In the Red

Hi guys
Had a bit of a bad day with my range rover p38 ds yesterday i was driving for around 30mins when the temp gauge went in to the red and the ligt came on the stange thing is it kept going up and down from the white to the red but all ways staying in the high part of the gauge I pulled over as soon as I could and checked under the bonnet all looked O.K no smell no water and it didn't seem that hot I cheacked the exhursts nothing no white smoke.I took the radiator cap of nice and slowly and the water gushed out ( this is while the engine was still running and really a stupid thing to have done I should have known better but no harm to me) the water was very brown but smelled sweet so by this time i'd had enough it ws ****ing it down and my first day of in three weeks so got it towed to the landy garage which was closed this being italy.So doe anyone have a any clue what has happend I thinking ether head gasket or an elecrtrcal fualt?
Thanks for your help
Gary

Check the inside of your oil filler cap, if it has stuff resembling mayonnaise that's a sign that the head's going/gone. Also see if there are any bubbles in the coolant return.

That can and in most situations is caused by short runs and not the head gasket failing. It is not definative proof of failure.

wammers said:

That can and in most situations is caused by short runs and not the head gasket failing. It is not definative proof of failure.

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So from lots of running the engine cold?

my old p38 did the same kept going up and down on the temp gauge sometimes it would stay down lower for days then others it would go mad for days never did over heat had it like that for a few years and the new keeper says its still doing it and never been any bother. was told its a sensor playing up

TCubed said:

So from lots of running the engine cold?

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Yeah short runs mainly. In a moist environment. As engine heats is vents expanded hot air. As it cools moist air is drawn in. This causes the deposit. If you had a blown head gasket and water was leaking into the oil, the oil would be milky. That is a sure sign that water is leaking into a low pressure oil return gallery. If it had gone between an oil pressure feed and the water jacket there would be oil in the water.

Silly trick to remove rad cap with engine hot. If it was not boiling over venting coolant from overflow. Then i would suggest first of all he looks at temp sender unit.

Sound like air in system drain and refill coolant and bleed the system then check and run with rad cap off until engine up to temperature.and make shue coolant is circulating.

I hope that is all it is,it's in the landy garage todaay I've just got to much work on to sort it out and the wife needs to go to switzerland at the end of the week so I hope i'll hear back today but this being Italy how knows!!!
I'll let you guys know the out come
Cheers

Well the results are back thermostat is not working and the water pump is shot so not to bad just hope thats all and I didn't cook the head

That shouldn't be too bad Gary.

I've owned two rangie and had thermostats go on both. Sounds pretty common. Water pump changed on my latest one as well as there was play in it and I was warned that sooner or later it would end up going through the rad and cost big bucks.

Couldn't quite believe how easy it was to change (I had help mind you!) and cheap too.