1996 2.8D D/Cab 4x4 Temperature Concern

[Inyathi]

I have just bought this vehicle and she is a beauty, taken her on a first long trip, it was hellishly hot here in KZN today and on the long uphills I noted the temperature gauge climb to just below red, this concerns me as I do not believe this is normal?
Yes, it was exceptionally hot but I did not exactly murder her on the long uphill, finished in 4th around 90km/h.
She was compression tested by a very well known franchised group on the 7/1/08 and came out sweet.
Any advice welcome please. :roll:

[Family_Dog]

Welcome Inyathi! Sorry I can't help you on the diesel enquiry, but someone will surely soon step in. My guess is that it should not do that, however.

-F_D

[Inyathi]

Thanks -F_D
I am sure I shall get some valuable advice from the rest of the members.
I noticed that the Coolant level in the spare resevoir was quite low, will drain & flush radiator and coolant and replaced as per manufacturer specs with 50% ethylene glycol & water, then take her for a spin and check for a difference?
The radiator was however completely full and I saw no leaks on the pipes etc.

[Cookie Monster]

Hi Inyathi

Welcome to the forum. As far as your problem is conserned first make sure the cooling system is bled properly and that there is good circulation causes of bad circulation is:


1) Loose water pump impeller
2) Faulty thermostat (most likley)
3) Leaks in the system
4) Bad Scale in cooling system
5) Blocked radiator or coolant pipe

Other possible causes are blown cylinderhead gasket, radiator cooling fins bent over or rubbish blocking the flow of air though the radiator. I dont think it will be the fan as that only comes into play at very low speeds or standing and at idle eg. Low range crawling or traffic in town.

Hope this is of some help :D

[Papa Joe]

Other possible causes are blown cylinderhead gasket, ...

OR cracked cylinderhead ??? :evil:

Been there, done that on my 2.8 TD SFA & on my KZ-TE. (Yip, needless to say, I now drive a petrol !!!!)
2 Cylinderheads in one lifetime, IS ENOUGH.

Get to "someone" who can do a Carbon Monoxide (gas) test on your cooling system (must let the engine get to operating temperature... if the water turns green in the test rig, ... RUN !!!

I REALLY hope it is something simple, so ja, ... go with Justin's checklist AND the gas test.

Good luck !!!!!

[Inyathi]

Papa Joe,

Sounds like you have been particularly dealt a rotten hand in the past, but do you seriously think that my cylinder head can be cracked when Bosch diesel electric services tested the engine compression in January and all three tests show normal?
I am draining the radiator & engine and flushing the system, will also test and if necessary replace the thermostat.
Bought coolant from the agents as per specs, all ready to go.

[basto]

Hi: mine has done that once very overloaded and 40 deg in the shade going up a long steep hill in the karoo. I stoped and cooled added water and was sweet for 300 km of the same abuse, since then i spoke to some experts and just drained and flushed ,added summer coolant and its now dealing very well with those 40 deg Karoo hills.....

anyway just sharing my 2c worth

[Dawid]

My 2.8D did the same. I found a leak on the coolant hose and after a visit to Silverton I discovered the core was clean and in good condition, but it was the wrong one. A 3 core heavy duty was fitted and the problem was gone. I have an additional guage which measures the coolant temp inside the block and I have noticed that the temp stays lower when the revs are kept above 3000rpm going up long hills. I have also replaced my thermostat with an Isuzu thermostat which opens at 83°C and not at 88-90°C. This has also made a difference. Another 2.8D owner recommended this since he had the same problem.

Another member, Wade Bowman (IHilux) had the same problem on his 2.8D. I have since replaced the engine with a 3.0D and all problems are gone. Except for a intermittent crankshaft seal leak.

PS Silverton has also inspected my cooling system for CO emissions and gave it a clean bill of health. When the head was removed later to find an engine noise, the head was in fact cracked. I have heard this more than once. You don't always pick up a crack in the head with these type of tests. I found that on my 2.8D the coolant would not suck back into the radiator when cooling down overnight. The next morning I would still have some positive pressure in the radiator with around a litre of coolant short. This was possibly due to the crack in the head which increased the coolant pressure from time to time.

