I fought this similar issue for some time... When it was all said and done with thermostat mod and new radiator and water pump and fan... A/c wouldnt cool completly when it would start acting up ( never overheated just woukd run a little hotter than i thought it should) come to find out, My comdenser fan was intermittently working... I replaced fan and now everything runs cool as i thought it should...has ran nice ever since! 6 months or so

 

Don't bleed it per the Rave or with that jug raised.


Drive the thing onto a steep hill, STEEP, let it run, turn on the heat.


Green coolant.
I've ran mine for well over a year now without losing a drop or going over 200.


Two hours ago I finished changing fuel inj, coil packs, water pump...I added coolant until it "seemed" full and opened the bleeder raised the overflow etc...
The amount of coolant I took out was about 3/4 gallon more...so using the "correct method" didn't bleed the air out since I pulled more out than went back in.
Tomorrow I will finish the truck and park it on a hill and see if I can get more coolant in it. Since I've always been successful bleeding rovers I am sure I wont have any problems.

 

Just FYI: I'm in Texas, my 04 runs up to 218 in stop and go traffic when it's 100 degrees outside with the a/c OFF. With the A/c on it will top 210 in hat scenario. Other times of the year it stays around 200.

Those #'s make some peeps here freak out but I've got 208k on it engine never been opened. No head gasket yet.

Disclaimer: I do have a Newish radiator, 180 soft spring thermo and running Honda coolant. Maybe a small air pocket in the system. Not sure

 

I have a 2003 and when I bought it a year ago it started ticking. The previous owner told me that was normal and all Discos did that. After a couple of people at work asked me what was wrong with my LR and if the engine was knocking, what's wrong with my truck, etc (embarassing, new-to-me vehicle) I started searching on this site for answers. Plugged in OBD and saw 218 and got the ticking to stop after replacing a bunch of things and getting temps down to 200. Have been a fanatic of lower temps ever since.

 

Highest I've ever had a D2 at idle was 229F..... As Jerry Clarkson would say "a lot of poo just shot out...." I was driving home a new to me D2 and I didn't have my scanguage II with me when I picked it up. Once I got back to where I was staying I connected it and saw 229F!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was running smooth no ticking/knocking, but I shut it down ASAP.

Checked a few things and I waited until it cooled down some until I hit the road again. Going 70MPH I got it to stay down around 210-212F but I couldn't do anything about it so I continued on. I made it home, and immediately tore into it. I found the stupid throttle plate leaking (go figure), and the radiator line to the jug leaking (once again go figure), then I decided to inspect the thermostat. Well it was 100% stuck closed. Replaced it, bled the system of air and it went down to 193F down the road and 206F at idle. Had I known how hot it was running when I picked it up I probably would have passed on it, but I will say I didn't have any cooling issues after that, and I sold it to a friend who has had no issues with it either.

In TX especially SETX where it's so humid I'm okay with 210F as an absolute max temp, but anything higher than that and it's park it until you inspect the entire cooling system.

My aluminum 5.3L V8 in my H3 Alpha got up to 237F due to a POS 400.00 efan kit. It was fine around town and short trips at 193F to 200F, but on it's first long trip after being installed I got onto I-10 heading for San Antonio. It normally wouldn't go past 212F as a max temp ever in the hottest of summer with the OEM fan clutch/fan blade.

As I was driving I watched it slowly climb, and it just kept climbing..... I pulled over casually not to alert my wife to the situation but having the hood open to cool the motor, and me laying under it removing the lower skid plate when she walked up from using the rest room alerted her right away something was wrong. I told her what was up, and we continued on with me white knuckling the steering wheel and both of us glued to the scangauge. When it hit 237F I told my wife well so much for that 400.00 efan kit we're gonna toast a perfectly good engine if it won't cool down or level off. Just about that time it started to rain (which was amazing as the TX Hill Country was in a severe drought). The coolness from the rain and clouds got us down to 216F for the rest of the trip into Boerne, TX. When we headed back I left as late as I could and got it home in one piece. I removed the 400.00 joke of an efan kit (emailed the company and they could have cared less).. Installed all my OEM stuff and I was back down to 193F to 212F max.

I've been comparing a complete OEM setup with the OEM thermostat and everything in excellent shape to a 180F soft spring thermostat setup with everything in good shape and I honestly DO NOT like how much the 180F setup goes up/down. It'll start off nice around 184F, 186F, 188F, then level off at 193F for a bit then 198F then at 75-80MPH it'll get up to 200F. Slow down to 65MPH and it'll drop back down to 193-195F. Where as the complete OEM setup warms up to 204F and 75-80MPH is 204-206F, and then you come to a stop and it'll climb to 209F then drop back to 204-206F. I like smaller range of temps vs 184-200F with the soft spring.

When I slow down the soft spring setup cools it down quickly, but it seems once out on the road at speed it maxes out it's lower temp cooling due to the airflow/RPM and Speed.

 

My issue sounds a little different from everyone elses. I drive for a while and have no issue then the temp will raise up and sit but will not overheat. I live in Texas so the temp is rising. I also have the lower thermostat in to compensate for the higher temps. I just redid the HG and did see any signs of SSS (slipped sleeve syndrome). How ever the guy I bought it from said he put HG sealer in it to fix the issue. Not only did he put one bottle in but he put "2" WTH!!! I dont hear any knocking that I keep hearing about. Could it be that the radiator has alot of crap clogging up the channels?

 

What are your actual operating temps in terms of numbers? If you live in the city and daily-drive it in traffic with ambient temps over 100 deg then you really want your operating temps under 200. Anything over that and you can really EF the block up. Hot weather and AC running is hard on the D2. They don't cool efficiently.

 

I'll chime in. My 2004 has had all of the cooling system replaced in the last 30k miles. Head gaskets done at 90k and I'm at 120k currently. I put in an oem 180° thermostat two months ago. Clutch fan and AC condenser fan running perfectly. Actually, I just replaced the AC fan, as the original was seized after last winter. In 90° summer weather, I'm seeing 185-199° under 65 mph and at idle. If I go above 70 mph for awhile, or a long uphill stretch on the highway, it will go to 203-206°, then back down. Sometimes up to 210° in stop and go after a highway drive. It always comes back down to 185-199° once driving. With summer temps and the AC blasting, I'm happy with my temps. The 2003-2004 tend to have more temp swings it seems. Anything under 210° doesn't bother me.