SLROC Forum

Not been on here for a wee while but when you need help it's the place to come.

The heater on my Defender Td5 blasts out reasonably warm air as long as I am travelling above 40, anything below that it's the ice age. There must be a water leak somewhere as I need to top up the water by maybe a litre or so every couple of days but there is no obvious leak. Any ideas??

headgasket?

Check the pipes for the heater, prone to coming loose.  Check other water pipes and radiator.  Failing that as has been stated check your oil (colour and level) and make sure you aren't blowing white steam out the back. . .  That said, a Defender with a heater that actually keeps you warm is probably on fire.  Then again, any heat that develops is soon replaced by cold air from the panel gaps. . . 

If you have been topping up with water you have probably reduced your coolant ratio as well, so if you do find the leak, have the coolant checked.

Not head gaskit nor can I find any loose pipes. Just have to stay above 40.   

Is there anyway of increasing the heater performance on a TD5? Short of fitting a Webasto /  Eberspahcuer or another heater matrix?

I'm going up to the Outer Hebridies end of Jan and don't really want to dress like a bear.

Well if water is disappearing it has to be going somewhere!  Perhaps some UV leak detector and get a UV bulb for your workshop light?

Some folk fit one of those scoop efforts to the heater intake but I don't think they make much difference.  During the winter a radiator grille blanket might help?  Defender (pre puma anyway) are not the best for heating, period.  Eberspacher would help but finding a fuel supply (due the high pressure on the TD5's can be arduous) not to mention the price. . .  I've always found a coat and hat/gloves to be the best upgrade 

First would be to replace the expansion or rad cap. Then check or replace thermostat. Then look for any pipe leaks, then the HG.

well before someone filled my heater air intake with peterborough mud the 90s heater was like a furnace. so it must be possible. mind you drove across rannoch moor last winter in freebie with heater on full and the side windows iced up....on the inside so maybe pack a wool jumper just incase lol

Buffalo jacket, Craghopper lined trousers. Sorted 

....but if coolant is going awol at a rate of a litre a day thats not good. If it was the head-gasket I suspect youi'd have a lot of pressure in the coolant system pretty quickly, dunno what to suggest if its not at all obvious. Got anywhere totally dry where you could just park up and let it run for a while ?

Hi,
    We did the water pump on a TD5 disco a couple of weeks ago, it was using a lot of water as you mention with yours but when we first checked the car it never lost a drop( left it running on the ramp, roadtested, rad cap on and off etc) but what we found is that if the water level was down at all it wouldn't leak. With the coolant filled right up and the engine upto working temperature check on the n/s of the engine,the housing for power steering pump and water pump. Look up from under the car and should see the tell tale hole in the casting which is where the coolant leaks from if the water pump o ring seals fail. The tell tale hole is on the side of the housing about 5mm in diameter, not the easiest to find as you can only see it from underneath.

Unfortunately TD5 heaters aren't the best, as the modern engines become more efficient the less heat is produced as a biproduct of combustion and so the colder the heater is.Hopefully it will improve once your water leak is found and repaired and give you a bearable cab.

 cheers,
           Stevie.

Thanks lads. Think you are spot on Steve. Trouble with water leaks and my motor is that because I use it daily in all sorts of mud/water the underside is rarely completely dry and so any leak can be hard to identify. Yesterday I got it dry and onto a dry surface. After filling and running it certainly looks like the water is coming from the hole you describe.
All help appreciated.