Mazda Bongo V6
Discussion
Welcome to my thread about a my mid-engine, RWD, DOHC V6, JDM import. Unfortunately, it’s not a track focused sports car as the description might suggest, but instead a lowly Mazda Bongo! I know it’s not the usual PH-fodder, but I hope at least someone will find it interesting!
We’d been talking about buying a camper for a few years and finally started looking seriously earlier this year. We knew we wanted something small, but it also needed to sleep 3 in relative comfort. My Ebay watch list was full of SWB Transits, Vivaros, T4s, T5s etc. After viewing a particularly ropey T4 I persuaded my wife to look at a Bongo (she had previously rejected them based on looks). It was an instant hit, and we put a deposit down there and then.
In standard form the Bongo is an MPV with 3 rows of seats – they do fold flat-ish to form a bed, but due to the contour of the seats it’s not very comfortable. However, there’s plenty more equipment which makes it a great base for a camper – front and rear heaters/ac, electric blinds and most importantly the electric pop-top roof (officially AFT = Auto Free Top), which provides either additional standing room or a roof tent for 2 people. A few years back ours had been professionally converted to a basic camper with the rear seats removed and replaced with a full width rock n roll (fold out) bed. It also had a leisure battery fitted at the same time.
The Bongo is offered with 3 different engines – a diesel 2.5 I4, and a petrol 2.0 I4 and 2.5 V6. Clearly it had to be the V6. I initially assumed the engine would the same as the MX6/Ford Probe, but turns out it’s not. It’s actually only shared with the Mazda 929 and is officially designated the J5-DE. It’s lovely and smooth and puts out a whopping 160bhp, enough to at least give the Bongo a bit of go. Gearbox is auto only, but that nicely suits the engine and relaxed nature of the car. The engine actually sits between the front occupants (hence mid-engined) and is accessed by tilting the seats back. It’s a neat package and hasn’t proved too difficult to work on so far.
Our van was imported from Japan in 2013, and we’re the 3rd UK owner. The underside was waxoiled early on, and as a result it is pretty clean underneath. The front cross member will need attention before the next MOT, and the wheel arches will eventually need doing. But for now, it’s a pretty solid car, especially compared to some of the rot-boxes out there. The paintwork leaves a lot to be desired, but from a distance it does at least look relatively smart.
I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for the photos, so here they are… you’ll notice it also has the Mazdaspeed bodykit, for extra go-faster points.
20210729_183401 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
And the rock n roll bed, which gives a decent sized double:
Screenshot_20211026-234726_Facebook by CarlosV8, on Flickr
Clearly this leaves no room for kitchen facilities, but we’re happy with that and have a gas hob and other equipment stored away under the seat if required for cooking. A basic 12v/240v coolbox was purchased to keep the beers cold and bacon fresh for breakfast.
We quickly booked a night away to try it out. Here the AFT is up and we have an awning on the side to give us some extra space:
20210814_163219 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
Happy to say the first trip was a success and we were all very pleased with the purchase.
With the front seat tilted back you have access to the right bank of the engine, along with oil cap, PAS reservoir, air box and gearbox dipstick/filler:
20210810_122723 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
And on the other side, you have the other bank, dizzy cap and engine dipstick:
20210810_122744 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
The V6 configuration means everything is nicely accessible. If you need to get to the throttle body/inlet manifold then the panel above can be unbolted to give unrestricted access. The radiator is in the usual place behind the grille with a combination of rubber and metal hard pipes connecting it to the engine. Also under the bonnet is the front heater fan, header tank, 2 x batteries, ABS module etc.
You've probably read enough about a boring Japanese MPV by now, so I'll stop waffling there, but if there is any interest then next time I’ll update with the work I’ve been doing over the last few months to get the van up together and to (hopefully) ensure trouble-free motoring in the future.
We’d been talking about buying a camper for a few years and finally started looking seriously earlier this year. We knew we wanted something small, but it also needed to sleep 3 in relative comfort. My Ebay watch list was full of SWB Transits, Vivaros, T4s, T5s etc. After viewing a particularly ropey T4 I persuaded my wife to look at a Bongo (she had previously rejected them based on looks). It was an instant hit, and we put a deposit down there and then.
