Coolant for a Land Rover Defender?

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What’s the best coolant for a 1997 Land Rover Defender? It came with green coolant from the factory and a sticker stating: “Genuine Land Rover Antifreeze Do Not Drain”.
 
Any fresh ethelyne glycol based coolant designed to protect aluminum or iron metal will be fine if changed regularly
 
Originally Posted By: qship1996
Any fresh ethelyne glycol based coolant designed to protect aluminum or iron metal will be fine if changed regularly


I think this is bad advice and too simplistic.

if you don't want to get the OE coolant. Traditional green will work in most anything decently and is probably very similar to the OE formula, but not sure. Another most liekely better choice would be G-05. Peak Global would be a good third choice. Does the vehicle ahve an aluminum and plastic radiator?

My guess is it used an american green type formula originally so use that or G-05.
 
Interesting, as you just recommended 4 different chemistry coolants he could use!!!!! Any ethlyne glycol based coolant will work,period. we are talking about aluminum,iron,and plastic protection here, not some newfangled space age exotic metals in the block/radiator/system!!!!
 
Originally Posted By: brianl703
Maybe he should try Dowtherm SR1 in it.

It's an ethylene glycol based coolant, so, by your logic, it should work fine.


If it is designed for automotive cooling systems,go for it. any 1/2 intelligent person understands that I was referring to AUTOMOTIVE type ethylene glycol FORMULATIONS.....guess I need to point that out to the less than 1/2 intelligent so they do not infer otherwise?
 
Automotive coolant is a lot more than just ethylene glycol. The corrosion inhibitors used vary, and I suspect that's what's really important here.
 
I'm surprised in 1997 it did not come with dexcool. I know the Discovery I's from that time came with dex. They have an orange plastic ring around the expansion tank that says it is OAT coolant. Many of us disco guy have dumped the dex after our head gaskets went and switched to traditional green, prestone/peak universal or G05.
 
+1. I was trying to steer him away from Dexcool in this early model and towards traditional Green or G-05. I wasn't sure if this application was FF with Dexcool yet or not but I thought he said it was green so I assumed it was similar to traditional Green.
 
1997 is pretty early for dexcool-type coolants. International (Mainly Consumer Ford Diesel Trucks) officially made their engines compatible with HD ELCs during the year of 2001. You may want to check your FSM (The RAVE Manuals). Search online you'll find ALL of them on ONE site covering every Land Rover vehicle.

The 2001 Discovery II I service has the same plastic ring saying to use an OAT coolant, which is a very general statement. There are many brands and types.

It does say, however in the FSM to use a Texaco/Havoline Extended Life Coolant or equivalent. This coolant is the early formulation of the modern Dex-Cool type coolants you see today.

I have heard the earlier formulations had problems and got a really bad rap for sludging and all the nonsense we've all heard about. To me, I think it was the cooling systems not properly designed to be used for those coolants. Incompatible gasket materials or air leakage may be to blame. Although where do you draw that line? Are you designing a coolant for a cooling system or a cooling system around the coolant? lol

I decided to stay away from Dex-Cool and use a HD ELC they use for diesels. They are tried and true with millions of miles logged in many large diesel trucks. They use the same 2-EHA compound as Dex-Cool to help extend the life of the coolant.

I recommend Chevron Delo HD ELC. Goes up to 600,000 miles and 1 million miles with an extender. 6 years or 8 years. One or the other...

Been using that in the Land Rover for about 10k. No overheats, leaks, or fuss. Others from the Rover Forums have used the same HD ELC-type coolants with great results as well.

If you can't find some wording simliar to "Extended Life Coolant" in the FSM, then I would recommend G-05 for the closest compatibility without the stress of Dex-Cool.

I would like to pose a question as well: What if he decided to use Toyota Super Long Life or Honda Type II Coolant? What could possibly be the ramifications considering cooling system metal types and what not?
 
All NAS spec defenders use standard green. LR only switched over to dexcool in 1999, when the bosch engone managmnet system was used. So, all discovery II's and late range rover P38's use dexcool.
 
Originally Posted By: Basil
1997 is pretty early for dexcool-type coolants. International (Mainly Consumer Ford Diesel Trucks) officially made their engines compatible with HD ELCs during the year of 2001. You may want to check your FSM (The RAVE Manuals). Search online you'll find ALL of them on ONE site covering every Land Rover vehicle.

The 2001 Discovery II I service has the same plastic ring saying to use an OAT coolant, which is a very general statement. There are many brands and types.

It does say, however in the FSM to use a Texaco/Havoline Extended Life Coolant or equivalent. This coolant is the early formulation of the modern Dex-Cool type coolants you see today.

I have heard the earlier formulations had problems and got a really bad rap for sludging and all the nonsense we've all heard about. To me, I think it was the cooling systems not properly designed to be used for those coolants. Incompatible gasket materials or air leakage may be to blame. Although where do you draw that line? Are you designing a coolant for a cooling system or a cooling system around the coolant? lol

I decided to stay away from Dex-Cool and use a HD ELC they use for diesels. They are tried and true with millions of miles logged in many large diesel trucks. They use the same 2-EHA compound as Dex-Cool to help extend the life of the coolant.

I recommend Chevron Delo HD ELC. Goes up to 600,000 miles and 1 million miles with an extender. 6 years or 8 years. One or the other...

Been using that in the Land Rover for about 10k. No overheats, leaks, or fuss. Others from the Rover Forums have used the same HD ELC-type coolants with great results as well.

If you can't find some wording simliar to "Extended Life Coolant" in the FSM, then I would recommend G-05 for the closest compatibility without the stress of Dex-Cool.


Yeah I agree. There is nothing at all wrong with Dexcool or it's ELC clones if the gaskets are truely designed to be compatible.

Quote:
I would like to pose a question as well: What if he decided to use Toyota Super Long Life or Honda Type II Coolant? What could possibly be the ramifications considering cooling system metal types and what not?


I think it would be a bad idea for a vehicle that wasn't throughly designed for OATs. SLLC and Type II uses the OAT sebacate. This is the same OAT along with 2EHA used in Havoline Dexcool. I don't see any reason to believe the Asian coolant is less agressive with some gaskets. I think Havoline got a bad rap but is probably as good as or better than any other dexclone or ELC.
 
Originally Posted By: sven98
All NAS spec defenders use standard green. LR only switched over to dexcool in 1999, when the bosch engone managmnet system was used. So, all discovery II's and late range rover P38's use dexcool.

Thanks for your reply, any idea why they put a "Do Not Drain" sticker on the radiator?
 
Probably another feeble attempt at a manufacturer claiming their fluids are "good for the life of the vehicle."

Bottom line: If you want your car to last way past the warranty, you will change your coolant at the recommended intervals or when it tests unsafe.
 
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