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geobloke

Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

TD5 coolant loss, at a loss...

Ok folks I am needing the collective forum brain to help me decide what is wrong with my TD5...

Basic vehicle stats: 2002 TD5 110 with 135k miles on the clock. It has been remapped and serviced regularly.

Last week I was towing our 19ft Ivor up and down the A55 to Bangor and back. The previous weekend I had done a fluid check and all was good. Yesterday I repeated the fluid check having done some pretty heavy miles to find that the coolant header tank was near as dammit empty. A scan of the engine bay did not show any obvious signs of coolant leaking from any pipework or the radiator or water pump. This has lead me to believe that the coolant only has 3 other possible ways to exit the system; 1) via a the header tank cap (although I would have expected to have seen evidence if this was the case) and 2) either the head gasket has gone or on the way to going and 3) there is a crack in the head itself and the coolant is getting out there.

Without any sort of pressure tester or coolant system tester to hand I have followed these instructions on how to diagnose a head gasket failure in a TD5;

Quote:
take the cap off, start it up, check the return line for aeration. let it do high idle for 10-15 minutes to warm it up and check again, do not put the cap back on while it warms up.

still no bubbles? then its not likely to be the head unless its shifting under full load/temp conditions.

turn it off, top the level up to about an inch under the normal cold level marker.

dust the threads of the tank with talcum powder and put the cap back on, dust the cap with talcum and go for a drive.

if the powder gets wet then its time for a new cap.

Whilst doing this I made a small film of the coolant within the header tank (I know Grammy award winning stuff this...) which I would be grateful if "the Forum Brain" could watch and tell me if there should be "NO" bubbles at all or "Some" are normal or that there are more than there should be so...?!?!

To simplify the diagnosis I clamped off the radiator return pipe to stop it from confusing the situation.

Please see here and comment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBnbdO-cQDc&feature=youtu.be

The link takes you to a YouTube video you might as well turn the volume off as there is no funky music just the sound of a diesel engine through a bad microphone...

Thanks in advance.

8th Apr 2013 4:33pm

bob neville

Member Since: 30 Apr 2009
Location: Marbella
Posts: 3248

Have you checked the coolant pipes that run near the offside engine mount, they have a habit of rubbing on the mount and leaking and it is not that obvious as it leaks onto the mount normally ?

Bob 2015 Jaguar XE240 R Sport - goes like ....... !!
2013 Defender 90 CSW - sold
2009 Defender 110 Double Cab - sold
2001 TD5 90 CSW - offroad project - sold to a forum member
2011 Porsche Boxster - for the sunny days !

8th Apr 2013 5:36pm

landy andy

Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5707

2006 Defender 110 Td5 USW Zermatt Silver

Check the core plug thing that inbetween the webbing on the exhaust manifold. A leak here is hard to detect as only leaks when hot and under pressure, but the heat of the exhaust manifold makes the coolant evaporate.

Will look for a pic

Andy

8th Apr 2013 8:20pm

landy andy

Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5707

You can see plug between cylinders three and four

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=td5+en...edIndex=36

Andy

8th Apr 2013 8:26pm

geobloke

Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

landy andy wrote:
You can see plug between cylinders three and four

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=td5+en...edIndex=36

Andy

Thanks for the response Andy.

How the heck do you check that core plug with the manifold in place?!?! Will have a delve in the morning

Last edited by geobloke on 8th Apr 2013 8:36pm. Edited 1 time in total

8th Apr 2013 8:34pm

geobloke

Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

bob neville wrote:
Have you checked the coolant pipes that run near the offside engine mount, they have a habit of rubbing on the mount and leaking and it is not that obvious as it leaks onto the mount normally ?

Bob

Hi Bob, thanks for the response. I have checked the hoses over today, but will give them another go tomorrow morning bearing this in mind.

8th Apr 2013 8:35pm

excossack

Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 5843

1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue

You sound like you are going through what I went through with my 1999 10P TD5 engine a couple of years ago.
Coolant leak with no sign of the leak.
I checked all hoses, wrapped tissue around the header tank cap, no sludge in the oil.
Even got the garage to put some UV die in the water and go over it with a neon light and no sign.
I tried some supersteel and that cured it for a few weeks and then went again.

