Cold starts

Netpest · Post by **Netpest** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:04 pm

antique wrote:hi you will find it very easy to change glow plugs , i cant see the point off changing 2 , because if the other 2 go down you have got to change them,if you want to test them just test them across a battery or jump pack, if they glow and smoke they are good if nothing happens bin them ?

LMFAO so next time u have a puncture you are going to replace all four tires? just incase. Man Tell me where u live and i will start up a garage there as you alone will support my life style....

adam · Post by **adam** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:48 pm

Netpest wrote:
antique wrote:hi you will find it very easy to change glow plugs , i cant see the point off changing 2 , because if the other 2 go down you have got to change them,if you want to test them just test them across a battery or jump pack, if they glow and smoke they are good if nothing happens bin them ?
LMFAO so next time u have a puncture you are going to replace all four tires? just in case. Man Tell me where u live and i will start up a garage there as you alone will support my life style....

Im with antitque with this 1.

You notice the bongo is hard to start , it goes on for a week or so before you get chance to check your plugs ( or get a mechanic to ) and you find 2 are knackered. You order 2 new plugs and a week or so later they arrive so you fit them and now the bongo starts 1st time. Great.

How ever in this 2 week period the bongo has been a pain to start as the engine is not been warmed by all four plugs, so you have been turning the ignition off and on and waiting for coil light to go out after every failed attempt hence putting more strain on the 2 working plugs

So i doubt the older 2 plugs will last much longer before they fail and you will then be putting additional strain on your 2 new plugs ( so to speak ).

You can get a set off 4 for under £30 from some M.F so why give yourself more problems later on. Do you really want a bongo that wont start on a cold, dark and wet morning. Or worse still when the other half is out in it.

Anyway thats my opinion and im sticking with it

Hope all is better now indigo

antique · Post by **antique** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:57 pm

hi for the record i have owned a garage , yes just selling bongos etc ,my advice i give is based on fact , i have had these probs and tryed the short cuts , ie 2 glow plugs and a week later same problem , do the sums your self £20 to fit 2 plugs so if you buy 4 it works out cheaper in the long run ?

antique · Post by **antique** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:08 pm

hi thanks adam nice to hear common sense ? i have owned at least a 100 jap imports in the last 3 years and what do i drive a bongo ? i have a car for every day of the week , but drive my tin top all the time ? its cost me a lot of money paying people to fix the faults thats called learning ? this forum is a great place to learn free ?

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:12 pm

I suspect mine are starting to play up, so i will replace all 4. Any good ones will be kept as spares. It seems pointless not replacing them all once you have got it stripped down.

adam · Post by **adam** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:21 pm

antique wrote:hi thanks adam nice to hear common sense ? i have owned at least a 100 jap imports in the last 3 years and what do i drive a bongo ? i have a car for every day of the week , but drive my tin top all the time ? its cost me a lot of money paying people to fix the faults thats called learning ? this forum is a great place to learn free ?

Well thats the first time the phrase "nice to hear common sence" and "adam" have been uttered in the same sentance. My parents will be so proud

shaneosborne · Post by **shaneosborne** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:43 pm

Think I may have the same problem with the glow plugs but thought I should ask the experts here.

Every morning it's a right pain to start, I've tried waiting for the light to go out and then turning her back upto 15 times awaiting for the light to go out each time before turning her over. The Bongo smokes like mad for upto 2 mins and eventually starts with a little song and dance.

Once she is up and running she runs like a dream all day and no problems in starting until the next morning where we have a repeat performance. I might even put some makeup on stand behind the bongo and act out Michael Jackson moves with the hazard lights on lol.

Do you think this could be the glow plugs and are they straight forward at changing (I have no idea where they are). Any where cheap I can buy some?

Also I need a new Back Box on my exhaust seen one on ebay for around £70 does that sound cheap?

Many Thanks all

Shane (Cornwall)

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:59 pm

Hi Shane
Sounds like glowplugs. Has it been getting progressively worse or all of a sudden? I ask that because glow plugs don't all fail at the same time and you sound as if you've got several gone, or it could be the relay.
I've not replaced mine yet but I suspect that one has failed. You get at them by accessing the engine from the driver's side - 2 of them look easy whilst the back two look harder. You can get them from Ian at Bongo Fury or off Ebay.
£70 for the back box is more expensive than others on Ebay.

adam · Post by **adam** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:06 pm

Hi shane

It does sound like glowplugs the easiest way to tell is to whip them out and test them 1 by 1,The fact sheet in the members area offers a good guide to this and also fitting new ones if there needed.

Its the 1st job i had to do when i bought my bongo and its not to bad to do.

good luck with it

shaneosborne · Post by **shaneosborne** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:11 pm

It has seemed to get worse over time but recently it seems to have got worse than usual.

I found a back box section on ebay for 59.00 + 7.00 postage, so that looks good.

Any ideas on how much Ian sells the glow plugs for, I may as well change them all. Also, is the fact sheet only available to members?

Many thanks for all your help, much appreciated.

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:20 pm

Hi again
Glow plugs £73 for 4 or £20 each from Ian (£70 if you're a member).
Fact sheet is in member's area - why not join, it's worth it for all the info and offers you can get.

shaneosborne · Post by **shaneosborne** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:28 pm

I was given a mebership when I purchased my Bongo but never used it, now that I don't have it I wish I still did. Gonna sign up, sounds like a good deal for the advice I've been given here.

You all have saved me money so I may aswell invest in the club.

Thanks all, again. I'll let you know how I get on and hope you don't mind me asking any questions in the future.

Im just hoping it is the plugs and not the relay. I do notice that the yellow light seems to only stay on for 5 seconds all the time when attempting to start, shouldn't this vary on how cold she is?

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:35 pm

No, 5 secs is about right. The plugs don't actually go out then, it's just the required time to start an engine with working plugs.

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:38 pm

Actually Shane, you're still on the list of members - try emailing Ian to see if your membership is still valid.

djunjon · Post by **djunjon** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:16 pm

Just caught up with this thread...

When I first got my Bongo it was reluctant to start on some very cold mornings. I had a chat with a mechanic and he recommended the following:

Turn on ignition and wait until the glowplug RELAY clicks out after 15-30 seconds, start engine!

He reckons that the lamp is a reminder and more to do with warm starting than cold.

I use this method all the time and it ALWAYS starts really sweetly.

Given time and enthusiasm I would make the modification to the glowplug switching circuit that cuts them out once it's started - I can hear the relay clicking in and out as the throttle is varied.

Hope it helps.

Jon

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