Lost all our coolant

Technical questions and answers about the Mazda Bongo

Moderators: Doone, westonwarrior

User avatar
haydn callow
Supreme Being
Posts: 5777
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:50 pm
Location: Somerset
Contact:

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by haydn callow » Tue Jun 01, 2010 12:18 pm

Kirsty....time you got out more !!!
http://www.coolantalarm.co.uk
Developer of the Mazda Bongo Coolant loss Alarm
Also BMW Clocks
User avatar
missfixit70
Supreme Being
Posts: 12431
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
Location: weymouth

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by missfixit70 » Tue Jun 01, 2010 12:21 pm

:wink: Just copied it from an older post, besides it's raining :P
You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
User avatar
missfixit70
Supreme Being
Posts: 12431
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
Location: weymouth

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by missfixit70 » Tue Jun 01, 2010 1:36 pm

Northern Bongolow wrote:from my experience if your hoses start to go,this indicates that the stat is not doing its job properly,sorry but just something else to look at.
Very valid point, worth fitting a new genuine mazda stat (pan test it first against the old one just to see if there's much difference) then at least you know it's doing what it should.
You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
bongomadness

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by bongomadness » Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:50 am

Wow thanks Kirsty going to all that trouble. Have actually found it to be the long metal pipe that is leaking so have ordered one from ebay which wont be here until 17th june. #-o Thats a long time to be off the road especially when we have all this glorius weather!!! You mention the stat which i will probably want to check that out if it is faulty.
Thanks for your help guys will report back when the job gets done. I am sure afgter this there will be something else to sort out as there always is. :D
User avatar
missfixit70
Supreme Being
Posts: 12431
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
Location: weymouth

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by missfixit70 » Fri Jun 04, 2010 12:20 pm

I'd just replace it TBH for @£20 for a genuine mazda, not worth messing about.
You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
bongomadness

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by bongomadness » Fri Jun 04, 2010 4:40 pm

Your expert advise is taken as always. Just going to order one now.
Thanks again :D
bongomadness

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by bongomadness » Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:54 pm

Trying to find the fact sheet to show ya how to bleed the cooling system......cant find it. Anyone able to give me the link please ..would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Jayne
User avatar
missfixit70
Supreme Being
Posts: 12431
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
Location: weymouth

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by missfixit70 » Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:59 pm

You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
User avatar
mikeonb4c
Supreme Being
Posts: 22877
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:49 pm
Location: Living with Mango Bongo in the North West but with a tendency to roam
Contact:

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by mikeonb4c » Sat Jun 05, 2010 2:45 pm

...but unless its been revised, its wrong (at least when compared to the workshop manual, though can't remember what the inaccuracy was :roll: ). Haydn describes his (Allans) method somewhere amongst these threads, and I've given the workshop manual method somewhere in here too, so all is not lost if you search. 8)
User avatar
missfixit70
Supreme Being
Posts: 12431
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
Location: weymouth

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by missfixit70 » Sat Jun 05, 2010 10:24 pm

There are 3 methods described in the factsheet, incuding the funnel/seesaw which is right, if you know there is an error & what it is, email Ian at ian@bongofury,co.uk with the correction.
You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
User avatar
mikeonb4c
Supreme Being
Posts: 22877
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:49 pm
Location: Living with Mango Bongo in the North West but with a tendency to roam
Contact:

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by mikeonb4c » Sun Jun 06, 2010 12:10 pm

missfixit70 wrote:There are 3 methods described in the factsheet, incuding the funnel/seesaw which is right, if you know there is an error & what it is, email Ian at ian@bongofury,co.uk with the correction.
Best PM Ronhud as it was he who brought it round. I don't recall if there were three methods as the discrepency with the workshop manual - which I use - showed up before we got that far. I recommended to Ron we just used the manual, as it raised the possibility the factsheet had not been sufficiently checked for accuracy.

I've used and/or had occasion to be concerned about a few of our factsheets. It is great we have them, but I wish sometimes that their authors (or an independent editor/scrutineer) would take a step back and re-examine the content, clarity etc. That way they would be more worthy of the title 'factsheet' instead of the 'howidunnit' sheet they sometimes appear to be.

For example, I used the fuel sender gauge repair one yesterday. It seemed to to be a cut and paste of two or three different peoples ways of doing things, though the reader could get the impression it was discussing two different problems. It also suggested the resistance of the sender should be between 0-100 ohms, though I couldn't get mine to read less that 120 ohms (tank about half full) although it seems to be working fine. I've no idea why that happened (I had good electrical connections so have discounted that) but it raises the question of where the definitive figures came from (remember the tyre factsheet and its incorrect tyre rating recommendations). The sender gauge factsheet seems to advise you also to cut off the connector as part of the mod./repair but then explains how you can buy a replacement unit for £150 (which will come with a connector block on it presumably.... :roll: ). It also advises to just give the carpet a good pull to get it to come up ("a sharp tug should do it says the Bongo Nurse)!"). I didn't find this necessary and would be concerned that someone might make a mess of, or tear the carpet if they just gave it a sharp tug.

This might sound like whinging from an ungrateful old git who isn't the one taking the trouble to write factsheets. It isn't meant to be, and I think it is fantastic we have these great factsheets and that people have taken the trouble to write them. But they should nonetheless always be subject to scrutiny and revision, so that they earn the name 'factsheet' and are as free as possible of any risk of misdirecting the user.

As a footnote, I didn't look at it closely but I was very impressed with Northern Bongolows write up on repairing a broken exhaust stud manual. That should make a good factsheet.

If only we had someone with sufficient time on their hands to act as factsheet editor, these factsheets could really be knocked into shape so they go from good to great. :roll:

I'll copy and paste the above to Ian as you suggest. 8)
francophile1947
Supreme Being
Posts: 11354
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:15 pm
Location: Norwich

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by francophile1947 » Sun Jun 06, 2010 12:36 pm

There's also the new method posted here http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=41137
John
(Evidence that intelligent life exists in the universe, is that it hasn't tried to contact us)
User avatar
missfixit70
Supreme Being
Posts: 12431
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
Location: weymouth

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by missfixit70 » Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:37 pm

francophile1947 wrote:There's also the new method posted here http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=41137
Tried that one, didn't work for me, still loads of air in & had to do the funnel method. Can't be done safely warm/hot either.
You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
User avatar
mikeonb4c
Supreme Being
Posts: 22877
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:49 pm
Location: Living with Mango Bongo in the North West but with a tendency to roam
Contact:

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by mikeonb4c » Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:23 pm

francophile1947 wrote:There's also the new method posted here http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=41137
I'm working on a new method too. It involves hauling the Bongo into the vertical position using a crane. I reckon I should then be able to bleed it using the drain tap in the radiator. No? I'll fetch me coat. :lol:
User avatar
haydn callow
Supreme Being
Posts: 5777
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:50 pm
Location: Somerset
Contact:

Re: Lost all our coolant

Post by haydn callow » Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:34 pm

If only we had someone with sufficient time on their hands to act as factsheet editor, these factsheets could really be knocked into shape so they go from good to great.

Reckon I know someone with loads of time on their hands [-X [-X
http://www.coolantalarm.co.uk
Developer of the Mazda Bongo Coolant loss Alarm
Also BMW Clocks
Post Reply

Return to “Techie Stuff”