Jimmy Brooks
Full Access Member
Yup, every time I take the LR4 on a trip I fear I’ll be stranded due to a cooling issue. It really is a poor decision to use plastic that just rots out in heat, especially in the summer here in California.
Loosing a little bit of coolant
- Thread starter Jimmy Brooks
- Start date
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powershift
Full Access Member
I've got a 1/3 gal of Land Rover coolant that I carry around and plenty of water. I trust my LR4 now and so far so good. All the plastic crossovers and t-stat are fresh. This is my rad leak from going through the timing chain last month. It was replaced with a Land Rover brand radiator, but the rad hoses were re-used.
thebruce
Active Member
it sounds like the thermostat leaking. I had similar on my 2016 after replacing the cross overs, water pump...and a pinhole leak in the radiator. it's a slow leak as the valve isn't always open. not terribly hard to replace yourself if you have hose clamps.
Tapps33
Full Access Member
Listen to the guys on here about finding the leaks. Crossover leaks (especially rear ones) can be extremely hard to "see" as they're hidden underneath everything and coolant doesn't always make its way out. Always. trust your nose, if you smell coolant, you have a leak somewhere.
Just a quick tip, either invest in a "name brand" or home made vacuum coolant charging system. Not only does it charge the coolant quickly, it ensure there's no air bubbles in the system. Not to mention, you can leave them with a vacuum applied and wait and see if you lose any vacuum...indicating you have a leak.
I got something similar to this one...I can't remember exactly which one, but you get the general idea.
as most on here will tell you, bleeding this system is a giant pain...this makes it easy, and ALMOST foolproof!
Just a quick tip, either invest in a "name brand" or home made vacuum coolant charging system. Not only does it charge the coolant quickly, it ensure there's no air bubbles in the system. Not to mention, you can leave them with a vacuum applied and wait and see if you lose any vacuum...indicating you have a leak.
I got something similar to this one...I can't remember exactly which one, but you get the general idea.
as most on here will tell you, bleeding this system is a giant pain...this makes it easy, and ALMOST foolproof!
txfromwi
Full Access Member
Yup, finding these leaks is a challenge, but waiting until it's bad is a dangerous strategy.
If you are using Rover coolant, that already has the UV dye in it, no need to add anything.
Agreed, a vacuum fill tool is relatively inexpensive, saves a ton of work and is almost foolproof.
If you purchase the right vacuum tool, it will also have a pressure tester in the kit.
The last time I pressure tested was after the crossover project on the 2016 - failed the pressure test every time - eventually figured out that the test equipment itself was leaking and not the truck...
The vacuum test was perfect...
If you are using Rover coolant, that already has the UV dye in it, no need to add anything.
Agreed, a vacuum fill tool is relatively inexpensive, saves a ton of work and is almost foolproof.
If you purchase the right vacuum tool, it will also have a pressure tester in the kit.
The last time I pressure tested was after the crossover project on the 2016 - failed the pressure test every time - eventually figured out that the test equipment itself was leaking and not the truck...
The vacuum test was perfect...
I'm glad I've swapped over to dexcool a few years ago. I dumped 1.5 gallons of dexcool to get home, about 250 miles away. Imagine trying to find Land Rover coolant in an emergency, good luck. Moral of the story, be prepared and when you encounter an issue be over-prepared. So, you won't be stuck in the same scenario. I guess I could have dumped water into it, but it was at freezing temps. I can't fathom towing the truck 250 miles back home.
I have a new radiator on the way, 10 more days...
I have a new radiator on the way, 10 more days...
powershift
Full Access Member
I mixed the Land Rover coolant with Dexcool and it seemed fine. Is there any damage that occurs from doing that? I actually liked it better with Dexcool because it has a stronger pink color that contrasted well with the reservoir and it was quicker to spot the fluid level.
I got this one: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/la...ngine-coolant-antifreeze-1-gallon-zerex-zxel1 It's orange, not pink, for ford/Chrysler/gm. There's a version of Zerex for VW/Audi/etc that is pink. I don't think you're supposed to mix them.
txfromwi
Full Access Member
I do not mix coolants. I run only Rover brand fluids.
In a dire emergency i would grab Prestone and then change out ASAP.
In a dire emergency i would grab Prestone and then change out ASAP.
Although both JLR and Dexcool are both OAT, I still don't recommend mixing coolants. I had to completely flush out the coolant until clear including the rear hvac for about 7x before switching over to dexcool. Pro tip, just flush with water until clear and on the last drain you can fill with 1.5 gallons of concentrated dexcool. It comes out pretty darn close to a 50/50 mix considering LR4s with rear hvacs have about a 3 gallon capacity.