In standard form the Bongo is an MPV with 3 rows of seats – they do fold flat-ish to form a bed, but due to the contour of the seats it’s not very comfortable. However, there’s plenty more equipment which makes it a great base for a camper – front and rear heaters/ac, electric blinds and most importantly the electric pop-top roof (officially AFT = Auto Free Top), which provides either additional standing room or a roof tent for 2 people. A few years back ours had been professionally converted to a basic camper with the rear seats removed and replaced with a full width rock n roll (fold out) bed. It also had a leisure battery fitted at the same time.
The Bongo is offered with 3 different engines – a diesel 2.5 I4, and a petrol 2.0 I4 and 2.5 V6. Clearly it had to be the V6. I initially assumed the engine would the same as the MX6/Ford Probe, but turns out it’s not. It’s actually only shared with the Mazda 929 and is officially designated the J5-DE. It’s lovely and smooth and puts out a whopping 160bhp, enough to at least give the Bongo a bit of go. Gearbox is auto only, but that nicely suits the engine and relaxed nature of the car. The engine actually sits between the front occupants (hence mid-engined) and is accessed by tilting the seats back. It’s a neat package and hasn’t proved too difficult to work on so far.
Our van was imported from Japan in 2013, and we’re the 3rd UK owner. The underside was waxoiled early on, and as a result it is pretty clean underneath. The front cross member will need attention before the next MOT, and the wheel arches will eventually need doing. But for now, it’s a pretty solid car, especially compared to some of the rot-boxes out there. The paintwork leaves a lot to be desired, but from a distance it does at least look relatively smart.
I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for the photos, so here they are… you’ll notice it also has the Mazdaspeed bodykit, for extra go-faster points.
20210729_183401 by CarlosV8, on FlickrAnd the rock n roll bed, which gives a decent sized double:
Screenshot_20211026-234726_Facebook by CarlosV8, on FlickrClearly this leaves no room for kitchen facilities, but we’re happy with that and have a gas hob and other equipment stored away under the seat if required for cooking. A basic 12v/240v coolbox was purchased to keep the beers cold and bacon fresh for breakfast.
We quickly booked a night away to try it out. Here the AFT is up and we have an awning on the side to give us some extra space:
20210814_163219 by CarlosV8, on FlickrHappy to say the first trip was a success and we were all very pleased with the purchase.
With the front seat tilted back you have access to the right bank of the engine, along with oil cap, PAS reservoir, air box and gearbox dipstick/filler:
20210810_122723 by CarlosV8, on FlickrAnd on the other side, you have the other bank, dizzy cap and engine dipstick:
20210810_122744 by CarlosV8, on FlickrThe V6 configuration means everything is nicely accessible. If you need to get to the throttle body/inlet manifold then the panel above can be unbolted to give unrestricted access. The radiator is in the usual place behind the grille with a combination of rubber and metal hard pipes connecting it to the engine. Also under the bonnet is the front heater fan, header tank, 2 x batteries, ABS module etc.
You've probably read enough about a boring Japanese MPV by now, so I'll stop waffling there, but if there is any interest then next time I’ll update with the work I’ve been doing over the last few months to get the van up together and to (hopefully) ensure trouble-free motoring in the future.
Really nice. Back when my children were small we had a Toyota Regius with a high top and kitchen. It was nice to drive, even if a bit small for three people to camp in for any length of time. For two people it was great.
It's now been upgraded to fiat ducato based camper, which has a lot more room but drives like a big slow van. If it was just me and one of the children I'd have the toyota back in a second.
Anyway, i like the look of your bongo. How easy are they to rust proof?
It's now been upgraded to fiat ducato based camper, which has a lot more room but drives like a big slow van. If it was just me and one of the children I'd have the toyota back in a second.
Anyway, i like the look of your bongo. How easy are they to rust proof?
Cambs_Stuart said:
Really nice. Back when my children were small we had a Toyota Regius with a high top and kitchen. It was nice to drive, even if a bit small for three people to camp in for any length of time. For two people it was great.
