Freelander TD4 2005 Overheating, was it because of the Rover 75 Mod?

RouteA9 · Jul 1, 2020

Hi All
Many thanks if you are taking the time to read my post.
I was wonder if anybody could answer a few questions regarding my Freelander 2005 TD4.
It has started to overheat and the garage stated that the result of a Coolant Block Test indicated an issue with the Cylinder Head.

The options are new cylinder head gasket and/or head skimmed or replacement engine.

I was surprised as these engines are meant to be bullet proof and expected that it was just the water pump that had failed as the top hose was very hot, bottom hose was cold and there is no loss of coolant. No milky deposit in oil cap or coolant. Engine not smoking, apart from a brief puff on start up when cold, which it has done as far as I can remember.

I was dismissing the original thermostat as the vehicle never ran very hot and I had installed the Rover 75 thermostat mod to the radiator top hose about 5yrs ago.

I had been running Torque via OBD2 just to keep an eye on things and the engine would reach about 92 deg before the engine temperature dropped when the Rover 75 mod thermostat kicked in (thermostat is rated at 72 deg)

Now that it is overheating, I have since removed the Rover 75 Mod thermostat and it tested ok.

I can flush through the radiator top to bottom as well as flush from the coolant bottle to the bottom radiator hose (disconnected) I can also observe water from the bottom of the Radiator i.e. flushing in both directions.

I have briefly started the engine with the bottom hose disconnected, and observed coolant being expelled from the bottom of the radiator with the hose disconnected. I assume this is because it is not now pressurised...

I have owned the Freelander for 9yrs, it idles about 75 deg for ever more but drive it hard I can get it to nearly 100 deg. before I chicken out and switch it off to cool down. I can drive a good 5 miles at 50 MPH and it may reach +90deg depending on my driving style. Normally it would take a lot longer to reach this temperature.

So, my questions are…

1.Did fitting the Rover 75 mod thermostat cause the Cylinder Head to fail?

2.Since my original thermostat was stuck somewhere in the middle i.e. not fully closing. Is it possible that it has now stuck fully closed or is it just down to a blocked channel within the engine block? I have tried an engine flush.

As the vehicle has 152k and I had just spent £1k on it last month, it’s not financially viable to repair as there are a few other issues that need attention before the MoT runs out in Sept.

Appreciate any thoughts in advance on this.

Nodge68 · Jul 7, 2020

RouteA9 said:
Hi All
Many thanks if you are taking the time to read my post.
I was wonder if anybody could answer a few questions regarding my Freelander 2005 TD4.
It has started to overheat and the garage stated that the result of a Coolant Block Test indicated an issue with the Cylinder Head.

The options are new cylinder head gasket and/or head skimmed or replacement engine.

I was surprised as these engines are meant to be bullet proof and expected that it was just the water pump that had failed as the top hose was very hot, bottom hose was cold and there is no loss of coolant. No milky deposit in oil cap or coolant. Engine not smoking, apart from a brief puff on start up when cold, which it has done as far as I can remember.

I was dismissing the original thermostat as the vehicle never ran very hot and I had installed the Rover 75 thermostat mod to the radiator top hose about 5yrs ago.

I had been running Torque via OBD2 just to keep an eye on things and the engine would reach about 92 deg before the engine temperature dropped when the Rover 75 mod thermostat kicked in (thermostat is rated at 72 deg)

Now that it is overheating, I have since removed the Rover 75 Mod thermostat and it tested ok.

I can flush through the radiator top to bottom as well as flush from the coolant bottle to the bottom radiator hose (disconnected) I can also observe water from the bottom of the Radiator i.e. flushing in both directions.

I have briefly started the engine with the bottom hose disconnected, and observed coolant being expelled from the bottom of the radiator with the hose disconnected. I assume this is because it is not now pressurised...

I have owned the Freelander for 9yrs, it idles about 75 deg for ever more but drive it hard I can get it to nearly 100 deg. before I chicken out and switch it off to cool down. I can drive a good 5 miles at 50 MPH and it may reach +90deg depending on my driving style. Normally it would take a lot longer to reach this temperature.

