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Defender Overheating? Bad Thermostat Warning Signs

Check engine light on

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Overheating

Hey all! Having trouble with my 2022 Defender (gas model). Engine's running hot and check engine light just popped on. I suspect it might be the coolant thermostat acting up. Has anyone dealt with similar symptoms? Curious to hear about your repair experiences and what the fix ended up being at the shop. Any tips appreciated!

4 comment(s)


TheUwe

Hey there! I've got some experience working on cars, and this reminds me of an issue I had with my 2020 Land Rover Discovery last year. Initially thought it was the thermostat too, but turned out to be a damaged wiring harness that was messing with the engine sensors. My mechanic found that some wires were worn out and causing weird readings, which triggered both the temp gauge and check engine light. The repair cost me around 170 Euro, and honestly, it was worth every penny because the problem never came back. Before I can help more specifically with your Defender, could you share: Are you noticing any other warning lights? Does it happen more during city driving or highway speeds? Have you checked the coolant level recently? Just want to help point you in the right direction since these Land Rovers can be tricky sometimes!

MiniTini (Author)

Thanks for the input! I've got 106457 KM on my Defender, and had the last service done just a couple of months ago. The coolant level seems fine, and I'm mostly seeing this happen during highway driving. The temp gauge starts climbing after about 20 minutes on the road. No other warning lights except the check engine, but there's a slight whining noise I hadn't noticed before. Definitely appreciate the heads-up about the wiring, I'll have the mechanic take a look at that too when I bring it in. These modern engines have so many sensors, it could really be anything electronic!

TheUwe

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details about your Defender. You know, that whining noise you mentioned actually rings a bell, had something similar with my Discovery around the 100,000 KM mark. In my case, the whining combined with the overheating turned out to be a failing water pump. The wiring issue I mentioned earlier was actually connected to this, the worn harness was causing the computer to misread the pump's performance. Once the pump starts going, it usually makes that distinct whining sound before completely failing. Since you're seeing issues mainly on the highway, that makes even more sense, the higher RPMs put more stress on the cooling system. I got mine fixed pretty quickly after hearing that noise, but my waited too long and ended up with a much bigger repair bill. If I were you, I'd definitely get it checked out soon. Modern Land Rovers are great, but when the cooling system acts up, it's better to be safe than sorry. My mechanic showed me that these water pumps often start failing around your mileage range. Cost me about 400 Euro for the whole job, but prices might've changed since then. Let me know what your mechanic finds, I'm curious if it's the same issue I had!

MiniTini (Author)

Thanks so much for sharing that detailed experience! The water pump definitely sounds like it could be the culprit, especially with that whining noise. You've actually made me feel a bit better about the whole situation, at least I'm not dealing with something totally unusual. I've already called my mechanic and booked it in for tomorrow morning. Don't want to risk any major damage by waiting too long like your did! Really appreciate you taking the time to explain your similar experience with the Discovery. It's super helpful to know what to expect, and that price range sounds pretty reasonable for such a crucial repair. I'll definitely keep you posted once I get the diagnosis. These high-tech vehicles might be amazing to drive, but they sure keep us on our toes with maintenance! Thanks again for all the advice!

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