Bongo won't start - help going away for Xmas!!

[apssrf]

Hi everyone

Bongo was in for a service at a good reputable Bongo garage a few weeks ago and I asked for a full service and printed off the Bongo Sheet. On the receipt it says "4 heater plugs" (assuming this means glow plugs?). Since the icy, snowy weather descended on us we have only used Bongo once or twice. When we used Bongo last weekend, we only drove short journey, parked up, did a bit of shopping and then when we set off again, we noticed a burning smell on start-up but at that point we weren't sure if it was us or another car that had just driven past so we set off and it went. We parked up again and set off home with no more smells or incidents. However, a few days later when we went to use Bongo again it won't start (battery turning over but won't catch). Assumed flat battery so friend came round with big meaty pair of jump leads. stuck them on our battery and battery turning over and sounds fine but still won't catch.

Now having read on the threads on here I am thinking garage have fitted wrong size glow plugs which seems relatively easy to sort out once we establish correct size that we need. However, the only nagging doubt in my mind is that the low coolant alarm has been playing up a bit lately and keeps beeping intermittently for a few minutes into the journey despite the fact that the coolant is not low. So I am wondering if the two things are related and thought I would ask for advice on here before I rush off and buy new glow plugs. Any advice appreciated.

[mister munkey]

Hmmm.

Sounds like it could well be a mismatch of long/short plugs.

I read on here recently somehere that its possible to bend the rail to make a more solid connection - Do a search, it'll come up somewhere.

[Triple/R]

Well if i'd recently had a service a few weeks ago with a reputable garage i'd nip back with it & tell him the symptom's~if he has put the wrong glow plug's in he'll no doubt swap them for the longer ones instead of you trying to sort it~if he thinks you've been messing about with it he won't been so keen to do it.

[missfixit70]

Glow plug rail shorting out if shorter glow plugs have been fitted? Could have blown the fusible link coming off the starter battery, right by the terminal, check to see if you're getting 12v at the glow plug rail when ignition is turned on. People have got away with using a normal fuseholder & fuse to replace a blown link - 30A from memory.

[apssrf]

Problem is the garage we use is 80 miles away (can't find any decent ones near here) so we can't just nip back in. i will ring him up and have a chat on phone tomorrow to try and find out more about the glow plugs but at mo Bongo is stuck on our drive going nowhere fast.............hey ho.

[g8dhe]

The fact that you smelt burning, makes me wonder if you did indeed have a short or very close to one and rather than the fuse going its melted the cable, some one recently put up a picture of just that the cable was nicely burned through Look behind the battery as been stated above and you should see the cable coming from the battery via the fuse holder that is in-line ....

[BongoMTBer]

What missfixit said!

I posted recently that you can get away with fitting shorter plugs when you should have the longer ones. You can do this IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH by bending the retun pipes on the injector manifold. If you don't do this, then when bolted down the bus bar will contact the pipework which could lead to a short if the insulation chaffs through.

Have a look under the drivers seat at the glow plugs and see if the bus bar is in contact with anything other than the glow plugs themselves. If it is, then it could well have shorted and hopefully only blown the fuse.

If it is the case, I would be tempted to contact the garage that did the work and get them to sort it at their own inconvenience.

Good luck.

[francophile1947]

What missfixit said!

I posted recently that you can get away with fitting shorter plugs when you should have the longer ones. You can do this IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH by bending the retun pipes on the injector manifold. If you don't do this, then when bolted down the bus bar will contact the pipework which could lead to a short if the insulation chaffs through.

No need to be brave, as long as you use a piece of wood to spread the force when tapping the pipes. I used a length of 2x1 and put one end on the pipes - then gave the other end a couple of light taps with a claw hammer. The pipes only need to bend by a couple of mm

[Tomo 53]

the shorter plugs (NGK) can be made to fit in the original position you need 4 terminal caps from a set of old petrol engine spark plugs 4 long screws or bolts and 8 nuts ,just make up stools to the correct length and fit.no bending or risk this way. works OK on my Bongo.

[haydn callow]

I think the "smell" was the fuseable link burning out........first make sure the glow plug rail is not touching anything other than the glow plugs and once you are sure of that replace the fuseable link.
That's connected to the battery Positive terminal....then...should fire up......

Agree with the above about the wrong size plugs having been fitted.

The reason it started after the burning smell is probably the fact the engine was already warm...

[apssrf]

Please does anyone know of anyone who knows their way around a Bongo and could come and fix this for us. We live near Hull and would be happy to pay the going rate!!! We are completely useless with this sort of thing and we are also in the middle of having our house rewired (another story entirely) so if anyone might take pity on us at this festive time of year (!!) it would be really appreciated......................

[mister munkey]

PM sent with an option - check your mailbox FAST though . . . .

[flossie]

PM sent with an option - check your mailbox FAST though . . . .

Mr Munkey to the rescue once again ... Going to have to start calling you Super Munkey soon ... have a fantastic trip to the sun by the way - not jealous at all !!

[apssrf]

Hi - we took it back to garage and he said he replaced like for like on the glow plugs. However he was happy to check it all and said the wire had burned through which he replaced. We brought it home but it still won't start from cold and husband having to do some sort of manual start thing which involves lifting the seat up and pumping some diesal through or something (you can tell I have not been involved in this particular task!!) I have re-read the thread and it seems very likely that the wrong glow plugs have been fitted and they caused the burnt wire - have I read the posts correctly to assume this?

Thanks

[bigdaddycain]

Hmm, Seeing as the damaged wire has been replaced, yet your hubby has to go out and "do a diesel thing" I wonder if the problem is fuel starvation related? Unless of course, an "easy start" type spray is being sprayed into the air filter housing to give a "jump start", in which case that sort of bypasses the need for glowplugs really, as the "fake fuel" gets the engine going till the proper diesel is hot enough to vaporise in the cold combustion chamber. Have you attempted to ring the garage and tell them that despite their remedial work the bongo still refuses to start in the cold weather?