Coolant loss
 

AAAAHHH!!! 2001 75 1.8 Club SE

I had the head gasket changed about 10,000 miles ago and since then no problems until now.

When it was replaced it was with the Land Rover one, metal screws, oil rail and the water pump and thermostat were also changed.

Since having done I have still regularly checked my levels and as i say they been fine until now.

It is loosing about 3/4 pint of fluid a day (significant in my eyes). There is no evidence of mayo in the header tank or oil filler. There is sometimes the smell of hot coolant when I have stopped and got out of the car, but no visible signs of water leeking.

I am tending to think that it is a leak rather than another gasket.

Not sure if this is relevant or not, but when the car is first started in the morning you can hear fluid moving around, this only happens on the first start up of the day.

Plenum drains are clear.

Any advice or suggestions greatly recieved

Ian

If there's no mayo, sounds like a leak doesn't it.

I was going to suggest replacing the coolant filler cap as they fail occasionally, but to lose .75 of a pint of coolant a day, seems rather a lot to escape from there!

Have you checked all hoses/pipes for condition & checked to make sure the clips/fastenings are really tight?

Apart from a faulty radiator cap, the 1.8 engine is prone to leakage at the plastic T-piece connecting three hoses just behind the top of the radiator. Overtightening the clips here can easily split the plastic pipe. Sometimes, the original clips are actually not tight enough and they bleed. Look for tell-tale red stains* down the pipe at the back of the radiator. If so, replace the OEM clips with new Jubilees, but be careful not to over do 'em.

* Assuming you use OAT based coolant.

TC

You can make your own t-piece in metal. the plastic unit is totally unreliable! There is a guy here who can make them up, do a search.
Other points to check are all the other plastic bits in the cooling system, the radiator and the water pump. All well documented on this forum.

I had much the same thing and it turned out to be a leak in the heater matrix, soaking wet carpet under the drivers mat.

Ian's car is not a turbo. It does not have a T piece. As I understand it is very unlikely to be HGF with the revised HG. I would be looking at either a split hose somewhere or the cap. Is there ANY suggestion of white smoke at start up, if so, I would look at the inlet manifold. I am no expert but if you want to pop it round and we can have a look together let me know. I am still off school until the 1st Sept.

Dohh!
Anyway, if it was, that's a place to check.

TC

Dont hold your breath over the new gasket, there has been a few cases of this gasket failing in the freelanders(so i read)only real time will tell,if a headgasket will fail in a saab,volvo etc then you can bet this one will fail aswell...

we have just taken delivery of a freelander, and guess what ...it had a new hg less than two months ago, at 80k, including a new cam belt, we have work to do to the vehicle as the garage who did the work were, lets say less than professional :(