Hello,

I've had my disco for almost a year now and I've never had heat!

I've tried (and my mechanics have tried) the procedure outlined below for bleeding air from the coolant/heater core over half a dozen times with little or no effect and no lasting effect whatsoever.

"From a cold start with rad overflow cap off and correct level of antifreeze,
turn key put the air to 28 on both sides and fan on high start engine and rev at about 2000 rpms for roughly 2-3 mins or till it is at normal operating level.
Now replace cap and road test."

As a side note I also have to top up my coolant reservoir every few weeks/months as it looses coolant - the oil looks great and it's been doing this same thing for almost a year, if not longer since that's how long I've had it.

I really don't like to be cold but I live in Canada so I'd really love to have the heat work in my disco this winter! I heard discos produce way to much heat inside usually - why won't mine

Thanks for any help or advice!

TDC

 

Your heater core is probably plugged up. Pull off the heater hoses and use a garden hose to back flush the core. I assume your mechanic would have done this? If not maybe find a new mechanic. Also you should fix that leak before you overheat your engine and kill it.

 

AAAaaahhhhhh yes, the mystery anti freeze leak. I have that as well. It doesn't appear to leak, my oil looks good, yet I have to add some every month or so. I had the same problem with the heater not working. Instead of using the method of leaving the cap on the overfill reservoir open, I run it till its hot, turn the heat on and open the small plastic screw mounted on top of the coolant line that runs right above the radiator.

After doing this for about 5 min, the heater blows hot. It's the damndest thing. I imagine someone is probably stealing the coolant. Hell, the stuff costs 25 bucks a gallon. If I could find a fluid that costs 25 bucks a gallon I would steal it too. I wouldn't even sell it or use it. I would swim in it like Scrooge McDuck.

 

I agree that your heater core is plugged.
http://www.sancarlosradiator.com/dex-cool_pics.htm
And STOP using Dex-Cool, do a complete cooling system flush and refill with any other all aluminum safe coolant.
Then bleed the system differently, you turn the heat (both sides) to full hot fan on low.
Leave off radiator cap and loosen the bleed screw on the upper most radiator hose.
Idle engine until coolant starts to come out of the bleed screw, tighten screw.
Make sure you have heat.
Replace radiator cap.
Recheck fluid level the day after driving it when it has sat overnight.

It is a closed system, if the radiator cap is not off then the air cannot escape.
This whole procedure takes about 30 min.
Make sure the engine is running until after you replace the radiator cap.

 

I'm afraid you guys don't have coolant leaks, this is all too familiar. You likely have blown headgaskets, you will need to do a pressure check to be sure, but coolant doesn't just disappear, it has to go somewhere. Coolant dye will help you find the leak. One more quick tip for bleeding the system. The RAVE says to unclip the pressure tank from the mounts and fill it with the bleed screw out, when no more coolant will go into the pressure tank, tip the back end of the tank up. When you do this have your bleed screw ready to go back in, because the fluid will start to come out in a steady stream, the bleed screw should be replaced while the steady stream is coming out. Tighten the bleed screw. Then with your pressure tank cap off, start the truck and go to max heat on climate control until you have hot air coming out of all vents. Once you have hot air, replace the pressure tank cap, and voila, system is bled.

 

First you don't bleed air from the system with the engine running and the cap off, do it when stone cold, engine off, fill till you get a good stream thru the bleed screw, the cap everything off and start the engine, go drive and then let it cool down again, recheck and top off the coolant to the cap. If you still have not warm air, at idle with a warm engine, then you still have air in the system, a bad t/stat and or for sure a blown head gasket that would explain the coolant lose.