Hot & Thirsty Freelander - Advice Needed

Hi,

My partner is having a bit of a problem with her Freelander - i'm a n00b here but would appreciate any help or suggestions

She's had a few niggly issues with it, but the current (and most worrying) one is that it is using a lot of water - we have filled up the header tank from apparently empty about 4 times in the last week. Also, after about 10 minutes' running, the engine smells distinctly hot. She drove it about 5 miles today and had to stop as there was steam coming out from under the bonnet. She waited for it to cool down, topped it up again, and was able to drive home.

The odd thing is, there doesn't seem to be an obvious leak. Once home she waited for it to cool down, topped it up, and ran the engine with a tray underneath - there wasn't any significant leakage, so we're stumped as to where it is all going. Two other odd things are that the water, once the engine has run, goes a coppery colour. Also, the temperature gauge *never* goes over haflway up, even when it smells hot.

Any ideas?

if you've got kids tell them xmas is cancelled cos yer hippo needs a new engine (or lots spent on it)

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/freelander-head-gasket-failure-50548.html

Wot Sean says.

Bugger... no kids yet, but one due in the new year and therefore not a time that we need to be spending on the car lol :S

Thanks for the quick replies.

What model freelander is it.?

It's a 2001 (Y) GS 1.8 petrol.

ianda12 said:

What model freelander is it.?

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am wondering where this line of questioning is heading ......

Sean said:

am wondering where this line of questioning is heading ......

Click to expand...

back to where it started.

If it's got a 1.8 engine then that would be the head gasket, assuming that you'd already checked the hoses.

gkmotorsport said:

Hi,

My partner is having a bit of a problem with her Freelander - i'm a knob for buying it in the first place but would appreciate any help or suggestions ?

Click to expand...

if your handy with spanners you will save yourself a few quid by DIY

this might help illustrate whats involved

Freelander 1.8 headgasket - LR4x4 - The Land Rover Forum

you'll probably have to join to see the images

V6 loose water through 'o' rings by the thermostat/pump connections. 1.8s usually the head gasket. What colour is your engine oil ? If the water is going into your oil you will probably need a new engine, if it is going into the bores, skimming the head and the new gasket might fix it.

ianda12 said:

What model freelander is it.?

Click to expand...

after reading the symptoms, did you really need to ask ?

1.8 HGF strikes again.

I have the same problem, ended up with a new engine

Warrenty job

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/strange-smell-after-using-old-girl-41856.html

Hi all,

Thanks for the advice. I've got a little bit of an updatem, that may (although it's unlikely :S) mean less money to spend.

We have worked out that the car is leaking, but only when cold. Presumably, this is because when it heats up the pipes expand and stop the leak. I can't work out exactly where it is coming from, but it is towards the front of the car (if standing it front of it) and slightly to the left.

Also, the bonnet has decided that it won't close - no matter what method of pushing/slamming/sweet-talking is employed, it just bounces back and catches on the second catch - is this a common feature?

Many thanks!

Loads Of Money Burn It

may not be head gasket, but then again it could be. If yer missus has had it running, and had to top it up again to get home, then that says it's not only leaking when cold, surely? The reason you won't find sign of a leak when hot is because whatever the water is running onto it hot, so the water evaporates.

Check your engine for sings of Head Gasket Failure, mayonaise in the water tank, on the dipstick, strange smell from water tank? There are a few other ways of checking as well, a google search will bring them up.

If these things are okay, then it's likely to be just a leak. Could be your manifold, could be a pipe, could be a thermostat seal.

I've had the manifold leak on me before, was a right bugger to find out what it was at first!

[quotestrange-smell-after-using-old-girl-quote]


Thats snot a very nice thing tu say aboot the wife is it!!!