Expansion tank full to the brim out of nowhere this morning.

[sunrisehiker]

Hi group.
Long story short,I came back yesterday from off road event with no engine issues or overheating. This morning before my PT I opened the hood as a my usual precaution after such event and found that my expansion tank is full of coolant almost all the way to the cap, slightly higher that small hose that is attached ti brackets over radiator that runs to upper part of plastic tank. I have started the LR 3 for a minute it was running fine when card but since I did nat wanted to drive it with unknown cause even 3 miles I have decided to take my bike instead to my Physical Therapy session.
Has anybody ever came across such rise in coolant in expansion tank ? I did not have such problem before nor I was adding any coolant, also checking the level every couple of days for the last few years. I have always kept it at max. level. What do you guys think ? Blockage somewhere

 

[LKLK]

Maybe the thermostat or the housing? Check the temp gauge and don’t let it run hot. Keep us posted!

 

[yubert]

Hi group.
Long story short,I came back yesterday from off road event with no engine issues or overheating. This morning before my PT I opened the hood as a my usual precaution after such event and found that my expansion tank is full of coolant almost all the way to the cap, slightly higher that small hose that is attached ti brackets over radiator that runs to upper part of plastic tank. I have started the LR 3 for a minute it was running fine when card but since I did nat wanted to drive it with unknown cause even 3 miles I have decided to take my bike instead to my Physical Therapy session.
Has anybody ever came across such rise in coolant in expansion tank ? I did not have such problem before nor I was adding any coolant, also checking the level every couple of days for the last few years. I have always kept it at max. level. What do you guys think ? Blockage somewhere

I've had that happen when I overheated due to an air pocket. There's a plastic secondary bleed screw under the engine cover.

The PO replaced it with a brass bypass because the plastic is known to crack. My air pocket developed there. I replaced the bypass with an aluminum T bleed valve I found on eBay.

 

[sunrisehiker]

I have replaced T bleeder not to long a go as my preemptive maintenance. I have ran the engine on the driveway up to a normal temp. about an hour a go and did not overheat but also did not suck the coolant back.

 

[TOUGE]

My plastic T exploded today, it was in about 15 pieces when I removed the engine cover. I noticed the water got to the just under the little white line before the red line on the temp gauge pulled over straight away and turned the engine off and let it cool. Hopefully the engine is ok, my Gaptool said straight after pulling over water was 120ºC and oil was 102ºC which my track car was been hotter.

I plugged both ends of the bleeder hose, my expansion tank as empty so I filled everything back up and limped it home, luckily I was less than a mile home and had a jerry can of water in the back.

So yeah replace your plastic T with a metal one ASAP.