Can anyone help as we are searching for a heater matrix for the front of our bongo.We had had a diassaster with our new bongo when the head went after not long buying her.We have have spent a small fortune having a new head fitted and all the rest being done.The only thing we are struggling wirh is don t really want to buy brand new as toooo expensive but need to replace matrix as water went through it when head went.
Any advice much appreciatted
desperate need of heater matrix
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stevieboard3
Re: desperate need of heater matrix
Try giving bongobits a call, they should have a 'pre loved' one for far less money 
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mister munkey
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Re: desperate need of heater matrix
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/MisterMunkey
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stevieboard3
Re: desperate need of heater matrix
Tried Bongo bits.They were very helpful but said would keep an eye out for one as didn't have one there.
Re: desperate need of heater matrix
stevieboard3 wrote:Can anyone help as we are searching for a heater matrix for the front of our bongo.We had had a diassaster with our new bongo when the head went after not long buying her.We have have spent a small fortune having a new head fitted and all the rest being done.The only thing we are struggling wirh is don t really want to buy brand new as toooo expensive but need to replace matrix as water went through it when head went.
Any advice much appreciatted
Hi Steve,
Could you explain this bit....... need to replace matrix as water went through it when head went.
Cheers.
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stevieboard3
Re: desperate need of heater matrix
When the head went on our bongo there was a massive build up of pressure and burst a pipe of some degree(not sure exact) and the water went all over the heater matrix in the front and fried it! The van filled with smoke and lost all it's water. First did gaskets and still wasn't right so bought brand new head and runs like a dream now.just no heat and it's getting chilly.
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mister munkey
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Re: desperate need of heater matrix
That don't sound right. 
A word from the wise here . . . . . (On my 3rd head now plus a gasket failure in between due to ignorance
)
Who did the head replacement work?
Do they understand the Bongo bleed?
It sounds to me more like there's still air in the system, cold heaters is a common sign of an airlock somewhere.
IF thats the case, try not to drive it until you get a second opinion, it's a bit like having a blood clot in the leg.
Your body may well function but at some point that clot will move.
In the case of the Human, it eventually lodges in the brain or heart - In a Bongo it ends up in the head.
Both scenarios are generally terminal.
You really don't want to be going through all this again.
A word from the wise here . . . . . (On my 3rd head now plus a gasket failure in between due to ignorance
)Who did the head replacement work?
Do they understand the Bongo bleed?
It sounds to me more like there's still air in the system, cold heaters is a common sign of an airlock somewhere.
IF thats the case, try not to drive it until you get a second opinion, it's a bit like having a blood clot in the leg.
Your body may well function but at some point that clot will move.
In the case of the Human, it eventually lodges in the brain or heart - In a Bongo it ends up in the head.
Both scenarios are generally terminal.
You really don't want to be going through all this again.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/MisterMunkey
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Northern Bongolow
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Re: desperate need of heater matrix
to the point as usuall chris .or could be sludged/blocked.
Re: desperate need of heater matrix
Not just "to the point" - it's a superb analogy Chris, which should make the need for Bongo health checks, monitoring aids, and preventive medicine, clear to even the least mechanically minded of us. Needs adding to relevant fact sheet(s), and quoting every time anybody comes up with a related problem
2001-V6-LPG-AFT-black on silver-Imperial Purbeck camper
(Ron miel=honey rum from the Canaries)
(Ron miel=honey rum from the Canaries)
Re: desperate need of heater matrix
Hi stevieboard3,
You could also make sure that the heater control flap is working properly and the control rod has not disconnected.Is you rear heater working OK IE going hot??
You could also make sure that the heater control flap is working properly and the control rod has not disconnected.Is you rear heater working OK IE going hot??
Re: desperate need of heater matrix
BTW, Chris, our mutual friend's weird "short cut" (non-bleed-hose) bleed method definitely doesn't work properly. Until my annual service/coolant change there, my coolant level had not droppped by as much as a ml in the previous 18 months. It's now still slowly self-bleeding. Have just added another 180 ml of coolant concentrate to top up the header tank, making over 400 ml total top up now since collection after the coolant change in August - plus the estimated amount below, added on collecting*. I've got UV tracer dye in the system, and that is not showing any sign of leaks or seeps anywhere, to otherwise explain it - carefully checked by UV torch, after dark. Not a huge amount, I know, but I wonder where the still-bleeding air has been/still is? Heater has been working well enough to keep up with the climate control settings, so far - hope it continues to do so, through the winter! Self-bleed has not been fast enough to trigger my low coolant alarm before I picked it up visually each time, so I'll just continue monitoring for the moment - the rate has slowed down. Fortunately also, V6's don't seem to be as prone to hot-spot head failures as the diesels are, otherwise I might already have had some of your problems.mister munkey wrote:That don't sound right.
