Defender TD5 coolant change

I took off what looked like a radiator bottom hose (small hose bottom left when you take the grille off) plus the bleed screws, reservoir cap, and waited for it to drain.
After a while the water stopped coming out so l refilled it, but it only took 6.5 litres.
Where was the other 4+ litres? Did l miss something? Fortunately the coolant that came out was not discoloured and tested fine, so at least it's got 6.5 litres of new antifreeze mix in it now, which is better than nothing.
And l used the pink OAT stuff which looked the same as what came out.
It was last changed in 2011.

Probably in the heater matrix and cylinder block, don't know if the TD5 has a block drain plug but everything from 300Tdi backwards does.

Defo in the block etc. Just don't make the mistake, like I did once, of removing a cylinder head without draining the block

lightning said:

I took off what looked like a radiator bottom hose (small hose bottom left when you take the grille off) plus the bleed screws, reservoir cap, and waited for it to drain.
After a while the water stopped coming out so l refilled it, but it only took 6.5 litres.
Where was the other 4+ litres? Did l miss something? Fortunately the coolant that came out was not discoloured and tested fine, so at least it's got 6.5 litres of new antifreeze mix in it now, which is better than nothing.
And l used the pink OAT stuff which looked the same as what came out.
It was last changed in 2011.

Click to expand...

You did not remove the bottom hose it was the fuel cooler coolant pipe by the sound of it.
The fuel coolant pipe removed will drain the coolant from the radiator as it attaches towards the bottom of the radiator but it is not able to drain all coolant from the engine block. This is where your missing coolant is located, still in the engine block.
The bottom hose is accessed from the engine side of the radiator not the grille side.
Open the bonnet and remove the plastic radiator cowling cover, (4 locking screws 1/2 to 3/4 turn on each will free them).
Whilst you are standing at the front looking into the engine bay, look towards the right-hand side of the radiator about 3/4s of the way down you will see the thermostat housing it will have three pipes attached to it follow the lowest pipe to the radiator and that is the bottom hose. Removing this from the radiator will get most of your coolant out (will still be some in the system but very little).
Just a note the top hose should have a bleed valve fitted (not all after market pipes have them).
When re-filling with coolant this valve should be unscrewed to assist in getting the air out of the cooling system, remember to re-tighten when coolant starts to come out of this valve indicating air removed.
Run the engine for a while with the header tank cap off this also aids the removal of air from the system then replace cap.
Check after a run to see if coolant level has dropped indicating more air has bled from the system top up should now be fine.

Thanks for the advice, l thought l must have done something wrong! l did see the thermostat housing behind the rad, l'll do what you said when l change the coolant in the missus's TD5 90 next weekend.

Could be wrong but think todays OAT is good for 10yrs.

The trucks never get it changed only time it comes out for is component failure ie water pump or rad split.