Isuzu Trooper Owners Club UK™

Unclejockie

I've got a 1993 Lotus Bighorn 3.1TD. Started losing small amounts of water from the expansion tank, but level eventually settled about quarter of the way up. Fitted a new radcap. Ran at idle for four hours with no change. Tested - no HCs in expansion tank, no oil in water, no water in oil, no water coming out of tail pipe, no leaky pipes, no puddles. Temperature never higher than a third. Yesterday after 50 mile motorway trip finishing in slow town traffic, needle shot off temperature gauge. Expansion tank full of brown water, engine bay covered in brown water stains, radiator empty. Left to cool & level in expansion tank remained the same.
I've had this car for seven years & everything works on it (except the DNT button!) so I really don't want to lose her. I know this is similar to other threads but I can't see my exact problem being solved. I'd really appreciate an opinion as to what the problem might be.

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d12 · Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 15:26 Post subject:

Brown water ! Is a bad sign should be using the proper coolant/antifreeze , have you check the thermostat
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96 3.1 bighorn lwb ,widetrack

Unclejockie · Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 15:58 Post subject:

Rad emptied itself & took coolant & antifreeze with it! Worth looking at the'stat, you reckon?

griffter · Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 16:35 Post subject:

i would say u have leaking coolant pipe that only leaks high revs try with hand throttle setting revs at 3500 rpm and check for leaks

Unclejockie · Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 17:02 Post subject:

Thanks. I'll give it a go.

Unclejockie · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 12:12 Post subject:

Thanks for the advice. Looks like the 'stat.

Rhanagar · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 13:12 Post subject:

I have had mixed success with a variety of thermostats for my 2.8 (same engine basically). The best stat I have found is the Quinten Hazell QTH411K 85 degreee one.
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1990 Isuzu Bighorn LWB Mk.I 2.8TD Manual Lotus Edition
1994 Isuzu Bighorn LWB Mk.II 3.1TD Auto Lotus Edition

Deceased
1994 Isuzu Bighorn LWB Mk.II 3.1TD Auto LS

griffter · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 13:30 Post subject:

u could try running and driving without a stat with just water in see if u have any probs if no its the stat if u still got leaks it aint a stat!

wez · *** Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 177 Location: Gateshead

I had a similar experience with an old ford orion :p

stared to pressurise up and drip coolant out of the overflow on the header tank/rad cap...

replaced cap and topped up with water - seemed fine on the driveway on idle and on the motorways...

sit in traffic after it had warmed up for half an hour and it would head towards the red on the gauge and start to boil over.

HG checked out fine... was very hitty missy if it would boil over of be fine for the day.

turned out the impellor of the inside of the water pump has sheared off and was just sitting there lol.

new pump and back to normal Smile

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1997 Trooper 3.1TD Duty Manual - Sheddy winter runabout.
1996 LWB Trooper 3.1TD Citation - N995TTY - Sold
1995 LWB Bighorn 3.1TD Lotus - M981XVE - P/Xed in for a Sierra Cosworth
1997 LWB Trooper 3.1TD Citation - N288LAG - Gone, never forgotten

Unclejockie · Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 22:24 Post subject:

Currently running with no 'stat. Still losing water. Not the 'stat then!