New FreeLander owner needs help please

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It is possible someone's done the thermostat mod on your car, if so it will be in the pipe work at the front of the engine block. Look for a bulge in the pipe or a metal object lodged between 2 hoses.
This will stop water entering the system.

Other than that the old ways of clearing a blockage are a 'no no' on a TD4.

Search "Freelander thermostat mod" for more info and pictures.

Mike
If someone had already done the mod would it be in the top radiator pipe?
As I was squeezing that earlier and it didn't feel like anything was in that pipe.
 
Different car, same engine

Mike

I'm quite happy to do this but I think I am going to still have the same issue.
Why isnt the water going back into the system when i am filling the water tank up.

Also does anyone know why the water went that colour and had a layer of foam on it?
Is it rust in the radiator?
 
Well a bit. Not as much as there should be.
I drained the system and can't get water back in it.

Did you measure how much coolant went back in? The normal volume is just under 6 litres. However you can't empty the heater matrix, which is almost a litre.

You should never put dishwasher cleaner products into a vehicle engine that contains aluminium or copper. The TD4 contents both metals somewhere in its cooling system.
I'm not impressed with your "mechanic" mate. Sounds like he should stick to Face time and avoid vehicles altogether. Any mechanic should know that an engine that doesn't get to normal operating temperature, is being over cooled. Ever engine has a thermostat and many suffer sticking in the open position.
So you need to get the dish cleaner out asap before it dissolves the radiator away. Then flush out with lots of fresh water. Once it's all clean, refill with OAT coolant, measuring how much goes in.
Then report back your findings. Once you know how much coolant went in, you can do the top hose thermostat mod and enjoy a hot heater.
 
Did you measure how much coolant went back in? The normal volume is just under 6 litres. However you can't empty the heater matrix, which is almost a litre.

You should never put dishwasher cleaner products into a vehicle engine that contains aluminium or copper. The TD4 contents both metals somewhere in its cooling system.
I'm not impressed with your "mechanic" mate. Sounds like he should stick to Face time and avoid vehicles altogether. Any mechanic should know that an engine that doesn't get to normal operating temperature, is being over cooled. Ever engine has a thermostat and many suffer sticking in the open position.
So you need to get the dish cleaner out asap before it dissolves the radiator away. Then flush out with lots of fresh water. Once it's all clean, refill with OAT coolant, measuring how much goes in.
Then report back your findings. Once you know how much coolant went in, you can do the top hose thermostat mod and enjoy a hot heater.

Thanks. He said as long as it doesnt have the powerball in the tablet it will be alright!!! I wont be ringing him again!

My plan is Tomorrow to will drain it all out again from the bottom radiator hose and and try and get a much clean water through it as possible.
I was going to try and put some water in the top part of the radiator by taking the top hose off and put a hose pipe in it to try and clean that out too, is that advisable or not?

I also brought some holts speed flush from halfords that i was going to use but as i couldnt get the water to go back into the system i didnt put it in.
Is that ok to use?

I didn't measure the amount of water that went back in because i was just going to fill it with water first and then drain it out again after running it up to warm. and then fill it with the coolant. Hopefully giving it a good clean out. but i would guess less than 2 litres went back in.
 
When I drained, flushed and refilled mine. I bled the system first by opening up that little bleed screw on one of the pipes at the top back of the engine. Then I left the cap off the fill tank and started the engine. The pump pumps all the air out of the system once the water started to give off vapour I stopped and let the engine cool down. I repeated this one more time. I am not saying you don’t have more than one fault but you have to have a properly filled system first before moving on to other areas. One thing of note; that globe shaped filler bottle could have split and water vapour could be escaping from where it’s joined. You would have to take it off and fill it with water to rule it out or there may be brown or orange staining on and around the sides and on its base (Is there?). You may not know it has but could be a reason why the last owner thought he had a leak and rad welded it. My two pence worth anyway, Welcome to the joys of Freelander ownership matey. :)
 
When I drained, flushed and refilled mine. I bled the system first by opening up that little bleed screw on one of the pipes at the top back of the engine. Then I left the cap off the fill tank and started the engine. The pump pumps all the air out of the system once the water started to give off vapour I stopped and let the engine cool down. I repeated this one more time. I am not saying you don’t have more than one fault but you have to have a properly filled system first before moving on to other areas. One thing of note; that globe shaped filler bottle could have split and water vapour could be escaping from where it’s joined. You would have to take it off and fill it with water to rule it out or there may be brown or orange staining on and around the sides and on its base (Is there?). You may not know it has but could be a reason why the last owner thought he had a leak and rad welded it. My two pence worth anyway, Welcome to the joys of Freelander ownership matey. :)

Thanks for you suggestion. I did try with the bleed screw.
 
To clean and flush it well, it may pay to flush the rad and engine separately ...

Also unclip the expansion tank and give that a flush through, flush the rad, then back flush the engine ...
 
Today's update.
I took the bottom hose off and drained all what was in there. There was more than I thought to be honest.
I then flushed clean water through from the water tank. I the took the top hose off the radiator and put a hose pipe with clean water in it and flushed the radiator out.
I then put the hoses back on and managed to get about 4.5 litres of water in the system. I took it for a drive for a few miles and then came back and did the same. Flushed with clean water.
I then filled it with 50% collant and 50% water and got about 4.5 litres in the system.
The temp still isn't getting up to what it should but I assume this is the thermostat.

Is that enough coolant in the system?

Should I now do the in pipe thermostat mod?
 
4.5 litres is ok. You'll find and extra litre will be needed over the next few days, as the system self-bleeds. Sounds like the thermostat is goosed, which is common. Lots do the Renault 5 thermostat mod.
 
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