As I look back I had two near misses this summer, both on hot days, after 15-20 minutes of slow traffic ie just the fan running at barely above idle, and no air ram effect on the rad... I pulled over quickly each time, let the engine cool, and then as soon as the traffic cleared, hit the open road and no problem, back in the centre of the dial. OK, so I did subsequently have one HG go, which I'm sure wasn't helped by the first over-heating episode, but a HG change was in the tea leaves anyway.
So my question is, should I expect (and so try to avoid) these kind of heavy traffic/ hot weather over-heating scenarios, or does it sound like my waterways might be bunged up (ooerr). All the hoses are changed out since I bought it, but I haven't touched the water pump (yet) or the rad. The system did have some rad weld in it for a few weeks last year, but I have done a couple of changes of the coolant since then. I was wondering if the radiator was free flowing...if I stuck a hose in the top of the rad and blasted it through would it make any difference, or should I consider a new rad - I couldn't swear to it being the original one, but it's certainly the normal abs/ aluminium build and so possibly due a new one anyway
As far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't overheat in slow traffic in hot weather. I don't have years of experience on LR V8's, but I don't think it should happen on any good vehicle. We have reasonably hot summer's here, high 30's C and my 4.6 hasn't overheated in my 2 summer's with it.
I would suspect the fan viscous coupling. If it doesn't quieten down from a cold start it probably fooled. It'll sound like a plane taking off then go quiet. It should get louder as engine starts to get a little too warm.
Water pump with corroded impeller so less flow, partially clogged radiator and knackered viscous are the usual causes. If the rad is clogged a good test is to poke the Prog button on the HEVAC, if the temperature starts to come down, it's the rad. I've got an Airtex water pump, a fairly new OEM viscous and a Direnza high capacity alloy rad on mine and I sat in heavy traffic for over 30 minutes coming through Lyon a few weeks ago. This was after cruising at 65-70 mph for 250 miles, with a trailer on the back loaded with a '69 Ford Mustang and an ambient temperature of 39 degrees C. Gauge didn't move from the centre. So, if the cooling system is in good shape, there's no need to avoid traffic in hot weather but it will certainly show up any weaknesses if there are any. I only fitted the Direnza rad as it wasn't that much more expensive than a standard one and there's no telling what the quality will be like on a standard one these days.
Mine has been rock steady Eddie in the middle of the gauge when sat in the mid afternoon 8 mile queue for the Dartford crossing for an hour / hour and a half at a time this summer. The gas had gotten low in the air con system last Monday causing it to down tools about 15 minutes in so no help from the electric fans for about an hour of crawling but the gauge still stayed steady.
Recent Airtex water pump but still same radiator as when I bought the car. Factory type but if original or a replacement I know not.
Clive
Thanks for the feedback. I had my eye on the Direnza rad already :o)
I think the viscous fan's fine, although I'm not sure I've ever seen it disengaged/ heard it changing pitch tbh, it always seems to be running.
How/why does the Prog test work Richard ? Because the heater matrix is being used ? I put the HEVAC on Hi to cool things down anyway (and opened the windows), but as soon as I was on the open road I was back on the a/c.
Anyway, it sounds like current performance is abnormal, so I see a new shiny rad in my future. I did try and stick an endoscope in the water pump housing situ when i did the HG rebuild, but I couldn't get it to work, shame, I was feeling really clever having thought of it.
Prog puts the blend motors to full heat, the diverter up to the screen and the fans on flat out. Does the same as putting the heater on Hi but with one single button push rather than poking the two temp buttons lots of times and hoping that the outside temperature is low enough for the fans to go on full.
In warm weather the viscous is locked up as soon as you start the engine so you'll hear the rushing noise over the normal engine noises, once moving for a short time it goes quiet so you can listen to the V8 rumble instead.
Just drained my coolant, and flushed it through several times, there isn't/ wasn't much crud in there, so perhaps the rad is not the issue. I'll give the viscous fan coupling a go next, i think
Replaced the rad today for an alloy one. The heat management seems much better now. I've yet to cut the old rad open, but about 1/3rd of the external matrix was clogged with oil/ dirt from when the oil coolers (now replaced) leaked, so I doubt that helped.
