Overheating issue in my new Patrol

[PattyWagon]

Hi, Everyone,

I have just bought a 2009 3.0 Patrol from a dealer in Perth, I live fairly remote in the Kimberley so bought it without seeing it but I did get a mechanical inspection before purchase and had the all clear. The Car yard serviced the car before sending the car out to me too.

I don't drive it everyday but since using it only 4 or 5 weekends I have seen overheating issues when cruising at higher speeds, here are a couple of my observations.

-Temp gauge reads three qurters when cruising at 100 and will go into the H section of the gauge when at 110km/h.
- as I drop my speed the gauge also drops fairly quickly
- aircon has been cutting out (I have only just associated the two issues as being related.
-radiator fluid is full
-hoses look fine
-I am not towing and don't have heavy loads
- no smoke or oil smell when I pop the bonet

I did a quick google search and this came up https://costeffective.com.au/2017/03/05/patrol-landcruiser-overheating-problems/ has anybody used this product? otherwise If anybody has any ideas on what the problem could be I'd be super grateful!

Cheers.

[PeeBee]

Have you checked the core of the radiator is clear, or that the radiator is in fact a factory genuine radiator. Reason being, the a/c could be dropping out due to a high pressure lock, generated from a radiator that is not shedding the heat. I have experienced this with a mud clogged radiator in the heat, and also with a replacement radiator that was supplied with 'less fins per inch', hence it could not transfer the heat away effectively ( the radiator was actually heatsinking and transferring too much heat into the a/c core and the pressure locked up the compressor.). saying this, it was more apparent at speeds less that say 60km/hr, not at higher speeds like you say. It does however point to the cooling system as the engine heat load would decrease with the lower temp - how much is debatable . This is from the perspective of a victorian who has cold weather driving conditions in the main!

[the evil twin]

If it is cooling circuit related (assuming the mech inspection was kosher) high speed overheating in the CRD's is blocked rad core maybe 75% of the time and the thermostat 20% and other the remaining 5%, get the Rad Core properly sorted and serviced by a Rad Mob, Servo style flushing products aren't worth a pinch of shit.

The bottom 1/4 or so of the Rad Cooling Fins can also get badly clogged and are hard to inspect/clean in the vehicle so can be worth pulling it out for that as well.

The CRD factory cooling system is very good and if all components are OK should not be running anything like that warm even in the Kimberley

[MB]

Agreed PW mate!
Start at a fresh new OEM radiator for your top end challenging needs and work your way down the system from there.
For me, full stock reconfiguring uncovered that Mrs MB preferred carrying hay between the bullbar and found a somewhat looking rats nest between the two cores :-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[happygu]

Pattywagon,

I would put my money on it being the radiator cores blocked.

There was a bunch of trucks from around that timeframe where they would all do the same - heat up at freeway speeds, and all of them have those same symptoms of only heating up whilst towing or at speed, have had blocked cores in the radiator.

Mic

[mudnut]

It could also be an air lock. Have you burped the cooling system? With the engine cold, point the vehicle uphill. Seal a half a plastic bottle to the neck of the radiator and block or tape the overflow hose up higher than the bottle. Run the engine until the thermostat opens. If the is air in the system it should get released.

It may take a couple of tries to get all the air out of the system. I also squeeze the radiator hose to agitate the coolant to shift any bubbles.