2015 LR4 Coolant Issue - Nothingburger or...

Have a 2015 LR4 that is up to date with service and runs fine. The Low Coolant Warning Light just appeared on Dash. The tank is pretty empty. Of course, there are a ton of issues that could have caused this. But best case scenario could it just need to be filled with LandRover OEM Coolant? Before I do costly diagnostics (pressure tests, valve tests etc.) and skip the flush as the Coolant Reservoir is already nearly empty? There is no apparent Leak, on ground, as it is parked in the same spot and not driven much.
Don't plan on driving it more than a mile or 2 on flat paved ground once I fill it.

Aware Coolant could cause serious engine issues. But this could be a good home test before I get housed on perhaps overkill tests and labor hours for repairs that don't end up need to being made.

I'd start by filling up the reservoir tank and keeping an eye on it to see if it goes back down again. The weaker points on this particular engine are the front and rear crossovers and the small pipe that goes from the water pump to the oil cooler... If it's a really slow leak then perhaps you're not seeing fluid on the floor as it evaporates before it can reach that far. You could also vacuum test it.

Inexpensive and quick.
Get a UV flashlight, $10.
After dark look all around, especially on the front of the engine.
Also, at about 2:00 at the oil filter, look straight down, 6" or so, until you see a little triangular space down there.
If you are running Rover coolant, anything orange/yellow is a coolant leak.

if it empties the overflow tank, you have a leak somewhere. It may be small but if it is one of the crossovers, it can become big almost instantaneously and ruin your engine in short order. you didnt say how many miles are on the Disco or i the crossovers have been replaced before but if it has more than 75k or so and is now 10yrs old, i would rerplace them and the waterpump and thermostat housing

Great replies – thanks all. Seems like a coolant epidemic is common with last-gen [15'-16] LR4s getting up there in mileage and a decade, third owners dipping a toe etc.

Re: 2015 LR4, has 96k mi. – no previous issues.

Curious, worst case scenario [bricked engine] how would you guys test your LR4 engine to see if it's worth repairing? Is there a consensus LR4 2015-16 [3.0 V6] engine performance/condition Test? Doubt even the dealer full Diagnostic would cover that.

I'm hoping the engine is not ruined whatsoever, or that I caused any permanent damage by putting mileage on it like a fool after the LOW COOLANT indicator displayed!

It starts, but, am not driving it whatsoever till towed to service...

Have asked 4 licensed dealer & independent mechanics and got 4 different answers on next steps, sure obvious parts can be swapped but that may NOT fix underlying issue(s). The dash temp gauge never went above 50%, for whatever that's worth. And again no smoke, engine rambling, apparent damaged parts, etc. No sign other than coolant warning & the coolant reservoir mostly empty – which everyone seems to agree means 100% a leak of some sort! Should have titled this post: YOUR LR4 Has a Coolant Leak, Now What?

Will post a pic ASAP of the coolant reservoir for those interested, which looks like a pink plastic cow [see through plastic OEM reservoir & minimal remnant L/R OEM Coolant splattered about. Don't see the external leak but realize there is one!

What I did for mine is replaced the coolant parts proactively. With 96k mi on yours, the xovers need to be replaced no matter what. I did the water pump, tstat and some other coolant parts too that often fail prematurely, then the radiator since it had a slight seeping leak. You won't really know whats going on until its opened up.

Coolant is pink or orange? If pink, someone has replaced it in the past. OEM coolant is orange.

I don’t think an empty reservoir would cause me to pack it up and send it to the dealer. If you arrive at the dealer on a flatbed, I think they get dollar signs in their eyeballs.

If the level was low enough that you might have sucked air into the system, just follow the bleed procedure that is spelled out in these forums. Then get that reservoir filled a little higher than the recommended max line, mark it with a sharpie, and run it. Find the leak. Drive it to a mechanic for a pressure test if nothing else. As others have said, it’s more than likely the crossover (front or rear) or maybe the water pump (they can leak out the back). If you have a borescope, stick it into the space next to the oil filter heading down into the V of the engine and see if anything looks like coolant (wet or dry) - that’s typically where the front crossover leaks.

Absolutely agree with jlglr4's comments above; there's no need to panic yet but keep an eye on that coolant tank. I did the front/rear crossovers and all the pipes recently while doing the timing chains. You need to look as indicated here:



Here's a closer up (now with the oil cooler pipe in place), the water pump to oil cooler pipe is also an part that fails (there are two o'ring's that go bad):



Water pump and front X-over in place:


Getting in there may seem daunting but it's actually very quick, engine cover comes off, then the intake plenum (5 minutes at most)! Shout if you need more help (bear in mind that the intake manifold and other parts are not shown)...

Looking at a 2010 LR4 Lux non-HD in bronze with silver grill, hood lettering, and side ports. Beige interior. Always liked the bronze exterior. Not sure about the beige interior. The private party seller says it has a coolant leak. It's his teenage or young adult daughter's ride. Claims he's never really driven it, but did so the other day for about 100 miles and the reservoir did go down and he could smell burning coolant. Also says it doesn't blow any smoke from the tailpipes.

Been looking for a backup to my 2011 LR4 Lux non-HD and wouldn't mind taking on a project if the 2010 could be repaired in a way that makes sense. The asking price is the same as comparable vehicles with blown engines or transmissions. Never going to find that quality of vehicle at that price if it turns out to be a relatively cheap and easy fix. I'm thinking about looking at it in person tomorrow. My impression is the seller is financially secure enough to not be personally invested in his daughter's 15-year-old Land Rover. Looks really well-maintained from the pics, but there could be a bunch of other things not working as intended given it's age and mileage (we all know the list).

I'd be worried it got overheated, but perhaps if it's not a catastrophic failure (yet) it didn't...