Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
Moderators: Doone, westonwarrior
Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
Hi folks. Drove my Bongo in to Edinburgh today, sometimes I use the lower gears to slow down rather than my brakes. After a 20 mile drive doing around 70 on the A1 in low gear, I pull off at my exit, about 2 miles before my house my coolant alarm went off, I was just about to stop and it stopped
So, I drove on and it goes off again and this time I stop and see smoke coming from under the bonnet. Pull up the bonnet and I can quickly smell coolant and not smoke. I can see there's coolant all over the place but couldn't find a leak on any of the hoses. Topped it up with some water, the coolant took about 1/2 pint of water, radiator took about a 1/4 of a pint.
I drove the mile home and all was fine.
My Bongo is 1998 V6 flat top LPG conversion
My questions are:
Would driving it in the low gear at high speed cause it to overheat and maybe cause a leak? The hoses all look relatively new
I have no idea what coolant is in the system, what coolant do you guys use?
I found a guy in Edinburgh who owns a Bongo and is a mechanic, he's about 15 miles from me, take it I shouldn't drive it until I find the problem?
So, I drove on and it goes off again and this time I stop and see smoke coming from under the bonnet. Pull up the bonnet and I can quickly smell coolant and not smoke. I can see there's coolant all over the place but couldn't find a leak on any of the hoses. Topped it up with some water, the coolant took about 1/2 pint of water, radiator took about a 1/4 of a pint.
I drove the mile home and all was fine.
My Bongo is 1998 V6 flat top LPG conversion
My questions are:
Would driving it in the low gear at high speed cause it to overheat and maybe cause a leak? The hoses all look relatively new
I have no idea what coolant is in the system, what coolant do you guys use?
I found a guy in Edinburgh who owns a Bongo and is a mechanic, he's about 15 miles from me, take it I shouldn't drive it until I find the problem?
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
Thats enough to kill most old enginesiBongo wrote:Hi folks. Drove my Bongo in to Edinburgh today, sometimes I use the lower gears to slow down rather than my brakes. After a 20 mile drive doing around 70 on the A1 in low gear, I pull off at my exit, about 2 miles before my house my coolant alarm went off, I was just about to stop and it stopped
So, I drove on and it goes off again and this time I stop and see smoke coming from under the bonnet. Pull up the bonnet and I can quickly smell coolant and not smoke. I can see there's coolant all over the place but couldn't find a leak on any of the hoses. Topped it up with some water, the coolant took about 1/2 pint of water, radiator took about a 1/4 of a pint.
I drove the mile home and all was fine.
My Bongo is 1998 V6 flat top LPG conversion
My questions are:
Would driving it in the low gear at high speed cause it to overheat and maybe cause a leak? The hoses all look relatively new
I have no idea what coolant is in the system, what coolant do you guys use?
I found a guy in Edinburgh who owns a Bongo and is a mechanic, he's about 15 miles from me, take it I shouldn't drive it until I find the problem?
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
I wont be driving it until I get someone to see it. Didn't think doing 20 miles at 70 in low gear would be good I haven't a clue when it comes to cars
Just got the Bongo exactly how I wanted it New paint job, alloys, camper conversion, LPG conversion,
Well I guess I will get to try the mechanic I found by mistake in Edinburgh. Stopped by Bailfield Garage in Portobello to get them to fit my alloys, the mechanic told me that he had a Bongo, he also told me that lots of Bongos have been getting stolen recently. I will give him a call Monday, hopefully there'snot much damage
Just got the Bongo exactly how I wanted it New paint job, alloys, camper conversion, LPG conversion,
Well I guess I will get to try the mechanic I found by mistake in Edinburgh. Stopped by Bailfield Garage in Portobello to get them to fit my alloys, the mechanic told me that he had a Bongo, he also told me that lots of Bongos have been getting stolen recently. I will give him a call Monday, hopefully there'snot much damage
- g8dhe
- Supreme Being
- Posts: 10226
- Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:06 pm
- Location: Worthing, West Sussex.
- Contact:
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
?? The coolant and the radiator are the same circuit ?? It sound like you got an air lock, as you don't normally fill up the radiator at all !iBongo wrote:Topped it up with some water, the coolant took about 1/2 pint of water, radiator took about a 1/4 of a pint.
- haydn callow
- Supreme Being
- Posts: 5772
- Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:50 pm
- Location: Somerset
- Contact:
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
Why on earth would you fit a Low Coolant alarm and not stop when it went off....????
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
When I opened the bonnet there was a hissing noise, the hose top left was where the noise was coming from. When I squeezed the hose the noise went away, when I let go it came back, there's definitely a leak on that side of the radiator, I can see and smell the coolant.
- haydn callow
- Supreme Being
- Posts: 5772
- Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:50 pm
- Location: Somerset
- Contact:
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
If you had to top up the radiator then the expansion tank must have been empty......(the expansion tank would top up the rad until the ex tank was empty)
I do not understand why anyone would drive at 70mph in a low gear and then ignore the low coolant alarm.....
Is this for real ??
There are no hoses top left under the bonnet (as you look at it from the front) unless you remove the air intake scoop and you mean the rad top hose which you cannot see unless you remove the scoop.
Whatever.....suggest you get it to a BONGO FRIENDLY garage (don't drive it) and ask them to have a look.....however I don't hold out much hope....
Who suggested you drive at those speeds in LOW ??
