HELP ! Discovery series II overheating
 

Hello

I have a 2000 Discovery TD5 series II with a problem. The engine overheats at certain times in first instance only at high speed and after a a few hours driving and the first 2 times it happened the engine stopped, fluid was not gone but low and came back when unscrewing reservoir lid, i.e. was pressurized. The last time yesterday, not driving fast or for long the car overheated again and it turns out that all the cooling liquid is gone now but no leak is obvious at all. Local non LR garage filled it with liquid and went for a 30 minute test-drive and yes fluid was gone again after 30 minute drive. What can be the problem ? Our local mechanic thinks it is the cylinder-head or the head gasket. Any help appreciated. This is going to be expensive but in any case I want to be sure this is indeed the problem. Also he told us that the big rubber tubings going from radiator to engine should become soft when cooling down and they don't.

Thank you
:(

Not having a lot of experience with diesels here in the States, I am going to take a guess and say you have a coolant leak. I would suggest you fill and bleed the system, only when cold then do a coolant pressure test to verify if it is a head gasket issue or something else like one of your cooling fans failing.

Sounds like you have a blown head gasket.
You cannot drive this truck as you will blow up the engine.

Thanks gentlemen. Is it worthwhile doing the test or assume it is the head gasket? So with a blown head gasket you would not see any leak because it will evaporate right away or gets sucked in the engine ? Engine runs perfectly normal that is of course until it overheats. Can you send me a link with clear drawings you think to point out for me how it works the leak with a blown head gasket? I am not a mechanic...

Many thanks

Hello again, Forgot how can it be a cooling fan failing if the cooling liquid disappears all together? i.e. how would that work?

Thanks

It is overheated but still was full of coolant thana bad engine fan can cause overheating because it is not cooling the engine.
but you are overheating because you are loosing coolant.
Head gaskets can leak many ways, the most common are into the combustion chambers and onto the outside of the engine.
If it is going into the cylinders then you wont see it, if it leaks outside of the engine you can then see it leaking onto the ground.

There is no pics that I can show you.

gasket replacement
 

How much does replacing a gasket usually cost? gasket itself is 60 euros here ? I guess the head needs to be sanded etc no ?

thanks

I have no idea how much it would cost of for your diesel, we dont have any diesel Land Rovers here in the US, only the V8.
Head gaskets on a V8 here in the US is about $1500 USD.
That is for the whole job, both sides of the engine but may cost more if you need head work.