Just trying to get some feedback.

My Disco 2 is overheating and is going through coolant at rate of about 3 gallons every twenty miles. I can't see any place where the coolant is leaking, but after leaving it parked all night, it is definitely leaking [evidence on the floor].

Other signs of something awry: white cheesy film in oil cap, an apparent excess of oil, little to no pressure in coolant hosing, and the quintessential "white smoke" in exhaust.

Thoughts?

Note: I recently had the thermostat replaced but it didn't seem to help.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

search for head gaskets repair on the forum.

 

STOP driving it IMMEDIATELY...

You have a major mechanical problem. It could be blown head gaskets or a crack in the block behind one of the cylinder liners.

Check your oil level - It's likely really high because it is full of coolant.

You are looking at major engine work to repair it, and if you've driven it much in that condition, and there is coolant in the oil, you've experienced bearing wash which would have damaged virtually every bearing surface in the motor.

Good luck with the repair. I've been there, and it's not cheap!

 

One thing I have read on the various forums and on the internet is that DII's really don't take well to running hot and with low oil pressure.

Most cars and trucks are like that, but they seem to be a bit more forgiving.

I ordered a Ultragauge UltraGauge OBDII Scan tool & Information Center to really keep tabs on the coolant temp oil pressure and stuff.

Don't rely on the Rover's warning lights, when those things go on it seems like it's to late.

 

No doubt: head gasket.

It sounds like a really bad head gasket leak is coolant is leaking both inside and outside the engine but it is possible that the outside coolant is being forced out of the overflow tank by pressure, in which case it could be cracked heads (the engine pressurizes the coolant and the overflow cap releases pressure). I would park it, order a head gasket kit for about 200 dollars, and download instructions for replacing them. It takes a weekend to replace the first time, plus the time to have your heads planed at an engine shop (about 100 bucks). Or, go to a shop and be prepared to pay 1-2000 for new head gaskets.

Overheating can also cause the liners to come loose, but let's think positive.

Bummer for your bad luck, but you are in good company as it happens to almost every Disco II owner if they have their truck long enough. On the positive side you will be good for another hundred thousand miles with a new head gasket.

Condolences.

The first time this happened to me I wasn't willing to dive into a head gasket so I bought a used engine and swapped it in myself. The second time I replaced the head gaskets in the replacement engine. While it is handy to have a spare engine for parts, I would have saved money and time by just doing the gaskets the first time.

 

^^^^^What they all said^^^^^^ Head Gasket blown

 

Thanks for all the input guys. I don't have the ability to work on it myself but there is a good shop in the area that specializes in racing engines that can help.

I was on the interstate when it first overheated so I did continue to drive it for a mile or so when it initially overheated but it seems to still be running fine still, except for the overheating thing.

After I limped it home stopping every 10 minutes or so to top off the coolant, I really had no other choice, I topped off the coolant again and parked it in the garage. It's been sitting a couple of days now and no coolant has leaked so it would appear it's only leaking when hot?

I was thinking head gasket and it sounds like what you guys are saying too. I read the other forums and posts about this before I started this thread, but I wanted to start my own because I didn't see anything about the "cheesy" build-up under the oil cap.

Thanks for all the help guys, I hope the shop can figure it out and fix it for me. I'll pass on what you guys told me to help them trouble shoot. Gotta love Rovers.

 

What area are you in?

It would be best to look for an independent Land Rover specialist shop.

There are quirks and such that folks that infrequently work on LR heads deal with so you will pay more in labor and run the risk of something simple to an LR tech would be overlooked by someone else.

LR specialty techs see this daily, Thats where you should go.

It will not only be done right the first time, but probably still save you some money over the dealer or a "foreign car" or race shop.

That being said, you may be able to use the race shop for the machine work on the heads but an indy LR shop will likely have a preferred machine shop with a stack of pre machined heads ready to swap into your truck.

 

On a separate question

Does a blown head gasket always result in a coolant leaks, engine over heating and coolant in the oil?

Or can a car or truck run good with a blown head gasket?

Reason I ask is my 2004 Disco II to my knowledge hasn't had the head gasket changed as of yet and it has 126K on the odometer. Is it something I should go ahead and change or wait till there are symptoms?

 

If the leak is external only and slow you can run for a long time... but you are running on borrowed time.

I ran for nearly 10k with a slow leak by keeping an obsessive eye on the coolant level and topping it as needed. Mine was leaking on the back of the passenger side head, job was done with 97k on engine. I originally noticed a loss of coolant and found both the throttle body heater and the head gasket leak. had the TB fixed and waited on the HG.

As soon as I knew what the leak was I bought the Ultragauge to keep an eye on actual temps.

I did not dump any stop leaks into my cooling system.

As soon as I had the money I had the job done by my LR specialist as I don't have the space or tools to do it myself.