After changing a faulty radiator and replacing the water pump, thermostat, the 5 main hoses and a few others for silicone ones, followed by a lengthy “see saw” bleed, I took the bongo for a test drive and all was ok. Drove to work yesterday, only a 16 mile round trip, again all was fine.
However today, after about 2 miles I noticed the temp rising to about the 1 o’clock position, so I pulled over and had a quick look round, felt the bottom hose which appeared cool, so naturally thought the thermostat hadn’t opened yet.
A mile down the road she started to heat up again, pulled over, and water was peeing out of the joint between the engine bottom hose and the steel pipe on the passenger side, why?
Cooled her down and turned around and headed for home. On the way back the temp gauge was going up to the 1 o’clock then dropping back to the 11 o’clock like a metronome, must have done it 4 or 5 times. The LCA did go off about 100yds from my house and the leak wasn’t anymore.
What could be causing this?
Could the thermostat be faulty?, or is it simply that the join on the lower engine hose being loose effecting it.
Could there be an air bubble in the system (probably is now) or is the head knackered and pressurising the system causing the hose joint to fail?
Thank heavens for my trusty CB1300 getting me to work, however 4 weeks before departing for Spain it’s not what I needed, at least it didn’t happen halfway through France.
Suppose the first thing to do is tighten the hose joint and get the head tested.
Anyone had similar symptoms or can shed some light on this?
Strange overheat.
Moderators: Doone, westonwarrior
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borntobag
Re: Strange overheat.
Hi,borntobag wrote:After changing a faulty radiator and replacing the water pump, thermostat, the 5 main hoses and a few others for silicone ones, followed by a lengthy “see saw” bleed, I took the bongo for a test drive and all was ok. Drove to work yesterday, only a 16 mile round trip, again all was fine.
However today, after about 2 miles I noticed the temp rising to about the 1 o’clock position, so I pulled over and had a quick look round, felt the bottom hose which appeared cool, so naturally thought the thermostat hadn’t opened yet.
A mile down the road she started to heat up again, pulled over, and water was peeing out of the joint between the engine bottom hose and the steel pipe on the passenger side, why?Cooled her down and turned around and headed for home. On the way back the temp gauge was going up to the 1 o’clock then dropping back to the 11 o’clock like a metronome, must have done it 4 or 5 times. The LCA did go off about 100yds from my house and the leak wasn’t anymore.
What could be causing this?
Could the thermostat be faulty?, or is it simply that the join on the lower engine hose being loose effecting it.
Could there be an air bubble in the system (probably is now) or is the head knackered and pressurising the system causing the hose joint to fail?
Thank heavens for my trusty CB1300 getting me to work, however 4 weeks before departing for Spain it’s not what I needed, at least it didn’t happen halfway through France.
Suppose the first thing to do is tighten the hose joint and get the head tested.
Anyone had similar symptoms or can shed some light on this?
The first thing that you need to do is fix the LEAK,then BLEED the system.
Cheers.
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borntobag
Re: Strange overheat.
....very true.
just couldnt fathom out why the temp was fluctuating,
Now I have calmed down and thought about it, probably/hopefully, it was getting up to temp, the stat opened, let water through, the pressure got to the joint with the hose pee'd coolant out, replaced it with air , which went uphill to the stat, the air pocket then caused it to cool enough and close, then it repeated this cycle again.
It didnt overheat enough to push the temp right up, so hopefully its just a failed/weak jubilee clip and no permanent damage has been done, fingers crossed.
But yes new clip, refill and thorough bleed and go from there.
just couldnt fathom out why the temp was fluctuating,
Now I have calmed down and thought about it, probably/hopefully, it was getting up to temp, the stat opened, let water through, the pressure got to the joint with the hose pee'd coolant out, replaced it with air , which went uphill to the stat, the air pocket then caused it to cool enough and close, then it repeated this cycle again.
It didnt overheat enough to push the temp right up, so hopefully its just a failed/weak jubilee clip and no permanent damage has been done, fingers crossed.
But yes new clip, refill and thorough bleed and go from there.
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missfixit70
- Supreme Being
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- Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
- Location: weymouth
Re: Strange overheat.
Agree with Teenmal, may also be worth a pressure test of the colant system to see if it's holding. Make sure when you bleed it, you get the bottom hose HOT, & preferably take it up to the point where the fans kick in & drag the temp down (@mid 90's on the top hose), you know it's all working ok.
Is your temp gauge modified at all? If it was getting hot enough to move the temp on unmodified gauge that is getting very hot.
