300tdi feeling hot but not!?

Hi everyone
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As you may already know - over the last couple of weeks ive thoroughly flushed and replaced the coolant in my 1995 300tdi. Mainly due to having such a poor heater, and getting it ready for the winter (week anti freeze mix). During doing this i noticed that the thermostat in at the time was a 75 degree waxstat. So i ordered a new genuine land rover thermostat and popped it in (err3291).#

I then took it for a drive, approximately 15 mile round trip. And the land rover felt great, no issues at all and the temperature gauge sat bang on half way regardless of the load on the engine. And best of all the heater was now HOT!
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As soon as i had returned home and pulled on the drive, my dad happened to pass the front of the vehicle and mentioned how hot the front end felt. Which is very unusual! Like i was blowing hot air out!
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Anyway, about 10 minutes later after having a look under the bonnet, i noticed the header tank had split around the seam. But there was still enough coolant in there.#
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Before i had replaced the coolant and thermostat, the land rover was perfect, no issues what so ever other than having a luke warm heater. No mayonnaise in filler cap, no oil in coolant. No blowing from filler cap. etc. The temperature gauge sits middle both before and after the coolant change. Its all original inc the Fan.

Any help on this would be great. Im abit concerned about driving it now in case i do some damage.#

Thanks

How is this different to

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f7/300tdi-cooling-system-concern-265228.html

timtheenchanteruk said:

How is this different to

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f7/300tdi-cooling-system-concern-265228.html

Click to expand...

Good point i could have used the same thread. Sorry everyone!

I previously forgot to mention the heat coming out from under the bonnet/grill area that my dad noticed. Seemed very unusual especially as i wasnt towing or carry anything. Yet the temp gauge sat half way.

normal, you can feel the heat coming round the edge of the monnet on mine when the engines nice and up to temp, its a fender, it doesnt have nice insulation an engine covers n stuff.
only generally feel it from the grill if the winds blowing the right way.
my 300 sits at 1/2 way all day, even when towing it only budges a little, oil temp flucuates far more.

timtheenchanteruk said:

normal, you can feel the heat coming round the edge of the monnet on mine when the engines nice and up to temp, its a fender, it doesnt have nice insulation an engine covers n stuff.
only generally feel it from the grill if the winds blowing the right way.
my 300 sits at 1/2 way all day, even when towing it only budges a little, oil temp flucuates far more.

Click to expand...

Thanks Tim thats good to hear. Should i bleed the system after replacing the header tank. If so how?

I just removed the stat plug, topped it up, refit, and filled expansion.
Go gently when topping up the stat, pour too fast and it just fills the expansion tank and seems like its not filling
you shouldnt loose much , if any just changing the bottle.

Right ive done what has been suggested. Took it for a run. But im still not happy with how hot it feels. Even though the temperature gauge is sitting bang on half way.

Both top and bottom radiator hoses are very hot. Can touch them for about 4 seconds.

Thermostat housing is too hot to touch. So is the radiator plug.

Heater hoses are about the same, the one connected to the bottom hose i can touch for 3/4 seconds.

The heater itself in the cab. Is very hot. I can hold my hand on the heater blowers by the windscreen for about 10 seconds before it burns.

Surely this is too hot?

There was also a squeal and hiss as i opened the expansion tank cap.

the engine runs about 85-90 degrees, the stat doesnt even open till 88 degrees so yes its hot.
If your still worried, buy an IR thermometer on ebay and check the gauge is reading accuratly.
if its all warm you will have a hiss/squeal as you open it up, your removing the pressure, as long as the tanks not bulging, it should be under a little pressure.

for a rough guide, you cant touch for more than a second anything above around 60 degrees, anything over 75 is getting to reflex territory

Im pretty sure I mentioned in one of your other threads asking the same questions that head gasket may be suspect.
As mentioned above ir thermometers are v cheap.

Everything sounds normal to me. Id be more concerned if I had a cold pipe!

Thanks fellas. Again reassuring despite me questioning it again. Appreciate you putting me straight!

I think i might get a IR thermometer and just double check it. For peace of mind. Ive got a long journey in a couple of weeks 300 mile round tip. I dont want to be second guessing it.