Happy Easter to all of you.
Checked the water level in the morning. When touring I top up with 1.5 litres of water every day. Never noticed where the water was escaping to. Only had the engine overheating once because of a lack of water.
Cruising along I noticed loosing power. 5 Seconds later the engine cut off and could not be restarted. Coolant temperature seemed to be fine. On opening the bonnet I noticed the engine block smoking because of intense heat. After a while I tried to restart but all I got was a whining, humming noise I have never heard before, not coming from the engine, but from somewhere in the engine compartment.
One hour later I got towed 4 miles into the next little village. I filled in
9 (!) litres of water. Engine could be started and sounded fine. A few seconds later high pressure develops in the top up tank and I switch off.
There is no moisture on the oil dip stick and the exhaust is bone dry. I check for the thermostat and find it is not there. (I conclude the previous owner must have had temperature problems and removed it. This also explains the long time the engine needs to reach running temperature.)
It looks like the cooling system is blocked somewhere. Before I have the Landy towed to Land Rover for repairs (waiting list is 3 to 4 weeks long!) I would like to listen to your valued thoughts, opinions and advice.
Many thanks for your time, Uli
Defender 110 TD5 2000 model, bought in August 2004