Hi everyone,

I just picked up my Kingsborne 8mm leads today, and on the way back home I pulled into a gas station to fuel up. Before I pulled in someone was blocking the entrance, so I was sitting on a weird angle driving into the station for about a minute.

Driver's side was leaning toward the ground, and the passenger side was leaning up.

Suddenly I noticed steam coming from under the hood. I immediately parked on level ground and shut off the engine and saw coolant running from underneath. I opened the hood and saw coolant everywhere...

Well, I cleaned the area, looked in the coolant resevoir and saw about 1/4 remaining. I decided to start the engine to see if I could spot the leak...

This is where things got weird, as there was no more leaking. I drove 10km keeping an eye on the temp gauge, and no increase, as well as no more coolant leaking...

I am suspecting the reservoir since it was awkwardly angled (the rover that is)...

any other ideas of where to look?

 

If it didn't leak at all anymore, I'd say you're probably right, but maybe just the cap. If you were at enough of an angle for the liquid to get to the cap, and its leaking slightly, might have pushed the coolant out, where as its usually just leaking a little pressure.

 

Do you still have a black expansion tank or have you upgraded to the white colored one? If still black go ahead and upgrade because one of these days you will blow the seams. Been there, done that. I just had a coolant loss issue different that yours but it ended up being the cap. Cheapest and easiest place to start.

 

Or could be that heat spiked with no forward motion, like fan clutch going bad. Makes me nervous. Wallet starts to shrink....

 

Roverguy7 - I noticed leaking around the seam of the black tank and from the cap as well.

CUpgt - I still have the black reservoir... a white reservoir you say? As I mentioned above in reply to roveryguy7, around the cap, and I did notice a bit of coolant on the seam of the reservoir. Do you have a link to a white reservoir part or a thread?

Savannah Buzz - don't scare me... lol... just had top end rebuilt, new clutch, and a tonne of work... only thing in my wallet right now is moths

 

The black tanks are notorious for blowing. I didn't listen and the truck came home on a roll back. Luckily it was in a parking lot and I shut it down immediately. Get this. http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/PCF101590G.cfm

 

The angle may have been a contributing factor but its not the problem. My truck has been on all kinds of stupid angles when wheeling and I've never had coolant leak. Check the seam of your expansion tank and also the cap.

 

The black tanks fail in dramatic fashion. Sort of like taking a chain saw to the upper rad hose, coolant loss is fast and furious. Not a slow overheat. A ticking time bomb. Aside from new sources, the newer ones are a favorite junk yard pick, you have to fly low and fast to get ahead of the other partz vulturez.

A leaky seam can behave like a bad cap, won't hold good pressure.

 

Where the black tanks recalled and replaced by the dealership with the white ones back in those days? Or was it just a ticking time bomb and replaced by the owners when it failed? I have the white tank but I always thought that it was original to the Rover.

 

CUpgt - So is that a better reservoir that Land Rover made afterwards or is it just a different model?

FishEH - I realize that, but it was just the most peculiar thing to happen. This has never happened before on any wheeling trips where I am really at odd angles. It is looking more and more like the seam and cap.

Savannah Buzz - I guess I will have to take a trip to the junk yard first. Are the "newer" ones the white ones that CUpgt linked to?

Disco28 - I would be very curious to know if that were the case. I just recall the fuel tanks being an issue.

Cheers, and thank you all for the input and time with my questions