Discovery Heater...

It's cold, it's winter and my heater doesn't seem to work.

I thought to start with it worked so long as I kept below 30ish but I don't think that's the case.

Any ideas?

Cheers

Sounds like a 300tdi with a air lock in the system all you need to do it to bleed it and they should come warm but you need to investigate where its pulling the air in from it is usually the p gasket on the water pump nothing major.

Dont want to worry you but the worst case scenario is head gasket. Just been through all that no heater malarkey so far I have fitted, P gasket, water pump, thermostat, radiator and still had no heaters. Just took the head off amd took it to be tested.

revjames said:

Dont want to worry you but the worst case scenario is head gasket. Just been through all that no heater malarkey so far I have fitted, P gasket, water pump, thermostat, radiator and still had no heaters. Just took the head off amd took it to be tested.

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If yer dint want to worry him ya shud have kept quiet. Now he's biting his nails and wiping his sweaty brow and wondering how to tell the missus that her chrissey presents are going back.

I did say worst case scenario. Best case scenario (and most unlikely) is airlock!

revjames said:

I did say worst case scenario.

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Wrong - cracked head is worse. But it's usually just an airlock - all depends whether it's losing coolant. Good luck with your longrunning head saga btw Rev.

Thanks, TBH for the sake of £200 odd quid I wish I'd just got a new head and swapped all the bits over. At least I'd be up and running now instead of waiting - not very good at waiting!

Well I bleed the coolant, top it up a bit and now the heater is working so I can drive without seeing my breath which is a bonus! Just got to wait and see it I loose any coolant in the coming weeks.

Cheers for the help guys and Merry Christmas to you all!

First post here so... Hi

I too am having heater problems but with my 94 V8 (3.9i) Disco.
Could this too be a head gasket/head problem?
Symptoms are as follows:-
From cold heater works/warms up with engine.
Once up to temp, the heater periodically goes cold for varied periods. Usually comes back nice and hot. This seems to cycle, maybe with the thermostat opening and closing.
With the thermostat removed. From cold it takes much longer to warm up, but the heater works all the time.
I've been through some flex hose changes and a new pump, and run a hosepipe through all other hoses to check for blockages.
The radiator is about 2 years old, as I used to have overheating problems and that completely cured that.

The cycling makes me think of air passing through the system periodically. The thermostat removal is giving the system a bit more movement perhaps?

Thanks for the thoughts.

I've moved on a bit, someone suggested that water was being cooled in the rad while the thermostat was closed. Then when it opens, the cold water finds its way to the heater matrix....

So I've covered half the rad with foil. Now I get heat all the time, except when I'm on tickover. At tickover, the heater slowly cools until very cold. A few quick blips on the accelerator brings it back to hot.

Any more ideas? It's quite useable like this, but just not quite right.

Cheers
Chris

My wife's 'new' Tdi300 was the same, took agaes for the heater and the engine to warm up even though I've taken the viscous fan off.

It took metens mins to change the thermostat for a new one (£3.50+vat) and now the difference is unbelievable.

Heater starts warming within 2-3mins, engine warms within 2-3 miles.

Makes a big difference at this time of year

Cheers

Dave

Yes, I changed my thermostat too in case it was stuck open.
But it didn't change anything

Just this cooling off at tickover now.
I'm wondering if, because at at tickover the pump is running slowest, and the hot water is also going to the LPG, is the LPG circuit just an easer path to take than the heater core??

Thing is, it never used to do this.

Towing

Hi
Will a Discovery series 11 petrol auto tow a 3ton Caravan

Thanks Bob

Yes and that will make the heater work quicker too........

my discovery 300tdi does it now after haveing new water pump and head gasket but some one said you have to take off both heater hoses going to the matric and flush them in opisit direction to normal flow havnt done this yet as its to cold but the pipes can brake which put me off hope thios helps