I’m sorry if this is a little long winded……. I have a 99 Disco 121k. I’ve had the vehicle since 99k and have had some work done on it including a head gasket replacement when I first got it and new exhaust manifold.

After the head gasket replacement I had a very slow coolant leak which was eventually traced to the manifold to plenum de-icer hose and a pin-***** leak in the radiator.

I recently went on a road trip from Toronto to NY so I bit the bullet, replaced the radiator and was hoping I had seen the last of coolant leaks for a while. Unfortunately, when the new radiator was installed the rad top hose was rubbing on the coolant pump pulley and sure enough the hose gave up on the trip down. I smelt the coolant as soon as it went and pulled over so the engine didn’t overheat and after after the top hoses were replaced I was back in business with no further problems.

A week or so after getting back from NY the truck developed a sloshing water sound from the passenger side near the glove box when accelerating and cornering but I was losing any coolant. I took it in and no leaks were found, the oil is clean and no smell of coolant from the exhaust. On the same day I had to get an emissions test. After the test I drove a short distance, it was running fine and no over heating, I parked the truck and when I returned to it I find a huge pool of coolant under the vehicle. A quick check and I find the new heater return hose has split….. a good 2-3” split.

So it’s back to the shop, new hoses but diagnostics indicate coolant in cyclinder #1 so time for another new head gasket. There was no overheating on this or the previous occasion so no damage to the engine that I know of.

After the head gasket was replaced again I’ve still got the sloshing water sound from the passenger side, I’ve driven less then 100km and tonight I get that dreaded smell of coolant as I pull in to the driveway (I’m pretty familiar with the smell now!!) and get out to another pool of coolant under the vehicle. A quick check and I find that there heater return hose has split. Again the engine didn’t overheat and there was still some coolant in the expansion tank so I think the hose went just before I pulled in to the driveway.

So here’s the question…… 1) what’s causing the sloshing sound if there’s no coolant leak and 2) why are the hoses splitting?

The truck is getting towed to my mechanic tomorrow morning but it’s getting to a point where, as much as I love it, I’m putting way too much money into this truck.

 

Your hoses are splitting because they are old and worn out. You should replace all coolant hoses every 5 years no matter what.
When ever you replace one coolant line you should always replace the others at the same time.
The sloshing sound isbecause you need to bleed your cooling system.

 

Thanks for the reply Spike, but the rad top hose that split was brand new.... and the sloshing was/is present before the hose split and is still there after the system was bled when the hose was replaced. Can it be anything to do with the heater matrix? I forgot to mention that the top rad hose split just after I turned on the AC and on this occassion when the heater return hose split I had just turned on the AC again... just a coincidence??

 

Well new hoses dont just split, your system must be getting over pressurised some how.
It may not have been bled properly.
Sorry to be vage, but your post was long, its late and I am tired.
99% of the sloshing is because of air in the system, and you hear it because it is in the heater core.
What coolant was put back into the truck after your head gaskets were replaced? How about after the t-body pre heater was fixed?
I know its going in in the morning. It came with DexCool and if DexCool was not put back in it can cause problems because it is NOT compatable with other coolants. It will turn into a non pumpable goo.
It will have the same consistency as the brush on paint stripper.
Sorry I cant be of more help.

 

Thanks again Spike, any help or suggestion is welcome at this point!

The truck has had nothing but DexCool in it so no issues there...... like you I'm thinking a pressure issue causing the hoses to split, thought the first may have just been a bad hose but the second going has ruled that out for me..... haven't got a clue what would cause the pressure though....

 

I hate to bring it up Goose, but you may have combustion gases building pressure up in your cooling system. This would find the weakest point and split a hose. Did the heads get skimmed after the head gasket job(s) ? You can have a competent shop check your coolant for combustion gases and that should tell the tale.

 

The water sound is still driving me crazy.... it's like I have Niagara Falls along for the ride!

On the advise of DiscoMike and others I've tried a couple of different methods to clear the air in the system, if that's what the problem is. I've tried raising the expansion bottle and removing the bleed screw while topping up the coolant. The coolant was literally straying out of the bleed screw hole (cold engine) which I assume is a good sign, in that the system is tight, i.e. no leaks. Still the sloshing sound after that method.

I then tried running the engine from cold with the expansion bottle cap off and topped up and the heater on high at full blast. Idled till warm then ran at 1500-200rpms for a minute or so while squeezing the hoses to see if that would draw the coolant into the system and the air out. No joy with that either.

The heater is blowing hot air and there is no dampness on the passenger side floor or coolant loss so I'm pretty sure the heater matrix is still good. Any other suggestions on how to get this damn air out of the system or what the problem is?? If is was an occassional gurgle I could live with it, but it's constant and literally like Niagara Falls.

 

When you bleed the cooling system do not run the heater fan on high, run it on low.
You must have all the bleeder screws open when you start to bleed the system. Close them as the engine warms up and coolant starts to come out at a nice steady flow from each bleed screw. It will start at the one furthest back from the radiator and then work its way forward.
Let the engine idles when you do this, running the engine to fast will move the coolant to fast and the air bubble wont go anywhere.
The idea of this is to get the coolant as hot as possible so that it expands and forces the air out of a bleed screw as well as get it to circulate through the entire cooling system which includes the heater core.

 

Spike... excuse my ignorance, I'm not a spannerhead by any stretch. Is there more than the one bleed screw on top of the radiator top hose? If there are I'm not seeing them..... this is a 1999 series II. With the engine cold Coolant spurts out of the blled crew hold on the radiator top hose, should I let it bleed and the pressure escape before running the engine?

 

No problem. No such thing as a stupid question. Only stupid answers.
I am not sure how many bleed screws there are on a DII. Let the truck sit overnight. Open the bleed screws that you can find, and the fill plug ontop of the radiator and the cap on the coolant resevoir.
Start the truck and let it idle with both heaters on full hot HVAC fan on low.
Make sure that bnoth the radiator and the coolant resevoir are both full before you start.
Let the engine idle and once a steady stream of hot coolant comes out of the first bleed screw tighten it.
Once a steady stream of hot coolant comes out of the radiator fill plug replace it.
Once a steady stream of steam comes out of the resevoir replace the cap.
The engine must be running this whole time. It may take up to a hour to do this.
Once done check the coolant level in the resevoir only after it has cooled overnight and right befoer you start it for the next two times that you drive it making sure that the coolant level is full.
Is that a better explination?