Ended up with pants down. a new cylinder head made by AMC and a big bill.

Mine went at about 138-140k. 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock

8th Apr 2013 8:40pm

appaloosadude

Member Since: 17 Oct 2012
Location: Buckinghamshire
Posts: 630

Bleed screw in top radiator hose has a tendency to fail.

8th Apr 2013 8:41pm

landy andy

Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5707

geobloke wrote:

How the heck do you check that core plug with the manifold in place?!?! Will have a delve in the morning

Take the heat shield off the manifold (only three bolts) and you will see the pink stains (I hope)

Andy

8th Apr 2013 8:43pm

geobloke

Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

excossack wrote:
You sound like you are going through what I went through with my 1999 10P TD5 engine a couple of years ago.
Coolant leak with no sign of the leak.
I checked all hoses, wrapped tissue around the header tank cap, no sludge in the oil.
Even got the garage to put some UV die in the water and go over it with a neon light and no sign.
I tried some supersteel and that cured it for a few weeks and then went again.

Ended up with pants down. a new cylinder head made by AMC and a big bill.

Mine went at about 138-140k.

Man alive that's a depressing story...

It does sound very similar. What do you count as a big bill? £2000...?!!?

Right I have just booked the 110 in for a sniff-test and coolant pressure test next Tuesday morning at Mcdonald Landrover. So time will tell what the test says.

I did notice after a good 40 mile trip today that there was a small drop of coolant on top of the drivers side engine mount, below the fuel cooler... Seals...!??! perhaps...

9th Apr 2013 9:29am

geobloke

Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

appaloosadude wrote:
Bleed screw in top radiator hose has a tendency to fail.

Thanks App. Roger that, looked good but will check that one and its sister screw on the bottom hose.

9th Apr 2013 9:30am

geobloke

Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

landy andy wrote:
geobloke wrote:

How the heck do you check that core plug with the manifold in place?!?! Will have a delve in the morning

Take the heat shield off the manifold (only three bolts) and you will see the pink stains (I hope)

Andy

Lol cheers Andy will do that once it has cooled down, just got back from a 40 mile round trip...

9th Apr 2013 9:32am

excossack

Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 5843

geobloke wrote:
excossack wrote:
You sound like you are going through what I went through with my 1999 10P TD5 engine a couple of years ago.
Coolant leak with no sign of the leak.
I checked all hoses, wrapped tissue around the header tank cap, no sludge in the oil.
Even got the garage to put some UV die in the water and go over it with a neon light and no sign.
I tried some supersteel and that cured it for a few weeks and then went again.

Ended up with pants down. a new cylinder head made by AMC and a big bill.

Mine went at about 138-140k.

Man alive that's a depressing story... It does sound very similar. What do you count as a big bill? £2000...?!!?

Right I have just booked the 110 in for a sniff-test and coolant pressure test next Tuesday morning at Mcdonald Landrover. So time will tell what the test says.

I did notice after a good 40 mile trip today that there was a small drop of coolant on top of the drivers side engine mount, below the fuel cooler... Seals...!??! perhaps...

£2000 is not far off, add another £68

Fingers crossed for you, that you have spotted the leak from the fuel cooler.

Quick google reveals this link http://www.discovery2.co.uk/fuelcooler.html 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock

9th Apr 2013 9:44am

Porny
Site Sponsor

Member Since: 31 Aug 2009
Location: Sutton Coldfield - West Midlands
Posts: 809

Check your heater pipes as well... I have had a few Td5's with leaky heater pipes (knackered jubilee clips).

Ian IRB
The home of the first modified Keswick Green 90 - and the first 2.4 Puma through both the 200bhp and 550Nm barriers.

www.IRBdevelopments.com

www.facebook.com/irbdevelopments

www.integrated316.com

www.facebook.com/integrated316

9th Apr 2013 10:07am

geobloke

Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

Porny wrote:
Check your heater pipes as well... I have had a few Td5's with leaky heater pipes (knackered jubilee clips).

Ian

Thanks Ian. will do...

9th Apr 2013 1:02pm

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