Hey,

I have been searching/reading for hours over forums and blog posts looking for solutions to my Land Rover issues. I am loving sites like this because someone else has had the exact same problem along the line, which saves a lot of time and money searching for the problem (like the cracked chasis/shaking problem I had last Fall, it would have taken ages before the mechanic examined the chasis for a hairline crack!)

We have had some overheating issues before which required dropping the engine and rebuilding one side of the cylinders. Before this we were draining coolant/water and refilling the reservoir almost daily. It got into the engine and we ended up with the milky oil, pressure issues, starting issues and power issues After fixing the cylinders, it was running fine and no longer losing pressure.

Now, we seem to be back to having to add coolant/water almost daily. I took my kids to the Red Sea (180km trip one way). I didn't push the truck, we cruised along about 90km/h and the RPMs stayed steady and low, no A/C just windows and the heater fan on to help pull air of the engine. We also left at about 6:30AM to avoid desert temperatures in the afternoon. About 90km in, the temp started to rise and I was able to keep going until I found a safe turn off to stop with the kids. At that point, the temp gauge was at 3/4. We let the engine sit about 30 minutes and I added about 3L of water (we will be flushing the system and going with coolant, but water is what the previous owner said to do....along with other bad advice ). 15km later the temperature was on the rise. I got it to a station and asked for antifreeze. After letting the engine sit for 30 minutes or so, I added it slowly with the engine running. I added 75% coolant (4L) and about 2 L of water. We had about 1/4 of our trip left and coasted right into the parking lot without the gauge even moving. But when I went the next morning to check the level, the reservoir was empty again. Coming back, I started with adding about 5L of water and stopped for more coolant. Half way home, as I started to overheat, I pulled off and rested and added another 4 L of coolant and 2 L of water. It got me back home (barely) and it is dry again.

I am sure it has something to do with the other half of the cylinders needing rebuilt, but if the oil is still not turning a milky color, where is all of this liquid going? There are no leaks under the car & the reservoir cap threading seems in good condition. Our mechanic is good at his work, but not great at working backwards from the problem to figure out the cause. He did a great job fixing the one half of the engine, but obviously didn't fix whatever is causing the overheating. I need some guidance on things to check out. Will fixing the other half of the engine solve the problem? Or is there a radiator problem? Or another cooling problem? Where is this liquid going? Can 6L burn off in 90 minutes? Is there a way for it to go out the exhaust system? I would be glad to post any images or videos if that would help. And, if possible, I would greatly appreciate it if you would please explain any ideas/solutions in as much basic English as possible since I will have to translate it all to Arabic for the mechanic

 

Look for a crack in the bottom of the reservoir. Only built one side?

 

Having been thru my share of cooling issues lately although mine is a tdi , i would suggest you have the radiator cleaned/ rodded out, replace the viscous fan clutch, thermostat, all hoses and the expansion tank cap.
It is also imperative to use coolant at the correct percentage to aid in cooling and raising the boiling point, only use water in an emergency or as a short term solution.
The water has to be going somewhere and from personal experience it doesnt always leak into the oil.

Welcome by the way, which part of the read sea did you go to ?
I have been to Sinai and stayed in Dahab and Sharm El Sheik.