Boiling problems since new engine

[The Gallys]

Hi there, we have had such a year with our Bongo and it's not over yet.

In January this year the Bongo conked out. It turned out all the oil had leaked out and had collected under the engine so we hadn't noticed the leak. Result - New engine required...

We got a new engine from EuroJap in Stretford and our local garage fitted it for us in March. We got a second hand turbo from the guy who recommended Eurojap.

We used the van daily with no probs until end July. We were travelling back from Luton when the water started to boil up. It was going bonkers, really banging the expansion tank so it sounded like it might explode. The temperature gauge went right up and the warm air blowers in the van went cold. No water leaked out though and there was no steam from anywhere so we kept stopping en route and checking the water and got it home.

Local garage checked it and said the thermostat had seized. They replaced it. Van seemed ok again for a while.

At the end of August we were off to Europe for our honeymoon, on the motorway to Dover the van had another episode, it was like the clutch was dipped so there was no power but the engine was revving. There was a load of smoke from the exhaust and we pulled over. This time it was the turbo. Thankfully we hadn’t blown the engine up again but this time we got a reconditioned turbo.

The local garage fitted the turbo and we tried again. The van boiled up again shortly after, same as the first time, we had another new thermostat but that made no difference and the local garage said it was probably the head gasket. We took the van back to EuroJap and they said the water probably wasn’t bled properly by our local garage when the engine was fitted. They put in a new head gasket.

Despite this it is still boiling up, and the water now leaks out everywhere so we daren’t drive it and the RAC won’t recover it back to Stretford because it’s the same problem as before. Eurojap are going to come and collect it today but we are seriously worried that it's never going to be right again.

We have bought new caps for the radiator and expansion tank as a last resort but not really convinced that’s going to work.

Has Anyone got any suggestions, we have spent so much money on it this year we’re seriously considering getting rid to try and recoup something from it….

Thanks in advance
Emma

[dreamwarrioruk]

unfortunately its not sounding good.
probably there was a problem with the radiator and poss was blocked causing a problem to arise with the overheating. Best thing the garage can do is a pressure test and to check for gases in the water, the worst case scenario says it looks like the cylinder head has cracked which can be a bit of an issue with the bongo.

ours has overheated about 5 times in the last 5 years, 2 were my fault with not putting on the expansion cap. the other times have been just in general but since i put a new radiator in there has been no issues whatsoever.
If the bongo isnt bled correctly or if it overheats there is a good chance that the cylinder head is left without any coolant in it and this can be fatal.
you say that the water leaks out, where is this coming from?
ive got my fingers crossed for you that it isnt the cylinder head.

[Diplomat]

Somebody told me that a 'local garage' in my area 'services' Bongos.

Not something I really want to put to the test until I've seen the sort of glowing reports that a select few establishments receive on this forum.

Unfortunately none of them are local to me.

Other than the Stretford clue, you don't reveal whether you are near any of them.

Frank

[mikeonb4c]

Sounds like you may need to start over again with a Bongo specialist. If you are in Stretford, Manchester then Wheelquick i Wigan, Adrian at Japan Direct in Bury, and Ian Taylor in Stoke are three I would especially recommended speaking with.

You may have a big bill coming though I fear, if the *new* engine is damaged. Also, as said above, sounds like the cooling system isn't working efficiently, for some reason. Finally, surely it isn't possible to run an engine dry of oil (7 litres?) and not notice oil underneath the car. Were you cheking the oil level regularly, or the oil warning light? Sorry to be frank but...

Good luck. The upside is that a good Bongo is the best car many of us have ever owned. I'm up to 4yrs of the best reliability and usefulness I've ever had out of any car, including brand new ones. So if you are wanting what a Bongo does, the spend is not a complete waste of money.

[munroman]

Might I suggest that if the engine seized?, after all the oil leaked out, that you get the oil warning system checked out, as well as the dipstick level which should be regularly checked, there should be a warning light showing low oil pressure.

Otherwise, the same thing might happen again, do you know how to check the oil level with the dipstick?

[haydn callow]

Remember that the oil warning light serves 2 functions.......it can be telling you that the level is low......not a big deal as long as you top it up.....and much more serious...low oil pressure

[Triple/R]

Sorry to hear about your problem's
This is one of the reason's i & a lot of other's come on the forum regularily to keep updated with the general running of our Bongo's & can (hopefully) prevent most disasters.
I really hope you get sorted soon.

[apole]

Hi there,

Sorry too that you've had so many problems. I know how it can feel when all the things stack up. However take your time and a step back and look objectively before making any decisions. If you just sell it like it is you are unlikely to get much for the car so that should really be a last resort.

Like others have suggested, it would be very wise to get it to a trusted bongo specialist for a proper look over and opinion. Then you really know what your options are.

Don't be scared to ask the garage to give you a quick lesson on what to check and look out for too so that anything that starts in the future will be easier for you to spot and prevent the risk of causing expensive damage. Running without oil or with the car overheating normally leads to expensive bills so if you can be in a position to prevent this easily yourselves so much the better.

Good luck, don't loose heart and take your time to get a proper assesment of where you stand first.

Keep us posted.

Andy