It's now been upgraded to fiat ducato based camper, which has a lot more room but drives like a big slow van. If it was just me and one of the children I'd have the toyota back in a second.
Anyway, i like the look of your bongo. How easy are they to rust proof?
We've only done overnight stays so far, but we're planning a longer trip in 2022. The drive-away awning will be essential to give us some additional space. But for an overnight with minimal luggage it's been great so far.It's now been upgraded to fiat ducato based camper, which has a lot more room but drives like a big slow van. If it was just me and one of the children I'd have the toyota back in a second.
Anyway, i like the look of your bongo. How easy are they to rust proof?
They can basically rust everywhere, so some sort of protection is essential, luckily ours was waxoiled soon after import. At some point I will clean the underside and reapply wherever required. As mentioned, the front crossmember definitely needs replacing, but an OEM part is about £150, so just need to find a friendly welder.
Old Man Peabody said:
What sort of mpg do you get out of the V6?
Not sure to be honest, I try not to think about it 
I would guess around 20mpg, and that's using super unleaded too. Virtually all Bongos will be 20+ years old, so some fettling and spending money will almost certainly be required... I'll come on to that in my next post.whytheory said:
Surely worth giving it its glorious full name, Mazda Bongo Friendee?
Always thought these were cool, cool to see the V6 under the seats, must look pretty sparse under the bonnet then?
Haha, yes it's a bit of a mouthful! The space under the bonnet is fairly short with quite a bit crammed in, but all of it is up top, so quite a bit of free space between the bottom of the grille and the lower crossmembers.Always thought these were cool, cool to see the V6 under the seats, must look pretty sparse under the bonnet then?
Challo said:
Looks nice OP. Have you checked for any rust? These are known for having issues with rust so might be worth getting it up on a lift and seeing what the underneath is like.
Thanks. Part of the reason we jumped straight in with this one is that the underneath was very clean. It's not completely rust free, but it must be one of the more solid non-repaired examples.Once we had the Bongo back home the first job to do was an oil change. The useful ground clearance meant no jack or axle stands were required, which was handy. The hardest bit was getting the undertray off, but once that was out the way access to the sump plug and oil filter was easy:
20211026_114705 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
You can see the filter hiding in front of the left exhaust.
Also took the opportunity to give the van a more detailed check-over. Apart from a few issues I already spotted, the only new problem was that some of the wiring was less than ideal. This centred around how the leisure battery was hooked up. First of all the battery tray was a bit ghetto and secondly I wasn't happy with the charging circuit, which was (badly) wired through a standard relay in the cabin.
But before sorting that, I needed to attend to a more pressing matter - there was no history of a cambelt change since it go to the UK in 2013. That had to be sorted, but I didn't feel comfortable doing it myself so sought out an expert. Seems like that was a wise move, as the first specialist I tried passed on the job as it was too complicated and time-consuming. He recommended a specialist-specialist and a few weeks later the cambelt, water pump, cam seals, crank seal and idlers were all renewed. My wallet was relieved of £650 (I had naively budgeted about half that - oooops!).
With the mechanical essentials done the Bongo was pressed into service mid August, and we've done numerous day trips and nights away since. In between I've gradually been getting the other jobs done. The first was a split charge relay kit:
20210816_171540 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
This meant I could ditch the dodgy leisure battery wiring, and now it will only charge the leisure battery when voltage on the starter battery is >13v, which will ensure no accidental discharging. The wiring and fuses are also properly rated so it's now all safe. So this is the underbonnet view:
20210810_141703 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
The left battery is the starter (engine) battery, whilst the right battery is the leisure battery which is used for the accessories (radio, interior lights, blinds, 12v sockets). The air scope is for the heater fan, and this gives a convenient place to mount the new relay (just to the left of the battery):
20210921_172525 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
Some hefty cables and fuses connect the 2 batteries via the relay. In the photo you can also see the gnarly battery tray mentioned earlier. The good thing about Bongos is that there's a huge community of avid fans, and as a result there are some simple off-the-shelf solutions for common problems, such as the leisure battery tray. So now, the old one is binned, and in it's place:
20211027_113109 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
Neater, more secure and also scope to fit a larger battery in the future.
