Coolant Leak.....core plug?

[mikeonb4c]

Quote....two hoses and done a full coolant change

To do a full coolant change/flush they would need to drain the rear heater.......not doing this means you are running the risk of mixing coolants....
It's not a simple task to get 13 liters out of a bongo

I said the last point was less important, not irrelevant. The point I was trying to make was that if they have not drained the rear heater, the risk of an air bubble is significantly less IMHO. If they are not Bongo specialists and don't have the factsheet, it is quite likely their idea of a full coolant change is simply opening the main rad. drain cock.

I think the risk of mixing a small quantity of old incompatible coolant with a large quantity of new, is probably overstated, but that's just a personal view. The point is though that if they have done that then whatever cooling system clogging precipitate it may produce, has probably already been produced.

But you are the expert Haydn, and your advice is all sound. Its just that the first 3 points seemed the most important, if one was not to overdo the interrogating of these mighty mechanics (who, let us not forget, 'never do a job wrong')

No doubt I will not have had the last word here

[apssrf]

Hello everyone

Thanks for all the replies. After reading through them and chatting to a friend of mine who knows a lot about cars, we came to the conclusion that the garage had not done a full coolant change and had just topped it up (prob best if they are not going to do it properly anyway!). We drove Bongo on one short journey and all seemed okay but we didn't want to take any chances so we booked it in at Strayside in Harrogate where we have taken it before (they did the last coolant change two years ago and it was fine after that) and where the guy seems very knowledgeable about Bongos. We took it to them the next day and it was fine but we stopped about every thirty miles 'just in case' to let the engine cool down. Mike at Strayside has done a full coolant change on it and was telling me all about where the bleed pipes are last time I phoned so I am sure he knows what he is talking about. He says he is going to show us them when we pick it up as he thinks we may find it useful to know. He is also doing quite a few other things that I found on the Bongo Service sheet on this site so fingers crossed should be as good as new when we get it back.

Will let you know how we get on when we get Bongo back.