If you pull over & check the bottom hose after you've been driving, it will be cool even if the stat is open. This is because that is the rads job, to cool the coolant with the airflow across the rad. If you continue to sit there with the engine running for a few minutes, the botom hose should get warm & then HOT as there is then no airflow cooling over the rad (same applies when bleeding on the drive, latent cooling effect across the rad with no airflow is @ 15 degrees max).
Is your temp gauge modified at all? If it was getting hot enough to move the temp on unmodified gauge that is getting very hot.
If you pull over & check the bottom hose after you've been driving, it will be cool even if the stat is open. This is because that is the rads job, to cool the coolant with the airflow across the rad. If you continue to sit there with the engine running for a few minutes, the botom hose should get warm & then HOT as there is then no airflow cooling over the rad (same applies when bleeding on the drive, latent cooling effect across the rad with no airflow is @ 15 degrees max).
You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
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borntobag
Re: Strange overheat.
...no Kirsty, bog standard temp guage.
Will start with going around all the hoses and re-tweek them, (I had a couple underneeth to the rear heater which would not tighten up fully, so I replaced them, hopefully the engine hose one is of the same crap standard and the cause of the problem), then a bleed and go from there.
To be honest I have noticed she is a bit lumpy and belches a puff of white smoke, only on initial start up though, once moving she runs as sweet as a nut, (well did for 2 miles this morning anyway) I put this down to glow plugs, which although tempted to change, dont want to before the Spainish trip incase I shear one off. Hope its not indicative of a problem head, but as I said once running she is very smooth.
Will start with going around all the hoses and re-tweek them, (I had a couple underneeth to the rear heater which would not tighten up fully, so I replaced them, hopefully the engine hose one is of the same crap standard and the cause of the problem), then a bleed and go from there.
To be honest I have noticed she is a bit lumpy and belches a puff of white smoke, only on initial start up though, once moving she runs as sweet as a nut, (well did for 2 miles this morning anyway) I put this down to glow plugs, which although tempted to change, dont want to before the Spainish trip incase I shear one off. Hope its not indicative of a problem head, but as I said once running she is very smooth.
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missfixit70
- Supreme Being
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- Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
- Location: weymouth
Re: Strange overheat.
What hoses/clamps are you using? I personally wouldn't recomend jubilee clips, especially on the large hoses, When my head was done last year all hoses & clamps were replaced with original, the clamps are constant pressure, I think Haydn has still got some aftermarket constant pressure clamps although he'll be at the bash now I think. The metal pipe ends need to be spot on too, if there's any corrosion, they WILL leak.
You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
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borntobag
Re: Strange overheat.
yep ...replaced the originals with jubilee clips....doooh.
Still got the originals though...guess what I am doing tonight and in the rain by the looks of it, hooorahhhh
I renewed renewed the drivers side metal pipe, the passenger side one looks ok.
Need to get this sorted then a few hundred trouble free miles on the clock before the journey south, hopefully a simple crap jubilee clip.
Still got the originals though...guess what I am doing tonight and in the rain by the looks of it, hooorahhhh
I renewed renewed the drivers side metal pipe, the passenger side one looks ok.
Need to get this sorted then a few hundred trouble free miles on the clock before the journey south, hopefully a simple crap jubilee clip.
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Alacrity
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- Contact:
Re: Strange overheat.
Hopefully you will have caught it in time & not done any serious harm. On my last Bongo I had a rear heater metal pipe develop a pin hole & the 1st thing I knew was when the unmodified guage climbed to the 1 o'clock position. There are some doom-mongers on here that will tell you that will be the end of the headgasket/head if the standard guage gets that high but I can only say that it wasn't in my case. I cured the leak & refilled it then used it for another year, mostly towing over long (500 mile) distances, without another hiccup. 
Sold the car nearly 2 years ago for a later better one with it running a dam sight better than this one - & with better fuel consumption!
Sold the car nearly 2 years ago for a later better one with it running a dam sight better than this one - & with better fuel consumption!
35+ years working with autogearboxes - all day every day......for my sins
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borntobag
Re: Strange overheat.
right then, original clips back on, system bled, all "seems" ok, time for a blast around middlesex.
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borntobag
Re: Strange overheat.
aaarrrrgggghhhhhh.....................................................
just been for a jaunt in the bongo, it ran sweet as a nut for about 15 miles, the needle never went passed 11 oclock and heaters pumping out hot air, job done or so I thought
I then pulled into a service station put £20 of diesel in it, on my return from the cashier, one large puddle of coolant, b****x !!
Luckily I was less than a mile from home, but the temp went up high as soon as I started driving, its taken over an hour to get back with 4 cooling off stops and once the needle yoyo'd up then back again like it did this morning.
Cant understand why it was running fine until I stopped or why the temp gauge goes up and back down again.
