So, everything I see says to use OAT - well, I just bought an 01 D2, and it's got regular green anti-freeze in it. what's the downside to using the green stuff as opposed to OAT? should I flush and replace with OAT?

 

Stay with the green. What you want to avoid is Dex Cool which is an orange color, turns into gunk and kills the cooling system. Yes, flush and refill using distilled water and the green stuff. When you service thermostat, which is "in the plumbing", there are four holes beside it in the housing, they must be clear of gunk for stat to work properly. While fooling with cooling make sure fan clutch is OK, should be firm to turn by hand when warm engine is turned off. Freewheeling means clutch will no longer engage properly. Should not spin a whole revolution by hand.

By now you should have a copy of the RAVE downloaded, free below.

DO NOT TRUST YOUR TEMP GAUGE. They are known to stay in a normal position for a wide range of temps, when they move above normal slightly, you have already passed the point at which the engine is too hot. People think, well it''s a little warm..... Nope, it is way too hot. Check with a data reading scanner.

 

I agree, stay with a good green or yellow coolant like peak and protect your engine even better by adding a bottle of Water Wetter to the coolant.

 

Thanks guys! I've always tried to stay away from OAT, as I know it destroys gaskets and the like. Just wanted to be sure as this is my first aluminum engine.

Just a side note - I know there's a "how-to, must-read, and write-up" thread.....what about a FAQ? you could link to threads (such as this) so that new rover"ites" like myself don't have to pose "less than intelligent" questions....

 

If you are going to change your coolant I recommend that you go with Peak Global Lifetime. It is one of the better coolants around. It comes in a gold container and is available at Walgreens.

 

re: don't have to pose "less than intelligent" questions

No less than intelligent questions, only those that were not asked in time.

Our search function is fair to good. One problem with a public access non-factory sponsered site is that you are dealing with opinions. So an FAQ might lead people in strange directions. The tech sticky area has been reviewed by many, so it is pretty tight. And a lot of users don't take avantage of the RAVE documents, which are in pdf form, and can also be easily searched. Some are overwhelmed by the quantity of info in the RAVE, others want even more details. Some like it in bite-size snacks.

We're also dealing with many macho male egos, can't let the ladies in our life see that we need help to conquer this hunk-o-junk truck we bought against their better judgement. So some sneak off to the office and pound out questions. A good number of viewers lurk, remaining silent and thought of as a fool, instead of typing and removing all doubt. But in fact, an un-asked question can cost you an engine or more. We've had guys that finally checked the oil, and were four quarts low; some have drained the oil, but then truck won't move - it was tranny drain, oops; I chased my tail on a click when turning right, even crawled through salvage yard on a 100+ day and got a CV and axle - only to find out my lug nuts were just a tad loose.

None of us know everything, but nobody knows more than all of us. We admire those that take on a whopping project and do it. We snicker at the jokes and tall tales. And sometimes a word of encouragement or a thought in a different direction makes all the difference, in our continuing battle to keep the trucks on the road and out of the dealership.

 

There was a thread about specific procedures for flushing and changing coolant. I'm not sure where it is though. Anyone know?

 

OP asked about what to use, not how to do it, so it is assumed he knows about purging air, etc. He thanked the responders (something that happens all too infrequently), and asked about an FAQ. Being the off duty village idiot, I was happy to insert my obnoxious maximus opinion.

I guess I should be glad that there are owners out there that never ask a question, their ride will be retired early and I can buy it on the cheap. I'm always amazed that an owner of a vehicle with a mortgage sized payment will make the wrong choice between an oil change and the latest DVD.....

Rant over..

 

Jeff, how many miles are there on your new Disco, where is your coolant bleed screw located, on the upper hose or on the black plastic tee?
Might want to look at my major service list located at the top of the Discovery 2 section.

 

Mike,

62k on the clock. I haven't looked for the bleed screw (but I do know how to purge the air from the system). Production date of 3/01. I have reviewed your major service list, and I'm planning on doing all of that either this coming weekend or next.

Also, I downloaded the RAVE manualand have been perusing it as well.