Bongo not wanting to start in the mornings, please help :)

[sarahblue]

Hi guys, I'm new to the bongo world as just bought my van in October after previously owning a T4. My lovely van is an N reg 2.4 d auto. I am driving him daily.

I noticed a couple of times (the odd day) after long drives that my van struggled to start the next day. I would go through the starting points of waiting for the orange light and it would then try to start but it would tick over and then eventually fire up and start. When the cold weather came about 2 weeks ago it then did the above every morning I tried to start it. I've been to a mechanic who knows bongos very well and he has tested the batteries etc, the glow plugs have also been changed as well at the glow plug starter relay but the starting problem is still continuing.

So what is happening is
First start of the day - I am going through the starting points now of turning the key, waiting for the orange light to go out, wait for the click which can be about 10 secs (i have tried both waiting for the click and not waiting for the click and its still doing the same), i then try to start it. It then attempts to start and starts ticking over but struggles to fire up and cuts out. I try it again and then it eventually fires up and the engine continues running but it sounds like its not getting the power it needs but then with a press on the accelerator it eventually sounds like its ready to run then when its running it drives about great. I can then come and go through the day and it doesn't have a problem starting on one turn of the key, light goes out, the relay clicks straight away and its running fine.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated please.
Many Thanks!

ps if I don't reply straight away I'll be at work.

[g8dhe]

I see you have changed all the electrical parts of the Glowplug system but has anyone actually checked the voltage on the Glowplugs themselves ? There is a slow blow fuse directly off of the battery arm and when it blows its not obvious, so if the voltage hasn't been checked at the plugs changing all the other parts doesn't do much

[sarahblue]

Hi, thanks for your reply. The mechanic told me 2 of the old glow plugs weren’t working so would he have checked the voltage then? Sorry, I’m learning

[g8dhe]

No, checking the voltage doesn't test the Glowplugs at all, to test a glowplug it must be disconnected and tested either in-situ or after having removed it. A failed slow blow fuse means that none of the glowplugs are heating up at all, hence a very poor starting when cold, but once heated up and used then during the rest of the day the engine will restart quite happily.

[sarahblue]

Right ok, I’ll speak to the mechanic on Monday and ask him about this. Thanks very much for your reply

[g8dhe]

If the fuse has blown they are available from the shop https://bongoland.co.uk/product/fusable-link/
These are the originals in situ;

[sarahblue]

Thankyou!

[Alkers]

Next port of call would be the cold start solenoids. THe rubber hoses at this age are very brittle and tent to crack and leak if not fail alltogether.

[sarahblue]

Hi thanks for your reply.

I spoke with the mechanic today and he said its not the fuse. Yesterday it started first thing and then I went for a drive for an hour parked up somewhere for about 4 hours where it was a bit windy and chilly and then it wouldnt start again and did what it normally does in the morning. there was a man nearby who heard it and said that maybe the glow plus aren't all working as they should. It has gone worse since the new glow plugs were fitted and the mechanic is going to test them on Thursday. I"ll mention the cold start solenoids as well.