And another thing - - -

Mooching about them there valleys, keeping a weather eye open for red kites, and sheep, I chose second gear, and pressed the Off Road Button whilst ambling down a steady yet pronounced incline.

And as sure as eggs is eggs, we continued our smooth journey downwards at a peaceful 10 mph - not a worry in the world. I was enjoying the sensation so much, merely having to gently realign the steering wheel, that I completely missed the fact that we had, in fact, bottomed out, turned a corner, and were actually ascending the pretty steep hill on the other side of the valley, still doing 10 mph, still smooth, still peaceful.

I did not know that the YETI would do this, either. Didn't find it in the handbook either!

It is as if the Off Road control is actually a sort of cruise control as well.

Neat! I like that!

I guess there is a speed at which the button stops working? If you were to do this in third gear would the speed be too high and would the button "disengadge"?

And another thing - - -

Mooching about them there valleys, keeping a weather eye open for red kites, and sheep, I chose second gear, and pressed the Off Road Button whilst ambling down a steady yet pronounced incline.

And as sure as eggs is eggs, we continued our smooth journey downwards at a peaceful 10 mph - not a worry in the world. I was enjoying the sensation so much, merely having to gently realign the steering wheel, that I completely missed the fact that we had, in fact, bottomed out, turned a corner, and were actually ascending the pretty steep hill on the other side of the valley, still doing 10 mph, still smooth, still peaceful.

I did not know that the YETI would do this, either. Didn't find it in the handbook either!

It is as if the Off Road control is actually a sort of cruise control as well.

Learn something every day. Will give that a try.

The cruise control comes in at about 30 Km/hr (about 20 mph) so is OK for a faster dawdle.

Learn something every day. Will give that a try.

The cruise control comes in at about 30 Km/hr (about 20 mph) so is OK for a faster dawdle.

Aye, but the cruise control won't stop the car from going any faster than 20mph going down a hill though... Only the Off Road button can do that no? OR will the cruise on a DSG car in fact select a lower gear and hold the car at 20mph?

Aye, but the cruise control won't stop the car from going any faster than 20mph going down a hill though... Only the Off Road button can do that no? OR will the cruise on a DSG car in fact select a lower gear and hold the car at 20mph?

So? I don't think we were claiming any clever activity for the cruise control except to hold a speed in normal circumstances. The compression of the diesel will provide limited braking on a hill and I have used the cruise control on the Rhuallt hill (A55) with only a 5 mph increase in speed. Same for the A4212 Bala to Trawsfynydd road where there is a very steep hill, always good control of the speed.

One feature the X-Trail had (sadly missing on the YETI) If the car was in 1st gear and moving (i.e. the speedo was registering) the engine would be held at 1000 rpm by the system. It was like a crawler gear and very useful for off road and for towing.

So? I don't think we were claiming any clever activity for the cruise control except to hold a speed in normal circumstances.

True. I probably had one of those Land Rover Experience 45 degree hills in my head when I wondered that out loud! Though in saying that will the Off road button keep the speed in check on such an angle going downhill? Does it use the brakes? I thought it does not. So again is it just engine braking keeping you from running faster and faster?

True. I probably had one of those Land Rover Experience 45 degree hills in my head when I wondered that out loud! Though in saying that will the Off road button keep the speed in check on such an angle going downhill? Does it use the brakes? I thought it does not. So again is it just engine braking keeping you from running faster and faster?

One of the main features of the off road button is the controlled downhill braking. The Hill Descent control is set by tapping the brake pedal on a hill (angle of car matters) and leaving it up to the braking system to control the slip and speed. The gears can be in neutral for this. (but I prefer first gear) Engine braking is not used.

One of the main features of the off road button is the controlled downhill braking. The Hill Descent control is set by tapping the brake pedal on a hill (angle of car matters) and leaving it up to the braking system to control the slip and speed. The gears can be in neutral for this. (but I prefer first gear) Engine braking is not used.

Gosh. Clever stuff. I will probably only fully get to grips with this button once I've used it in my car! The theory thus far just baffles me! Especially being able to adjust your speed via the accelarator whilst in NEUTRAL!

Gosh. Clever stuff. I will probably only fully get to grips with this button once I've used it in my car! The theory thus far just baffles me! Especially being able to adjust your speed via the accelarator whilst in NEUTRAL!

