300 Tdi Coolant Leak

[TexasTJ]

So i know this is not the best place for tech on this motor, but the more minds the better and I haven't gotten much info from Defendersource.
I have a 1997 Land Rover with a 300 Tdi. The truck started to overheat this morning On the way to work I had just completed a trip to Houston and back to Austin over the weekend. The truck drove great with a AC on till I was almost home. I stopped in Bastrop to clean the windscreen an noted a lot of water pooling under the front passenger side bumper, but it didn't smell like coolant so I just ran the rest of the way home. about 3 miles from home i looked down and saw the temp gauge had started to rise so on went the heater to full and down came the windows. The temps came down and I made it home. After the system cooled down I pop't the coolant over flow and had slot about 2.5" of coolant off the marker. I topped it off and went to bed planning to look it over at work this morning. I happened be right by my mother in laws house and pulled over there. Pop the plug off the thermostat and it was really low. Filled it up too then ran the motor and cold not get the system to purge the air out."heater is blowing cold". So I left the truck there and had my wife come get me and take me in to work. I just had the head gasket and the timeline belt replaced. And now i find myself on the great coolant leak search I don't see any pooling except around the overflow bottle. I would love some advise on where to look for a leak? or a point into a better way to purge air out of the system so I can get the Truck to Austin Rover Works.

Thanks

Nate

 

[Gren_T]

Hi Nate
If this is a standard 300 tdi install with correct rad etc check the following.
1) The expansion bottle hose that goes under the fan shroud, it should be clipped to the shroud if not it can chafe through.
2) Another common fault with the TDI is the expansion bottle cracks, mainly on the mid seam letting water out when hot and under pressure but holds water when cold or pressure is released to top up.
3) Check the rad bleed pipe top left of the rad above the oil cooler pipes, it may have got bent & cracked during work on your truck..
4) There is a bleed pipe that joins the rad bleed & expansion bottle hose at a plastic 3way joint this hose crosses the head and can get rubbed through on the AC belt tension pulley bracket if it is not clipped out of the way.

Regards all
Gren

 

[TexasTJ]

Great Gren thanks! I ordered a new expansion bottle today and Ill look at the hoses too. I'm thinking I got a crack its the bottle that is cracked it the Original black one.

 

[Antichrist]

Have you done a pressure test of the cooling system and looked for leaks?

 

[TexasTJ]

I haven't yet But I'm picking up the tool from the parts store today on my way home form work. I am pretty sure the leak is at the tank now though...

 

[Gren_T]

Hi Nate, easy one if that is the case.
If you still have problems try something like this..http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UV-Dye-UV...m-RLD2-Ring-/230723938073?hash=item35b837e719
I'm sure you will be able to get it locally, It's helped me fix some very difficult to find leaks over the years
The downside however is shining a black light on my drive & roadway in the dark looks like an alien has bled out all over it

regards

Gren

 

[overlander]

Definitely pressure test. that water by your passenger side under the footwell should be where your underdash ac facia drains the condensation.

Definitely do a pressure test. overheating can pop that head gasket again, and mystery coolant loss that ends up in your oil will take out your turbo very, very quickly. I hope it is the expansion tank or something simple. it's where the coolant is being lost without any evidence of leakage that scares me.

I just had my head gasket replaced as well. my truck would pass pressure and sniffer tests at idle, but failed sniffer under high rpm when turbo was boosting. very small head gasket failure that was pressurizing my cooling system and forcing the coolant out the expansion tank. my mistake that lead to this issue was reusing head bolts. last time I ever do that.

 

[TexasTJ]

That suck! I replaced the exspantion tank and a couple of crusty hoses "(one with a pin hole) I'm hoping that keep the presher down while it was warm. All seams fine and I was able to find hoses that would work for the heater lines at the autozone score for me! It's running good so far and I'm checking levels everyday when she's cold. ( when I leave to work and come home). Will see time will tell but I am planning a presher test the system when I get home for my Whitney this weekend. If I lose a head gasket and a turbo this soon after buying the truck my wife might step in And send me down the road for another LR3. I'm a sucker for old truck though.

Nate