Towing overheating

[Adambris]

I have had a search and read some posts but just after some suggestions and comments.

Have had the D4 2015 now for over 12 months and it has been fantastic however this weekend first time up Cunningham's gap almost to the top had the overheating message and warning light.
Not able to stop with 1klm to go to the top.
At the top the temp came down almost instantly. The car has been fine after. We stopped and inspect no smell had coolent no visible issues.
It is towing a 3.2t van and has a lot of times with no problems.

But this was the 1st time up a hill of this size it was not hot outside around 25d.

Is it normal to get that hot.
It has fluids no leaks no smell.
160k on the clock all belts done last service
Well maintained

Thanks I advance
Adam

[matti4556]

What was the message Adam?
Matti

[LGM]

I too tow a 3.2t caravan with my D4 3.0L on some horrible hot days up hill and down dale and and it has never looked like overheating! In my view your experience is not a normal situation. If it was actually overheated you would 'smell' it once you lifted the bonnet.

[Hogarthde]

Welcome to the club Adam🙂

The club of Discovery 3/4 towing 3 tonne vans !

dave

[DiscoJeffster]

It isn’t normal behaviour. You must have a leak or an air pocket somewhere in the system. Have you owned it from new?

[BradC]

It isn’t normal behaviour. You must have a leak or an air pocket somewhere in the system.

Or a weak fan clutch, or a plugged radiator, or a failing water pump, or, or, or.... could be any one of a huge list of things.

[Eric SDV6SE]

Have you had the trans fluid changed?

Transmission works hardest of all when towing

[SJWD4]

Hi Adam

We experienced a similar issue in 2019 shortly after buying a 2014 SDV6 HSE. After a full service prior to which I advised the dealer we would be using the truck to tow a 2.65t Off Road Van, we tackled Cunninghams Gap heading for Stanthorpe.

Just short of the top I too had a warning light come on and the temp gauge climbed but not off the scale. I pulled into the car park on top and let it run for a few minutes before shutting down when I saw little smoke wafting from under the bonnet. When I opened it there was still a fair amount of smoke coming from under the battery box in the top right of the bay.

I rang the dealer who advised that it was probably a combination of the hot day (around 29c) and long climb together with some oil spillage burning off on the engine. They advised to let it cool, check the oil levels and then monitor it.

There was no discernible loss of oil and the truck didn't miss a beat for the rest of the trip and has been fine ever since. It has had two full services subsequent and they couldn't identify any issues.

I have read elsewhere that they are under-cooled for our conditions when pulling a heavy load, although mine is not that heavy, but that climb is certainly a testing one.

Probably doesn't help you other than to indicate you are probably not alone and the car is probably fine. Either way I would have it looked at when you get the opportunity just to be sure.

Cheers

Steve

[mowog]

I have a scan gauge on mine. Do you have something that will tell you the actual temp?

On recent climb up the Toowoomba Range on a very hot day I saw 116deg at this point the internal vents open the heater core and dumped hot air into the cabin. It is a feature these cars have.
I do have a trans cooler fitted. My old girl has done 240k and still tows like a boss. Average engine temp under tow is around 100deg

[RobKo]

Hello Adambris.
Your experience all ears to be identical to mine (see below ...)
I have been the owner of a 2015 Discovery 4 SDV6 for the past 4 years and love this vehicle. I live in Traralgon, Victoria and have enjoyed touring while towing a 3.0 ton caravan. We recently towed the van to Cape York (Qld) and it didn't miss a beat. Also fans of You-Tube channel "It's LR Time". I recently had the Disco serviced after the Cape trip, which is also its 180K service and had the engine oil changed to 5W-40. Since this service, when we have towed the caravan the engine temperature appears to overheat when climbing up a hill (never a problem in the past). The temp comes down very quickly when I stop of stop climbing.
Were you able to identify and resolve the issue?
cheers
RobKo

[Pedro_The_Swift]

As Mowog says,, you need to see the actual temp.. by the time the gauge moves its usually too late...

[ytt105]

I've got a 2010 D4, towing a 2.5t block of flats. Never had any overheating issues. However, a year ago I did some testing while watching oil, coolant and gearbox temps.
I now tow almost exclusively in Sport, and always use manual up heavy inclines. More revs is better than lugging up hills.
Try and stay around 2000rpm or more. Certainly more up hills.
Much, much better for all the important temperatures.
Regards
Trevor

[LuckyLes]

I have an MY14 SDV6 and tow a 3ton van. I have only had this problem once and I immediately manually shifted down until revs were at about 2800 and temp immediately dropped. It was a stinking hot day and it was a long fairly steep pull, up the new, at the time, Toowoomba bypass. I normally tow using cruise control on long runs, but use the paddles on steep declines and as above, long uphills.
Cheers
LuckyLes

[rambada]

We tow a 3.5 ton van and no problems. We run the GAP diagnostics and I do monitor the temps. We did have the transmission up to 110c after a really huge, long climb on a hot day out the back of Coffs Harbour but it really controlled the temp well.
We do regularly service the motor, transmission and recently the cooling - anecdotally it seems to be slightly better since the cooling service. We have a trip coming up in Feb so Im interested to see how it goes with a van + GAP tool.
We dont have a trans cooler as we haven't needed it.
As others have said, I'd make sure the transmission is serviced, cooling including viscous fan.