Have used this neutral option once; scary stuff

oh hill decent does work on a snowy road up to a point but once the tyres loose grip then form my experience anyway, rear end overtakes the front the engine stalls and you become a rearward travelling gravity propelled toboggan

TP

Have used this neutral option once; scary stuff

oh hill decent does work on a snowy road up to a point but once the tyres loose grip then form my experience anyway, rear end overtakes the front the engine stalls and you become a rearward travelling gravity propelled toboggan

TP

There speaks the voice of experience

Sorry George, but I don't think this was anything to do with the Off-Road button, but just the natural speed that the car takes when it is in second and ticking over. I don't have the button and tried it in a traffic queue this afternoon and the car happily crawled along at 20mph.

Sorry George, but I don't think this was anything to do with the Off-Road button, but just the natural speed that the car takes when it is in second and ticking over. I don't have the button and tried it in a traffic queue this afternoon and the car happily crawled along at 20mph.

Hi Graham!

You can be as sorry as you like!!!! I merely report what occurred when we clumb the 'ill wif the button pressed. When I switched it off - we stopped, stalled, and got laffed at by a field of sheep. It was a fair old incline, let me tell you, one that would've made thee and me puff a lot to waddle up it.

That said - I will investigate further.......

G

PS - I have another comment about this here YETI thing what I own, and that is to do with the heating/aircon/climate-control/filtration system. I have my "smelly smells detector" set to auto. And believe me it really works! Any smoke from farmers burning dung, or just the dung alone when they're spreading it, or nasty blue exhaust stuff is absolutely filtered out of the cabin - it just does not reach my nostrils (which are as well trained as nostrils can get for malodorous influx.)

George,

the sheep laughed as they were getting their own back at you for all those nasty vetish things you did to them!

Haven't tried the "anti-smelly" button yet and forgot about it the other week. Wonder if it will work with the smell of the onions by the roundabout the Llanfaes end of the Brecon by-pass?

Sorry George, but I don't think this was anything to do with the Off-Road button, but just the natural speed that the car takes when it is in second and ticking over. I don't have the button and tried it in a traffic queue this afternoon and the car happily crawled along at 20mph.

If the off-road (down hill support) icon in the speedo is blinking at you then it's in operation and controlling the decent. Do not turn the system off while it's in operation is the handbook warning :wonder:

TP

If the off-road (down hill support) icon in the speedo is blinking at you then it's in operation and controlling the decent. Do not turn the system off while it's in operation is the handbook warning :wonder:

TP

Hill descent works great down the spiral ramp out of the local multi-story car park, but be warned..... no brake lights! It'll confuse the hell out of a following car!

Seriously thouigh, HDC does work well off road too, though it can get a bit confused if you suddenly steer sharply round an obstacle as the individual wheel speed detectors think one or more wheels are slipping and the ABS kicks in to try to sort it out. Weird feeling through both steering & brake pedal, and whilst you shouldn't really be touching the latter it's very hard not to!

Can the speed be adjusted. I know in Freelanders with HDC the speed can be adjusted using the cruise control +/- I'm pretty sure?

Can the speed be adjusted. I know in Freelanders with HDC the speed can be adjusted using the cruise control +/- I'm pretty sure?

Yes, with the brake and accelerator pedals.

Aye, but the cruise control won't stop the car from going any faster than 20mph going down a hill though... Only the Off Road button can do that no? OR will the cruise on a DSG car in fact select a lower gear and hold the car at 20mph?

I have had the DSG bog box select itself a lower gear to control a moderate descent on the engine. I may have dabbed the brake to trigger it, I'm not sure. Presumably the car also has some sort of inclinometer to know it's pointing downhill that it also uses for the HHC

Aye, but the cruise control won't stop the car from going any faster than 20mph going down a hill though... Only the Off Road button can do that no? OR will the cruise on a DSG car in fact select a lower gear and hold the car at 20mph?

My understanding is as above, the offroad button will hold the car at a set speed which you increase using accelerator (in neutral/1st/2nd/3rd/reverse!) and similarly use the brakes to decrease the speed, like the cruise control.

My DSG Octavia never changed down when going down a hill unless I dropped below a certain speed using the brakes. That is what the tiptronic function is for.....

