hot hot HOT - will I have damaged anything???

[JimP]

Went out in my range rover the weekend which resulted in massive overheating! I've only had the car a week, and now realise its because I didn't turn on the manual electric fans!  :oops:

I drove for a fair few miles home while the temp gauge was in the red - am I likely to have done any damage?? anything I can test for??? (it's a 300tdi)

Jim  :oops:

[Saffy]

stooooooopid added electric fans, do not belong on a 4x4. 300tdi do not like it hot, over heating is their biggest killer resulting in head and pistons melting with pistons picking up on the bore and trashing that with molten alloy crumpling the turbo blades so pretty much an economic write off. They usually just stop running and refuse to start and that the first time owner noticed anything was wrong, expanding coolant hoses and sending fountains of water out of the coolant bottle when crank the next signs.
If it still starts up and runs and sounds normally, no strange noises or vibrations, with no obvious consumption of coolant, instantly pressurised cooling system, oil in coolant, leaks, water in oil, burnt smells etc you seem to have got away with it. Definitely check it over carefully for heat damage signs - think about replacing coolant, engine, oil weakened hoses/bottle. Fit the viscous fan !

[doda456]

tdis dont throw out that much heat, so i run mine without a viscous fan but i have swapped the incredibly vague/optimistic landrover themperature sensor for a after market 52mm one.


What i reccomend doing is fitting a x eng fan controller as this will automatically turn the fans on for you.

[Range Rover Blues]

If the guage stayed in the red and was still full of water then you're best off just seeing how it goes.  DOn't be surprised if the head gasket goes soon though.  If it lost water then I'd say OH DEAR, never mind but if it still had water up to the thermostat elbow then you may get away with it.  The red section of the guage does not mean you have melted the engine, it means it getting too hot.

Also you don't need a fan all the time but like others I'd suggest an automatic fan switch.  Wizard sells a good one or Merlin motorsport at Castle Coombe do a fixed temp one (fit it lower down the rad for a hotter temp) for about

[JimP]

well its its running fine, but is a little low on fluid, but there's no signs of any being lost anywhere so maybe it was anyway  :oops:

See how it goes then, fingers crossed!!!

Defo getting a temp switch on it now though!!!

[Range Rover Blues]

To help keep an eye on it wire up a warning lamp to the temp switch then you'll know how much time the fan is on for.