@Mooky , be sure to complete 2-3 good long alternating flush and reverse flushes to clear all crud with the heater controls on fully open. It also helps to isolate the heater matrix and flush directly as a crud has a tendency to get stuck in the matrix.
Does the td5 have a valved heater matrix?
 
@Mooky , be sure to complete 2-3 good long alternating flush and reverse flushes to clear all crud with the heater controls on fully open. It also helps to isolate the heater matrix and flush directly as a crud has a tendency to get stuck in the matrix.
 
Thanks yes I heard about that alternate flushing. Should know more after tomorrows inspection by someone that knows a lot more about TD5s than me!
 
So took her down to chap who if you broke him in half youd find landrover written in oil. Expansion tank pressure tested & fine. Bled system & fine after a 5min run but after a half hour run top hose hard again. Return flow to tank fine. I've now booked her with landrover garage who think it sounds like the start of HG going. I'll update when I know.
 
Hello, not sure why it's taken me so long to join this community as I bought my 1999 TD5 110 Defender last August on 84k miles. I use it for my landscaping business so need it to be a daily driver. I'm quickly realising this is not as straight forward as I thought! Since last August it's had a new fuel pump, fuel filter, starter motor, & just recently rad & intercooler. New rad because I was visibly loosing coolant but no overheating. Since the new rad & intercooler (fitted by back street garage) Ive had pressure in the expansion tank when cold. I bought a new cap but still pressurized. I then realized the bottom hose & rad were cold after a good run, the heater was just warm & the temp gauge wasn't TDC as it had been previously. I took it back to garage & they bled the system & did an inconclusive head test. After this I've had no pressure in the expansion tank when cold but bottom hose & rad still cold after a good run. Garage has now replaced the thermostat which has made no difference. They suspect cracked head but not a bad one as power is good, starts fine, no emulsified oil, coolant dosent seem to have oil on surface & no white smoke. Advised if it was a HG it would have blown by now. So of course I'm wondering if this could be anything else before the head has to come off?? ......also whether steel seal or simular is worth a go if as suspected it's a crack in its infancy?? Any advice would be appreciated...although I got a B grade in MVS (motor vehicle studies) I'm no spanner warrior!! Thanks.
head gaskets will weep pressure for months and is an obvious fault since it has had a leak in the cooling system
 
Ok so I took a week off work and left defender with local landrover specialist. Good news is the head and gasket is good. Hoses are hardening (heater hoses fine) which maybe down to old hoses losing ability to softened under pressure. Bad news.....new discs, pads and calipers all round! Never cheap....thanks to all help and advice.
 

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