My previous 530d BMW gearbox was much more intelligent and would change down to hold speed.....

It would be nice to think that the 2nd or third incarnation of the DSG box in my yet to be made Yeti would also have some intelligence now and change down to hold speed going down hill.

Mike

PS I'm still on week 47 build.

Methinks that some people need a lesson in off-road driving and downhill slopes.

You should NEVER brake when driving down hill off road, but control your speed as much as possible by selecting the lowest gear possible and letting engine braking control the speed as much as possible. The same applies to the use of Hill Descent Control in using the lowest gear but here the contolled braking is allowed because it doesn't brake the same wheel/axle all the time, and also senses if the braked wheel losses traction, and releases it. It does this much quicker than you can!

Methinks that some people need a lesson in off-road driving and downhill slopes.

You should NEVER brake when driving down hill off road, but control your speed as much as possible by selecting the lowest gear possible and letting engine braking control the speed as much as possible. The same applies to the use of Hill Descent Control in using the lowest gear but here the contolled braking is allowed because it doesn't brake the same wheel/axle all the time, and also senses if the braked wheel losses traction, and releases it. It does this much quicker than you can!

My understanding is that with the Off road button pressed the brake and accelerator are used to make the car go slower and faster in the same way as the + and - buttons on a Land Rover's cruise control (as mentioned by someone earlier). With the button pressed braking just reduces the speed the Off road button will maintain but does not really brake all the wheels (in the normal way) as the button is still doing its thing as you just described. This is why the system also works in neutral. Or do I have wrong end of the stick here? On a 4x4 sans a Hill Decent system I totally get why you'd never ever press the brake pedal though going down a hill.

My understanding is that with the Off road button pressed the brake and accelerator are used to make the car go slower and faster in the same way as the + and - buttons on a Land Rover's cruise control (as mentioned by someone earlier). With the button pressed braking just reduces the speed the Off road button will maintain but does not really brake all the wheels (in the normal way) as the button is still doing its thing as you just described. This is why the system also works in neutral. Or do I have wrong end of the stick here? On a 4x4 sans a Hill Decent system I totally get why you'd never ever press the brake pedal though going down a hill.

I haven't tried the Yeti system, but if you can slow it down by the brake pedal my thought would be that in a panic it would be too easy to press too hard and lock it all up, which is the one thing you don't want to do. At least with the Freelander 2 system, which I have used, you are only using the cruise control buttons, and to be honest it only made about 1 or 2 mph difference anyway

Double post!!

Edited 28 September, 201015 yr by Llanigraham

It is a brake based system, unlike the Land Rover which relies on the gearing and engine braking. Where the Yeti has the "edge" is that the wheels and brakes operate independently to maintain grip (this is why neutral is the preferred option) also the wheels are braked to create a "wedge" of the mud, rubble, snow etc. to form a pressure wave in front of the wheels.

I have used it a number of times last winter on quite steep hills and it does work (notwithstanding TPs experience) but the trick is to start slow and let the system take over. (I operate a feet off pedals policy)

It is always worth remembering that you cannot change the laws of physics - not even in a Yeti.

It is a brake based system, unlike the Land Rover which relies on the gearing and engine braking. Where the Yeti has the "edge" is that the wheels and brakes operate independently to maintain grip (this is why neutral is the preferred option) also the wheels are braked to create a "wedge" of the mud, rubble, snow etc. to form a pressure wave in front of the wheels.

I have used it a number of times last winter on quite steep hills and it does work (notwithstanding TPs experience) but the trick is to start slow and let the system take over. (I operate a feet off pedals policy)

It is always worth remembering that you cannot change the laws of physics - not even in a Yeti.

The Freelander is also a brakes based system though it does use information from engine etc. The same ABS hardware suppliers that supply Land Rover also supply VW and essentially licence the Hill Descent technology. The brakes are used to regulate the speed of descent but this speed can only be above the natural speed of the vehicle given idle speed and gearing. If you try to brake the vehicle below this speed the engine will stall. That's why the system can work to almost stand still if the vehicle is in neutral as there is no engine fight. The Freelander can regulate the descent speed with the throttle or cruise buttons.

If you press the brake hard enough you will be able to stop the vehicle, assuming there is enough grip, but you shouldn't lock the brakes as the anti-lock will prevent this until the vehicle almost stops.