I take my 2005 freelander to the dealer for some loosing cooling fluid, and after 45 days, 3000 dlls pay the problem still the same, the guy for the service department said they don't have a clue about the problem and how to solve and they send a email to get some answer from land rover????? ., if they are the dealer, were he send a email??? there is some body to know about this problem, they test the system with the machine and is not going to the motor. thanks for the help.

 

See attached. Cooling system flow for a Freelander, and each year may have some variation. Point is that there are many hoses and clamps and each is a potential leak point.

If coolant is dripping out at idle, you should be able to park over clean cardboard, idle for a while, and see where spots are.

If coolant is dripping out only at highway speed, you can rent/borrow a coolant pressure tester and pump system up to say 15 PSI and wait for leak to show up.

Some techs use dye or a UV (black) light to search for traces of coolant around fittings.

Coolant can escape through heater core and make carpets wet inside.

Coolant can leak into oil system, will show up as milky look and green (if green coolant) droplets in the drained oil. While you could change the oil, you can also drain, examine, and pour it back in. Head gaskets or oil cooler.

Coolant can leak into the transmission system (rare, as tranny is higher pressure). Tranny oil cooler.

Coolant can leak into the combustion chambers and be "burned" as white smoke out the exhaust. Head gaskets.

There is a intermidate drive cooler that is part of the cooling system.

A test for combustion gas in coolant is about $50 from parts store, you mix hot coolant with it, and it changes color. Has enough to do maybe 15 tests., to verify head gasket.

The above ideas work for a wide range of vehicles. But the coolant systems are all similar - a mix of distilled water and antifreeze of some color fills the radiator and the engine block and is circulated by a pump. It should stay in the closed system, it should not escape, and should not mix with other fluids.

Hope you paid on a credit card, so you can dispute the claim. AMEX and others cards will go to bat for the consumer.

 

Why did you pay them, how did you pay them, if by credit card go to your bank and contest the charges till the dealer fixes the problem.

 

thanks for all the good advises I going to see what I can do, yes I pay with a card and that was a 45 days ago I hope the bank can help me, and for now the vehicle is in the dealer they suppose to be working on the problem but they don't have a idea about were the cooling is going. they charge me for the cooling pump time bell and tensor, they belive this going to fix the problem,. thanks for all.

 

I bet the dealer has new guys working on the vehicle.

if they knew better they would be checking all the obvious places including the thermostat housing, the water pump, the heater core and if no signs of visible leaks then put some coolant dye in and you will find it in the oil. most likely the sleaves are slipping and the coolant is going into the engine oil. when you drain the oil you will see the bits of coolant dye in the oil. Plus if you take off the engine oil pan off you will see inside where the coolant is running down the cylinder walls into the oil.

 

Similar issues with my '03--Rover Specialist can't deduce where the coolant is going--he dropped oil pan and saw it was clean... he's clueless! I have an expensive front lawn ornament (or at least I would if I had a lawn!).

I'm thinking my Freelander is toast... and the tech just wouldn't say it.

 

I'm thinking my head gaskets are bad... any idea what I'm in for as far as repair cost?

It wouldn't explain my oil light blinking though, would it? I think the oil pump is bad, but my genius Rover Specialist said it was just a bad, loose sensor. He replaced the sensor (for no charge), and the light continues to blink (HA Ha!).

 

BOAT - bring over another thousand (will likely be 2,000 ish)

 

Hey Varlean
I don't know if you have solved your coolant problem yet so in case you haven't I might have the answer for you. I had the same problem on my 03, nobody not even the dealerships had a clue, all i got from them was a blank stare, and an offer to check it out for a few hundred dollars. I lucked out and found an independent mechanic and he knew immediately what it was. My problem was one of the PVC hoses that are part of the thermostat system. They are only secured by O rings, if they are not fresh they will start to leak and since that system resides in the valley between the cylinder banks when it leaks you have no indication of where the coolant is going because it evaporates as soon as it hits the very hot engine block.
I hope this helps and good luck.

 

A Freelander has more cooling system hose clamps than a parking lot of Discos.