2004 D2 - Heater not working, Vehicle overheating, Coolant Boiling

[taylorRichie]

Hi,

This morning I Jumped in the car to take my daughter to school. Typically after a few minutes of driving the heater kicks on and the interior temperature warms up. Today was particularly cold (13º). I made it all the way to her school 10 minutes away, and noticed the vehicle temp was going. I popped the hood and coolant overflow was going all over the place, and the coolant was boiling.

I let it cool down, and then headed to work (about a 5 mile drive from her school) I made it about 2 miles and pulled over, It was overheating. I Let it cool down for 10 minutes or so, then finished the drive to work, (stopping for a jug of coolant).

Anyway, This is the first time it has overheated, and I'm not sure where to begin diagnosing the culprit. My coolant reservoir has been a little low, but certainly not dry.

tl;dr: Cold Morning, Heater wasn't working, Car was overheating.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[proper4wd]

Sounds like you sprung a large coolant leak. Below a certain coolant level the heater core drains and you wont have any heat.

Wash everything off with a garden hose and refill the overflow tank, pressure test it and find the leak. Theres a chance you have done some damage to the engine by driving it; the Discovery engines are very sensitive to "thermal events". Next time have it towed... and yes there will (probably) be a next time...

 

[tacr2man]

Stop driving about with a overheating engine , if you havent already done serious damage , you soon will !

 

[tacr2man]

I take it from your location that you are driving a V8 petrol version . You need to refill with water as per the manual , to avoid getting airlocks . Leave the filler cap off when you have got the level correct . You have probably done a head gasket , if that wasnt the cause originally . Then try starting and see if the water gets pushed out quickly , if it does not you may have got away with it . You can then try running with cap on for longer and see if water is leaking out from anywhere. Keep a good eye on temp guage , also notice if heater starts to go cold , as this signals a drop in water level , quite often just before it overheats seriously . You should ideally try and get assistance from someone who is a good mechanic with rover knowledge HTSH

 

[johnsoax]

Sounds like a stuck shut thermostat to me....

 

[David Harris]

I take it from your location that you are driving a V8 petrol version . You need to refill with water as per the manual , to avoid getting airlocks . Leave the filler cap off when you have got the level correct . You have probably done a head gasket , if that wasnt the cause originally . Then try starting and see if the water gets pushed out quickly , if it does not you may have got away with it . You can then try running with cap on for longer and see if water is leaking out from anywhere. Keep a good eye on temp guage , also notice if heater starts to go cold , as this signals a drop in water level , quite often just before it overheats seriously . You should ideally try and get assistance from someone who is a good mechanic with rover knowledge HTSH

If it is a head gasket at the coolant passage, or worse, cracked block, then the oil sump may be full of coolant which will destroy the bearings in short order if run that way. Better to check for any signs of that as well. Let it sit overnight and pull the oil pan plug, the oil will separate to the top and the water/coolant, if any, will drain out. If there isn't any just replace the plug without draining completely.

As others have said, having overheated repeatedly, that motor may indeed be finished without major work. They can't take more than a couple of overheats.

 

[Eniam17]

How mechanical are you? You could also try a block tester kit that will tell you if there is combustion gas in the coolant. They are cheap and easy. I had an overheat issue with my Range Rover classic and before I knew it, the motor was shot. Take it from someone who has spent the last year doing a motor swap, if you're not mechanically inclined enough to really sort through this on your own with the advice above, bring it to a good mechanic you trust. And have it towed, Don't drive it.

 

[taylorRichie]

I had the vehicle towed back home.

I attempted to drive it made it 1/4mile and the red light above the temp gauge turned on so I stopped and towed. Got it home and it wouldn't start. It tried to turn over, then the car chimed and nothing.

I had it block tested 2 months a go at GBR I was told it had a minor leak but nothing of immediate concern.

I've got a new thermostat on its way, and tomorrow I'm going to mod my old one to prevent trapped air and ensure it opens just to see if it will stay cool.

Any other suggestions to try should these fail?

I may park it for winter and do mass maintenance, HG, powersteering pump (getting noisy), serpentine belt should I plan for anything else? I really had dreamsforthis to be a reliable overland vehicle.

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

Taylor- How many miles on the truck? If any where pushing 70K or above, I suspect you have head gasket issues.
D

 

[Howski]

I had a recurring problem with my coolant system in my 04' D2, even after bleeding it properly each time. Finally turned out to be a small crack in the t-stat. Replaced it, bled it properly and never had issues after that. Check the t-stat or for other very small leaks that can lead to small amounts of air entering the system over time before you jump to headgaskets.

 

[proper4wd]

You need to investigate why it won't turn over. Immediately. Putting a new thermostat in it will not solve that problem.

Make sure the battery is charged. Try again. Remove the serpentine belt (just cut it, you should replace it anyways and you will be in there), try again. If this works, you might have a seized water pump that is the root of these problems.

If it still doesnt turn over, pull all the spark plugs out (make note of which plug comes from which cylinder, and inspect them). Try to turn the engine over by hand with a large ratchet on the crankshaft pulley bolt. 15/16" socket. Report back

 

[taylorRichie]

Awesome advice everyone!

Some Vehicle specs:
2004, Discovery 2 S, IIRC mileage is ~110K
Mechanical Repairs and Upgrades
Sears Platinum Duralast AGM Battery (Marine) - Purchased November 2012
ABS wheel speed sensors replaced Driver and Passenger front wheels - October 2012
Front Brake pads replaced - October 2012
Roxtar Fab Front winch bumper (winch awaiting installation)
Small 30AH Aux battery AGM in the rear
MV50 Compressor In the rear

Repairs/Maintenance to be done:
Mod Shuttle Valve (sporadic amigos, diagnosed by GBR)
Replace front and rear diff fluid
Replace Tie Rod ends (one is getting sloppy)
Flush Power steering system, diagnose leak, replace Pump if necessary.

Thermostat will be here today. I will get a new serpentine belt as well. (Are they available at Oreilly/Autozone?). I'm going to completely flush the cooling system, put in the new Thermostat, and high quality OAT.

What are the recommended plugs for a Discovery? I may just do them while I'm at it.

 

[proper4wd]

Regular maintenance won't fix what's already broken! You need to determine what the problem is, fix it, then do all the above.

 

[taylorRichie]

You mean replacing my diff fluid won't fix my overheating issue!! Bummer!! :sombrero:
That's a list of what I had planned PRIOR to this issue

I was hoping to get feedback on other recommended maintenances.

 

[proper4wd]

What I'm saying is don't waste your time changing the thermostat and flushing the coolant system until you find out whats actually wrong... you will just end up re-doing it and spending more $$$.

This is the magic tool btw:

http://www.amazon.com/UView-550000-Airlift-Cooling-Checker/dp/B0002SRH5G