20211026_114705 by CarlosV8, on FlickrYou can see the filter hiding in front of the left exhaust.
Also took the opportunity to give the van a more detailed check-over. Apart from a few issues I already spotted, the only new problem was that some of the wiring was less than ideal. This centred around how the leisure battery was hooked up. First of all the battery tray was a bit ghetto and secondly I wasn't happy with the charging circuit, which was (badly) wired through a standard relay in the cabin.
But before sorting that, I needed to attend to a more pressing matter - there was no history of a cambelt change since it go to the UK in 2013. That had to be sorted, but I didn't feel comfortable doing it myself so sought out an expert. Seems like that was a wise move, as the first specialist I tried passed on the job as it was too complicated and time-consuming. He recommended a specialist-specialist and a few weeks later the cambelt, water pump, cam seals, crank seal and idlers were all renewed. My wallet was relieved of £650 (I had naively budgeted about half that - oooops!).
With the mechanical essentials done the Bongo was pressed into service mid August, and we've done numerous day trips and nights away since. In between I've gradually been getting the other jobs done. The first was a split charge relay kit:
20210816_171540 by CarlosV8, on FlickrThis meant I could ditch the dodgy leisure battery wiring, and now it will only charge the leisure battery when voltage on the starter battery is >13v, which will ensure no accidental discharging. The wiring and fuses are also properly rated so it's now all safe. So this is the underbonnet view:
20210810_141703 by CarlosV8, on FlickrThe left battery is the starter (engine) battery, whilst the right battery is the leisure battery which is used for the accessories (radio, interior lights, blinds, 12v sockets). The air scope is for the heater fan, and this gives a convenient place to mount the new relay (just to the left of the battery):
20210921_172525 by CarlosV8, on FlickrSome hefty cables and fuses connect the 2 batteries via the relay. In the photo you can also see the gnarly battery tray mentioned earlier. The good thing about Bongos is that there's a huge community of avid fans, and as a result there are some simple off-the-shelf solutions for common problems, such as the leisure battery tray. So now, the old one is binned, and in it's place:
20211027_113109 by CarlosV8, on FlickrNeater, more secure and also scope to fit a larger battery in the future.
My MiL runs one of these with the same engine but LPG converted as the mpg is poor. I drive it regularly and it's definitely not something that likes to be driven hard with the (3 speed?) auto-box and all that weight at the top from the auto poptop. Bang for buck they cannot be beaten though, hers is probably worth as much now as when she bought it 6yrs ago!
Not sure if it's been fitted already but get yourself a coolant alarm. The built in water temp gauge is woeful (known issue) and you won't know that it's over-heating until it's too late!
Not sure if it's been fitted already but get yourself a coolant alarm. The built in water temp gauge is woeful (known issue) and you won't know that it's over-heating until it's too late!
Thanks for the comments.
You can certainly feel the high centre of gravity, both from the roof and high-up engine. The auto is 4 speed and not particularly clever, but with a combination of the gear selector and the hold button you can get it in the right gear for overtaking, engine braking etc. However changes are relatively smooth, so most of the time I just put it in drive and let it do it's thing. I have other cars that like to be driven hard - this is more relaxing
You can certainly feel the high centre of gravity, both from the roof and high-up engine. The auto is 4 speed and not particularly clever, but with a combination of the gear selector and the hold button you can get it in the right gear for overtaking, engine braking etc. However changes are relatively smooth, so most of the time I just put it in drive and let it do it's thing. I have other cars that like to be driven hard - this is more relaxing
You're right about the cooling system, and that is the subject of the next jobs! You may have noticed the little white device on the header tank - this is the coolant alarm sensor. I had read in many guides that the Bongos complex coolant system can cause issues if not well maintained. There are a lot of rubber and metal pipes carrying the coolant between the rad, engine and 2 heater matrix - and at their current age leaks can developed. Unfortunately the temperature gauge is very well damped and reacts very slowly, so by the time it shows a problem you may be looking at major expense. So, now if the coolant level dips below the sensor a very annoying alarm sounds in the cabin, so you can quickly react and pull over.
