Hey all!
I'm new here. Friday evening I purchased a '99 Disco (series 1) with 150k miles on it.
It looks to have been very well maintained over those miles. But some of the little stuff was being to stack-up.

I spent a couple hours on this forum and in the driveway yesterday and I'm happy to report that with the help I received here using the search function, I've now got it ready to inspect. (When I got it, the Check Engine light and the Anti Lock lights were both on)

However: I'm having an overheating issue I'd like some help with. I had to drive it about 35 miles to get home. When I got on the freeway, it began to really heat-up. I turned-off the A/C and it stayed hot, but not overly-so. (top 25% of the gauge)
So yesterday, based on what I learned here, I did the following:
- I checked the fluid level (ok)
- I checked the electric fan operation. only one is working. the other has voltage to it, but not turning. looks to be a bad motor. (However, since the car will idle with the A/C running and not get hot, I don't think this is what's causing the problem)
- I pulled the rubber strip between the radiator & support and found amazing amounts of dead wildlife between the rad & the A/C condenser. I cleaned it out with a hose & nozzle. I then sprayed water back through the other side of the radiator to try to get anything else out from between the fins. it looks pretty clean now.
- I have not spun the fan-clutch with the motor off. Partyl because as I said above, sitting stationary is not where I have seen the problem; it;s at speed. My understanding is that the fan does little for cooling at speed. Would you agree?

So then I took it out last night and it diud fantastically.... until I hit the freeway. Sustained speeds of 70mph brought back the overheating condition. Turning off the A/C helped, but it remained hot.

So my questions are:

- I went to get a new thermostat to put in it, but they're listing two. One is a conventional-type, about $25. the other is an external-type thermostat at $125. Does the Disco i have TWO thermostats?

- Where would y'all look from here?

 

1. Broken thermostat
2. Clogged radiator (internal or external)
3. Broken water pump

Takes one simple $5 thermostat.

 

As far as the fans in the front, go on Amazon and look for 10inch fans. Just wire them in. Its really simple.

 

No, the disco doesn't have two. The problem lies in that in 1999 there were two different discos, and the parts people get confused when they enter the stuff in the computer.

 

help me out? My parts-houses are quoting me $19 & $23

 

autozone part number 15358 for a 180 degree thermostat

 

if you have a single electric fan you have a D 2 and external stat. your rad is clogged and you will kill motor above half on gauge

 

Here is what you need to do from now on, tell people that you have a '98 DI, this will avoid all confusion when it comes to parts.
The DI and DII were both sold in the US in '99.
The DII uses the external t-stat.
I dont know who your parts supplier is, but their prices are way high, do you live on a island and you drive the only Land Rover? lol

This is with the gasket.
Thermostat With Gasket - 190 Degrees F (Genuine Part # ETC4765) - Land Rover kits from Atlantic British

 

no... I have a D1. I have 2 fans... but only one was working!

 

update:
today:
- I replaced the non-operational fan.
- I flushed the radiator with a Prestone flush
- I replaced the thermostat with a 180d
- I filled with a bottle of water wetter and then 50/50 water/anti-freeze.
- I unbolted the top of the radiator and pushed it back so I could clean more between the fins. I finally got a small lawn-sprinkler and put it down there, spraying through the fins. It seems pretty clean now.

So after all that, I took her for a spin. Got it out on the freeway, pushed it hard for about 10 mminutes, including a couple blasts full-throttle to 100mph. Couldn't get it to even get the needle horizontal.
I thought I had won!
But on the way back home, I stopped to change a tail-lamp. My wife was int he car, so I left it running with the A/C on full. (and her instructions were to watch the gauge)
When I came back out 10 minutes later, the gauge was nearly pegged!

It was 102d ambient today, and it was sitting stationary with the A/C going full. I mean, I know that's alot to throw at a car. But I also know my Benz would take that all day long.

what do y'all think?