Bongo Fury

Hi all

We've had our 2L Petrol Freda for about 2 months. Got it serviced (and cam belt done) the day we got it. Since then it has been brilliant. It starts first time & runs like a dream. That was until last week. Indeed we had the vehicle out all last weekend and done loads of A road miles from Mcr to Lake District etc. So, it can't be said it hasn't had a run out. Then, after using the vehicle all weekend this problem arose....

On getting in the vehicle at 7am on Monday morning it wouldn't start initially. I just kept turning the key. Thankfully, the starter motor & the battery carried on turning until eventually the vehicle spluttered to life. As I drove away the vehicle coughed & chugged only once but after that it ran brilliant for the rest of the day. All day it started first time. Then.... On Tuesday the same thing happened again... Struggling to start but once it has been running for a few minutes all is brilliant.

So, I took it to Adrian @ Japan Direct in Bury who changed the spark plugs etc and said it appeared fine. However, the following morning the problem was still evident.
Ever since the vehicle has been acting this way.

It is strange because once it has been running it performs fine for the rest of that day.

Any ideas on what this could be (that I could check for myself) before I take it back to a Garage?

Cheers.

The three key ingredients are air, fuel and ignition. Have the air and fuel filters been changed recently? Might be worth filling up with some premium petrol and throw in a bottle of injector cleaner.

So, does the problem really only occur in the morning, or is it actually when it's cold or damp? I'm wondering if the problem is 'tracking' on the HT leads or around the distributor cap which would be more prominent when wet or damp. Try starting the engine in the evening when it's dark and look for any sparks where there shouldn't be. On the V6, fitting a new set of HT leads does often make a big difference to the performance, so you should consider replacing yours too.

Classic signs of a faulty Non Return Valve.

Did Adrian check it?

I get a problem with damp now and then, so just clean all leads and spray with wd 40,( it also helps the arthritis )

I had the identical problem with my V6 a few years ago. First time starter until damp autumn mornings, when suddenly nothing. The cause was the carbon finger in the dizzy cap had worn down, giving too large a gap in damp air. Plugs and leads all checked out OK, but the problem was found on the last thing checked. A new distributor cap cleared the problem totally. On the V6, the distributor is so hard to get at it's the last thing that gets checked.

thanks for the tip NFT, I will check that out.

Thanks all

Missus has gambled on taking the kids camping (pre booked 8 months ago) and she tells me all is OK and Bongo starts first time... Even though it is parked up in a field as we speak amongst the wettest spell we've had for ages. Don't know whether to just ignore it and hope it goes away.

I posted this elsewhere and someone asked if I had run the fuel right down.

Guilty! I did just that... So now I am thinking that there may be gunk (from the bottom of the tank) in the engine workings.

I'm now wondering if it's worth buying a commercial product injector cleaner.

Another suggestion was the non return valve...

That's what the fuel filter is there to protect against. Injector cleaner will help to to reduce the 'varnish' that builds up around the needle, but won't get rid of any crud that's been able to make it's way past the filter.

I always recommend FORTE brand for diesel injector cleaners. Fill a new filter with half forte and half diesel, spin it over with no glow plug a few times. leave it for about half an hour. start it and give it a good hard drive when walm. Check you fuel efficiency.... £££

I find the best way to clear petrol injectors is to thrash the arse out of it....


AVA charge £14.95 for the filter
http://www.mazdabongo.com/catalog/filte ... dels-95-03
The club list them as £14.50

If you shop around try these numbers

blueprint ADK82312
Motaquip VFF 384
ADM52318