Hello I am new to this site, After a few weeks of looking around on different site's for my problem and coming up with nothing, I have had to become a member for some experienced wise words!! The car in question in a Range Rover Sport Tdv8 2008 with 128000 miles on the clock. I have owned the car for around 19 month now and all has been running well and really enjoying the car.....

BUT i was driving the car the other week and the temp gauge shot up to over heating for the first time since owning the car. I turned the car off straight away and let it cool down. when i checked the coolant level it was empty i was wondering where it had all gone and i originally thought head gasket as there was no leaks from under the car. I filled the car up and got it to a garage and it didnt over heat but lost some coolant.

Once at the garage he filled and bled the cooling system but I am getting water flow back through the return pipe into my expansion tank which looks like bubbles which worried us more to head gasket. He pressure tested the system sniff tested and all come back normal so he was happy it isnt the head. I then fitted a new housing which includes the temp sensor and thermostat in case this was causing an affect on the system, while i had the car apart i decided to change the expansion tank for a new one because when I got to it the wire from a previous owner had been cut and hard wired so the coolant low level never come on the dash so I got that back working.

I bled the car back up following a procedure i found on one of the forums it was all looking fine with still a return flow from my top pipe into expansion tank it held its coolant on the drive up to temp and produced warm air out the heater indicating it was flowing round the system correctly telling my the water pump is working correctly. so this is where my problem is when cold my car is telling me it has sufficient coolant fluid level just under max. when i start the car its stays at that lever for a short period of time than then disappears pretty quick i am guessing when the thermostat opens.

The top hose for the radiator is pressuring the return pipe is flowing into the empty expansion tank and telling me low coolant on the dash, which there is no coolant in the tank between min and max I can just see a bit at the bottom. when i turn the engine off and let it cool down the expansion tank gradually gets the coolant level back to the correct level just under max once it is at a certain temperature. Why is this happening? what would cause it? anything i could look at doing?

Thanks for any help

Hi,

This forum is for the big Range Rover, not the Sport I'm afraid.

This is the forum you need;

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/

The full fat Range Rover shares the same engine, with a few differences, so you still might get folk helping if they can.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

My tdv8 3.6 had mystery coolant loss problem. Pressure test didn't show up anything so sounds a bit similar. The mechanic put some stop leak through which seems to have fixed it. Some on here are not in favour of stop leak products as can block galleries I suppose. ______________________________
Vogue tdv8 08MY poverty pack - wow

It sounds as though there is still air trapped in the system. Have you tried topping-up the bottle as the level drops?

I had coolant loss and could smell it. Turned out to be one of the two metal pipes on the right hand side of the engine which are bolted to the inner wing. A right pig to get out but eventually did and it had been rubbing on the inner wing and made a small hole in it. I used plastic metal to fix it and haven't had an issue since.

Hope you can sort it out. Could you try paragraphs in future?  John
2008 Stornoway Grey 3.6 Tdv8 Vogue
2005 TD6 Java Black Vogue - Written off!!
GAP iiD BT
2003 Discovery TD5 Auto, Nanocom Evolution - gone to a new home!
MasseyFerguson 152 - No electronics!! - Sold

he won't be back here John, anyways i've edited his post a bit for you..  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Much better, Stan.  John
2008 Stornoway Grey 3.6 Tdv8 Vogue
2005 TD6 Java Black Vogue - Written off!!
GAP iiD BT
2003 Discovery TD5 Auto, Nanocom Evolution - gone to a new home!
MasseyFerguson 152 - No electronics!! - Sold

Same problem here... going next week to check it. Meanwhile, bucket in the car to top it out each drive