Guys, I'm losing my mind. My 1996 300TDi overheats badly when climbing up to Haputale or even long hills on the way to Kegalle. On flat terrain she's fine. Replaced thermostat, flushed radiator, even changed the water pump recently.
Could this be a head gasket starting to fail? Or something more basic like airflow issue?
Any veteran advice would be amazing 🙏
Classic signs of restricted radiator fins or intercooler airflow. Happened to me — ended up replacing the radiator altogether. Also, make sure you're running proper coolant mix — plain water won't cut it in Lankan hills.