The overheating problem is finally fixed!

This weekend, I followed some of the advice from this forum and,
-back flushed the radiator and engine
-replaced thermostat with 180F, yellow not grey.
-adjusted hose angles to maximize flow
-checking temperature by the heating hose outlet with infrared gun

I am still waiting for OBD2 adapter to read engine temps. The last one I received came with a manual that was impossible to understand.

Engine temp taken at heater hose outlet was highest 229F. Most time hovered around 215-223F.

Drove around with family all weekend with no issues.

Next step to reduce engine running temps
-install bigger radiator. Which one fits, works best?
-install aux fan. I noticed a plug on the lower driver side in front of radiator. Is this for auxiliary fan?
-What else?

Thanks for your help all! Couldn't have done it without you!

 

You put in a yellow 180F Thermostat?? The only true 180F made by Land Rover is Gray. Normally the yellow thermostats are 190F's (unless it's a motorad unit).

You should already have an Aux Efan mounted in front of the condenser. It turns on when the AC is on in 80F or higher conditions, and it'll come on around the 210F range by the ECU.

I say the most beneficial upgrade you could do to the 03 would be an OEM 99-02 Engine Oil Cooler. That will keep your engine oil cooler. 03/04 did not come from the factory with an Engine Oil Cooler.

 

I am ordering that grey thermostat. I will put in the oil cooler too.

Thanks!

 

The grey thermostat arrived and I installed yesterday.

OBD2 DashCommand installed and reading engine temperatures correctly.

I followed LR manual for bleeding cooling system after installing new grey thermostat.

Engine temperature 175-181 after 30 minutes driving up and down hills. Hooray!

Lessons learned:
1. That yellow thermostat was sold as 180F but engine was 220F. Piece of junk.
2. T-connector blew apart bits of plastic into the radiator and/or engine. Backflush solved.
3. Followed LR Manual steps 1-10 to burp air out of cooling system

Thank you to all in the forum. I could not have done this without you!

 

Hooray.

Well played. Pleased, and massively surprised you pulled it off without head gasket damage. It's a great example of an engine that doesn't blow itself to bits with repeated overheating. Which is nice to see, as all we ever hear about are these things being fickle and useless.

big thumbs up......

 

So glad you solved the problem! I've seen these rigs take up to 229F without blowing to bits, but I certainly like the under 200F range much much much better!

My 99 had a silly leak start on the radiator where the fan shroud screws are. I pulled the new radiator from my 03 parts D2, and installed it along with a grey thermostat in my 99 today. The $12.00 Ebay thermostat made in Germany was a 190F and I was at a steady 206F before the radiator started to weep from one of those fan shroud screw holes. I'm now in the 188-193F range going down the road with the AC on. At idle it'll go to 198-200F max then work it's way back down to the 193-195F range. I also had 20.00 on my Auto Zone card so I picked up a new Fan Clutch. Darn 5 minute job turned out to be 30min as I had to drill out 3 of the 4 old fan clutch allen head bolts.

 

Man oh man.
You guys gonna suffer unless you bleed this POS correctly.

OK here we go again.

First - take the coolant bottle out of the clips.

Put the coolant bottle up HIGH.

Put rags or something under the coolant bottle to keep it raised. You don't want to be holding it.

Take the cap off.
yes you heard me right.

DO NOT TOUCH THE BLOODY BLEED SCREW. Ignore it.

Start the engine.

Take the engine to 1,500 RPM.

Hold it there.

Watch the coolant bottle.

IF coolant start blowing out the top- STOP.
SHUT DOWN engine.

You got a blown head gasket.

OK so coolant not blowing out the top.

Keep engine at 1,500 RPM.

Keep adding coolant to the bottle which has the cap off.

Run engine about 8 minutes at 1,500.

Adding coolant as it is running.
Hint. use a dime, or a nickle or a quarter at the plenum throttle stop
to achieve 1,500 RPM by cracking the throttle open a bit.
Then you can just stand in front and watch.

I watched inside. Safer.

OK so 8 minutes goes by.

With the engine at idle - put the cap back on the coolant bottle.

Put the coolant bottle back in the clips.

Shut down the engine.

Get a beer or coffee.

Then drive it around

Waterfall should be gone.

Next morning LOOK at the level.
Add coolant if needed up to the fill line.

DONE

Congratulations.

 

Now we have another best bleed procedure with specifics such as using rags or something.
......

 

I was in a hurry the other night and I didn't do anything crazy. I installed a radiator, installed the grey 180F thermostat, filled it with coolant, ran it until my scangauge II showed 195F, then I shut it down and went to bed. Next morning I topped off the coolant until it came out of the bleed screw hole, then I cranked it and let it get to 195F again and I shut it off. I went to work came home, checked the level, and removed the bleed screw and topped it off thru the bleed screw

Took it for it's first test drive yesterday, and not a single gurgle from the heater core, good solid temps with no spikes and 188F at 70-75MPH. I didn't go mad scientist on purpose, didn't raise the nose, on ramps, didn't yank the coolant bottle up, and it was able to vent the air out itself from the two hot/cold cycles.

 

Don't laugh at my bleed procedure above.
I used it 3 times successfully on my 2001 D2.

Works like a champ.

The D1 bleeds JUST THIS WAY automatically.