Bongo Fury

We have just left our campsite and after 15 minx could smell coolant so pulled over, looks like it has just blown some out of the vent by the rad. No real loss of coolant but you can see where it has vented.

Safe to carry on???

My number is 07791 896 758 if anyone has advice?

Cheers!!

Hi
Sorry I can't phone, but I'd recommend that you get your motoring assist to rescue you , OR, find a private one in the local pages...DON'T drive
Cheers
Helen

I've given him a bell. AA have arrived, hopefully not a head-ache.

good work MM

Looks like the rad has gone, getting recovered home.

More expense, just a week after the exhaust! Not in a good place right now!

Thanks for the call MM, appreciated.

Glad you caught it so soon matey.

Running on, even a short way may well have cost ten times more to sort out.

In the truck as we speak, getting it dropped off for Paul at LPG to work his magic on during the week.

Thanks for your support everyone!

Another nice bit of member love , well done MM

Hopefully caught in time but if the systems pressurising, it may be more than just the rad, hope it's not , but I'm sure the guys at LPG will sort you out ok, they seem to know their stuff.

Well, got home at about 5.30 after a slow plod back from Wales to drop the Bongo at LPG in Coventry and then finally home to Bromsgrove. Just sat down as I thought we deserved a treat after the day we've had so we went for a nice dinner!

My initial inspection showed that coolant had come from the tube by the radiator cap, indicating that there was sufficient pressure for the radiator cap to let fluid pass. The radiator doesn't look in that great condition to be honest so I'm sure it would be due a replacement anyway.

Didn't really lose any significant amount of coolant, not enough for the alarm to go off anyway, and the engine certainly didn't overheat.

I'll have a chat with Paul at LPG tomorrow and see what he thinks but what could I potentially be looking at here?

Thanks

No idea but i'll be watching with interest as mine is off road with a similar problem at the moment, although I got an almost instant overheat from cold as well .

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=41932

I'm having as much as possible replaced as a matter of course to try to avoid future hassles but as soon as the initial cause is diagnosed I'll let you know.

If it's pressurising it could just be to a slight weep at the rad joints or a hose pinhole, causing an airlock when it cools by sucking air back in, which then leads to the pressurisation.
Worst case (as mine is) is that the head/gasket has gone which will pressurise the system while you're driving, even a sniffer test probably won't work due to the low levels if it's only a tiny leak. My system pressure tests fine when cold, no external leaks visible, but the cooling system is gradually overpressurising every time it's driven (have had to bleed it every time I've driven it for the last few weeks) until it starts lifting the cap. Temperatures once it's bled have been controlling ok, the pressure should drop as the temp drops, then lift again as temp rises, but it hasn't been, it's just been rising
Tried steel seal, seemd to improve it slightly, but it was still pressurising.

Thanks Kirsty, I'll try and elliminate the easy things first and go from there.

I guess I should take a bleeding factsheet (not being derogatory!) out with me in case I need to do it roadside at any point...

Bleeidng instructions of one form or another should be a part of the essential spares kit fingers crossed

you say it came from the tube at the side of the rad cap.can you confirm this is what you meant to say,and not the expansion cap.

if it was the tube at the rad cap this should be blanked off, the system should not vent from here at all and should have a plain flat cap on it,it should vent only from the expansion tank.