TD5 Temps, when to worry?

Just some extra insight...

Inline 6 Falcons often see coolant temps over 120'c on hot days up hills with no ill effects...

you worry when the temp gauge moves from its normal "in the middle" position to about the 3/4 mark. Once its over there you are very near the maximum operating temperature but dont panic yet, you still have a couple of degrees to go before you are actually overheating. Back off, change down 2 gears and keep about 2K rpm on the engine, if the engine is still working hard or the temp gauge doesnt come back after about 30 seconds change down to first and keep the revs at high idle till you can pull it over.

its got a compensated gauge in it for a reason. and that reason is so that every tom dick and harry who has no idea about the fluctuation of a diesels engine temperature doesnt ring up to whinge about an overheating engine or one that wont heat up. These people are the same ones that I dread purchasing nanocoms and the like.

Can I add that when I lived in the NT I had my 1st great automobile love - a 1993 TDI manual. (My 1st was a Bell 47G5 that was so versatile I used to call it "the LandRover of the sky")

Returning back to Darwin after a weekend fishing in Kakadu and surrounds.....4 of us on-board with car full of camping gear, fully loaded 19'tinny behind also full of eskies, fishing gear, 85HP Yamaha etc, etc.

The highway back to Darwin was very similar to Cue to Newman...it was mainly a gentle, steady climb that was so decieving it usually caught me out everytime!

Typically....as we slowed down I'd boot more fuel into it until the old girl would be on full boost for 30-45 minutes and the temp would climb to critical. Finally I'd think - wow I better back off and....as wisely suggested below, I'd get out of overdrive and stop lugging away in low revs with full throttle and low road speed!
The old girl would always stabilise with temp dropping to midway and no other issues........all this from as simple 15KPH lower speed and higher gear.

Great things these LandRover aren't they? :)

My D2a Td5 Auto runs around 88deg most of the time ... pull in for a quick stop, left idling for a minute or two, it'll rise to 91-93deg, then drop back to 88deg as soon as you drive away. It doesn't vary by much.

Got it to 100deg once ... hot dry sand on stockton beach last boxing day ... pushing it hard whilst playing ... brother-in-law was driving ... hit 100deg, Nanocom red warning light started flashing, and about 15 sec's later it dropped back to about 95deg.

If I leave mine idling, with the heater on and door/s open, after a few minutes, the temp drops ... seen it go as low as 65deg!, with the temp guage back towards the blue base line ... first time that happened I paniced and expected coolant loss ... opened the bonnet to find all intact ... then put 1 + 1 together and realised the cabin heater was blasting away with the doors open ! Phew!

It's a quick way to get large amounts of heat out of the cooling system.

Kev..