The reason I fitted this is that a leak developed fairly quickly after having the cambelt done. A bulging top hose had unseated itself and starting dripping. Managed to fix the leak by adjusting and tightening the hose clip, but knew it needed sorting ASAP. With a few trips already booked in the van I hastily fitted the coolant alarm to give some peace of mind before fixing it properly.
Luckily the hose didn't rupture, and it's now been sorted. The hose itself was easy enough to replace, and it's clear to see it was completely knackered when compared to the new one:
20211026_113325 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
With that done, the coolant system needed bleeding. This was a 2-man job and took about 45 mins. First of all I jerry-rigged a bleed kit:
20211026_134942 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
And then it was a case of running the engine up to temperature whilst raising and lowering the funnel in the photo. The funnel is connected to a bleed tube in the engine bay and when lowered coolant is forced into it, along with any air in the system. When raised the coolant is pulled back into the engine and then repeat until all air is out of the system. You also need to keep an eye on the header tank level, give the engine some revs, and periodically check the bottom hose to make sure the thermostat opened. I could at least check that from my funnel-holding-position using a temp gun:
20211026_134937 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
Eventually we got all the air out, and everything was buttoned up and ready to go again. Hopefully that's the urgent mechanical jobs now done, but we'll see what crops up next
The reason I fitted this is that a leak developed fairly quickly after having the cambelt done. A bulging top hose had unseated itself and starting dripping. Managed to fix the leak by adjusting and tightening the hose clip, but knew it needed sorting ASAP. With a few trips already booked in the van I hastily fitted the coolant alarm to give some peace of mind before fixing it properly.
Luckily the hose didn't rupture, and it's now been sorted. The hose itself was easy enough to replace, and it's clear to see it was completely knackered when compared to the new one:
20211026_113325 by CarlosV8, on FlickrWith that done, the coolant system needed bleeding. This was a 2-man job and took about 45 mins. First of all I jerry-rigged a bleed kit:
20211026_134942 by CarlosV8, on FlickrAnd then it was a case of running the engine up to temperature whilst raising and lowering the funnel in the photo. The funnel is connected to a bleed tube in the engine bay and when lowered coolant is forced into it, along with any air in the system. When raised the coolant is pulled back into the engine and then repeat until all air is out of the system. You also need to keep an eye on the header tank level, give the engine some revs, and periodically check the bottom hose to make sure the thermostat opened. I could at least check that from my funnel-holding-position using a temp gun:
20211026_134937 by CarlosV8, on FlickrEventually we got all the air out, and everything was buttoned up and ready to go again. Hopefully that's the urgent mechanical jobs now done, but we'll see what crops up next
Nice Bongo! I've also got a silver V6, Mine is a 2002 facelift Aero
Interesting JDM Bodykit yours has.
Have you transferred any of the existing interior electrics to the LB at all. It's easy enough to add a small fuse box and transfer the aux, lights, blinds and power sockets over, there is a kit available that uses some spade type connectors to plug into the fusebox if you don't want to modify the wiring behind.
Interesting JDM Bodykit yours has.
Have you transferred any of the existing interior electrics to the LB at all. It's easy enough to add a small fuse box and transfer the aux, lights, blinds and power sockets over, there is a kit available that uses some spade type connectors to plug into the fusebox if you don't want to modify the wiring behind.
JimbobVFR said:
Nice Bongo! I've also got a silver V6, Mine is a 2002 facelift Aero
Interesting JDM Bodykit yours has.
Have you transferred any of the existing interior electrics to the LB at all. It's easy enough to add a small fuse box and transfer the aux, lights, blinds and power sockets over, there is a kit available that uses some spade type connectors to plug into the fusebox if you don't want to modify the wiring behind.
Apologies, didn't see your reply at the time. I do like the facelift version, and yours looks great! Interesting JDM Bodykit yours has.
Have you transferred any of the existing interior electrics to the LB at all. It's easy enough to add a small fuse box and transfer the aux, lights, blinds and power sockets over, there is a kit available that uses some spade type connectors to plug into the fusebox if you don't want to modify the wiring behind.
