Thread: disco idling and heating

Re point #1. Remove & clean the idle air control valve at the rear of the block (driver's side). Search for this problem, there is plenty on here. You may need to reset your Base Idle back.

Also check the tightness of the ali. plate it screws into. Mine was loose recently to the block & that seems to have been the problem as well.

Fans running on. Normal operation.


Check out the Engine-Saver as advertised on this site.

It will let you know if the coolant is low as the Temp gauge doesn't indicate for low coolant & overheating, as there is no coolant in it's location to transfer that temperature.

Engine-Saver will give advance notice of low levels before your engine fails.

There is a small one way valve in the cap. Check that it is clean as it could be simply leaking past. Check the level of coolant in the overflow & that it's level with the "depth gauge" inside. Overfilling could give you a higher than normal pressure & it wants to vent the surplus.

thanks for the reply 4Bee, ill follow up on your suggestions.

one thing though , if i was to buy a infrared thermometer , would you or anyone reading this thread now what the normal and upper limit coolant temperature range in degrees (fahrenheit or celsius) the old disco is expected to run at ....L and H just dont cut the mustard when i get a readout in degrees

thanks in advance

They do go well on sand don't they. However if you drop your pressure to 18psi you won't have the overheating problem cause the motor's not working as hard, you'll also find it will go even further.

Hi Mudguts,,
theres been a couple of reports on the coolant reserviour cracking,, mine included,, these are the black ones on the early D1's,
they can be welded up.

hi Pedro, my reservoir is the opaque coloured one , no sign of cracks .

im leaning towards a dodgy pressure cap and/or an overfilled reservoir, as theres been no trouble since . next trip up there ill take a jerrycan of water and a new cap.....and give it a working over.

still wrapped in its sand capabilities ,...the old tojo troopie i had wasnt that good even with the michelin saharas down to 18 psi............of course the old jap tank didnt have power steer so it was a constant fight to prevent any steering pull from tearing one arms off..........

highly impressed ..armchair touring

i was getting all prepared to go the whole hog and check timing, dismantle idle air valve and muck around with the base idle...which was gonna be an epic with one working hand ...however while crawling under the critter i touched the main easrting cable and it was loose .someone had obviously removed it at some stage and bolted it back less washers..the bolt was toght but the -ve cable was still loose.

a few spring and flat washers later and a degrease and i cant make it stall , doesnt hunt anymore (touch wood) so perhaps the loose -ve connection was upsetting the electronics (similar to replacing a battery and the car hunts around and idles rough until its reprogrammed itself)?

anyway for what its worth , theres another possible for crappy idling V8's..

also fitting the engine temp alarm ..should have a report next week on its operation.

anyone with a laser/infrared temp thermometer id be interested to have some readings off their discos to compare with..


cheers

Interesting! Where exactly is the said Earth strap? Is that the one at the rear of the block, NS?

interesting

we to had these problems with our series 1 disco v8

hunting stalling and over heating.....but ours was two different problems

1. the airflow meter had had it and the car was running really really rich (hunting and stalling)

2. the radiator was blocked just through age and usage apparently this happens alot with these radiators and apperantly should get them rodded as a matter of course every couple of years due to the build up or calcium or some sh*t like that.......

but just so you know the way you are discribing the hunting of the engine with the brakes and everything is exactly the same as what we had


dullbird