Bongo Fury

My Bongo when started in the morning stutters for a while til its warmed up. starts on the button no probs at all but when she is stuttering she puts out white smoke.
It clears up ok after a few minutes but was wondering is this normal? Do i need something set or checked out? not burning oil from what i can tell on the dip stick and water levels all good. Running superbly once going. Have a mazda 323 TD and she just fires up no stutter at all and no smoke.

Are you waiting for the glow plug light to go out before actually turning it over? If so, try it for an extra 5 seconds after the light goes out before turning over. Are you using any veg oil in your fuel? Sounds like the glow plugs may be on the way out?

Hi Kirsty,
Have driven Diesels most of my driving years and always give a few seconds after the light goes out. No veg oil.
Do you think the heater plugs would do this? reason i sak is, i have had plug trouble before with an Audi TDI i owend, but she was just a pig to start, nearly running the battery out trying. Put plugs in her and that sorted that out. but once she started she ran smooth enough even with the duff plugs.
are these easy to get at and change?
Thanks for the reply
Ron

I print this little troubleshooting list off, quite handy I thought

http://www.uniteddiesel.co.uk/diesel-engine-smoke.php

I had about 15 secs of the whiteish smoke this morning..... mind you just filled with some supermarket fuel yesterday.....been alright up till then......and had the diesel pump done/egr blanked/no veg at the mo'/new filters when the pump was done a month ago......looks like mr Sainsbury has some s*it diesel again.... note to self...go elsewhere next fill

Worth checking the glowplugs as even one down would cause rough running on start up and it would miss on that pot and give a puff of smoke.

john

Mine would smoke badly & miss in the mornings when I bought it back in the summer. I fitted new glow plugs from a motor factor & it cured the problem. Mazda charge a fortune for them. It has since returned in a very very much milder form in the cold weather but it is not something I worry about. Before it couldn't be ignored.

Glow plugs should stay on after engine has started - it sounds like yours may not be. Sorry, I don't know the technical details.

falcoron wrote:My Bongo when started in the morning stutters for a while til its warmed up. starts on the button no probs at all but when she is stuttering she puts out white smoke.
It clears up ok after a few minutes but was wondering is this normal? Do i need something set or checked out? not burning oil from what i can tell on the dip stick and water levels all good. Running superbly once going. Have a mazda 323 TD and she just fires up no stutter at all and no smoke.

Sound very similar to what mine's going through at the moment. I changed the glow plugs about 3 months ago, but the white smoke is something I have only noticed recently - it's usually black! I have also noticed that the stuttering has got worse the colder in the morning it is (is this typical of diesel engines?) and with the recent weather could explain that one.
I'm hoping that as the weather gets warmer again the stutter starting will improve, or is the cold weather hiding another problem? Is it worth getting the glow plugs checked again?

Andrew

Thanks guys 'n' gals!
very helpful as usual. I have looked at these and am getting various prices from £38 to £70 per 4? some saying 83mm long and others 102mm long? confused!!
Where to buy and what make or number would be great if anyone has info.
Seeing OEM ones on flea bay at £35 for 4.
Any links to fitting these please
Thanks again
Ron

I have no stutter......just a bit of white smoke this morning since a fill of Mr Sainsburys "finest"........

falcoron wrote:My Bongo when started in the morning stutters for a while til its warmed up. starts on the button no probs at all but when she is stuttering she puts out white smoke.
It clears up ok after a few minutes but was wondering is this normal? Do i need something set or checked out? not burning oil from what i can tell on the dip stick and water levels all good. Running superbly once going. Have a mazda 323 TD and she just fires up no stutter at all and no smoke.

Mine (P-Plate) is the same as yours when starting and has been since I got it ( 2yrs ago). I think it is probably the glow-plug(s) but have not yet got round to having them replace because it hasn't caused me any real problems so far - it still starts! I always give the heaters a bit more time when I start. Remember that the Bongo Manual recommends that you floor the accelerator pedal when starting - which helps.

Don't go for cheap ones, that's probably why yours have gone already, there's a factsheet in the members area - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/member ... wplugs.pdf - NGK Y701 are reckoned to be good & reliable

missfixit70 wrote:NGK Y701 are reckoned to be good & reliable

They're the ones I had fitted. Surely they wouldn't need changing already after 3 months?

Andrew

I can tell mine is a tad finnicky now we have damp in the air (seems to be what triggers it - the sub zero temps didn't fuss it at all). It starts at once but I can tell it would stutter a bit if I put a load on the engine straight after starting (if I turn on full lock on mornings like this it will stutter a bit as the power steering loads the engine at low revs). But its done this for 3 years on cold damp mornings and - overall - it behaves impeccably. Just resist the urge to press the loud pedal until its had a minute or two to catch alight