Without being a doom profit....I would never buy a 2.8D engine again! I've heard too many similar stories. Maybe I was just one of many with bad luck?

[basto]

I agree , too many of these stories around. Definatelly not as bullet proof as the petrol counterparts.I just hope i get lucky with mine and not have too many problems.At the same time i love the engine, its been good to me,i love the sound and the economy of well under a rand per litre and above all the tractor like torque low down through the bundu. pitty they have to have a weakness...

[Ouarzazate]

Inyathi

Like Dawid, I have also been at the receiving end of a 2.8D! Ended up installing a complete new engine ($$$$'s). My head problems manifested as pipe leaks, radiator bulging, etc., but never saw any temperature increase during this time. Also, every radiator shop that tested came out clean, so I would not rely too much on these tests. BUT I do not think you have head problems.

So, my bet is that either the radiator is blocked, thermostat not opening enough, or your viscous fan may not be working properly. Also, if you can do without an aircon, I would remove it. It severely compromises cooling, and when it's very hot and the vehicle is heavily loaded, using the aircon leads to unacceptably large stresses on the cooling system. I have now installed an Avionics EGT gauge and a VDO temperature gauge, so can monitor everything very well. Have noticed a 5 degree increase in water T and 100 degree increase in EGT, with aircon on. Larger wheels (over-gearing) also add to the woes.

When fitted with standard 215's and no aircon, they go on forever.

[Inyathi]

It appears as if the stars in my eyes are turning into dollar notes reading the advice and comments, I guess only time will tell if this is going to be true.
I am tackling the task this week end and will take her for a long uphill drive in order to see if there is any change.
Keeping everything I have crossed.

[iHilux]

I have just bought this vehicle and she is a beauty, taken her on a first long trip, it was hellishly hot here in KZN today and on the long uphills I noted the temperature gauge climb to just below red, this concerns me as I do not believe this is normal?
Yes, it was exceptionally hot but I did not exactly murder her on the long uphill, finished in 4th around 90km/h.
She was compression tested by a very well known franchised group on the 7/1/08 and came out sweet.
Any advice welcome please. :roll:

I had a similar issue with my Hilux...... after all tests were done, it turned out that the Hilux was never over heating, but rather a problem between the sensor, guage and the electrics.....
I had a 2.8D import engine fitted. Is you 2.8D the origional engine the vehicle come out with?

[LouisK]

I also have a 1996 2.8D d/c with 255000 k's on the clock. Mine does exactly the same. On a hot day approaching the Tygerberg hill on the N1 coming from Cape Town, halfway up the temperature needle starts climbing to just above the halfway mark. I am doing no more than 110 km/h. As soon as I hit the downhill the temperature goes back to normal, just below halfway. Magnum radiators in Bellville said it's my Viscous fan that is switching on too late or sometimes not at all!

Fortunately when I drive hard off-road in low range the temperature is NEVER a problem, Only on the open road on uphill.

[Niel]

Louis, welcome to trhe forum and hope you enjoy your stay. :D

[Scorpion]

Just what we need... another Capie...

[ThysdJ]

Capies are always welcome...

[MarkWh]

Hi Guys

this heating problem that you are having, is it on SA spec 2.8 or the jap import 2.8?

cheers
Mark

[Inyathi]

:D All smiles at this stage, replaced thermostat, new radiator cap, flushed & pressure cleaned radiator, took her for a long hard ride, temperature needle stuck just below half as if fixed by superglue. All this witout even using antifreeze, purchased that from toyota today & will put it in on saturday. At this stage I am one happy chappy.

[Family_Dog]

Good show! It can be most worrying when things go out of the norm.


-F_D

[Inyathi]

Thanks -F_D

Been worrying me in the back of my mind this last two weeks, what a relief.
Just love my Lux, given a choice between my KZTE HiLux Surf and the old faithfull SFA, yip you guessed - hehehe

[Scorpion]

Capies are always welcome...

