Another overheating problem

[gords]

This has only started recently so I don't think it's a problem with the fan!

I set off for Billing (via my brother's) this morning, happily crusing along the M25 at a nice 70MPH. Came to a bit of a hill so I accelerated to compensate. Half way up the (fairly small) hill I noticed the temperature guage nearing the red line :shock:  I backed right off and got to the top/flat - doing a steady 50MPH the temp fell back to normal.

Again, I crept upto 65-70MPH and the temp was fine ... until the next hill :roll:

At my brother's house I checked the coolant level and it was a bit low but not too bad. I topped it up. Off we went to Billing ... and exactly the same thing happened. Obviously, it was a slowish journey to/from Billing.

Before leaving for home, I again checked/topped up the coolant but the overheating happened on the way home :(

There are no obvious signs of coolant loss (no puddles under the car) - so where do I start and/or what signs do I look for?

Anyone want to buy a Discovery...?

[John T]

Sorry not an answer, but I'm going to watch this with interest. I had exactly the same problem.
All the way down the M1 to Billing - cruising at 70+ = temp gauge rises to top, but as soon as you drop to 50ish it settles back to the middle. Even sitting in queues it didn't go above normal.

Is it possible it could have been the exceptionally high outdoor temperature?

[gords]

Is it possible it could have been the exceptionally high outdoor temperature?

It did it at 7:30am ish this morning - and it was overcast when I left, so I don't think that was it.

It doesn't seem to be specifically the speed, but rather the speed combined with the engine load (70 + flat = OK, 65 + up hill = not OK).

[andyhubbard]

I don't know if they are the same but my Rangy has been redlining it and the expansion tank level was fine,i've solved the problem when i undid the nut on the top of the rad and found that the water level was below the top of the fins,i think it was an air lock because you could see the level go down and hear the air come out.Topped up the water level in rad and now no problem.Hope this is of some help-Andy.

[burgerman]

we used to run a fleet of peugot diesel vans, and after 3-4 years old as you put on the gas or a up a hill the the temp would rise very quickly, back off or level out the road and fine,  would sit in traffic all day long with no worries at all, at first we took the rads out and washed them out, no bad sludge and seemed to flow ok, the solution was to replace the rads,  we did this to all of the fleet as soon as they were getting warm,   although these were peuguot vans, me mates 300 disco was showing the same symptoms recently, again washed out internally and externally the rad, no difference, replaced the rad, no worries sits same temp all day long, and he doesnt even run a fan unit,

i think what is happening is the veins were furrred up, not completely, but enough to reduce th ecooling, but not enough to stop the complete flow of water through it,    only my experience ,good luck hope it helps

[Mark2Disco]

yes i have the same problem
even without towing
go above 70 mph for a few mins and temp goes up
slow down to 70mph and temp is fine
will tick over all day without the temp moving up
i think the rad is full of sludge
the pipes in the rad are only very small and if there is sludge in the
rad the coolant will not circulate quick enough to cool the engine
at high speeds or when under load
i did have problem with heater being poor
so i flushed it out and is now fine
there was a lot of sludge in it so im thinking it must be the
same in the bottom of the rad

[Henry Webster]

i think what is happening is the veins were furrred up, not completely, but enough to reduce th ecooling, but not enough to stop the complete flow of water through it,    only my experience ,good luck hope it helps

I had this problem with my 200Tdi Disco.  Rad looked ok and flushed out fine - if a little dirty, but a new rad was the cure.

Cheers

H

[winchman]

The same happens to 405 heter matrixes, very good points keep us posted

[denviks]

i have exactly the same propblem...... no idea what it is. im pulling the caravan to scotland next week but it will be fine as im only doing 60 mph. anything above that and she gets hot. the rad is spottless on the outside and i have flushed it forwards and in reverese. to be honest it was very clean inside too. im gonna fit my kenlowe when i get back off my holiday to see if that makes a difference  :D

[burgerman]

defnitly not saying i know best but after blowing/melting one van to  bits on the motorway i would strongly suggest replacing the rad, i mentioned that we cleaned out the rads even put some "nasty chemicals" through them, no difference,    dont shoot me down in flames if its not the cure but i have known many instances of this and the final piece of the jigsaw--new rad       good luck

[Jas278]

i have exactly the same propblem...... no idea what it is. im pulling the caravan to scotland next week but it will be fine as im only doing 60 mph. anything above that and she gets hot. the rad is spottless on the outside and i have flushed it forwards and in reverese. to be honest it was very clean inside too. im gonna fit my kenlowe when i get back off my holiday to see if that makes a difference  :D

You probably will find it worse with a Kenlowe ,I too have suffered all the same symptons ,even with new rad especialy when caning the olg gel and with a Large t/a caravan on,kenlowe  recomend only use a sucker fan if towing less than 1500kgs, if above this they recomend a blower fan and youre existing viscous unit

[simondarby]

I cured the same problem with a new rad too!  In fact, it took two rads as the first new replacement didn't cut the mustard..

