Noticed the low coolant light, and then smelled coolant (although have yet to see any).

The vehicle also sounded different - like the fan was going hard. I also have no heat, and not a lick of coolant.

And the temp gauge - stuck perfectly where it should be!

I clearly have a leak in my system, but what else? Where do I start to find the source of this leak?

My serp belt was replaced about two months ago and I did read something about people putting them on wrong and moving the water pump in reverse direction, but it's unlikely. My indy is a LR Master tech and generally does good work for me. (Or so I've thought).

I wanna pray it's a thermostat or something but the loss of coolant - i can't explain.
THanks for any help!

 

Well, the usual culprits are:
1. Check the coolant reservoir for leaks
2. Check the plastic bleed valve (plastic T) under the engine cover
3. Check the thermostat housing

If you don't see any pink crusty goop anywhere, then it's possible you had/have a big gushing leak from somewhere, but I would hope that you can find that with your eye... hose disconnected or split somewhere.

If you really can't find a leak from anywhere, then it's time to do an oil change and hope that there is no coolant in the oil! I think blown head gaskets are supposed to be pretty rare on these cars, but the coolant has to be going somewhere...

 

Thank you. Ill keep you posted and yes - hear this bleeder valve is an issue. Just need to go looking for it.

 

Food for thought... Check your carpet. It is also possible you have a leaking heater core. I had one for awhile and never knew it till my carpet was soaking wet. If you pull the panel from the right side passenger near the center you should see the core and the pipes that lead into it. I would look there as well.

 

Got under hood last night and filled her up w dexcool. I do not see signs of fluid near reservoir, or the tee, or any of the hoses visible from the engine bay. I took the fan cover off and saw a few small splatterings of fluid that could easily have been from my spillage. Nothing much. Didn't see much near water pump.


Got under car and did see fresh fluid in the diff right in the center of vehicle. Couldn't see where it was coming from but it's center location lead me back to thinking it was the water pump leaking.

It was dark when I did this so decided to look again this morning.

Reservoir pretty much empty. Added coolant and pretty Mush saw her leaking from the drivers side about about two feet in from my tire.

Examine the schematics of the cooking systems and officially have no idea what hose is over there. Looks like I'm going to have to wait until the weekend to get under the car in the daylight to see what I can see up there.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Gents: leak is still un diagnosed. What a bit**! Fluid is pretty much pouring out from the rear of the block behind the driver side tire. I can't get a good visual from directly underneath but tonight as u was trying my neighbors (who is chatty) walks by and goes , not joking, "freeze plug". So I'm like huh? He goes "coolant leak"? That's right, Einstein. (As it's pouring out of my truck onto the pavement). So we chat and he tells me his friend had a rover and had an issue with a "freeze block".

So I run inside and look on forums and I see so e stuff that makes sense but it's all for the disco 2's.

Is this issue a rotten freeze plug?

Rear of block? 150 miles? I've looked at oil. It appears to be good. My Indy keeps saying "doubt it's the head".

Anyone have a diagram of the engine so I can figure out where these freeze plugs are? An exploded engine view of the disco 3?

Thanks all.

 

Hmmm. I find that pretty unlikely. I also find a blown head gasket unlikely because even if you blew the outer side of the gasket so that it was leaking externally, i can't imagine that it would gush out that quickly.

Do you have a 7 passenger model of the LR3? If so, and you think the leak is coming from the rear of the engine, you might want to consider the heater lines running to the auxiliary climate control at the rear of the vehicle. Look at pages 8+ of the following file.

http://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/albu...peration~0.pdf

 

The link below is to additional files related to the HVAC systems.

I recall that leaking/cracking/corrosion of the aluminum lines located at the rear of the rear left side wheel well is not uncommon. It tended to be more so where owners were running oversized tyres that too filled the rear wheel well.

Replacement/repair of the lines is no fun but beats a head gasket any day.

That is one of the reasons I change out the antifreeze at least every second year. I also use only the official LR coolant - hopefully to maintain the supposed good anticorrosion properties of the fluid rather than to address cold weather concerns.

DISCO3.CO.UK Photo Gallery - Heater Air Conditioner System

 

Another thought that might make more sense...

If you say the leak is coming from the rear driver's side of the engine, it may be the coolant drain plug. See page 9 of the following:

http://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/albu...peration~1.pdf

 

Cmb6s,

Thanks for info and document. Still struggling to find the leak but your response gives me hope. Yesterday I spent an hour getting my fat body to the rear of my engine bay to see if I could find something. Tough to see back there so I took a video of the rear of the block. I found three holes (score) that looked like bolts belonged in them but due to the number "three" I concluded "no way could bolts or plugs belong in them. Although I do believe I could feel threading. Again, so hard getting back there to see what the hell I'm doing.

See two snap shots of video. Any chance these are them? If so, anyone know which hole? (This is like being 12 all over again. ) this seems less obvious though so go easy on me guys.

I DO have the cold climate package.


And last but least, if a plug does belong in one of these, what makes it just fall out? And then, if I'm being greedy, anyone know the thread size and bolt length? Trying to avoid getting this towed. Right now it's looking like that.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/124126...8131/lightbox/


https://www.flickr.com/photos/124126...4/14263967901/