Hello,

Last year I had a problem of loosing water, that I thought I had cured by changing the corroded engine block core plugs.

Well, now our 1999 freelander 2.0l L Series has started to loose water again.

It was a slight loss with no overheating, until I tried to fill up the expansion tank today and the water level kept dropping, and then I noticed water on the garage floor.

I got a light and took a look and water is coming from behind the timing belt plastic cover at the height of the head gasket and flowing back along the top of the block to then fall down the back of the block. At the front side of the timing belt cover I can see no water, so it really does appear to be coming from behind this cover.

There really is a quite a strong little stream of water even without the engine running, so I don't think it is a head gasket.

My retired mechanic dad said it could be a core plug in the end of the head.

Anybody know if there is one there / heard of this problem before / have any other suggestions?

Thanks

Bife

Could be a crack in the top hose ,undo the clip and inspect.

Thanks OldIrishWulf,

I guess you mean the one going from the top of the radiator into the aluminium outlet elbow at the front of the head(car front)?

I have checked this and it looks dry, as does the elbow and its gasket. The water is coming out from that end of the head but at the back, the front is dry.

It must be coming from somewhere behind the plastic timing belt cover.

I have an exploded diagram of the head and there is a core plug on that right hand (of car, UK offside, EU nearside) end of the head. The LR guy in UK who gave the diagram to my dad said it was quite a common problem.

He also said its not an easy job to take the, engine mountings, timing cover etc etc off, and I am lazy, so I will get the mechanic here to check it and do the timing belt at the same time.

Fingers crossed it is that core plug and not a HG or even a cracked head!!

Leigh

Got it fixed - it was the core plug at the end of the head

Got the timing belts etc changed at the same time.

Anyone in Lisbon for any reason, and needs a good mechanic - Alexandre Ideias, near the Autódromo do Estoril is the man. Contacts on this page (in portuguese, but his number is there LandMania Clube de Portugal • View topic - ofciina LAND ROVER em sintra? )

Core plug :doh: ,didn't ring a bell at the time.I had to change one during the summer,but at the time I was looking for a frost plug.