A word from the wise here . . . . . (On my 3rd head now plus a gasket failure in between due to ignorance
Who did the head replacement work?
Do they understand the Bongo bleed?....
>
>
*(Plus an unmeasured amount I added outside his yard, before driving away on collecting the vehicle from servicing. From memory, it was down close to the bottom LCA sensor terminal/screw at the time, and I just put it down to "normal" continuing self-bleed during his post-service road test after, as far as I knew at the time, a properly conducted bleed-hose job - wrong! It was probably about another 2-300 ml, to add to the 400 ml above. Peeps, be warned!
Either do your own coolant changes/coolant system maintenance, or make absolutely sure your garage is going to comply with the handbook and fact sheet approved bleed hose method, before handing over your Bongo).2001-V6-LPG-AFT-black on silver-Imperial Purbeck camper
(Ron miel=honey rum from the Canaries)
(Ron miel=honey rum from the Canaries)
Re: desperate need of heater matrix
Hi,
Rita - thats a very good point! Happened to me, the connecting rods commonly break so the position on the dash controls doesnt match whats actually happening with the all the flaps etc. I think this is most often the case if you have the digital controls like mine?
I've also replaced my front heater matrix - it failed and was leaking all over the interior. If you have a soggy carpet right underneath the center console that could be the problem - but to fail like this it would still need water going through it - so even if its failed, it should still get warm. A sure fire method to check that hot water is getting to the matrix is to open up the bonnet and locate the 2 hoses going to the matrix on the bulkhead on the passenger side, a little lower and behind the abs pump -if they get warm then it suggests the coolant flow is ok at least. When the engine is upto temperature, does the lower coolant hose on the radiator (passenger side) get hot?
Like the others suggest if you're not getting heat from the radiator & the flap is ok it could well be an air lock due to the system not being bled properly - no heat in the heater hoses and in the lower radiator hose after the engine has been running for a while would suggest this.. unless a failed thermostat. I would get this checked asap - the bleeding instructions on the fact sheet are very good if you follow them step for step - the most important bit is to make sure the engine is running for long enough for that lower radiator hose to get hot! I've done mine 3 times now, but its not until the coolant system has been bled properly that the heaters work!
If you want any photos of the heater control flaps I can send them to you by PM - my Bongos handy and I have a camera phone! - there's also a useful post on here somewhere that also has pictures!
cheers,
Steve
Rita - thats a very good point! Happened to me, the connecting rods commonly break so the position on the dash controls doesnt match whats actually happening with the all the flaps etc. I think this is most often the case if you have the digital controls like mine?
I've also replaced my front heater matrix - it failed and was leaking all over the interior. If you have a soggy carpet right underneath the center console that could be the problem - but to fail like this it would still need water going through it - so even if its failed, it should still get warm. A sure fire method to check that hot water is getting to the matrix is to open up the bonnet and locate the 2 hoses going to the matrix on the bulkhead on the passenger side, a little lower and behind the abs pump -if they get warm then it suggests the coolant flow is ok at least. When the engine is upto temperature, does the lower coolant hose on the radiator (passenger side) get hot?
Like the others suggest if you're not getting heat from the radiator & the flap is ok it could well be an air lock due to the system not being bled properly - no heat in the heater hoses and in the lower radiator hose after the engine has been running for a while would suggest this.. unless a failed thermostat. I would get this checked asap - the bleeding instructions on the fact sheet are very good if you follow them step for step - the most important bit is to make sure the engine is running for long enough for that lower radiator hose to get hot! I've done mine 3 times now, but its not until the coolant system has been bled properly that the heaters work!
If you want any photos of the heater control flaps I can send them to you by PM - my Bongos handy and I have a camera phone! - there's also a useful post on here somewhere that also has pictures!
cheers,
Steve