Where did you get the alloy rad from Rob? I need to order another Direnza for someone but they are currently shown as out of stock and Direnza told me they wouldn't have any for 3-5 weeks. As I need to take it to France in 3 weeks, it'll be pushing it.
ebay seller called supeedghost, supplied in 3-4 days. Decent price £135, but it takes a bit of persuasion to get in the mounts (alloy top mounts a few mm too narrow, but can carefully be spread open), bottom hose neck angled too sharply upwards ( i think) and so v hard to mount the bottom hose. Top mount welding cd have been better, too. Drain plug is non-standard thread (but plug supplied). I got it because I couldn't find the Direnza one either. It works, just takes an hour more faff than it wd have done otherwise. If you use him as a Plan B shd Direnza not come through then it cd be worth checking supeedghost still has stock, I think there was a message saying "last one" when I bought, and now the listing price is £999 !!
BTW, If anyone has broken the air bleed nipple off their rad that then runs to the expansion tank and wants the top plastic tank off my rad give me a shout before I bin it. I've uncrimped it from the aluminium body to inspect the internals (1/4-1/3 of the top channels clogged with Radweld/ similar). The tank is just mounted on a rubber gasket and then crimped on to the body, so with patience i suspect the tanks could be swapped succesfully
romanrob wrote:
ebay seller called supeedghost, supplied in 3-4 days. Decent price £135, but it takes a bit of persuasion to get in the mounts (alloy top mounts a few mm too narrow, but can carefully be spread open), bottom hose neck angled too sharply upwards ( i think) and so v hard to mount the bottom hose. Top mount welding cd have been better, too. Drain plug is non-standard thread (but plug supplied). I got it because I couldn't find the Direnza one either. It works, just takes an hour more faff than it wd have done otherwise. If you use him as a Plan B shd Direnza not come through then it cd be worth checking supeedghost still has stock, I think there was a message saying "last one" when I bought, and now the listing price is £999 !!
When they put £999 it normally means there out of stock,, would be hilarious if someone did actually pay that much
He's not listing it now so I'll just have to hope Direnza get them back in stock a bit sharpish. £999 isn't that far off for one from Allisport (https://www.allisport.com/shop/performance-products/alloy-radiators/range-rover-p38-v8-radiator/) although they are out of stock too.......
Just fitted a Direnza ( currently £149 off ebay) to my diesel and for other thinking about it I have done a little blog post about it,
My nephew has a Direnza on his 2.5 and a boost box, he thrashes it everywhere and swears it is a much better rad than OEM and as Gilbertd
says God knows what quality they are now.
http://www.beady.com/blog/range-rover-p38-radiator-upgrade/
This is one I bought from ebay
bd
I've bought about 5 Direnza ones now for myself and different people, odd that the one for a GEMS petrol without the integrated oil cooler is more expensive than the one for a diesel. More recent ones are slightly different to the older ones with Direnza pressed into the top and a serial number sticker whereas the earlier ones were just plain alloy and no serial number on them. Highest temperature I have seen since fitting it is 96 degrees and that was after driving at around 80 mph for 200 miles when it was 41 degrees outside. Under normal circumstances I've never seen over 93 degrees.
All the ones Id seen were for diesel or l322 maybe I'm not looking on eBay properly ---- tho so far mines never overheated ----- yet
For GEMS, https://www.direnza.co.uk/range-rover-p38-4-0l-4-6l-v8-94-99-aluminium-radiator, or the same thing from the same supplier via eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/55mm-ALUMINIUM-SPORT-RADIATOR-RAD-FOR-LAND-RANGE-ROVER-MK2-P38-4-0-4-6-V8-94-99/352577843032
For diesel, https://www.direnza.co.uk/range-rover-p38-2-5-td-94-99-aluminium-radiator, or via eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/55mm-TWIN-CORE-ALUMINIUM-RACE-RADIATOR-RAD-FOR-LAND-RANGE-ROVER-2-5-TD-P38-94-99/392067849387
Thor has the top spigot on the opposite side to GEMS but they don't list one for the Thor.
Ah that's me bad I got a Thor V8 daily and doing a gems P38 ---- thanks for the help 👍 😊
I think someone good could weld it, but obviously that would void the warranty.
Need to find time to ask what's preventing them to offer one for Thor in their catalogue ...
To roman: I had same symptoms until I replaced radiator - even a britpart new is better than the old one with 1/3 of the fins covered in crud from the oil cooler(s). Too bad it took me too long to do it ...