The p38 has been doing some more towing recently and this has highlighted a weak point with the cooling system. It had a new rad just before I got it and it also has a new stat and fresh coolant. The engine was swapped for 90,000 mile unit a while back which. So what mods would help keep it cool on the hills? Any swaps around? E39 330d rad or something?
P38A Cooling system upgrade
- Thread starter Joss155
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Grrrrrr
Technician, Bodgit & Scarper Ltd
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That's weird. I was pulling 3 tons the other day and I had my foot to the floor on the hills and it was fine.
Is your viscous fan working properly? Waterpump good? No air-locks?
There's also a mod by Datatek to make the aircon fans kick in and help the cooling (in fact I think he just ditched the viscous fan altogether).
Someone mentioned something about the thickness or layers of the Nissens rad being only 3 something or other whereas the original LR one is 4. I didn't pay it much attention as my Nissens one has always done the job but maybe he was right?
And what was the weakness? Loosing coolant? I definitely felt the radiators made in Scotland ( most replacement p38 rads) we're poor. I was lucky enough to buy a nos serck rad and it is much better. Even different materials I think. Much heavier. Even a small coolant loss will dramatically affect cooling efficiency. Not to the point of immediate catastrophe but severely. For example I had slight loss of coolant into the crankcase(dodgy block) it would heat up really quickly and stay around 90-100. Cured problem now it slowly heats up to 75-85. All never towing. If I towed with the coolant leak I guess I would have had big issues. All things are the same btw.
Just checked and you've got a diesel. Do diesels have the heart valve stat? If so the non gates (allmakes) can have random opening and closing temps and can change(temps) when the spring warms up a few times. The difference in quality between old original stats and cheap europarts stats is night and day. The old stats will gradually open earlier over years the cheap ones can fail very quickly.
2.5 D The radiator is a non gen and a nissens as mentioned so maybe I should get a better one. I know viscous is fine as that is new too. And I can hear it working when it does. The gauge did jump once the first time from hot to slightly cooler which did make me think sticking stat but then it didnt do it again. Dont have any leaks although the header tank does need topping up very occasionally. (Once between 6000 mile services) although it inly just off max. No airlocks either although running heater on hot helped loads. I recon it mimust be the non gen rad
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Have you checked to make sure the rad has the top baffle fitted??
Some non gen copies either dont have this or it has come adrift.
Some non gen copies either dont have this or it has come adrift.
I would try and gauge the temp using an infrared thermometer cross checked against the gauge/ecu. Alternatively voltage across the sensor. It's just if the gauge jumped it could be a bad connection. The price difference between allmakes £14 and gates £70+ makes me think it's probably a cheap stat though.
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Cannot be no pressure in the system, no matter what you use it is not possible.
ovalandrover
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I use my RR diesel in extreme conditions and have used the modification to bring in the air con fans but not thermostatically controlled but with a simple on off switch mounted in the switch panel. It is a simple mod because all you do is tap into the blue black wire on the air con switch under the front of the car and run it to a switch and the other side of the switch to earth .
I could of done it easily after rebuild. Water is the best coolant 95% with some wetting product.lucky I didn't as a water pump hose popped off soaking the cam sensor causing other issues in the following weeks! Would have cost me££££ . Water has unique properties. With oat a/f lasts just as long. I think blue glycol is poor though!
Problem is it requires you to have emptied all the water out to work before you start and that is near on impossible unless you have it all dissaembled out of the car
Grrrrrr
Technician, Bodgit & Scarper Ltd
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- Buckinghamshire, UK. ('95 DT)
I'd try a new stat before a new rad, particularly if a Nissens. Worried about the coolant loss. Mine has none. Check for heater o-rings and all hoses are tight.
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- Preston Lancs.
Nothing wrong with Nissens rads. Providing the system is sound, filled correctly with the correct ratio of antifreeze and leak free with a decent viscous fan it performs well. DO NOT buy cheap stats.