Head gone and charging the system? or a duff thermostat or can something else cause this?
just been for a jaunt in the bongo, it ran sweet as a nut for about 15 miles, the needle never went passed 11 oclock and heaters pumping out hot air, job done or so I thought
I then pulled into a service station put £20 of diesel in it, on my return from the cashier, one large puddle of coolant, b****x !!
Luckily I was less than a mile from home, but the temp went up high as soon as I started driving, its taken over an hour to get back with 4 cooling off stops and once the needle yoyo'd up then back again like it did this morning.
Cant understand why it was running fine until I stopped or why the temp gauge goes up and back down again.
Head gone and charging the system? or a duff thermostat or can something else cause this?
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missfixit70
- Supreme Being
- Posts: 12431
- Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:53 pm
- Location: weymouth
Re: Strange overheat.
Was it a genuine stat? was the coolant dump from the pressure cap or elsewhere? Did you bleed it before driving home? If not chances are, if it wasn't fubar, it is now. Not a good idea to just top it up & drive it, this gets said again & again.
You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter.
Re: Strange overheat.
Did you top up the header tank before driving home??borntobag wrote:aaarrrrgggghhhhhh.....................................................
just been for a jaunt in the bongo, it ran sweet as a nut for about 15 miles, the needle never went passed 11 oclock and heaters pumping out hot air, job done or so I thought
I then pulled into a service station put £20 of diesel in it, on my return from the cashier, one large puddle of coolant, b****x !!
Luckily I was less than a mile from home, but the temp went up high as soon as I started driving, its taken over an hour to get back with 4 cooling off stops and once the needle yoyo'd up then back again like it did this morning.
Cant understand why it was running fine until I stopped or why the temp gauge goes up and back down again.
Head gone and charging the system? or a duff thermostat or can something else cause this?
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borntobag
Re: Strange overheat.
no not a genuine stat.
dumped from the expansion tank, fitted with an original 1.1 cap.
Who mentioned just topping it up? I didnt, I bled it after redoing the hose clips and the LCA didnt go off at all.
It ran fine until I stopped. then pee'd out and got hot after start up. Just ran her 200yds and stopped for 15 mins (4 times)
Garage job i think, any one know a Bongo clued up garage in the middlesex area? failing that half a kilo of semtex should do it.
dumped from the expansion tank, fitted with an original 1.1 cap.
Who mentioned just topping it up? I didnt, I bled it after redoing the hose clips and the LCA didnt go off at all.
It ran fine until I stopped. then pee'd out and got hot after start up. Just ran her 200yds and stopped for 15 mins (4 times)
Garage job i think, any one know a Bongo clued up garage in the middlesex area? failing that half a kilo of semtex should do it.
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borntobag
Re: Strange overheat.
When i said large puddle, it looked large, but probably only A4 size.
Maybe I didnt bleed her properly...who knows... I have had a gut full of this car over the last few weeks.
Its days are numbered...once its been proffesionally looked at i will deciede wether its worth repairing it and keep her.
My confidence with it is very low at the mo and the Spainish trip is very doubtfull, well in a Bongo it is.
Maybe I didnt bleed her properly...who knows... I have had a gut full of this car over the last few weeks.
Its days are numbered...once its been proffesionally looked at i will deciede wether its worth repairing it and keep her.
My confidence with it is very low at the mo and the Spainish trip is very doubtfull, well in a Bongo it is.
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thedogsbollox
- Tribal Elder
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- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 1:42 am
- Location: South Harrow, Middlesex
Re: Strange overheat.
I get mine done at Lakeside Garages in Wraysbury, near Staines.borntobag wrote:no not a genuine stat.
dumped from the expansion tank, fitted with an original 1.1 cap.
Who mentioned just topping it up? I didnt, I bled it after redoing the hose clips and the LCA didnt go off at all.
It ran fine until I stopped. then pee'd out and got hot after start up. Just ran her 200yds and stopped for 15 mins (4 times)
Garage job i think, any one know a Bongo clued up garage in the middlesex area? failing that half a kilo of semtex should do it.
http://www.bizeecars.co.uk/
He is the only garage i know in the area that knows what he is doing. Not cheap but reassuringly knowledgeable.
If I werent off to the Bash tomorrow, i would come round and see if i could help.
Getting it to Lakeside Garages may be a problem for you, If you are with AA they will relay you there if you state it is not drivable and this is the only garage that will fix it as it is a specialist vehicle. Don't let them fob you off with, "Oh, we don't do that." They do, You may have to speak to the operators manager.
I live in Watford and pass through Ruislip often, quite a few bongos around here.