2001 Disco II, 98k mi.

Still has the original head gasket.

Getting a heavy antifreeze smell from the front end on cold start-up. Once the engine warms up, smell goes away. I do have the occasional waterfall sound from the passenger side of the dash, but have had that for years.

Not leaking any fluids
Not drinking antifreeze
No engine temperature problems
Exhaust smells normal

Am I getting the smell as a precursor to a blown head gasket in the near future? Any other ideas?

I am deploying overseas for 6 months and leaving the Rover with my wife. I don't want her to have any surprises.

 

when was the last time you bled the coolant? you have air in your lines. its not drinking coolant but is it leaking? at 98k i think you would be starting to lose coolant and that leak is what caused air to get in the coolant lines and make that pretty waterfall sound you have been hearing.

 

Right, but it isn't leaking coolant and not needing me to refill the coolant either. That's what I meant by "not drinking coolant." Coolant level has remained topped off the entire time without need for more.

 

needless to say you have air in the coolant line thats why its making that sound. if you made it nearly to 100k without the HG goin then bless that little trucks engine.

 

Before I started having heating problems (and head gasket blew) I would smell coolant after I just turned the engine off, but never noticed the smell at startup when cold.

 

Same here, just finished mine last week. Smell is gone now. I could also see some oil leaking down from the heads as well. Tiny bit of hydrocarbon coolant traces in my coolant sample as well. 113K and mine were toast.

 

I made it 125K before needing the heads changed so how long the seals hold up is a crap shoot. This could be a number of things, so if you are leaving this to your wife while you are away then it is worth getting someone at a shop to tell you for sure what the issue is. My rational is as follows:

The issue may just be a broken bleed screw ($25-$100 depending on how much you decide to do to fix it), which is common, that could lead to it slowly leaking enough to make the engine run hot. Your wife doesn't notice the temp change until the dreaded smoke is billowing out the hood and now a complete head job is all but guaranteed.

Worst case its the start of the head gaskets going. IT's worth the $50 - $70 diagnosis.

 

(2) spots to check,

Are floormats wet? heater core leak
Is anti-freeze on engine or ground under engine? head gasket, hose, water pump.

luck,greg

 

Thanks for the responses, everyone.
I have an appointment with an LR Mechanic Monday to get it checked out. Hoping it's something small, but if it isn't, I know where my tax return is going! It was going into the Rover anyway, it'll just go under the hood rather than into a new winch, cdl, and roof rack

 

Check the throttle body heater. Common place to leak.