Coolant Leak, non-head gasket

[kristinann]

A HUGE thanks to Disco Mike & this website. My 00 Disco II with 94k miles & no warranty started to leak coolant. Thanks to Mike & all the forums reviewing what to say when you take your vehicle in:

- pressure check the coolant system to rule out leaky head gaskets, & if the problem is internal or external
- if leaky head gasket, make sure heads are also checked for cracks & warps
- if not head gasket, check throttle body gasket (easier, less expensive fix)
- other: intake manifold, water pump, radiator hose gaskets
- if throttle body, have them clean it since the air hose will need to be removed anyway
- Look into shops that are non-dealer, ask for an explanation of the problem, let them know you like things fixed vs. replaced if applicable

I found a local mechanic shop recommended by a neighbor (also a girl) and walked in with the highest confidence (again, thank you everyone). The result was the following:

"Small amounts of coolant leaking from the back ofthe engine... Pressure tested cooling system, checked belt, hoses, water pump, thermostat operation, radiator cap & fluid levels...Head gasket is dry. Most likely cause of leak are core plugs on the rear of the block. Added Wynn's cooling system sealant to the coolant. This should seal minor leaks and recommend monitoring for any additional coolant leaks. "

PRICE: any guesses? $37.91

[Disco Mike]

Don't add any more sealant to your engine, they can, not always, cause more problems then it is worth.
So if you are leaking from the back of the engine, there is a better then average chance the intake manifold gasket is leaking. If so, this is not a real pricey repair.
With the sealant in, drive it, check the coolant level on the side of the coolant bottle every couple of days. If it slows down or stops this is good, if it continues, you will want to explore a little further. Get back to use in a few days and let me know how it is going.
Mike

[O.B.]

Originally Posted by Disco Mike

Don't add any more sealant to your engine, they can, not always, cause more problems then it is worth.
So if you are leaking from the back of the engine, there is a better then average chance the intake manifold gasket is leaking. If so, this is not a real pricey repair.

X2
Leak stopper may stop a leak, but it will also stop up your radiator--not good.
That intake manifold gasket leak might be as easy to fix as tightening up the intake manifold bolts. I found mine loose at 45K miles.

[kristinann]

9 months later...I have a question: winter's here again, but the air isn't blowing very cold in my DII. Would a coolant flush help?

I'm not clear on the difference between the green eth-glycol vs. the orange...added some green a couple days ago, heat seems to blow hotter, but not optimal. And I'm reading that you don't mix the two colors...what?? I have 102k on the vehicle, and haven't done any flushes since buying it at 92k miles. Any advice??

[Disco Mike]

Orange coolant only on D2's, no exceptions, use staright water if you don't have coolant.
Green coolant will not protect the head gaskets from failing.
As for your heater problem, sound like you are stiil leaking coolant, which was low, causing the heater to not get enough coolant to heat the engine compartment.
Try a pressure test to verify if you still have a coolant, no more stop leak, fix leak if any is found, could be a leaking intake manifold gasket leaking at the back of the engine. Add orange coolant, bleed system and you should be fine.
Mike

[mnmike]

Originally Posted by Disco Mike

Orange coolant only on D2's, no exceptions, use staright water if you don't have coolant.
Green coolant will not protect the head gaskets from failing.
As for your heater problem, sound like you are stiil leaking coolant, which was low, causing the heater to not get enough coolant to heat the engine compartment.
Try a pressure test to verify if you still have a coolant, no more stop leak, fix leak if any is found, could be a leaking intake manifold gasket leaking at the back of the engine. Add orange coolant, bleed system and you should be fine.
Mike

Guys at my local land rover indie shop said the opposite. The GM red coolant causes big problems, theyve caused all kinds of trouble and the red stuff clogs heater cores. Ill ask him more about it when I talk to them shortly.

[Dan Erickson]

Originally Posted by mnmike

Guys at my local land rover indie shop said the opposite. The GM red coolant causes big problems, theyve caused all kinds of trouble and the red stuff clogs heater cores. Ill ask him more about it when I talk to them shortly.

From what I have heard, this only happens if the system is not maintained properly and the coolant is not changed as needed.

[OkieRover]

Get that green out of there soon.
She said "blowing cold"? Did you mean blowing HOT?
And if so Disco Mike has the handle of it.

[mnmike]

Originally Posted by Dan Erickson

From what I have heard, this only happens if the system is not maintained properly and the coolant is not changed as needed.

that could be, i suppose the green stuff takes less maintenance. So why is the green bad though? Why is it harmful to a headgasket?

[AlaskaBound]

Originally Posted by Disco Mike

Orange coolant only on D2's, no exceptions, use staright water if you don't have coolant.

WHAT orange coolant are you referring to exactly? Product name? I've never seen orange coolant and from all the boards I've read on, I've never heard anyone say that you should use only orange coolant on D2's, no exception. I'm not doubting the info, just curious why and what orange coolant you're talking about...

thanks.

