WideEyedFox Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Hi to everyone LR4x4 I am from the Midlands and have a 98 Discovery 300TDi which has recently had the head gasket done by a local garage, and now has a coolant leak. Previously my Disco was pretty much dry underneath (rare for a LR I know!) but since getting it back I now have oil leaks on the rear diff, gear box, and prop shaft - as well as a coolant leak from the back of the engine. The garage reckon the coolant leak is the P-Gasket on the water pump - but the leak is coming down behind the steering damper. With the vehicle parked downhill the drip is still behind the steering damper - with it parked up hill, the drip is in the same place. They insist it is the P-Gasket and/or water pump but I cannot see how it would drip at the back, and not at the front. Could it be any pipework for the heater matrix - and could it be anything they've not done correctly when they did the head gasket? It's already been back due to 2 things they did wrong when they did the head gasket. Any advice etc. really appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 The P-gasket and water pump are both on the front of the engine, so coolant leak will not be from then. Only things at the back are head gasket, heater pipes, and a core plug on the back of the head. You can put your hand on the back of the head and feel the core plug. If it's wet, then that's your problem (lack of anti-freeze causes core plugs to rust through). Heater pipes can be inspected with a hand mirror or some clever neck twisting. Sounds like the garage isn't very good at it's job. Running the engine up to temperature after working on it to check for leaks is a golden rule. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideEyedFox Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thanks for the reply Les - I really appreciate it. I will have a good look around the head and see what I can find. I always run a "winter" mix with anti-freeze all year round as you never know what temperatures the British weather will throw at you. When I got it back from the Head Gasket being done the coolant was very low, and the mix was nowhere near enough for the coming winter. One of the hoses had been fitted rubbing on a pully and had nearly worn through by the time I got home, and they had not drained off excess brake fluid after changing the front brake pads causing it to gush from the fluid reservoir all over the inside of the engine bay. (I had to sort that one out myself). My usual LR garage in Bromsgrove wanted £600 to do the head gasket! Which on part time hours and reduced pay I could no way afford right now. This place in Redditch wanted £300 but so far the price is reflecting the quality of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideEyedFox Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 The coolant leak is definately coming from around the back of the engine - and now I have 2 oil leaks! One from around the oil filter (oil is gathering on the bottom of the filter) and one a bit further back (not found source of that one yet). Where do I stand with throwing my Disco back at the garage to sort out? It never had any leaks before this work was done - and now it's leaking coolant and oil everywhere! Can they just do the "this is a new problem not related to the head gasket" bulls**t ?? I changed garage because my usual one in Bromsgrove tried to pull a fast one telling me I needed new discs all round (when I clearly did not) then wanting £600 to do the head gasket. Now this one in Redditch seems like a right bunch of bad lads. What is it with garages? Does a decent one actually exist any more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard1978 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 i rekon one of the oil leaks will be one of the oil cooler pipes which is just back, (towards bulkhead) and above the oil filter housing. bit awkward to do but not impossible. there are two, one above the other quite large nut unions, 24mm i think. thay may well have taken them off from that end and maybe took rad out and flushed it whilst head was off. the other oil leak may well be the oil filter either not tight enough, holed or the oil seal may not have been replaced. it should be a new oil filter as that is a given with head gasket changes. water from rear of engine really only could be the two heater hoses or the core plug back there. the foam back there does not help you see, but you can get rid of it where you need to see. ypu could add food dye to the water and it will be obvious where it is leaking from if you go for blue or red. do try the garage and ask them if they took the rad out and flushed it, it would explain away the sudden leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideEyedFox Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 Thanks Richard. Due to time & putting my back out at work I've had to drop it in the garage for them to have a look over. So far they reckon some gasket to do with the oil cooler (£5 + £150 labour + VAT) and they have no idea where the coolant is leaking from, but want 4 hours labour (£200+) just to "locate it". As for oil, filter + coolant change - the did not change any if it. The filter is still the same one (I dated it when it was done) and the oil was still black, not fresh when I got it back from them. The water may have been part mine + a top up as I always run mine with winter levels of antifreeze, and it was way under when got it back, but a similar albeit paler colour. My '98 Disco went in for a head gasket - it had no leaks whatsoever before that - it came out leaking coolant and oil all over the place. Even the MoT tester who pointed out the head gasket blowing has said it looks like a different vehicle underneath - one that was in well kept condition - to one that looks 13+ years old and has never seen a garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideEyedFox Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Now I'm coming off the boil and am starting to simmer... "Jason" from Mobile Land Rover Services (mobilelandroverservices.co.uk) is coming round to have a look on Thursday to give me a second opinion and a price to sort it out. Garage quote is £250+ to fix "new" leaks that "must have been waiting to happen". Fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Hi there Imho you will nearly always be doing something to your LR. More so if you offroad it. There will always be something waiting to happen, its the same for everything. If its practical and you have a basic knowledge of cars most small jobs are do able. The guys on here are brilliant with help and advice and no b------t. Have a trawl through the topics, queries and such and get yourself gend up. It will be time and money better spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideEyedFox Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 General servicing (fluids, filters, injectors & brakes etc.) is not a problem - I am happy to do that. Even the rear inner arches re-built out of galvenised steel, and some of the modification fitting is OK. However bigger jobs which mean the vehicle being un-usable unless finished in a day pose a problem as it's the only vehicle we have. So bigger jobs that require good experience and knowledge usually go to the garage where they'll either get it done in a day, or have a vehicle they can let me borrow. The problem arises when you get to a so called "specialist" and they cause more problems than they solve and then bill you accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I know exactly what you are saying a second vehicle is handy. I am sure if you ask on here someone will point you towards a good honest, reliable mechanic near to you. It might even be cheaper to get a hire vehicle if you are off the road for a few days. Get yourself another LR as backup and let the wife/partner think it's for them. I hope mine doesnt see this. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard1978 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 sorry i have not replied sooner, what gasket do they mean? if you look at the oil cooler pipes at the fromt right of rad, follow them back and you will find the big unions near the oil filter. it is well worth nipping them up to see if they are tight. do you/they mean the filter housing gasket?? for the water leak, are the hoses at the back fitted correctly and secure? on re-reading the original posts, i assume you were just losing the water from your exp. tank and no oil/water mixing was happening. when my head went like that, i only found out when the temp rocketed and the steam which ensued blew a hole through my rad at the bottom, i know that is at the front, but hoses and core plugs are really the only other option my friend. for what it is worth, you may well want to check out your rad core because if that is blocked up as most are, it is well worth upgrading the core to a heavy duty one. they are about £160 if you pay cash to a rad specialist, that is waht it cost me 5 months ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clown Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 i find red oil drips off my gearbox, and the only place i have red oil is the power steering. i also had antifreeze dripping off my steering dampner which came from p gasket. but since i replaced p gasket, its been dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reedx Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 i find red oil drips off my gearbox, and the only place i have red oil is the power steering. i also had antifreeze dripping off my steering dampner which came from p gasket. but since i replaced p gasket, its been dry. If your gearbox is an R380 then it will probably have red ATF oil in it. Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clown Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 If your gearbox is an R380 then it will probably have red ATF oil in it. Colin Not mine , ive put castrol fully synthethic smxs with a little moly slip in ( gold in color) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimAttrill Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 A Land Rover tech bulletin of 1996 - 15 years ago said to use Caltex MTF94 and not ATFII. I used that when I could find some, but now use RedLine MTL. Fit and forget if your box don't leak. Lovely gear change still at 300 000 kms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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