2011 LR4 HSE Thermostat/Cooling System Problem
 

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Hello. I'm not a "CAR PERSON", so I'm going to try my best to properly explain my issue, so please bear with me. I have a 2011 HSE with about 120K miles. I have been living a coolant system NIGHTMARE! I noticed a coolant leak (puddle on the ground) and took it in to get looked at. The mechanic found the leak and from that has subsequently replaced my water pump, radiator coolant hose (it burst!), thermostat, viscous fan clutch, and various coolant hoses. A small leak has since been found in my radiator, and before I spend another dime I need to know what is going on.

I have owned my vehicle for 5 years now and it "feels" to me to be a pressure issue. The latest thing that was done was bypassing the thermostat. The water still didn't bleed all of the air out the line. It acted as if something was blocking the flow of the water. After bypassing the thermostat, the radiator was removed from the vehicle and we ran a water hose through all ports and could not find any obstructions, thus ruling out the radiator. Brand new thermostat, water pump, fan clutch, hoses, and belts.....still overheating and rough idling(limp mode)... I'm at a complete loss.

Prior to this, I had not been putting the correct antifreeze (green) in my car. Since all the work, I have (pink). I have read the correct coolant is a HUGE FACTOR in my coolant system running properly.

Please Help.




Ok, it's been so much that has happened since this last post. Attached are pics of the current condition of my "repairs". Heads have been machined and the head gasket is in the process of being replaced. I got a second opinion on this process and the guy I took out said that it did not look as if they have been machined at all. So, I am posting these pics to get any advice on if they look like they have or have not been machined. 2nd, he says that ONE of the bolt threads to the gasket has been stripped.

So now he recommends the following:

1. Using a helicoil to repair the stripped thread.
2. Removing the entire engine and getting ALL the threads reworked & engine cleaned (and additional $2000), or
3. Replacing the engine.

What I now understand what I did wrong and may have caused all of these issues:confused::

1. Wasn't using the right fuel
2. Used water (sometimes) in my coolant tank
3. Mixed coolants (as advised to do when I went to AutoZone)

I've paid over $4000 thus far for my repairs. He also has stated that if I go with option #1, he can not offer me any kind of warranty because there is a 50/50 chance that that will hold. I bought the car from the Land Rover dealership in 2014 with a complete service record, 52K miles, and only one owner. He has also said that he has noticed that someone has used some sort of sealant which is the reason why he can't offer me a warranty which is why he suggested option #2, which in turn will qualify me for a warranty. At this point, I'm ready to just have my truck towed to the dealership in its current condition because he doesn't seem like he knows what he's doing.

your truck is 8 years old and has 120k on it. A small leak from the radiator is not all that surprising. Not certain why you are running all these other tests. Replace the radiator. If your mechanic has done the work correctly and you have not over heated the engine, you should be in good shape. Pus it is possible with all the other work that you had done that the radiator got nicked... its old. It takes less of an impact at 120k and 8 years old than when new.
Why do you "feel" this is a pressure issue.
If your radiator has a small leak you will never bleed all of the air out of the system. it has a leak.

Is you mechanic a Rover mechanic? Sounds like they are not.

As for the coolant - yeah, that may be a huge problem. I don't know about pink as my LR3 uses orange form the factory and its what I use. But I do know that mixing orange and green can have catastrophic results. The coolant will gel up, clog the passages, and then resulting overheating. At which point the engine is probably toast because or very localized hot spots where there is no coolant moving. BUT - your mechanic by now should have at least done a flush. Doing so would purge the gel out if there is some, and it would be obvious. Also a flush would simply fail if the passages are clogged enough. So the coolant you use on its own is not necessarily a HUGE FACTOR in cooling properly, but MIXING - that *can* be an issue if they two coolants are not chemically computable. FYI, colors do not denote compatibility. And some different colors can be mixed.

Radiator is aluminum with plastic, leaks are common at your mileage. The hoses are all supposed to be replaced at 5 yrs or 100,000 miles. I have 90,000 on mine and will be servicing soon, WP, Thermostat, belts and all hoses, which come as a full kit from Atlantic British. The water pump on mine was changed when I bought it at 23,000 miles. So, in theory, I am doing cooling service at 70,000 miles.