High Temperatures and a Diesel Engine
 

Hi there,

This summer I am very lucky to be embarking on a 3 month expedition- UK-Mongolia-UK.... we are getting very close to kickoff and I had a wonderful moment the other day when I thought all our Land Rover prep was finished ( can it ever be...!) only to realise that we're headed to places, ie the gobi, where temperature heads 35c+ for the best part of the driving day!

With a total lack of experience of driving our 110 TD5 station wagon anywhere but leafy and at best balmy england- the thought of beefing up the cooling system has not crossed my mind until now.....is there anything vital that we need to combat these temperatures? Or can we do it with the stock system? ( It's a 2000 model ) Discomfort is a minor issue in comparison with blowing a gasket etc etc.

Thanks in advance,
Tom

Hi Tom

Given that its a 9 year old model then get the radiator checked and flushed make sure you havn't got a lazy water pump, I think the stock system should cope with that sort of temp, unless of course your revving it highly when stuck

Maybe also travel early and late and try not to travel in the hottest part of the day , both you and the vehicle might find that good

Rich

2 other things that can help on the day if you notice the temp gauge climbing:

1: Turn aircon off, if you have aircon.

2: Turn heater on full and open windows. This extracts hot air from he engine and helps with cooling.

Other than giving the cooling system a good clean out (as suggested) and then adding new coolant, I doubt you will have any problems. LRs are plentiful in Australia and I've not heard of any cooling issues with them since the 6 cylinder petrol engines of the 1980s.

Bear in mind that we (in Oz) often get temps in the high 30s and low 40s and that vehicles sit in traffic with ac going full blast, I doubt that you'll get that sort of problem in Mongolia.

If you feel really worried then fit an audible over temp alarm, check the radiator for problems daily (seeds, dust, damage, etc.), carry some concentrated coolant to top up with - never mix coolant brands.

I'd be tempted to replace the coolant pump and thermostat before embarking on a trip like that in a 9-year old Td5..

But your standard system should be up to the job... we saw ambient temperatures well over 40 degrees last time I was in Morocco and the vehicles were OK....