If you do still think there is a leak, your best bet for locating it is to pressure test the coolant system - around 15psi usually shows anything that only leaks when its under pressure and hot. I've known a water pump on a td5 to not show any sign of leakage without pressure in the system, but leak like a seive once a little pressure was applied.

RutlandRover I think modded a standard pressure cap with a schrader valve to do this and posted about it on here.

I'd guess you'd have to get creative in some way to make the sensor do anything useful - Easiest bet that comes to mind for me is to get a small buzzer you could hide in the dash if you wanted to keep it looking original but keep some sort of warning.

Re small water leak. I've been chasing a start up leak on mine pretty much ever since I got it. Six years and 15,000 miles ago. (I don't get out much!) Takes maybe 5 to 8 starts followed by at least enough run time to get the engine up to temperature to drop the level by around 3/8" give or take.

So far leaks identified and fixed, more or less in chronological order, are water pump gasket (twice), all hoses, manifold heater and water pump itself. All added bit more loss but that darn start-up one is still there. I'm pretty sure previous owner or service guy put radweld or similar in to hold it because it didn't appear until after I'd changed the coolant shortly after getting the car. Getting to the point where I'm tempted to do same. Dye treatment showed up the other leaks just fine but not this one.

Hopefully now personal circumstances have changed I'll be able to give it some carefully watched long runs and verify that leak is independent of distance.

Don't think I have a filling / air entrapment issue. I just disconnect the small pipe from the top of the radiator, fill slowly via expansion tank start engine, top up and re-connect pipe when it stops taking more coolant. Usually about 1/4 pint extra needed before I reconnect the pipe. Pressure cap stays off until the temperature gauge moves. May need a touch more after a short run or may not. Probably helps that I do such jobs with the car facing down on a sloping part of the hardstanding in front of the house. Perhaps 1 in 20 or 25 slope with very slight fall to passenger side too.

Clive

On the subject of water pumps. Atlanic British is having a sale on pumps. One is about $125 for an Airtex and the other is a No Name for about $65. I assume you get what you pay for but these days almost all parts come out of the same factory in China. Reviews for both are 4 star out of 5.

Any been-there-done-that stories?

I fitted an Airtex one last November, no complaints so far.

It was a metal impeller but the design was different to the stock one. The stock one looked like some kind of solid brass (or some other brown-ish metal) lump.

The Airtex one looks folded to shape from a flat sheet of steel. The Airtex came with a rubberised paper gasket in the box - not all pumps do.

When I bought the SE, the seller told me it had been fitted with a new water pump just before he sold it, it was leaking within 2,000 miles whereas I've had over 60,000 miles out of an Airtex so far and still fine.

Ok- Airtex it is. Thank you both--- Gilbert/Rutland

Well, clearly if your car is working in a way you're happy with you shouldn't announce it publicly.

Found this under the car this afternoon:

Dripping from somewhere a little bit in front of the starter motor, above the anti roll bar. It's dropping off the bottom of the roll bar. Found the header tank almost empty.

Bollocks.

I've also lost the driver's side washer jet. Getting nothing out of it. Passenger side still works though. Will have to get some compressed air through it to clear it out tomorrow.

Have you had a look under the header tank itself? Since thats in that area, wonder if you have a crack on it?. Can't see you mentioning having looked at it as yet.

At least leaking that much you should be able to locate it now.

Hopefully. Will need to take a look at the weekend.