Is there a common overheating problem with the radiators in the DII models? Im looking at a rig for sale and the guy has replaced the headgasket and it didnt help. He said he then talked with Land Rover and they said 90% of the time its the radiator. That didnt sound right to me

 

http://sancarlosradiator.com/dex-cool.htm

Read though that.
All DII's came with Dex-Cool from the factory.
The common causes for a DII to overheat are blown headgaskets, cracked block, the cooling system not being bleed of air properly or a clogged radiator.

Unless you can get this truck for a song I would keep looking.

 

Ask the seller if he replaced the thermostat when he did the head gasket job. If the thermostat is stuck it could cause it to overheat. It is somthing to think about if you are not noticing the radiator leaking or the fans not working to keep it cool. Just a thought...

 

Also, what year is it?

 

its a 2000. He said he recently replaced both the head gasket and the thermostat. Is there an easy way to check if it is a coolant clogg up like in the article?

 

An easy way?
No.
You would have to do a complete cooling system flush and then do a flow test on the radiator.
If I did not own it then I would not spend the time and money to figure it out.

 

So is dex-cool still the coolant to use as long as you service it every two years? Or is there a better option?

 

I HATE Dex-Cool, I used to sell bulk coolant and every mechanic I talked to, including Mr. Goodwrench mechanics all hated it too.
They used it if the car was under warranty but that was it, they drained it out of their own cars and used anything else.
Personally I like and recommend Peak Global.

The problem with Dex-Cool is that if it is exposed to any air it turns to goo and becomes corrosive.

 

An FYI, you can overheat due to blown head gaskets and drop a liner. It will still leak into the cylinder and you can't fix it without a new block.

You can take the truck to another mechanic and have the system pressure tested to see if and where it is leaking. It could be leaking at the throttle body heater.

If it is not bled properly, it will still overheat, even though nothing is mechanically wrong.

Dexcool IS corrosive IF it comes into contact with the atmosphere. It is only bad if you don't fix the problem, it doesn't create any problems. It just makes you fix problems as they happen.

 

Thanks everyone. This is a great forum. Ive used a couple forums in the past and this one definitely puts up answers the fastest. Needless to say, Im impressed. Thanks again