The feed for those circuits has been swapped already by bringing a LB live wire in to the back of the standard fusebox, presumably when it was first imported. However, it's been fitted with a twin core cable, with the second wire going to the old charging relay, which is now removed. I do have the circuit swap loom you mentioned, so at some point I will fit it to tidy up the wiring. It also gives me the option to swap back to the SB just by putting a fuse back in.
Despite the poor weather we've managed to take the Bongo out on a few days trips and the coolant level is now nice and steady. Only pic I can find is sat up on Portsdown Hill looking over Portsmouth. Kettle was on the in the back
20210924_181250 by CarlosV8, on FlickrBongo life has been good to us so far in 2022. We've managed quite a few trips away, and have mastered the kit required and how to pack it in the van. There has been some fettling required along the way though...
The front brakes were an advisory last year, so thought I'd give them a quick overhaul - just a cleanup and new pads. All went well on the nearside, then when I came to do the offside I discovered a cross-threaded caliper bolt. Both the bolt and thread in the caliper were knackered, so ordered some new parts and got them fitted:
20220522_163158 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
Whilst I was there I got a couple of other jobs done. Firstly I replaced the drop links - more as a preventative measure as they were so cheap. Of course, the old one on the offside fought me:
20220522_161216 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
Luckily access was good enough to get the hacksaw in for a bit of persuasion! You'll also notice in the first photo that the wishbone looks a bit crusty. Didn't like the idea of that so I also bought a new OEM to swap over:
20220529_132027 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
A fairly simple task, apart from finding a spanner big enough to undo the ball joint nut. Turns out 1 1/16" does the job!
I was debating fitting a solar panel to the top of the van in order to keep the leisure battery topped up when we weren't hooked up to 240v. There's a decent 100w kit designed for the Bongo, but it costs £450 with a PWM controller. I didn't fancy shelling out that much, so instead went for a 100w foldable panel with the better MPPT controller for £200. Tried it for the first time at the weekend (at the excellent Thruxton Historic) and it did a great job of keeping the battery topped up whilst having a 12v coolbox plugged in all day, so very happy with that:
2022-06-11_07-12-34 by CarlosV8, on Flickr
It's finally booked in for a new crossmember to be welded in next week, and then it'll be time for it's first MOT with us. After that I've got a bit of work to do on the electrics over the summer, and a few other odd jobs to attend to. But we will continue to use it whenever we can
The front brakes were an advisory last year, so thought I'd give them a quick overhaul - just a cleanup and new pads. All went well on the nearside, then when I came to do the offside I discovered a cross-threaded caliper bolt. Both the bolt and thread in the caliper were knackered, so ordered some new parts and got them fitted:
20220522_163158 by CarlosV8, on FlickrWhilst I was there I got a couple of other jobs done. Firstly I replaced the drop links - more as a preventative measure as they were so cheap. Of course, the old one on the offside fought me:
20220522_161216 by CarlosV8, on FlickrLuckily access was good enough to get the hacksaw in for a bit of persuasion! You'll also notice in the first photo that the wishbone looks a bit crusty. Didn't like the idea of that so I also bought a new OEM to swap over:
20220529_132027 by CarlosV8, on FlickrA fairly simple task, apart from finding a spanner big enough to undo the ball joint nut. Turns out 1 1/16" does the job!
I was debating fitting a solar panel to the top of the van in order to keep the leisure battery topped up when we weren't hooked up to 240v. There's a decent 100w kit designed for the Bongo, but it costs £450 with a PWM controller. I didn't fancy shelling out that much, so instead went for a 100w foldable panel with the better MPPT controller for £200. Tried it for the first time at the weekend (at the excellent Thruxton Historic) and it did a great job of keeping the battery topped up whilst having a 12v coolbox plugged in all day, so very happy with that:
2022-06-11_07-12-34 by CarlosV8, on FlickrIt's finally booked in for a new crossmember to be welded in next week, and then it'll be time for it's first MOT with us. After that I've got a bit of work to do on the electrics over the summer, and a few other odd jobs to attend to. But we will continue to use it whenever we can
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