas, although good ,detecting the temp ,means something is already overheated, which seems abit late to me.

you have asked a very emotive question, and i can see this thread going along way. as its probably the most discussed subject on the forum.

but peeps be nice to each other !!!!!

[mikexgough]

pm sent......

[haydn callow]

My contribution to this.....2000 plus Bongos are running around with Low Coolant Alarms fitted.......Feedback would suggest thet at on at least 100 occasions the alarms have sounded and prevented further problems.......(see the testimonial page on the web site below)
about 200 TM-2 temp alarms have also now been fitted to Bongos.

[missfixit70]

whereas, although good ,detecting the temp ,means something is already overheated, which seems abit late to me.!!

by fitting the Mason alarm you are resensetising the temperature gauge so it actually moves with temperature so you can see what is going on, & you can set the alarm to what ever level you want, mine is set at a point just before the rad fans kicking in so it lets me know it's getting a bit warmer, but still within control parameters, Doesn't mean it's already overheated at all.
I have a Mason, an LCA (with hi level alarm too) & one of Haydns prototype adjustable temperature alarms (fitted as a test/comparison rather than paranoia ) I would recommend anyone to fit an LCA & Mason alarm, or at least do the temp gauge mod.
There's a factsheet in the members area on the various alarms - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/member ... Alarms.pdf

[dobby]

I have a Mason and an LCA fitted and will shortly be fitting a TM2.

But all of these devices are great and will probably help warn of most issues however the real peace of mind is knowing that the cooling system is maintained in good order - decent hoses, proper coolant flush and bleed, genuine stat, decent radiator and a water pump that works

[David Edwards]

I have one of Haydns mk 3 alarms which suits my purpose fine, will have a look at the other one soon.
I have just tried to access the fact sheet from the sticky thread at the head of this section and it asks for authentification but will not accept the current password, is there something I dont know about ,lol.

[missfixit70]

Are you using this months password David? Don't forget it changes on the 6th every month.

[chipvan]

I have the haydon low coolant,high coolant and temp alarm...

well worth it..nice chap too

[haydn callow]

Can't disagree with that....mind you...I have just had 4 pints and I'm off to pick up the new Bongo at 6am in the morning.
Won't be driving unfortunately.

[You've Been Bongod]

i have a v6 and have a mason alarm and will get a coolant alarm @ bongo bash

even though the v6 is not as prone to water probs as a diesel

on 2 of my previous bongo's i had coolant alarms and they saved me the £1500 bill it would have cost for a new head and all it cost was £70 for a new top hose and coolant and fit and bled

the top hose are known to be the one that goes the most and i can vouch for that

[The_Gordons]

I fitted both a Mason Alarm and a LCA. My impressions are that both are well made pieces of kit and were simple to install using the supplied instructions and the facts sheets from the members area.

Paul

[DE-OGZ]

Ive fitted an LCA and just done the temp guage mod, both are fairly easy diy jobs however I do need to find a new switched live feed for the LCA as its wired via the leisure battery at the mo

Guess the reason that I chose to do those two was mainly cost as the temp gauge mod is only a few pence for the resistor.

What ever you decide there will always be lodsa help on here

[mister munkey]

Had a LCA for nearly three years. Without it I would've boiled twice, once on a split hose & again on a blown head gasket.

As far as I'm concerned its an emperical piece of kit that should be fitted to all motors, not just Bongos.

I also have the Mason too. Its useful as an early warning that something may not be quite right.

Even if funds don't allow straight away, its a wise investment to have them both at some time in the near future.

Peace of mind is priceless.