Sorry, Thys. Looks like I scared off LouisK . Maybe you should invite him to Kriges for a SZ and explain to him that Gautengers have a very warped sense of humor

[ThysdJ]

Sorry, Thys. Looks like I scared off LouisK . Maybe you should invite him to Kriges for a SZ and explain to him that Gautengers have a very warped sense of humor

Nee Johann for your punishment you can invite him to Kriges.. and buy him a drink... :| :evil: 8)

[Scorpion]

Okay, okay. I'm sorry if I insulted you, LouisK. Capies are always welcome. I hereby cordially invite you to Kriges at the next gettogether, so that we may all get to know one another. I unfortunately will not be able to make it, but please order yourself a SZ on my tab ( just tell the bartender to write it up under "Thys" or "Neil") and I will settle the bill when I get to CT again. My sincerest apologies!

[Ouarzazate]

Hi Louis

I guess you are running 215/R15's then. I can forget to get to the top of this uphill section of the N1 doing 110 km/h on my 2.8D with 31" Cooper ST's! Anyway, if the needle moves upward, have your system checked out. These T gauges are notoriously insensitive to short term T changes (unlike a VDO gauge), so the T may be climbing beyond where you would be comfortable with it ( maybe above 105 C). To fix a 2.8 can be expensive... (ask me).

I would therefore have the cooling system checked out, preferably re-core the radiator (especially since it is a 1996 model), renew the thermostat, drain and flush the coolant, replace the pipes and as you said, check the viscous fan.

The fan hub can be opened and the fluid (silicone) checked/replaced. You buy the fluid from the agents.

Should get together sometime at Krige's.

[Mr_B]

Capies are always welcome...

Hey hey, get F_D and Bennie to move to Cape Town, and we Capies will be as formidable as the Blou Bulle on this forum!

B

[LouisK]

Hi Louis

I guess you are running 215/R15's then. I can forget to get to the top of this uphill section of the N1 doing 110 km/h on my 2.8D with 31" Cooper ST's! Anyway, if the needle moves upward, have your system checked out. These T gauges are notoriously insensitive to short term T changes (unlike a VDO gauge), so the T may be climbing beyond where you would be comfortable with it ( maybe above 105 C). To fix a 2.8 can be expensive... (ask me).

I would therefore have the cooling system checked out, preferably re-core the radiator (especially since it is a 1996 model), renew the thermostat, drain and flush the coolant, replace the pipes and as you said, check the viscous fan.

The fan hub can be opened and the fluid (silicone) checked/replaced. You buy the fluid from the agents.

Should get together sometime at Krige's.

I had the cooling system checked and a few pipes replaced, she's running very nice at the moment, with the needle not moving higher than one third up.

Thanks for all the welcomes, I am not easily scared away, I just went away for quite a long while after I signed up.

[LouisK]

Problems!! I thought I had my temperature problems sorted out...until yesterday! I am lead vehicle for the Construction du Cap ninety niner Cycle race tommorrow and drove the 121 kms from Durbanville to Malmesbury via Agter Paarl. Close to the Paarl I noticed the temp gauge creeping up and up and up! I slowed to 80 and it did not go any higher. In Malmesbury I topped up the water and the problem was over. I have already replaced all clamps and pipes and cleaned the radiator. :!: I must add that it was close to 35 deg C yeasterday. Any suggestions?

[Dawid]

There must be a reason why it lost water in the first place. The rise in temperature was probably due to the coolant level being a bit low. How much did you add? Maybe a small leak somewhere which only leaks at high temp/pressure.

[Bornfire]

Hi Louis

I read your story about the overheating problem. I stay in Wellington and had the same overheating problem with my 2.8d d/c witch my friend called HAMBUL(Humble) because my 2.8d ceeps me on my knees.

If you want to contack me, you can send me a emial at "cabotes@telkomsa.net" :D

[2.8 d/cab SFA]

Good news, glad not$$$$ :!: