Almost cooked my td5...

[CU55TM Disco]

Seems that when I was fitting the sensors for my MadMan EMS I have inadvertently left the cap on the header tank loose.

Whilst driving to newcastle on friday arvo, I was alerted to "water dripping from the bottom of my car" by the car beside me at the traffic lights.

Thinking it was probly the AC drains dripping, I headed off and travelled around 1K up the road, when I could see a trail of something on the road behind me, pulled up, popped the bonnet, coolant everywhere...

Ended up putting half a bucket of water in it, so im guessing between 4 and 5 litres, and continued on my journey to the hospital (things always happen at the most inconvenient time hey...)

Checked the coolant when I arrived at the hospital, and it was down to the "full" mark on the header tank.
Checked it again before I headed home, and checked it the next morning, still in the same place.
Ran the car for around half an hour today, trying to get it upto temp, but sitting in the driveway, I couldnt get it past 70 odd degrees.

I am a bit hesitant to drive it now, but eventually I am going to have to bite the bullet and drive it... REALLY hoping I havnt turned it to poo.

Any thoughts on the matter???

Quite possibly irrelevant, but motor has 130,000 kays on it.

[scarry]

Firstly the TD5 coolant system has to be bled correctly or the head will more than likely be damaged.
I don't know the correct procedure,but a search on here will probably find it,or someone may chime in and explain how to do it correctly.
Dave blknight has an old thread about how to do it.

You must use the correct coolant as well.

If you haven't damaged anything you have been lucky,you need to fit an 'engine saver'.The sensor goes in the top radiator hose and alarms if the water level drops.Lots of info on this site about these.

The engine saver is made specifically for the TD5

[d2dave]

You just unclip the plastic tank and lift it higher than the bleed screw. Just jam a block of wood under it.

Remove the bleed screw from the top hose and fill until coolant comes out. Refit bleed screw. Continue filling until tank is at correct level.

Refit tank.

Drive car and recheck. I have found that it needs a couple of minor top ups over the next couple of drives.

[CU55TM Disco]

,you need to fit an 'engine saver'.The sensor goes in the top radiator hose and alarms if the water level drops.Lots of info on this site about these.

The engine saver is made specifically for the TD5

I was in the process of fitting my MadMan EMS, which, ironically, has a low water alarm...

I am aware of the bleed process, and the need for specific coolant, what I am wondering, is there any way to tell if long term damage has been done...

[d2dave]

If it was me I would just go or a drive and stop and check coolant after 2 km then 5 km. If all was good I would then do about 10 km.

If your coolant stays steady and you are not overheating it should be ok.

[discorevy]

I was in the process of fitting my MadMan EMS, which, ironically, has a low water alarm...

I am aware of the bleed process, and the need for specific coolant, what I am wondering, is there any way to tell if long term damage has been done...

Just check that cooling system isn't pressurising from cold ie : after a couple of minutes drive , also , if coolant is still around 70? after 10 minutes it may be that your thermostat has partially stuck open after the overheat. Steel dowels or plastic?.

[CU55TM Disco]

Eu3 engine so I'm assuming steel.
Only running it in the driveway with no load, I think 75 was the highest I got, but bottom rad hose was still cool, so assuming thermostat hasn't opened yet.

Monitored the temp all the way home after the incident (with Nanocom) and saw a max of around 87 for memory.

Will do some further investigating tomorrow.

[DiscoDB]

Did you have the temp gauge fitted to the Madman EMS - this does record and retain max values (assuming still had contact with water). Plus I think the ECM would log a high temp alarm fault code as well if the original temp gauge was still seeing a real temperature.

[CU55TM Disco]

No, I had only fitted the sensors to the engine at this stage, temp, level and pressure. No wiring connected to them. Doing that today!

Checked logged codes, nothing, I've also read that the ac fans cut in and stay on constantly at temps over 110. But, no water means no temp...

[dinosaur]

I was also under the opinion that if overheating damage had been done the computer makes the thermo fans run constantly.
......I may be wrong..............................

[simonmelb]

Seems that when I was fitting the sensors for my MadMan EMS I have inadvertently left the cap on the header tank loose.

Whilst driving to newcastle on friday arvo, I was alerted to "water dripping from the bottom of my car" by the car beside me at the traffic lights.

Thinking it was probly the AC drains dripping, I headed off and travelled around 1K up the road, when I could see a trail of something on the road behind me, pulled up, popped the bonnet, coolant everywhere...

Ended up putting half a bucket of water in it, so im guessing between 4 and 5 litres, and continued on my journey to the hospital (things always happen at the most inconvenient time hey...)

Checked the coolant when I arrived at the hospital, and it was down to the "full" mark on the header tank.
Checked it again before I headed home, and checked it the next morning, still in the same place.
Ran the car for around half an hour today, trying to get it upto temp, but sitting in the driveway, I couldnt get it past 70 odd degrees.

I am a bit hesitant to drive it now, but eventually I am going to have to bite the bullet and drive it... REALLY hoping I havnt turned it to poo.

Any thoughts on the matter???

Quite possibly irrelevant, but motor has 130,000 kays on it.

You will quite likely have not done any damage at all. I once did the same thing and lost about 3 litres of coolant, but I had a digital cyl head temp alarm - could see it rise and I stopped when it got close to 100c ( normal temp range is 88 or so).