[Disco Mike]

It is not an issue of maintance, even the green when used in other vehicles needs to be changed every 30,000 miles.
Green does not prevent electrolis from happening between the head and the block causing damage the the head gasket and pitting of both the surface areas of the engine and head.
This is the only coolant Rover says to us as well as General Motors.
Mike

[AlaskaBound]

Just did some quick research and found an excerpt from an article on this issue written by an agricultural and biosystems engineer... PS> Is "Dexcool" a preferred orange coolant for our Rovers?

Article excerpt...

"Most antifreeze products sold for the past several years have been the traditional "green" coolant. This type is good for two to three years and up to 30,000 miles. The green antifreeze contains silicates, phosphates and / or borates as corrosion inhibitors to keep the solution alkaline. As long as the solution remains alkaline, corrosion is controlled and the system is protected. Over time, the corrosion inhibitors will be depleted and the corrosion protection is lost. It is for this reason that green antifreeze should be changed every two years or so. Aluminum is especially vulnerable to corrosion and many vehicles have heads, radiators and other aluminum components in the cooling system. If the coolant in an engine cooling system is changed before corrosion inhibitors reach dangerously low levels, corrosion damage is prevented.

An alternative to tradition green antifreeze is a product currently used by many engine manufacturers. "Orange" antifreeze is a long life or extended life type of antifreeze used to increase the useful life of engine coolant. It is ethylene glycol base as is the green antifreeze. The difference between the two colors is that orange antifreeze contains a different type of corrosion inhibitor that has a much longer service life than silicates, phosphates and borates. Orange antifreeze contains organic acids that protect engine parts from corrosion. Silicate (green) type antifreeze does not mix with orange type antifreeze. Never mix the two colors in a cooling system. The organic acids in orange types will cause precipitation of silicates in the green type and corrosion protection is greatly reduced. Orange type antifreezes are good for five years or 100,000/150,000 miles in newer vehicles (1996 and later). They can be used in many older vehicles (ask your vehicle dealer if it is safe to use orange antifreeze) if all of the green mixture is flushed from the system and is replaced with the orange mixture. Useful life is about four years or 60,000 miles in older cars."

[mnmike]

Originally Posted by AlaskaBound

Just did some quick research and found an excerpt from an article on this issue written by an agricultural and biosystems engineer... PS> Is "Dexcool" a preferred orange coolant for our Rovers?

Article excerpt...

"Most antifreeze products sold for the past several years have been the traditional "green" coolant. This type is good for two to three years and up to 30,000 miles. The green antifreeze contains silicates, phosphates and / or borates as corrosion inhibitors to keep the solution alkaline. As long as the solution remains alkaline, corrosion is controlled and the system is protected. Over time, the corrosion inhibitors will be depleted and the corrosion protection is lost. It is for this reason that green antifreeze should be changed every two years or so. Aluminum is especially vulnerable to corrosion and many vehicles have heads, radiators and other aluminum components in the cooling system. If the coolant in an engine cooling system is changed before corrosion inhibitors reach dangerously low levels, corrosion damage is prevented.

An alternative to tradition green antifreeze is a product currently used by many engine manufacturers. "Orange" antifreeze is a long life or extended life type of antifreeze used to increase the useful life of engine coolant. It is ethylene glycol base as is the green antifreeze. The difference between the two colors is that orange antifreeze contains a different type of corrosion inhibitor that has a much longer service life than silicates, phosphates and borates. Orange antifreeze contains organic acids that protect engine parts from corrosion. Silicate (green) type antifreeze does not mix with orange type antifreeze. Never mix the two colors in a cooling system. The organic acids in orange types will cause precipitation of silicates in the green type and corrosion protection is greatly reduced. Orange type antifreezes are good for five years or 100,000/150,000 miles in newer vehicles (1996 and later). They can be used in many older vehicles (ask your vehicle dealer if it is safe to use orange antifreeze) if all of the green mixture is flushed from the system and is replaced with the orange mixture. Useful life is about four years or 60,000 miles in older cars."

Little OT, but can I see more pics of your disco? You can email them to mike.bernard23@gmail.com It looks pretty badass in the avatar.


Interesting, Ill ask the guys at this shop about it

[AlaskaBound]

Originally Posted by mnmike

Little OT, but can I see more pics of your disco? You can email them to mike.bernard23@gmail.com It looks pretty badass in the avatar.

Interesting, Ill ask the guys at this shop about it

I was really just trying to search the web to get the name of this myseterious "orange coolant" cuz nobody would respond to my question about a product name and I found this article. I was assuming "orange coolant" wasn't the name of the stuff... I agree it is a little OT, but interesting to know nonetheless...

I guess Dexcool will work...

I'll send pics... thanks for the props...

[mnmike]

Originally Posted by AlaskaBound

I was really just trying to search the web to get the name of this myseterious "orange coolant" cuz nobody would respond to my question about a product name and I found this article. I was assuming "orange coolant" wasn't the name of the stuff... I agree it is a little OT, but interesting to know nonetheless...

I guess Dexcool will work...

I'll send pics... thanks for the props...

lol, oh no I meant my comment about asking for pics was a little OT.

I thought the "orange" stuff was actually the GM Dex-cool Red, maybe it looks orange or once mixed with water becomes orange?