Bongo a bit sluggish on hills...

[kairos7]

Hi. I've just bought a beautiful Bongo, which we had fully checked out by a mechanic before purchase and came out with an A star. However, I do have a concern about the way it pulls away, it seems slightly slow on the uptake, and also a bit sluggish on hills. The previous owner says it's always been like that in the 2 years since he's had it, and he thought it was just the way it was, and had never been overly concerned about it. My sense is that it should have more kick for a 2.5 litre engine.

It's a 4WD automatic diesel. I have never driven a 4WD vehicle before, nor an automatic for that matter!

Could it be the turbo not kicking in, I wonder? In which case, what might the problem be?

Any help much appreciated.

We're about to go to France in it on Tuesday, and have arranged for Bell Hill Garage to take a look before we go, but wonder if anyone has had the same issue, or if it's just the way Bongos are?

many thanks
John

[Doone]

Mines not sluggish or slow on the uptake... not for a 2.5 diesel Bongo anyway. I guess it depends what you're comparing it to.

[francophile1947]

Welcome to the madhouse
The 2.5TD Bongo is most certainly not normally sluggish up hills and if the turbo wasn't working, you'd be lucky to get up hills. Have a look at this thread http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... um#p194249

[springer]

Mine too

Very slow, very sluggish, and over Dunmail Raise in the Lakes is spewed out so much black smoke I thought I was the sole reason for global warming.

Booked her in to see what is going on, never been great since I got her last month.

[francophile1947]

Mine too

Very slow, very sluggish, and over Dunmail Raise in the Lakes is spewed out so much black smoke I thought I was the sole reason for global warming.

Booked her in to see what is going on, never been great since I got her last month.

Perhaps you'd better look at the above thread as well

There's a picture of the pipe in this thread http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... mp#p314421

[missfixit70]

The pipe mentioned in the above thread goes from point 1320 on the front elbow of the air intake manifold under the drivers seat as shown here - http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... mgno=.html - to the fuel pump.

[kairos7]

Thanks everyone. Really helpful. Question for missfixit70 - I have an AVA Leisure mid conversion which goes right up to the drivers seat.

Daft question, maybe, but how do I get to the engine on the driver's side? I can't push the seat back because of the units!

Cheers
John

[missfixit70]

You can either unbolt the seat - http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... mgno=.html
Or tilt the seat back forward once the centre console is out & the seat clips are undone, lift it up, then slide the seat fully forward on its rails once past the steering wheel & either rest it on the steering wheel, prop it, or use a bunjee cord or sumat to hold it up, should be able to get it up high enough to get your head in.

[mister munkey]

Another seven minutes of my life wasted doing a search, finding a relevant thread & typing up a nice little post about either unbolting the seat or whatever . . . . Preview it, looks good, hit Submit & Miss Sharpshooter Fixit has done it again.

I reckon I'm owed about an hour of wasted time this month from that particular encyclopaedic poster.

[missfixit70]

Sorry But he did specifically ask me that one

[kairos7]

thank you both for saving my time, anyway

[pistonbroke]

Sounds like the fuel filter to me. Easy fix. It's under the driver's seat. Black thing down and slightly to the left - looks like an oil filter. If it is that, best fix it asap before it stops altogether.

[missfixit70]

If it's been like it for 2 years, I'd suspect a different issue than the filter, but always worth replacing if you're not sure whwen it was last done, check the banjo/strainer while you're at it, factsheets for both jobs in the members area.

[Northern Bongolow]

check the air pipework that comes off the air filter,to turbo,to the aftercooler,back around to the air inlet manifold,any leaks in this will drop performance.

[kairos7]

OK, it's with Bell Hill Garage now, they had a quick look and immediately discounted some of the things that have been suggested. They are going to investigate it tomorrow. There's some black smoke coming from the exhaust, most evident when full throttle applied from start up. He said it was almost certainly the EGS (have I got that right?). A three letter abbreviation with exhaust as the first word, anyway. Hoping it's nothing too serious...