ProteuS Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Greetings, The range rover has had a penchant for water all the time i've had it, but has recently it started needing topped up after only an hour or so of running. On investigation, i found a split top hose, which i assumed to be the culprit. Having replaced this i've taken it for a run and it still seems to be losing water. When the engine is warm a hissing noise can be heard but i've been unable to pinpoint it. Are there any likely faults, or do i just need to change all the hoses first? Attached is a picture which is most likley of no use. Any help is much appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 I had a similar problem on my V8 Discovery. I found out it was one of the coolent hoses wher they fit into the back of the water pump had split. When on tickover it would not leak much but rev the engine a bit and it leaked much worse. The coolent was running down the valley under the plenum so you could not see it leaking. Other culprit could be the cap on the expansion tank. HTH Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Check around your vapouriser for leaks, very easy to miss these.... Also check for soggy carpets, heater matrix might be leaking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 mine dribbles down the back of the block somewhere, runs down the box and onto the floor. I think the valley gasket may have been slightly twisted when it was replaced after doing the head gaskets. it was initially leaking from one of the bolts that holds the manifold down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC_ Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Hissing noise could be your expansion cap venting the pressure which it is supposed to do.................Check your expansion tank itself for cracks or leaks from hoses there, mines recently had a cracked tank. On a negitive side have your system check for signs of your head gasket may be worn and in need of replacement, If you have lots of antifreeze in your system another quick method is to smell the fumes to see if they smell sweet like antifreeze does. This could also be a sign of gasket trouble, hopefully it wont be that though. Water pump may be a big culprit, It leaks and is warm so any leakage vapourises so very hard to spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintman Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Pressure caps on cooling systems get weak as they age & no longer hold their designed pressure. If in doubt change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProteuS Posted May 24, 2008 Author Share Posted May 24, 2008 Right chaps, Thanks for the replies. I brought it back up 80 miles, topped up beforehand and all seemed fine when i got back. It's sat for two or three days, and on looking at it today the warning light came on. so i'm guessing it's not the expansion cap. I've checked the carpets and they all are bone dry. There's no steam or other indicators whilst driving to think the heater matrix. Is it possible to visually inspect without removing too much trim? Hope it's not a gasket.. This one has me quite confused, and i'd like it sorted before i go on an off roading trip in a few weeks don't fancy being stuck a long way from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC_ Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Right chaps, Thanks for the replies. I brought it back up 80 miles, topped up beforehand and all seemed fine when i got back. It's sat for two or three days, and on looking at it today the warning light came on. so i'm guessing it's not the expansion cap. I've checked the carpets and they all are bone dry. There's no steam or other indicators whilst driving to think the heater matrix. Is it possible to visually inspect without removing too much trim? Hope it's not a gasket.. This one has me quite confused, and i'd like it sorted before i go on an off roading trip in a few weeks don't fancy being stuck a long way from home. Get yourself one of these or if you know anyone that has one, this will test to see if your head gasket is in trouble. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Head-Gasket-Tester-B...Q2em118Q2el1247 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintman Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 You need to get the system pressure tested & this might involve parting with a few quid to a garage. The contamination test doesn't always show anything. Is it still hissing? The 3.9 & bigger engines do suffer from liner problems & I hope this isn't the case as it is terminal. There are many areas that the V8 will leak from given half a chance! Or you could just put in a container of K-Seal from http://www.kalimex.co.uk. & hope for the best. This is the replacement for the older Cargo Seal-Up sealant. It is more expensive than Radweld & others BUT it really does exactly what it says on the bottle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProteuS Posted May 25, 2008 Author Share Posted May 25, 2008 Well, got up this morning (lunchtime) and have just ran a compression test on all the cylinders as i had a compression tester lying around. The results were: back 150 150 140 140 160 140 160 160 front Does this indicate a head gastket on it's way out? i would have thought it losing coolant when not running would have been due to a connection somewhere. Thanks for the link paintman, i think i'll give that stuff a go to see if it helps as i'm failing in finding the problem. As for hissing I've not heard it when i've checked, but i havent taken it on a longish run in the daytime to see if it's still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintman Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Could also indicate a generally worn engine. If you put a small amount of oil into the low reading cylinders via the plug hole & the readings improve then it indicates worn bore/rings. Low readings on adjacent cylinders often indicates head gasket failure between those cylinders. But heads off is the only way to confirm. If you do that then a piston looking unusually clean is the one that has had water going into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 To be honest, if those figures were done cold, I don't think there is an issue at all..... Hot, they would indicate a worn engine, but not a headgasket leak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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