So, my questions are…

1.Did fitting the Rover 75 mod thermostat cause the Cylinder Head to fail?

2.Since my original thermostat was stuck somewhere in the middle i.e. not fully closing. Is it possible that it has now stuck fully closed or is it just down to a blocked channel within the engine block? I have tried an engine flush.

As the vehicle has 152k and I had just spent £1k on it last month, it’s not financially viable to repair as there are a few other issues that need attention before the MoT runs out in Sept.

Appreciate any thoughts in advance on this.

How have you determined that it actually overheating? An engine temperature of 100°C is well under the maximum operating temperature.

The TD4 engine doesn't generally suffer head gasket issues, and no head issues as far as I know.

It is possible that the original thermostat has failed almost closed, which could well cause overheating, but proper overheating would see an engine temperature over 120°C, not 100°C as you previously said.

If it's loosing coolant, then look around pressure cap on the coolant reservoir for cracking, which will prevent pressure building and would cause coolant loss.

RouteA9 · Jul 13, 2020

Hi Nodge68,
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
The reason I know the TD4 overheated was because the dial on the dash was bang across the scale and the red warning light was on. It gave a wee miss and that's what made me aware that something was wrong. It took a few minutes to establish Torque and it was reading around 120 deg, but I can't remember exactly.
It wasn't losing coolant up to and for a few weeks after experiencing the fault but the more that I have now driven the TD4, I believe the overheating has actually caused the cracks that have now appeared in the expansion tank and I now have white residue on the bulk head.

I did purchase a replacement thermostat just to element this as the cause of the overheating but then I noticed froth in the expansion tank and the nice pink colour turned light brown. So I came to the conclusion it was a 5hr task that was just a waste of time and money. Also, the garage (Independent LR specialist) had diagnosed the head gasket as being faulty. Only strange thing is it takes a long time to reach the high temperatures and doesn't overheat on idle.

I have been using it on short trips to the rubbish tip until it either gives up altogether or the Mot expires in 2 months time.

I have enjoyed driving Freelander's (Petrol and Diesel) since 2002 and the pain and expense of maintaining one, but I still want another....

I have noticed there are a lot less Freelander 2's on the road now, just like the Range Rover Sport. Where have they all gone?

Probably to expensive to maintain once they get to a certain age / mileage, so looking for a good condition Freelander 1 for now..

Nodge68 · Jul 15, 2020

RouteA9 said:
I noticed froth in the expansion tank and the nice pink colour turned light brown. So I came to the conclusion it was a 5hr task that was just a waste of time and money.

The factory thermostat takes about 4hrs to change, and if the car is in otherwise good condition, its not a waste of money changing it.

RouteA9 said:
Also, the garage (Independent LR specialist) had diagnosed the head gasket as being faulty. Only strange thing is it takes a long time to reach the high temperatures and doesn't overheat on idle.

It won't be the head gasket, as they don't fail on the TD4.

RouteA9 said:
I have been using it on short trips to the rubbish tip until it either gives up altogether or the Mot expires in 2 months time.

Is it not worth fixing it? How much will an equivalent replacement vehicle cost you?

RouteA9 said:
I have noticed there are a lot less Freelander 2's on the road now, just like the Range Rover Sport. Where have they all gone?

There's plenty for sale. I've just bought one, which I pick up on Friday.

pwood999 · Nov 30, 2020

Sounds like it needs a proper pressure test when cold and host to find leaks, and coolant sniff test to confirm head gasket diagnosis. Most garages will say head gasket even if they're not sure until they dismantle.

Pressure Test Kit
Coolant combustion Test Kit

Could also be broken water pump vanes. What's the header tank return pipe flow like when revving the engine ? Also does the radiator get hot from top to bottom ?

Freelander TD4 2005 Overheating, was it because of the Rover 75 Mod?

RouteA9

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Nodge68

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RouteA9

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Nodge68

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pwood999

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