New Disco TD5 - should I be worried?

**owoodland** · 20th March 2007, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by jase

now I'm getting worried

the wifes Td5 started using coolant last year just doing checks one day and the bottle was half down

it had never moved before so
I went searching anound for a leak and found oil cooler leaking (coolant)
it's only a very small weep, so I just top up every cople of weeks (in that time she would do 1500kms and it doesn't even get low enough to bring on the low coolant light)
now I'm worried the cooler will fail

do they ever just let go???
I was going to wait for it to get worse (at the same time I'm thinking about selling it and getting her a newer car)
jase

anyone want to buy a Td5 D2 7 seat with leather, ACE ect ect

Well, to quote Kevin from Rovertech, "don't drive it ANYWHERE!". I am new to the TD5 game but I understand that the oil cooler will indeed just let go and shove all of the oil into the cooling system (and vice versa probably). I am told that cleaning out the coolant galleries of the TD5 after this happens is "absolutely the worst job on the TD5 ever".

Also, you will lose your cooling capacity and if you don't notice the temperature spike you could very well cook the motor.

Not to worry you or anything.

Apparently by 170,000 km give or take you should expect to re-do the head and the oil cooler on the TD5 prior to 2003.

(195,000 km on mine and it just happened).

**owoodland** · 4th April 2007, 09:33 PM

OK, so the full list of repairs? Long.

The gist of it is:
1. head off, valves out, pressure tested, milled, prepped. Head gasket was leaking into #4 cylinder
2. oil cooler shagged, thus replaced
3. Fuel regulator leaking
4. Put head back on with new head gasket - leaking
5. Head back off - apparently a hairline crack that was opening up when the head was tensioned down to the block (a new one to Rovatech). Head cut back around crack, welded, milled again.
6. Head back on - sweet.

Plus a bunch of other stuff including the injector harness and the alternator brushes and bearings.

Total cost? $5,500-odd.

I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. Holy hell, that's some expensive repairs. I am currently trying to sell my 300 tdi for this kind of money, and that's a whole car!!

Still, I have my fingers crossed.... Stay tuned

ak · 5th April 2007, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by owoodland

OK, so the full list of repairs? Long.

The gist of it is:
1. head off, valves out, pressure tested, milled, prepped. Head gasket was leaking into #4 cylinder
2. oil cooler shagged, thus replaced
3. Fuel regulator leaking
4. Put head back on with new head gasket - leaking
5. Head back off - apparently a hairline crack that was opening up when the head was tensioned down to the block (a new one to Rovatech). Head cut back around crack, welded, milled again.
6. Head back on - sweet.

Plus a bunch of other stuff including the injector harness and the alternator brushes and bearings.

Total cost? $5,500-odd.

I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. Holy hell, that's some expensive repairs. I am currently trying to sell my 300 tdi for this kind of money, and that's a whole car!!

Still, I have my fingers crossed.... Stay tuned

FRIGHTENING

**4bee** · 5th April 2007, 09:43 AM

And the previous owner is still happy about paying for all this work?

I read about all this Td5 stuff & am glad I still run the 3.9 V8i with it's, simple by comparison "features" that can still be worked on.

Same must apply to 300 Tdi owners. Why are you selling yours?

**Utemad** · 5th April 2007, 10:37 AM

As much as a $5500 repair on a car you only just picked up is enough to make you hunt down and kill the previous owner in the most painful way possible (although you should have got it checked out first), is $21000 all up for a 1999 Td5 an okay price?
Especially since now you know you shouldn't be having any problems with it (to do with the repaired stuff) for a long time. I mean if you paid $21000 for a good one and to have it crack the head 12 months later you would still be up for the big costs.

I'm quite happy to keep paying the fuel bill for my V8 though.

**Discobunny** · 5th April 2007, 12:09 PM

Sheeeesh

I was wingeing like buggery at the $1500 I just spent on a complete top end rebuild (reco heads, rockers, new cam, timing chain and lifters), and ignition overhaul (new pick up, amplifier and coil) for the V8, but it does this now

I like the 10L/100km of the diesels but the repair cost would kill me.
Hopefully the previous owners will honour his comments about paying for the repairs.

Defender=1st · 7th April 2007, 09:47 AM

coolant = radiator water ??? (isnt it ???)
Sorry for the stupid question but is it ???

**jase** · 7th April 2007, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Defender=1st

coolant = radiator water ??? (isnt it ???)
Sorry for the stupid question but is it ???

yep

Defender=1st · 7th April 2007, 03:11 PM

so i should jst check if its using more than usual radiator water ??

**owoodland** · 9th April 2007, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by 4bee

And the previous owner is still happy about paying for all this work?

I read about all this Td5 stuff & am glad I still run the 3.9 V8i with it's, simple by comparison "features" that can still be worked on.

Same must apply to 300 Tdi owners. Why are you selling yours?

Yeah, well hopefully!

Why am I selling my 300 tdi? To be honest now, I have no idea. The TD5 rides better and does not have the (very) annoying driveline slack of the tdi but it cost a lot more, is far more complicated and has worse fuel economy. If I had the decision again, I would stick by the tdi or buy a much nicer example thereof. However, what's done is done so fingers crossed there.

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