Hello all, I'm a brand new user, I just bought my 1st LR and I couldn't be happier, I boght it with a few known problems (@ good price) so my son and i have something we can do together. I am by no means a mechanic, but I am mechanically inclined, and like I said I'm really looking forward to haveing some good bonding time with my 13yr old (can be hard). So anyway, my first (of many to come) problem I'd like to tackle is this, the truck runs normal temp, and usually will stay normal to a little high in the normal range on the highway, but when running around town after about 20 min or so it heats up, I then turn on heater full blast and it goes back into normal range. By looking through this forum I'm assuming it's going to be the fan clutch then? I don't have a lot of money to throw at parts I don't need, but I already replaced the cheap stuff, I replaced thermostat, cleaned radiator, and did a full flush & fluid replacement on fluid. So after all that I still have the problem, is there anything else I should check 1st? In addition where are people finding the cheapest parts? My disco is a '95 with 180,000. Thank you.

 

Test the fan clutch first, and the electric fans for AC condenser if you are running AC.. To test the clutch, spin blade and release when cold. Should go just part of a turn, feel like peanut butter inside it. Then warm truck up, turn off, spin again and release. Should not go a whole revolution. Clutch units that freewheel have lost their internal fluid and need to be replaced, a little over $50 (Chevy 2000 Express, 4.3 liter, no AC is the crossover, write up in the tech section). Or salvage yard under $20, late 90's early 2000's GMC or Chevy Blazer or pickup clutch.

But normally if it is just the fan clutch, everything is normal at highway speed.

You most likely also just have an old calcium filled radiator. I suspect since you are overheating or running close to it on the highway the old rad a'int what it used to be. Find an indy rad shop, small, that works on farm and earthmoving equipment. Mine unsoldered the tank, rodded out the calcium, hot acid flushed, and soldered up a couple of leaks for $70. Next step is a replacement radiator, the copper brass one is like $600 if you can find it, and a recent "discovery" is that a firm is making an aluminum one for $232. A clogged up radiator will be colder on the bottom rows, becuase no (or low) coolant is flowing there. More than about 10F change top to bottom indicates this.

You should attend to the slow roasting over hickory coals.

 

There is one more tip that I will throw in on top of everything Savannah said.

Check for blockage in front of your rad between it and the ac coils. Lots of used ones are quite cluttered up at times. You can lift the seal under the hood and see. I have used air compressor and blown lots of dried mud that turned into sandy dust and other debris out of mine after first getting it.

 

Ok thanks for the replies guys, I did see that tech section after your reply, that's gona be very helpful... So we checked out this am.. When cold, like you said, peanut butter, let it warm up... It made a little less than half revolution...I turned on a/c and the two front fans have not kicked.on... So today is a little cooler here in Grand Rapids Mi so I'm going to drive around with no a/c... In theory if my fan cluch is working (spinning fast enough) it should be enough to keep it cool. I'm going to start looking I to finding a shop that can clean out my radiator... Am I to understand tho if the top and bottom of rad. Are within 10 deg. Of eaxhother that it is working as well? Thanks again...

 

Within in 10F on the fins is considered healthy. On a D1 your AC fans should start as soon as AC and interior fan are switched on, check for fuse or burned out motors, that is also a problem at slower speeds.

 

A/C will get it hot pretty fast. The cooling system is just that, a system. All the components are designed to work together. Radiator, fan, fan clutch, thermostat, coolant, water pump, etc., ect... The system will need attention from time to time.
There are many, many threads on here about cooling system maintenance. The search function will turn up a lot.

 

Ok so I rolled around about 50-60 miles today, no a/c and it stayed normal temp, I should mention its only about 80deg outside today whereas it's been 95-100 or so since I bought it. I guess what I'm wondering is 2 fold, is there a way to know if my engine fan clutch is spinning fast enough? Or if it is just a case of my ac fans not helping and the possibility of there being junk in the radiator? I have already flushed the radiator, and I'll perform the bottom vs top temp check to see where they are at, but I saw a reply that stated its a system, witch of course is true.... but I guess I'm not quite understanding yet... Should the engine fan itself be enough to cool engine if you are not running a/c? Or are the a/c fan(s) needed to help cool the engine no matter if a/c is being used or not? I received a message from someone as well that said to try the a/c switch first so I found one online and ordered.. It should be here today or tomorrow. Finally an unrelated question... My disco shifts from 2-3 and then from 3-4 only @ 2750 rpm, seems a little high for light throttle, it also runs around 2500 rpm @ 65mph, also seems a little high, is this normal? I understand it's a full time 4wd so that may just be the way it is.. Just curious. Thanks again guys

 

There will be trash trapped between the Radiator and the Condenser no mater how hard you try and get it out. When we did teh swap I found trash 2 to 3" up the fins at the bottom.

 

There is a relay on the RF Fender that controls the A/C fans. Another check is to make sure that you BURP the system by turning on the heater then checking your level.
From experience there are NO SHORTCUTS or quick fix for these. I have a post with a link abot teh $232.00 radiator you might want to look at. Not and expert just learned for the RAV and these guys how to care and feed my Dogs.

 

AC fans also come on at 212F even if AC is off. How does your fan spin when released if engine is heated up?