Disco Not warming up

Just picked up a 300tdi today. The car doesn't warm up, the temp gauge stays
around the cold marker even on a 250 mile drive. I am guessing thermostat,
am I right and is it a big job?

Andy

Andrew Cooke wrote:
> Just picked up a 300tdi today. The car doesn't warm up, the temp gauge stays
> around the cold marker even on a 250 mile drive. I am guessing thermostat,
> am I right and is it a big job?

A duff thermostat is the most likely culprit - and changing it is one of
the easier jobs to do.


--
EMB

On or around Tue, 22 Nov 2005 19:03:46 +0000 (UTC), "Andrew Cooke"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>Just picked up a 300tdi today. The car doesn't warm up, the temp gauge stays
>around the cold marker even on a 250 mile drive. I am guessing thermostat,
>am I right and is it a big job?

very likely and no. make sure you get the right one...

did the heater get hot or only tepid? If hot, then suspect the gauge sender
unit instead.

housing on the front of the head, comes off easily IIRC. When you've fitted
it, remove (*carefully*) the black plastic plug from the top of the housing
(21mm socket is the best bet) and refill through there, keeping an eye on
the level in the header tank.

I've not found that TDis fill very well by filling the header tank - the
water level in the tank appears to be below the top of the engine - and it's
important to make sure there's water in the head. On V8s, there's mostly a
little chminey on the water pipe with a plug in the top for filling it
through.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young / In a world
of magnets and miracles / Our thoughts strayed constantly and without
boundary / The ringing of the Division bell had begun. Pink Floyd (1994)

....and Austin Shackles spake unto the tribes of Usenet, saying...

> I've not found that TDis fill very well by filling the header tank -
> the water level in the tank appears to be below the top of the engine
> - and it's important to make sure there's water in the head.

Yup - anti-freeze all over unless you watch it. BTDT. Fill so that the
header tank is 1/2 to 3/4 full, refit the header tank cap, and then
completely fill from the top of the engine. Start, check for leaks, run
until warm, allow to cool, check levels, there you go. Keep an eye on
levels for the next few days, as a leak and the consequent overheating can
wreck the engine very quickly.

--
Rich
==============================
Disco 300 Tdi auto
S2a 88" SW
Tiggrr (V8 trialler)

The weird thing is I have just been out in it again and this time the temp
gauge went to the normal mid position but the heater blew icy cold. Then on
the return journey the gauge again went to the middle but the heater blew
warm, what the h*ll is going on with it????


"Richard Brookman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ...and Austin Shackles spake unto the tribes of Usenet, saying...
>
>> I've not found that TDis fill very well by filling the header tank -
>> the water level in the tank appears to be below the top of the engine
>> - and it's important to make sure there's water in the head.
>
> Yup - anti-freeze all over unless you watch it. BTDT. Fill so that the
> header tank is 1/2 to 3/4 full, refit the header tank cap, and then
> completely fill from the top of the engine. Start, check for leaks, run
> until warm, allow to cool, check levels, there you go. Keep an eye on
> levels for the next few days, as a leak and the consequent overheating can
> wreck the engine very quickly.
>
> --
> Rich
> ==============================
> Disco 300 Tdi auto
> S2a 88" SW
> Tiggrr (V8 trialler)
>

Andrew Cooke wrote:
> The weird thing is I have just been out in it again and this time the temp
> gauge went to the normal mid position but the heater blew icy cold. Then on
> the return journey the gauge again went to the middle but the heater blew
> warm, what the h*ll is going on with it????
>

Airlocked? Have you checked the coolant level?


--
EMB

Andrew Cooke wrote:
> The weird thing is I have just been out in it again and this time the
> temp gauge went to the normal mid position but the heater blew icy
> cold. Then on the return journey the gauge again went to the middle
> but the heater blew warm, what the h*ll is going on with it????


Air lock in the heater possibly?

On or around Tue, 22 Nov 2005 20:07:22 +0000 (UTC), "Andrew Cooke"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>The weird thing is I have just been out in it again and this time the temp
>gauge went to the normal mid position but the heater blew icy cold. Then on
>the return journey the gauge again went to the middle but the heater blew
>warm, what the h*ll is going on with it????

Check the coolant level before driving it again. You've got classic
low-coolant level symptoms there.

IME if the coolant gets low (only takes about 2" missing from the header
tank, so it don't LOOK very low) it will airlock the heater. Top it up and
get it hot and run it uphill at medium revs seems to cure it. But watch the
coolant level carefully to make sure it's not leaking.

Possible coolant leak points include the P gasket between the water pump
body and the block and the one on the front of the head behind the
thermostat housing. Both of these are hard to spot.

worth doing a pressure test on the cooling system if you suspect a leak.
Connect a T-piece and a bit of hose on the end of the small pipe that goes
to the corner of the rad, then you can connect a pipe from there to a
partly-inflated spare tyre or other source of pressure.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
"For when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name,
He marks - not that you won or lost - but how you played the game"
Grantland Rice (1880-1954). my opinions are just that