Problematic P38 DSE - low power/slow & overheating underload & loosing coolant

Hi All,

As follow on from my other post re: diy diagnostics (which is another story entirely nearly resulting in the potential purchase of either a T4, X431 or some other such wildly expensive kit .. but anyway, we shall see)

Right. Folks have a P38 DSE, 78k on the clock and a recon engine fitted 20k fitted ago. They bought it last year (as is) took the car to fetch caravan and on the way to their jollies it boiled over (so red light on, bonnet open, engine off and wait until cooled to start again as dad didn't want a bill for a replacement cyl head (understandibly) repeat process until they were in wales.

So far: viscous fan, coupling, serpantine(sp?) belt, water pump & two new diesel fuel pipes which were starting to weep. A new battery has been fitted this morning too.

What i've got to look at doing tomorrow once i've had a tooth pulled ;( (lets face it, working in the cold outside on the truck is more pleasurable than any dentist!)

Getting in the truck to start it up, it fires quickly and without any cause for concern (so am assuming fueling is all ok).

Dad informs me he had it leak tested but he's getting on a bit and seeing as though he worked for a mot centre, i'm not sure whether that was his car or someone elses, so can't confirm this has been done.

It's loosing coolant but as yet I can't confirm whether there is a visible leak anywhere.

Had someone over to plug their diagnostics kit in it last summer which reported two temp sensors faulty, one was replaced and one not as LR didn't have the right one in/supplied one incorrectly.

What i'm not sure of, when the replacement engine was fitted (before their purchase) was it from a beemer or an omega? don't know whether it makes a difference? (hence concern over why temp sensor didn't fit when reg details supplied)

I've got a copy of RAVE, plenty of tools, not a lot of cash but am more than capable of logical thinking and getting my hands dirty!

I'll carry out tests on the rad and see whether it's the baffle(s) that has gone awol, check the coolant pipes for excess pressure. Coolant appears to be contaminant free / no oil contamination visible, oil cap has no gunge around it other than crusty old oil.

Any thoughts on what I could also check out would be greatly appreciated

mucho thanks,
jt

How much coolant and how fast does it loose it?

Hi there,

the car rarely gets used, a firm estimate would be 60miles a week and about a pint and a bit of coolant/water over a month.
ta,
jt

Any smoke from the exhaust that migh indicate head gasket failure?

Carpets wet drivers side next to the tunnel ?

As far as the lack of power is concerned, and if you find the coolant leak, I'd be inclined to look at the turbo and/or the EGR valve, could also be restricted fuel flow.

Righty, been out and had a look.

coolant hoses remain soft-enough throughout. Nearside coolant hose is hotter than the drivers side. Bottom of the rad' appears to be cool (cold?) I got the engine to around 11 o'clock on the temp sensor.

What I did read on the RAVE software is that should an engine temp sensor be duff, it would/could cause problems with performance - armed with this knowledge and knowing the temp sensor under the manifold hasn't been replaced despite a diagnostics reporting it faulty, I suspect this definitely needs replacing.... Early next week i'll get that one pulled out and make a note of model numbers as the reason it wasn't replaced was due to LR/someone supplying an incorrect part despite reg number (but it's a different engine to the one fitted which would make sense again)

The turbo whistles right up and there is no visible smoke at all (other than the "i've just started it up and it's pretty chilly outside" steam)

The viscous fan blows like a good 'un when warm and on tickover/quick idle, seemed to fade when held at constant 2krpm but as the temp rose it started spinning back up - which seems normal to me.

Had a visible check on vacuum hoses both back of engine to MAP and from MAP back out to manifold, I couldn't see/feel anything amiss (cracks, brittle, gunge, etc)

The 'ol girl didn't want to get up to temp with the bonnet open and as I couldn't be bothered to go and get diesel, didn't rev the knackers off of it.

Will carry on having a read through RAVE too.

thanks in advance and any thoughts are most welcome,
jt