discovery 97 series 1 question or help! :)

I have recently purchased this vehicle- its a 97 Disco V8i 4.0 liter automatic purchased in the US. The troubles I am having that I hope someone can help with:

1- the engine temp rises after a short period of idling, but will reamin at normal temp when driving around, with or w/o AC on... 2- hot water is leaking down from the edge of the center console all down the passenger side of the vehicle - we are talking a quart or more of hot water. the odd part is that i have flushed the system and replaced the coolant with fresh coolant- but the interior "leak" as I will refer to it is pure water. It has done this at normal operating temp as well as when it is runnign hot!

-DIAGNOSIS- I have checked the hoses and water pump,etc for leaks and collapsing hoses - found NONE. I have removed the thermostat and tested it in boiling water, it opened up at around 200 degrees, but fairly slowly- I have ran it without the thermostat and have repeated the overheat process- not sure if running without a thermostat could possible cause overheat, but it was just a trial and error thing. The viscous coupling on the main fan attached to the waterpump appears to lock up when the engine is hot, not sure how stiff the coupling should be when it is hot- anyone have advice? Auxiliary fan comes on when running AC, not sure if it comes on otherwise- is it temp controlled?? waterpump shaft appears balanced and not loose. there is only a tiny access hole (1/2") in the top of the actual radiator

-observed no bubbles in the radiator. no yellow residue on the oil cap, no water present in oil or vice-versa...

if anyone can help with these problems or knows a better ng or website then THANKS!! :) appreciate all advice! robbie

Reply to
Robbie Wilson
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Your heater matrix or associated pipework inside the centre console has developed a leak. The person you have bought this car from knew this as it appears you have no anti-freeze in the circuit either, hence the hot water leak.

The only reason people leave anti-freeze out on a leak is because water/af mix is more likely to find an exit than just water on its own. I suspect that the leak has been going for for some time, the system drained and investgated, found t be expensive to fix, filled up with plain water and sold on quickly in order to get rid of it.

I suggest you gut the centre console, check the location of the leak, which I suspect will be the heater matrix (9 times out of 10, the 10th time being the pipework to/from the matrix), and get it changed before you rot your carpets and wreck your engine by running it with no corrosion protection.

PDH

Reply to
Paul Hubbard

Reply to
Robbie Wilson

If your loosing that much water as you say, you could be getting an air lock in the system.

To prove that the matrix has expired, bypass the matrix with a section of hose and two jubilee clips. Refill the system, purge the air and then see what happens.

A good way to check if the maxtrix has expired, blank off the water exit and with the matrix in a bucket of water, compress air into the inlet. Bubbles escaping means a duff matrix.

PDH

Reply to
Paul Hubbard

Reply to
Robbie Wilson

Your going to find purge points all over the place on the water circuit. It's like doing a radiator circuit a home, have to release all the air.

A god run down the road, then a re-check as you will have to top up the expansion tank.

But, get a manual.

PDH

Reply to
Paul Hubbard

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