Hello, I'm new to this forum and we could really use some help with an issue going on with my 1999 disco 2. To sum it up, after driving for about 5 min, she begins to overheat to where I need to stop every few miles to let her cool off. I don't know what is going on and it is frustrating and concerning. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here is a list of what is currently going on. Thank you in advanced!


-doesnt overheat in idle-resevoir doesn't show a level. It is like a bottomless pit. Where does it?
-leak at the bottom of the vehicle sometimes (broken gasket maybe?)-overflow gets really pressurized and pours - after driving for about 3 min, the heat gage goes up- to the touch after it heats up, the radiator hoses feels really pressurized and very hot.
-check engine light on, along with TC, and other readings-recently the belt (the one right in front of the big fan

I can't think of anything else right now and I will try and post pictures. It would be greatly appreciated if a kind land Rover enthusiast would take the time to help me out with this. It is my and my wife's only semi working vehicle at the moment.


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Hi Caleb. First of all you should not be driving your Disco with an overheating issue. You will do serious engine damage if you haven’t already. More people with way more experience than me will chime in, but I think you are looking at perhaps a Head Gasket job. Sorry it’s your only semi working vehicle but this issue needs to be fixed.

 

Head gasket most likely - as @Harvlr said stop driving it it is an aluminum engine you are making things much worse.

You are getting over pressured it is generally exhaust gas in the in the cooling systems - coolant is being pushed out the the overflow hose on to the ground from the pressure, some will end up in the oil as well.

There are a couple of things you can check do you have white smoke out exhaust within a minute or so of starting
Take your oil filler cap off is it white or yellow underneath
Check you oil level it could appear be overfilled

Water pump failure can cause the same issue but is hard to diagnose - one thing you can do is pull the upper rad hose after filling the expansion tank all the way up start your truck water should come out if the pump is spinning.
Rad could be massively clogged pull both hoses put a garden hose in the top you should get a good solid flow through the rad

If you are lucky it is just the gaskets - but plan for heads overheat tends to warp them

 

Thank you both for the reply. So there is no white smoke coming from the exhaust. Underneath the oil cap is brown. I took of the main coolant hose that is 6 o'clock from the bleeding valve off, and there was a thick white residue in it. It might be some additive that got in there or something. You mentioned getting a garden hose and flushing out the radiator to clear out any debris, there isn't a radiator cap going directly into the radiator (that I know of) just the same hose I mentioned before. There was a nest from either a bird or something in the before, I scrapped a lot of it off but still had problems. Where exactly would I spray water into the radiator, if a clog is the issue. I'm really confused on why the reservoir doesn't hold in the coolant, making me wonder if it's a water pump issue. Maybe a thermostat problem?



This is underneath. Sometimes it will leak, and drop coolant (I think) in the middle. Can't exactly pinpoint where and can't tell if it's from the overflow spraying all over the engine.

This yellow thing connecting the hose, when taking off the hose was filled with coolant.

Underneath the fan

 

Your reservoir doesn’t keep coolant because you have a leak, either external (not likely as you would see a big puddle under your vehicle) or internal. It’s possible that your water pump or thermostat also have a problem, but that is not your leak.
You can check your radiator for flow by removing the top and bottom hoses and running water through it, but again, that’s not your leak.

 

the yellow thing connecting your hoses is the thermostat.

plan on a new one or, better yet, do the inline mod Stickied at the top of the page.

it does sound like you have a head gasket leak, especially if you can't keep coolant in the overflow reservoir.

 

@99discoCaleb thanks for the pictures they really help, you have a few issue here.

The white around the hose with the bleeder is indicates a leak there, typically the bleeder screw although it could be the T. If you have a wrecker nearby late 97 model BMW's have the same screw, take yours to test threads you can usually get a mittful for like 3 bucks. The screw usually cracks right down the center.

Get a plastic water bottle and some fuel line hose and extend your overflow from the tank to where the jack fits put the hose in the bottle, this will trap overflow into the bottle and you will be able to confirm over pressure.
Clean your oil filler cap the brown does not look good, but you need it clean to inspect it properly
Do a proper cold bleed engine off you need to get the cooling system re-filled - use tap water you know you are going to lose a lot of it.
Get a bunch of scrap cardboard and put it under your truck - easy to see water that way

Test 1 no cap

Once it is bled, leave the tank elevated and completely full, start your truck cap off and let it idle. The tank will drop some (might overflow a bit), watch your temps let just get to normal warm do not let it overheat
You should see water flow from the large bottom hose on the tank into the tank that is the return from the intake manifold if your water pump is working water always moves through there.

See if you are losing any water at all under the truck, getting air bubbles in the tank or spray from anywhere, check your exhaust for moisture water dripping.
Once you turn the engine off keep checking it keep getting warm for a few minutes
If the tanks keeps dropping and you can not see any water externally you are into pulling the top end apart.

If that test goes good do the same cap on - this one be really on top on the engine temp watch for the same things.