Disco 3 (LR3) Losing coolant.

Timmers · Mar 11, 2024

Ladies. Gentleman. Hope you’re all well?
Just been away to St Ives for a nice weekend.
Can I ask a few LR3 08 q’s please.,

Probably did about 600 miles.
Before I left I did a few checks and noticed there was no coolant in the expansion tank. Topped her up with 3 litres. Then before return journey put another litre in. Then today checked and put another litre in.
I’ve been reading through some threads on the subject and have seen that if you get bubbles in the tank when idling then it could be a head gasket issue. How many bubbles are we talking? What sort of bubble rate per min?
Other symptoms are that the engine has been slow to pick up sometimes. Especially on hills or after coming out of a junction. Put your foot down and nothing there.
All related do you think please?
Cheers

Anaconda · Mar 11, 2024

5 litres in 600 miles is quite a problem, I would have thought a leak of that magnitude would be obvious.
Otherwise it seems like an internal leak.
Unfortunately the only thing I know about a D3 is I'm glad my son doesn't have one!

Graculus · Mar 11, 2024

It could equally well be an EGR cooler leaking, or rear HVAC if fitted. The first step with that amount of loss (and as mentioned above, it is excessive) is to do, or have done, a coolant system pressure test.

Timmers · Mar 11, 2024

Anaconda said:
5 litres in 600 miles is quite a problem, I would have thought a leak of that magnitude would be obvious.
Otherwise it seems like an internal leak.
Unfortunately the only thing I know about a D3 is I'm glad my son doesn't have one!

Strangely in this instance it was my son who encouraged me to buy this one!

Timmers · Mar 11, 2024

Graculus said:
It could equally well be an EGR cooler leaking, or rear HVAC if fitted. The first step with that amount of loss (and as mentioned above, it is excessive) is to do, or have done, a coolant system pressure test.

Thanks. If the egr’s are blanked off does the cooling still happen?
Yep I’ll get the pressure test done.
Cheers

Graculus · Mar 11, 2024

The coolers are still 'in circuit', if one was leaking, then you'd get coolant into the exhaust with the EGR valves blanked - are you getting any steam from the exhaust with a warm engine?

Timmers · Mar 13, 2024

Graculus said:
The coolers are still 'in circuit', if one was leaking, then you'd get coolant into the exhaust with the EGR valves blanked - are you getting any steam from the exhaust with a warm engine?

Ok. I’ll check on the steam. Thanks.
I took it to a mates garage and he said it looks like the leak is coming from the oil cooler. Is that a nasty job do you think?

Graculus · Mar 13, 2024

It's not too onerous of a job - never had one leak coolant on a TDV6 though, check the coolant outlet at the front of the engine in the 'V', I've had a few of those split and leak coolant under pressure slowly enough it just evaporates / dries and doesn't leave a puddle, once the pressure drops, it closes up again!.

kermit_rr · Mar 13, 2024

I think I'm suffering from PTSD, just reading this post and I'm sure i could smell hot coolant mixed with exhaust gases
If the coolant pipes aren't rock hard and you're not losing coolant from the expansion cap/overflow pipe then it's not likely to be a HG problem

Timmers · Mar 13, 2024

So. If you take the engine cover off and look down into the depths there is IIRC pink coolant in the V of the engine.

lynall · Mar 13, 2024

Timmers said:
So. If you take the engine cover off and look down into the depths there is IIRC pink coolant in the V of the engine.

See post number 8
Part not hard to change

Disco 3 (LR3) Losing coolant.

Timmers

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Anaconda

Well-Known Member

Graculus

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Timmers

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Timmers

Active Member

Graculus

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Timmers

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Graculus

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kermit_rr

Very

Timmers

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lynall

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