Help My Disco overheated

Jun 02, 2006 7 Replies
A

Hi all,



Well a week ago I drained the radiator, flushed it and refilled it with new fluid. No problems all week, Then today I got it on the A19 (road in North East UK) and I could hear a squeak. No worries I thought - fan belt needs changing. Anyway suddenly the temp gauge shot up - steam came out from under the bonnet. I immediately got the car off the road, killed the engine and called Green Flag.



After cooling for 15 mins I popped the bonnet to find that the top of the radiator plug (plastic thing) had come off and all the fluid had escaped through the top of the radiator. So I am left with half a radiator plug that I will have to get out.



Green Flag (Breakdown guy) reckons I overtightened it and he doesn't think there is anything else wrong with the engine. Although, the plastic plug almost looks a little melted. Checked for mayonnaise on the oil filler cap and any oily smell in the radiator and nothing, no increase in dipstick oil either - so I don't think the head gasket has gone.



Any thoughts people? In the brief time I ran the engine an hour later it sounded fine. I drove it into my garage after filling the radiator up.



It is Land Rover Discovery 2.5TDI XS AUTO 1996 English P Reg. 7 seater. Japanese import. Only done 60,000 miles



Yours



Andy


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D

Unless my mind is playing tricks on the rangie I think I replaced the nasty allegro type radiator plug with a nice brass one from the local plumbers merchants because it was getting keggley. Derek what shall I bleed next ?

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J

Andy:

Rest assured you are not the first person this has happened too. The plastic bungs can easily fail. I recommend (I've done it myself) and replaced the plastic bung caps with the metal ones that go on a RR 3.9 heater pipe. Good luck.

Jack

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A

On or around Fri, 02 Jun 2006 23:20:40 GMT, "Derek" enlightened us thusly:

older rangies had nice brass plugs instead of the orrible plastic ones that do, indeed, shear off, leaving an irritating hole. and yes, they're interchangeable.

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T

Blow me down if the same thing hasn't just happened to me! Picked up the "new" P reg Tdis Disco ES on Thursday, it has a full service history from new, and set off for me Mum's in Kent today. Just on the A 11 when I noticed the temp gauge on red, pulled over immediately and suffered clouds of steam from under the bonnet.

On inspection it's the little rubber plug on top of a small silver box on the engine. Split.

Green Flagged home, just arrived. Question is, how does the old plug come out? It's pretty shagged and I've tried tapping it out with a screwdriver and hammer but it won't turn and I'm starting to b****r it up. Should it unscrew or is it best just to chip away at it and possibly lose bits into the cooling system?

Thanks for any advice

TonyB

( Thank God I kept the 200Tdi!)

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A

An update:-

Got it to the Land Rover dealer and he replaced the said plastic plug in the top of the radiator and car is now running fine. I have ordered two brass plugs off e-bay.

He tested the engine and head gasket, pressure tested and everything is perfect. He reckoned that stopping it straight away when it got hot was what saved it.

Yours

Andy

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T

Phew. Mine started OK later too so I'm hoping no damage. See the reply in the earlier thread to Pantelis. Regards TonyB

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T

Sorry, that should have said in "The Last Landrover for Mere Mortals" TonyB

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