[gords]

Well, it appears that the inner surface of the rad (between rad and air con rad) is quite dirty (a bit of mud + general crap), so I will give that a good clean.

But also, a mechanic was looking around and squeezing the pipes (is that a bit like kicking tyres? ) and the top hose hissed out of the end when he squeezed it :shock:  :roll:

Some of you may remember that I had a clutch replaced a while ago and they took the "engine out" approach. It looks like they also took the "can't be arsed to tighten that up" approach too

Oh yes, and the two pipes at the back of the engine look well dodgy (why didn't they replace them when refitting the engine?!) so I'll be changing those. The "P" (?) gasket looks like it might be leaking and still a paper one so that will be changed ... plus I might just put a new rad in, just for the hell of it ... unless, someone wants to buy a Discovery that "needs a bit of work"!!!!

[gords]

Cleaned the read fins out and changed the dodgy pipes - but it still overheats

Well, I suppose it's a new radiator next :roll:

[muddyjames]

I have similar problems too. I towed a 2 tone trailer at xmas and the disco was fine. Wonderful to tow with. Then in May I towed my 1100kg caravan and it was fine but a little slow up hills but hey it is a 300tdi auto and still got the exhaust re immisions thing on.

Towed a caravan for amate recently and then I bought a t/a van too and the temp guage flew up to red as soon as the gearbox kicked down to 3rd. Keepthe heaters on full blast and it slowed the speed down of the temp rising.

I have numerous problems and tried to clean the fins but with a hose pipe ban that is tricky. also tried to flush rad through and got out loads of muddy coloured water. I have a slow water loss too.

Edited to remove all my bad spelling

[500bhp]

I also had a over heating problem, but my cause was a wierd one.
Went through all the normal checks, everything fine. But as the water is very high in calcium here a friend suggested checking the flow from the water pump, took the top hose off, removed the stat, ran the engine, and only a dribble of of water flowed out. It seemed at some time in its life a previouse owner had run it on water from the tap and not coolant mix, and the pump fins had corroded away to almost nothing :shock:  :shock:  :shock:

[muddyjames]

now that is interesting.

I ran my engine with the stat cap off and it didnt even dribble out but then when I undid the cap another time it gushed out big time.

[Range Rover Blues]

My LSE has been doing this too :(

It will sit happily at 60 with the 'van on, fine.  Get stuck behind some numpty at about 50 ish, overheats.

Oh, kane it uphill with the 'van on, surprise surprise.....

And traffic jams, that's just a lottery.

[muddyjames]

Mine is quiet that bad.

I can sit in jams happily and it crawls along but it is just the going up hills when it drops into 3rd and the engine starts to scream with the van on the back you see the needle shoot right up.

[gords]

Well, I had a new pet gasket, water pump and radiator fitted before going to BB3.

I don't know which one (or ones) fixed it, but whizzed home (where I could) this evening and the temp needle didn't move at all :D  \:D/

[ea51 mud]

gordon

who did the work and what did you end up paying for it?

asking the question as i had a kenlowe fitted wrong 3 times with a garage bill of 380 quid that i paid however they re-fitted and tried to charge me a further 198 quid which i aint paying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the 'independent overland specialist dealer' did not know how to fit a kenlowe.

i shall NOT be using them agian- and THANKYOU to 'colin' the 'very very nice man' from the AA for

a) allowing me to drive the bb3 off road course

b) getting me home on (K SEAL)

[Xtremeteam]

BTW on that note did you know a kenlowe isnt as efficent as a pacet for its size & blade area  

[Range Rover Blues]

:shock: Really, and after all they claim about their jazzy curved blades too :roll:

That's good news then as the Pacet kit is £100 cheaper for the LSE, so maybe I can afford it after all.

[gords]

who did the work and what did you end up paying for it?

It was InsideOut 4x4 in Capel, Surrey. I can't remember the actual costs, but the rad was approx £100 and labour was not very much!