Land Rover Repair: 97 Range Rover 4.0, blown head gasket, head gaskets

Question
Hello Mr Hibbit,
My 1997 rr 4.0 /129k miles For about a month the truck would over heat when sitting still(5minutes) but when driving it returned to totally normal temps. the first time yesterday the temp gauge spiked during a long(4mile)hill climb.  Where do i start>?  The fans do not seem to be turning on.  Do i have a blown head gasket?
Only on steep hill climbs and when sitting still will the temp spike to hot.???

Answer
From your description, it sounds like you have a blocked radiator.  Radiators in these vehicles usually last 90/k miles. This can and normally does lead to head gasket failure when left and continuously driven.  You can check the head gaskets yourself by purchasing a block tester kit from an automotive parts supplier. They cost around $40.

There are 2 fans in this car.  The engine fan is belt driven so it will rotate whenever the engine is running, but it will only fully engage when hot air from the radiator activates the centre of the fan coupling.  If the radiator is blocked, this will not happen.

The electric fan is for the air conditioning condensor, and only activates with the air conditiong.