So the td5 will not overheat for quite some km with a loose cap - don't ask me how many as I never got there!

[CU55TM Disco]

Finalised the install of my MadMan on Sunday, took her for a test-toast yesterday, all seems well in TD5 Land. Max temps I got were 97* Conditions were late afternoon, freeway, cruise control set @ 110, egts MAX were into the high 400's might have even seen a low 500, but this could be due to no AFM currently.

Will be watching like a hawk from now on!

[discorevy]

Finalised the install of my MadMan on Sunday, took her for a test-toast yesterday, all seems well in TD5 Land. Max temps I got were 97* Conditions were late afternoon, freeway, cruise control set @ 110, egts MAX were into the high 400's might have even seen a low 500, but this could be due to no AFM currently.

Will be watching like a hawk from now on!

97 is too hot for those conditions , change your thermostat

[CU55TM Disco]

Its a new thermostat.
It was one of the first things I did when I purchased the vehicle. only done about 15K ago.

[CU55TM Disco]

97 is too hot for those conditions , change your thermostat


Just pulled this from RAVE:


Thermostat opening temperature:
⇒Initial opening 82 ?C (179 ?F)
⇒Fully open 96 ?C (204 ?F)

[PhilipA]

Mine runs at 82 all day, maybe 85 on a hot day at 100-110 kmh and that with an original radiator . 92 TD5 auto .

Hottest ever 103C climbing Alpine Way towing 900Kg camper , and no coolant loss at all in one year.

So I reckon a radiator back flush at the very least may be in order.
Regards Philip A

[discorevy]

82-85 is normal for a properly bled , fully functioning td5 under those conditions, as PhilipA has mentioned . I always test a thermostat by holding with tongs and pouring boiling water over /through it until it opens fully , even new ones..... Crude but effective

[CU55TM Disco]

Maybe I should have opted for the OEM thermo instead of the britpart alternative...

[Rangeie1981]

oooops mate... Hopefully its all good!😯

[CU55TM Disco]

Where are u guys measuring ur coolant temp?
I got 104 today up a long climb, ac on @90 kph.
Not loaded or anything, so I'm starting to question the cooling system.

[Disco Muppet]

Britpart?!?!?! :eek:
NEVER buy ****part.
However you're unlikely to have done any damage. I did a similar thing, didn't tighten it properly. Lost 3-4L.
Mine's still fine :cool:

[northiam]

My TM2 sensor has never exceeded 96c
Regards

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/01/508.jpg

[simonmelb]

My TM2 sensor has never exceeded 96c
Regards


Good sensor location.
I might move mine to that spot as I get heat soak from the exhaust on my sensor mounted on the spare bolt hole towards the rear of the head.

[PhilipA]

My sensor is in the same place, and I have checked it against Nanocom temp and it was within 1C.

I recall checking another car where the sensor was at the back of the head and it read 9C!! cooler than Nanocam.
Regards Philip A

[kelvo]

My sensor is in the same place, and I have checked it against Nanocom temp and it was within 1C.

I recall checking another car where the sensor was at the back of the head and it read 9C!! cooler than Nanocam.
Regards Philip A

Strange, mine is on the bolt at the back of the head, and reads within 1*C of the Nanocam temp.

Mine use to run around 88*C all the time, but fitting an ARB front bar now runs at 92*C pretty much all the time.

I've even fitted a new OEM thermostat since the ARB bar, and no different.

[CU55TM Disco]

Britpart?!?!?! :eek:
NEVER buy ****part.
However you're unlikely to have done any damage. I did a similar thing, didn't tighten it properly. Lost 3-4L.
Mine's still fine :cool:

I was assured by the gentleman at the Rover w'shope that even tho Britpart sometimes turned out some rubbish, as long as it was stamped with a part # and OEM quality, it was ok, and that they often used these particular items in their w/shop. :confused:

Nevertheless, I am aware of the rubbish name britpart has gotten themselves!

Attached is a pic of the new water outlet I had made to fit both the OEM sensor and the MadMan temp sensor, underneath U can see (in red) the EGT sensor.
I had compared the MadMan and nanocom and they are within 1 degree of each other.

Well, the other afternoon I was wondering, "gee, I wonder what difference to water temps the AC makes?"
So I switched it off, and the temp dropped by 3 or 4 degrees!
"gee, that temp dropped fast" I said to myself, and switched the AC back on, only to see them temp jump up almost instantly by 3 to 4 Degrees...

So th'sarvo I did a little experiment, plugged the nanocom in, compared the temps at idle in the driveway, both about 91/92 after a trip home from newcastle.

switched on the Ac, the Headlights, High Beam, rear AC on FULL, Hazard lights, windows up and Down, and SLS compressor all going, whilst the nanocom temp hoverear around the 90/91 degree, the MadMan temp jumped higher and higher with each applicance I turned on, topping out at 104/105!
Turned it all back off, and it dropped back to match the Nanocom, turn the car off, and it dropped to 88!!!

Seems I have a voltage issue with my MadMan...

[PhilipA]

That's a good one but maybe has alerted you to a possible problem with your earths as all those gauges read resistance.
Regards Philip A