I do not understand why anyone would drive at 70mph in a low gear and then ignore the low coolant alarm.....
Is this for real ??
There are no hoses top left under the bonnet (as you look at it from the front) unless you remove the air intake scoop and you mean the rad top hose which you cannot see unless you remove the scoop.
Whatever.....suggest you get it to a BONGO FRIENDLY garage (don't drive it) and ask them to have a look.....however I don't hold out much hope....
Who suggested you drive at those speeds in LOW ??
- haydn callow
- Supreme Being
- Posts: 5772
- Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:50 pm
- Location: Somerset
- Contact:
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
iBongo wrote:I wont be driving it until I get someone to see it. Didn't think doing 20 miles at 70 in low gear would be good I haven't a clue when it comes to cars
Just got the Bongo exactly how I wanted it New paint job, alloys, camper conversion, LPG conversion,
Well I guess I will get to try the mechanic I found by mistake in Edinburgh. Stopped by Bailfield Garage in Portobello to get them to fit my alloys, the mechanic told me that he had a Bongo, he also told me that lots of Bongos have been getting stolen recently. I will give him a call Monday, hopefully there'snot much damage
So...why do it ??
- haydn callow
- Supreme Being
- Posts: 5772
- Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:50 pm
- Location: Somerset
- Contact:
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
Is it a V6 ???
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
iBongo wrote:Hi folks. Drove my Bongo in to Edinburgh today, sometimes I use the lower gears to slow down rather than my brakes. After a 20 mile drive doing around 70 on the A1 in low gear, I pull off at my exit, about 2 miles before my house my coolant alarm went off, I was just about to stop and it stopped
So, I drove on and it goes off again and this time I stop and see smoke coming from under the bonnet. Pull up the bonnet and I can quickly smell coolant and not smoke. I can see there's coolant all over the place but couldn't find a leak on any of the hoses. Topped it up with some water, the coolant took about 1/2 pint of water, radiator took about a 1/4 of a pint.
I drove the mile home and all was fine.
My Bongo is 1998 V6 flat top LPG conversion
My questions are:
Would driving it in the low gear at high speed cause it to overheat and maybe cause a leak? The hoses all look relatively new
I have no idea what coolant is in the system, what coolant do you guys use?
I found a guy in Edinburgh who owns a Bongo and is a mechanic, he's about 15 miles from me, take it I shouldn't drive it until I find the problem?
It is....haydn callow wrote:Is it a V6 ???
Is it a manual transmission...? I thought i would ask while i'm here..!?!!
Cheaper by comparison to a race horse...
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
Yes it's V6, I didn't deliberately drive it in low gear, I use low gear sometimes to slow down when I'm about to stop instead of breaking. I've thought about the drive home, and I think I drove about 5miles in low gear instead of the 20, I think I used the low gear as I was coming off the A1.
I stopped as soon as the alarm went off, the alarm stopped so I drove on as I was only 2 miles from home. The alarm went off again after about 1/4mile and I stopped and turned engine off. I let it cool down put a tiny bit of water in the coolant and drove the mile and a bit home.
Yes I removed the air intake so I could see and hear the hose. I have a engine alarm and it never went over 90, don't know if that makes any difference?
Bongo Bill in Kirkcaldy it is then
It's automatic, and the radiator was almost full, I put in about 1/4 pint but most spilled out.
I stopped as soon as the alarm went off, the alarm stopped so I drove on as I was only 2 miles from home. The alarm went off again after about 1/4mile and I stopped and turned engine off. I let it cool down put a tiny bit of water in the coolant and drove the mile and a bit home.
Yes I removed the air intake so I could see and hear the hose. I have a engine alarm and it never went over 90, don't know if that makes any difference?
Bongo Bill in Kirkcaldy it is then
It's automatic, and the radiator was almost full, I put in about 1/4 pint but most spilled out.
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
Could the coolant have dropped due to leak, then rose up again when stopped due to boil up...?iBongo wrote:Yes it's V6, I didn't deliberately drive it in low gear, I use low gear sometimes to slow down when I'm about to stop instead of breaking. I've thought about the drive home, and I think I drove about 5miles in low gear instead of the 20, I think I used the low gear as I was coming off the A1.
I stopped as soon as the alarm went off, the alarm stopped so I drove on as I was only 2 miles from home. The alarm went off again after about 1/4mile and I stopped and turned engine off. I let it cool down put a tiny bit of water in the coolant and drove the mile and a bit home.
Yes I removed the air intake so I could see and hear the hose. I have a engine alarm and it never went over 90, don't know if that makes any difference?
Bongo Bill in Kirkcaldy it is then
It's automatic, and the radiator was almost full, I put in about 1/4 pint but most spilled out.
Cheaper by comparison to a race horse...
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
Do you mean hold rather than low?
[url]http://germanshepherdrescue.co.uk/[/url]
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
No not HOLD, was L on the automatic, noticed it when the alarm went off and I went to put it in to park.
Thanks for all the replies, I will have it towed to a garage next week and keep you updated
I WILL NEVER USE S AND L TO SLOW DOWN AGAIN
Thanks for all the replies, I will have it towed to a garage next week and keep you updated
I WILL NEVER USE S AND L TO SLOW DOWN AGAIN
Re: Drove my Bongo in low gear and my coolant alarm went off
If it's the your first automatic..? This thread may help....? http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... +automatic
Good luck with the garage...!
Good luck with the garage...!
Cheaper by comparison to a race horse...