[Odysseyman]

I've got a 2010 D4, towing a 2.5t block of flats. Never had any overheating issues. However, a year ago I did some testing while watching oil, coolant and gearbox temps.
I now tow almost exclusively in Sport, and always use manual up heavy inclines. More revs is better than lugging up hills.
Try and stay around 2000rpm or more. Certainly more up hills.
Much, much better for all the important temperatures.
Regards
Trevor

I’m a bit lazy and use cruise control on freeways and long straight outback roads, and most other low traffic roads.
I note that my Owners Manual says not to use cruise control when in Sport mode so I leave it in Drive. The shift points and other stuff is affected once a trailer is connected anyway.

Do you find that Sport mode override these tow assist changes?

David

[ytt105]

Oddessyman

I don't know if there are differences between towing mode drive and towing mode sports, but the gearchanges seem to be just right in most instances and the temperatures are definitely better controlled.
I wont go back. I still throw it into drive on long flats and downhills.
I think the real advantage is the manual mode on long or slow uphills.
Trev

[transtar]

I tow a 22ft 6 in Caravan which weighs right on 3 tonne with 210 litres water and 40litres fuel on board.(2 Jerry cans on caravan)
After monitoring over long trip found temp light did not come on till 118 deg which is almost too late so I installed small trans oil cooler in return line. I can now drive all day up hills and tow at reasonable speed and never exceed 100Deg C.
I think it is a cheap way of prolonging transmission life. This was fitted approx. 3 years ago and has worked well for me. [bigsmile1]


Richard

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I tow a 22ft 6 in Caravan which weighs right on 3 tonne with 210 litres water and 40litres fuel on board.(2 Jerry cans on caravan)
After monitoring over long trip found temp light did not come on till 118 deg which is almost too late so I installed small trans oil cooler in return line. I can now drive all day up hills and tow at reasonable speed and never exceed 100Deg C.
I think it is a cheap way of prolonging transmission life. This was fitted approx. 3 years ago and has worked well for me. [bigsmile1]


Richard


Yep, I added a second one, controlled by a inline thermostat, to my D2. Towed our old Golf all over the place and never had an issue.
https://images-fe.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61SPu3vXwCL._AC_UL348_SR348,348_.jpg

[Wojer]

I tow a 22ft 6 in Caravan which weighs right on 3 tonne with 210 litres water and 40litres fuel on board.(2 Jerry cans on caravan)
After monitoring over long trip found temp light did not come on till 118 deg which is almost too late so I installed small trans oil cooler in return line. I can now drive all day up hills and tow at reasonable speed and never exceed 100Deg C.
I think it is a cheap way of prolonging transmission life. This was fitted approx. 3 years ago and has worked well for me. [bigsmile1]


Richard

As a paid-up Member of the Overheating Club, I can also comment that the cooling system is a tad under-rated for AUS conditions especially the long steep climbs whilst towing.

Our experience was after purchasing a preloved MY2013 D4, while not towing but returning home & the climb north bound from Sydney on the M1 after the Hawksbury Bridge limp mode warning came on, with the transmission overheating message. This became a regular issue on hot days whilst not towing in Sydmey.
Well cutting the saga short, with the help of my Indy & a transmission specialist, we tracked the issue down to the heat exchanger. The issue being as the engine cooling demands are greater while towing uphill, there is insufficient capacity to cool the transmission fluid. Over time especially if you are towing frequently, the aluminium core in the heat exchanger fatigues gradually, and collapses again reducing the flow which will accelerate the fatigue collapse.
We removed the heat exchanger & installed a separate transmission cooling circuit, after which we have traveled Aus-wide with no further issues.
As a warning, please check annually the condition of your exchanger (a Ford component which has not changed in design for 50-60 years).
A failure will may result in the engine cooling fluid & transmission oil contaminating both engine & transmission, not a desirable outcome, requiring a transmission rebuild.

The warranty we had on purchase claimed that it was not a mechanical failure & refused the claim, adding to our disdain!!!

[Discodicky]

Hello Adambris.
Your experience all ears to be identical to mine (see below ...)
I have been the owner of a 2015 Discovery 4 SDV6 for the past 4 years and love this vehicle. I live in Traralgon, Victoria and have enjoyed touring while towing a 3.0 ton caravan. We recently towed the van to Cape York (Qld) and it didn't miss a beat. Also fans of You-Tube channel "It's LR Time". I recently had the Disco serviced after the Cape trip, which is also its 180K service and had the engine oil changed to 5W-40. Since this service, when we have towed the caravan the engine temperature appears to overheat when climbing up a hill (never a problem in the past). The temp comes down very quickly when I stop of stop climbing.
Were you able to identify and resolve the issue?
cheers
RobKo

I use a Scanguage and tow a 3.0T caravan up steep hills in Tassy. On the steep climb I see the water temp goes up to 106 deg and I can hear the Fans come on. The temp doesn't rise any more. Can you hear your fans come on? Maybe a blown fuse or some such is not allowing them to come on. Generally speaking, these engines don't have overheating issues.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I tow a 22ft 6 in Caravan which weighs right on 3 tonne with 210 litres water and 40litres fuel on board.(2 Jerry cans on caravan)
After monitoring over long trip found temp light did not come on till 118 deg which is almost too late so I installed small trans oil cooler in return line. I can now drive all day up hills and tow at reasonable speed and never exceed 100Deg C.
I think it is a cheap way of prolonging transmission life. This was fitted approx. 3 years ago and has worked well for me. [bigsmile1]


Richard


any more info? Pics maybe? Install Tutorial perhaps?[bighmmm]

[Tombie]

My transmission now runs around 80c without issue.
Not quite a simple mod as I did other changes to enable it.

My cooler is in the spot a 2.7 normally has the intercooler.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230306/f5f0b51d9797433b8a7b07545f4522b2.jpg