urgent help needed

Im stuck in north wales at a friends, problem is my landrover is over heating badly.

I have T reg, Tdi.
Was driving on the A55 and a load of steam was bellowing from underneath, popped the bonnet and found a radiator hose had blown off from the front of the engine, so put it back on, got some water and it would only cope with 2 litres of water and it was full and wouldnt go down until i put the cap on. But when i took the cap off to put more water it, it would start pouring over the top.

I cant find any obvious leaks anywhere, can someone help, ive tried to explain as best as i can. :doh:

I'd guess that your head gasket has gone.
Time to call the AA.

top up with the cap off and the engine ticking over, after 5-10mmins of topping up as the water goes down, all the air should be out, and the level will settle!

Hi

If your engine has blown a hose off its likely you have lost a good deal of your original coolant.

Credit to you for spotting the hose problem and refilling. I think you have a big air lock in the system. I know on the TD4 there is a vent screw on one of the heater inlet hoses which can be slackened off until coolant leaks out.

The way i refill mine after a coolant change is to fill up to the max line, leave off the cap, put heater to full heat setting, run engine. The coolant should drop as it circulates and forces the air out. If there is a bleed screw slacken it, top up the level as it goes down.

When coolant is dribbling with no more bubbles from bleed screw if it has one tighten it, replace filler cap and allow system to pressurise.

You should find heat (eventually) from the heater in the car. Switch off and let it cool down. Check levels. If all ok go for a short drive to really warm things up. Keep an eye on temp gauge. Again check all levels.

That should sort it.......

Thanks for the quick replys. Its too dark now, so managed to limp to my mates house.

I'll try tommorrow, and let you know how i get on.

rustymark's right, apart from the l-series doesnt have a bleed screw!

i would check simple things it sounds like it has an air lock you need to get the air out of the system

Does anyone know where the bleed screw is?

there isnt one on the l-series, just run up to temp with the cap off, and keep topping it up as required till it settles

All the signs of a Head Gasket Failure

Mark, would the water push back up into the resvior when taking the cap off?

IanUK said:

Mark, would the water push back up into the resvior when taking the cap off?

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The cooling system contains fluid at a pressure set by the cap on the reservoir. Depending on the type and position of Head Gasket Failure, engine combustion can increase pressure in the coolant system by leaakage across the gasket and blows any weak point ie the hose off the radiator.
If you start the engine from cool and then top up the water as the level falls and the pump moves it around the system, the level will drop and then suddenly gush back out again.

Ive tryed all the suggestions on here and i think its the head gasket, just because its doing what mark has said with the water levels dropping and then suddenly gushing back in.

When i put the cap on too the water seems to disappear and it only fills back up if i release the cap.

See Post #2.

Mark2 said:

All the signs of a Head Gasket Failure

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You would think that after well over 100 years of making engines with detachable cylinder heads they could come up with some scheme to make head gaskets that work.

My motorbike (Triumph 500 GP Twin) used a solid copper head gasket, which could be used repeatedly. I had the head off a dozen times (never for HG failure) and always re-used the same solid copper gasket. Every second time, I heated it red hot and dunked it in cold water to soften it again.

CharlesY

CharlesY said:

My motorbike (Triumph 500 GP Twin) used a solid copper head gasket, which could be used repeatedly. I had the head off a dozen times (never for HG failure) and always re-used the same solid copper gasket. Every second time, I heated it red hot and dunked it in cold water to soften it again.

CharlesY

Click to expand...

cant beat a copper gasket an old boy i werked wiff used ta mek his own outta old rolled out water tanks wassa master class just watchin him