Losing engine coolant problems

Hi
I am having dificulty with the TD5 discovery engine losing coolant, about 1 pint per week, and i dont no why. I have had it pressure tested.
Any suggestions?
thanks
Dave

Pressure test should have shown up any leak - have you tried putting a plastic bag on the end of the overflow pipe from the expansion tank to see if there is any coolant coming out ; cap could be allowing coolant escape when hot .
Any sign of steam/white smoke from exhaust ?

dave stevo said:

Hi
I am having dificulty with the TD5 discovery engine losing coolant, about 1 pint per week, and i dont no why. I have had it pressure tested.
Any suggestions?
thanks
Dave

Click to expand...

Mine was a cracked head. Gradually got worse over a few months and eventually started to get white smoke. Pressure testing doesn't always help - eg a head gasket might only leak when hot/cold. Have youchecked the water pump? On most cars they tend to be OK when running but leak after you stop the engine, so you don't lose much coolant.

PASTMASTER said:

Mine was a cracked head. Gradually got worse over a few months and eventually started to get white smoke. Pressure testing doesn't always help - eg a head gasket might only leak when hot/cold. Have youchecked the water pump? On most cars they tend to be OK when running but leak after you stop the engine, so you don't lose much coolant.

Click to expand...

Yep look carefully at the bottom, you will see a small hole in it, a tell tale we call it, look for tracks of water there, sometimes it only leaks when driving at certain times and when you stop the heat dries it up. This is also the case with some head gaskets it could be leaking slightly out around the head at a point and again you need to look for the water/antifreeze tracks.

Same again with all your hoses.

Also make sure it aint leaking into the cab from the heater, check the carpets aint wet, but you should have smelt the antifreeze.

stick some talc powder or chalk dust around the header tank if it's the cap then it should leave a trace.

You have to be VERY careful doing a pressure test on a diesel that is using coolant. If it is losing pressure and you can't see it it could be leaking into the piston crowns. If that is the case, when you turn it over on the starter it will hydraulic and bend the con rod(s). Best to try to turn it over by hand, if it locks, take the glows out and whizz it over on the starter. You will then easily see which cylinder the green stuff comes out of.

The starter motor on the Tdi and TD5 is powerful enough to bend a rod badly even if the engine does not start.

dooroy said:

Pressure test should have shown up any leak - have you tried putting a plastic bag on the end of the overflow pipe from the expansion tank to see if there is any coolant coming out ; cap could be allowing coolant escape when hot .
Any sign of steam/white smoke from exhaust ?

Click to expand...

Dosen't the D2 have a sealed cooling system ? My D1 has, I thought all modern cars would have, although my old 1987 RRC didn't and had an overfow from the tank to fresh air.

The coolant should be seen externaly either as steam or a puddle on the ground.

Hi there
I had the same problem on mine pressure testing showedit was ok yet still lost water. Eveb had die in and it never showed anything. The out come was head was taken off and a crack was found so recon head was fitted by spencer recons last December and now all is well.
Hope this help and does not shock.

JimAttrill said:

You have to be VERY careful doing a pressure test on a diesel that is using coolant. If it is losing pressure and you can't see it it could be leaking into the piston crowns. If that is the case, when you turn it over on the starter it will hydraulic and bend the con rod(s). Best to try to turn it over by hand, if it locks, take the glows out and whizz it over on the starter. You will then easily see which cylinder the green stuff comes out of.

The starter motor on the Tdi and TD5 is powerful enough to bend a rod badly even if the engine does not start.

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Ouch! That's worth knowing!

the_yorkshireman said:

Hi there
I had the same problem on mine pressure testing showedit was ok yet still lost water. Eveb had die in and it never showed anything. The out come was head was taken off and a crack was found so recon head was fitted by spencer recons last December and now all is well.
Hope this help and does not shock.

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That's two of us so far then . Unfortunately the TD5 head IS prone to cracking, usually at the exhaust valves. If that's the case it WILL get worse and eventually you'll see the ocasional puff of white smoke (which can also occur with a head gasket). If you have to replace the head, make sure you do it with METAL dowels, not the original plastic which are still sometimes supplied. My local indy advised against a recon head, for the very reason that they are prone to crack and you don't know what you are getting (all the cracked ones go back, as it's an exchange part!). Also LR say that you can't skim the head. Nonetheless there have been a lot of people on this forum who have fitted a skimmed recon head and are quite happy! If the head comes off, then do the injector loom at the same time. Really hope it's something simpler/cheaper though!