Hi Guys
A few questions. I'm new to land rovers and mechanics so excuse terminology and possibly stupid questions!
The 90 (200 TDI Disco engine fitted) has been running very cool and has only been producing slightly warm air from heater vents. I decided to change thermostat and when I opened it up found there wasn't one fitted. I assume this explains the struggle to get up to temperature at this time of year?
Whilst doing this I drained the coolant system and flushed the radiator from top hose to bottom until water ran clear, and also flushed from rad bottom hose to engine and out through top hose (with thermostat removed).
When I filled the system I expected it to take around 11 litres to refill (this is what the Haynes Manual for defender says). It took about 7 litres before overflowing from radiator top plug with expansion tank filled to around the seam mid way up. Assuming an air lock, I squeezed hoses and took it for a drive to get up to temperature (gauge indicating around half way and blowing hot air from vents). After stopping the rad top hose and heater hoses were hot, radiator was warm, bottom hose was warm but expansion tank was cold. Is this correct, should the expansion tank have been cold? There was also no pressure released when I (carefully) removed expansion tank cap.
I brought it 25 miles to work this morning it seemed to be up to temperature after about 7 or 8 miles, gauge settled just above halfway. I checked hoses when I got to work and same as last night.
For comparison, before I started the temp gauge hardly got above the low end of the white scale.
So, no my concerns are
1. Why didn't it take the full 11 litres?
2. Maybe not all of the coolant drained, should I have released it from somewhere else?
3. I filled it using Halfords red (OAT) antifreeze as what came out was orange coloured. If the I hadn't got all the old coolant out, could the new and old react if they are different types?
Thanks in advance for any responses
Andy
