Hi All and hoping some of the experience on the forum can help guide me. I have a coolant leak that seems to be when engine warm and goes from reservoir max to min in about 200 miles. Had an MOT on Saturday and the advisory stated coolant leak from rear of engine. I bought a small telescopic camera and tried to have a look. It seems that there are pink coolant dried crystals along the driver side cylinder head but the camera shows a coolant pool right at the back on the engine. I also noticed some slight pink crystals at the front of the passenger side cylinder head. Took it to an independent and they said head gasket gone but didn’t fail pressure test, was very slight pressure loss within tolerance apparently. Is there anything else it could be? For example could the pool come from something else at the back of the engine? Is there any way I can tell? Of course the pink crystals along the upper side of the cylinder head might be a very obvious sign but would it really leak all the way along? Seems like a lot of staining and I wondered if the presence of a leak somewhere else could cause boiling on the note engine and crystallisation more widespread?
Anyone had a HG go on one of these. Car has done 85k and I’m pretty dissapointed if it’s that.
Garage estimates 4.5K to fix if only the HG. They said only seen a couple go on this engine. Just wanted to be sure it’s that before I consider such a large bill.
Thanks in advance
Ben

Think the duplicate post got deleted that I was originally reading, and Blackdog replied to.

In my nearly 10 years on here, I don’t recollect reading of a head gasket issue on a 4.4 TDV8.

It’s obviously leaking from somewhere. I’d want to be a bit more confident of the diagnosis before I paid out that sort of money.

Others know more about this than me though.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Hehehe although in different words I basically said the same.

I would look at the back of the waterpump, end the oil cooler first. And depending on the age of the vehicle just replace all hoses and connections along the way. Those are cheap, labour to keep chasing isn’t.

Thanks guys. I checked the water pump as that’s at the front and there is no way I could see how a pool could be created at the back of the engine from a leak there. I don’t know if the oil cooler or egr cooler sit on top at the back of the engine and could have a leaking gasket there? As I say there is pretty extensive staining at the rear of the engine. Is there any way o tell if it’s a HG? The car is 13 plate and no symptoms of HG but staining looks highly suspicious of something like that. Guess no way to determine an external HG leak? Eg chemical test of the coolant won show anything right?

I would especially check the coolant hose that connects to the oil cooler on top of the engine - with a torch, you can just about see it on the right hand side under the inlet manifold / doughnut (viewed from the front) - any leak will drip into the ‘v’ and likely down the back of the engine. It has a rubber o ring that can perish.

Hi Ben,
Noticed your signature says a 2005 4.4 v8 petrol L322 but your fault is on a 4.4 tdv8 on a L405. Is this correct?
It may make a difference to the responses as different engines & age.

Rob. 2011 (MY12) 4.4 TDV8 Vogue
2016 Golf GTI PP

Gone
Audi A4
VW Passat
VW Corrado G60
VW Golf GTI
BMW E30
Mini
Vauxhall Chvette

I’m not sure about the 4.4tdv8 but in the 5.0 the waterpump has got a connection at the back with a fairly brittle plastic pipe which when leaking can dump it into the V.

But the other leak I got was indeed for that oil cooler and that was dumping it from there at the back inside the V. Mine was a bit difficult to find and intrusive as the supercharger has to be removed.

I can confirm it’s a 4.4 L405 I updated my profile.

Ben, we have a workshop manual download in our wiki...might be worth looking at that? ... - .- -.




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for the cost of new gaskets and / or oil cooler you could start with that as having recently done my own there is significant water flow through it. I had oil leaking into the coolant and there are x2 coolant pipes that connect to the oil cooler. One of them has the usual clamp on it the other is a push fit with a spring to hold it in place. There is another post i read on here that that one has a O ring in it that is prone to going hard and leaking.
this leaking would cause a build up of coolant in the V of the engine for it to then spill down the back of it.

If your engine passed a pressure test i doubt the head gasket has gone, You can get a test that will sniff for hydro carbons in the coolant, they will only be there if burnt fuel is being pumped into the water jacket. but you would also have other problems of over pressurizing the coolant system.

as i say first stop are the 2 coolant hoses into the oil cooler, while you have it in bits might as well change the gaskets too.  2012 Vogue 4.4 TDV8 - Current
2014 Navara V6 - Gone
2004 Vogue TD6 - Gone
Grand Cherokee - Gone
Discovery V8 (LPG) - Gone
Discovery TD5 - Gone

I just tried the chemical test on the coolant reservoir and no colour change to signify any exhaust gases getting into coolant. So there is that and th garage told me didn’t really fail the pressure test. Yet it is definitely leaking and losing coolant and also there is a lot of red staining and pink crystals along the cylinder head just above the gasket line. Is there anything the garage can do to be sure before they start taking engine out?

Hi , I had a slight coolant leak on my L405 4.4 and while it was slight the issue would have developed. My issue was the thermostat housing which had a crack underneath the housing that was impossible to see without removal . Wasn't a huge cost and if your doing the oil cooler gaakets then this is a worthwhile check. 2015 4.4 AB
GSXR 1000 K5
R1 1998

Sorry meant to say mine passed a pressure test too. 2015 4.4 AB
GSXR 1000 K5
R1 1998

i cannot make up my mind where that is on the engine?? is it the outside edge or in the V?

i would seriously consider adding steel seal as if it is the HG it just seems to be water that is escaping and not affecting anything else. Have you checked your oil for water contamination?

I may get slated here but i used this stuff on a Kia 2.7 Sedona expecting it to last a few thousand miles and i did over 30,000 miles without issue further more i sold it to a mate of mine (Who told me about the fix) and it was still running last time i saw him 6 months ago (I sold it 5 years ago).

https://steelseal.com/how-to-use/

you must follow the instruction to the letter for best results. 2012 Vogue 4.4 TDV8 - Current
2014 Navara V6 - Gone
2004 Vogue TD6 - Gone
Grand Cherokee - Gone
Discovery V8 (LPG) - Gone
Discovery TD5 - Gone