Ayrshire is correct Terfyn, the Freelander 1 and 2 system uses the brakes in Hill Descent mode. A friend described it as feeling as if it was "walking" as different wheel's brakes came on and off. On the FL1 you could also hear the ABS valves shuttling.

I did some experimentation (technical term for pratting about) with the Off Road button and found that it had no effect to the engine revs either on the flat or up hill. What did happen was that the engine revs were held at about 800 by the system and this kept the car trickling along in 1st or 2nd depending on the slope of the hill.

Downhill the HDC came in as expected.

Now my car is a September 2009 build and the software may have been updated since then to include a RPM control operated by the Off Road button.

Ayrshire is correct Terfyn, the Freelander 1 and 2 system uses the brakes in Hill Descent mode. A friend described it as feeling as if it was "walking" as different wheel's brakes came on and off. On the FL1 you could also hear the ABS valves shuttling.

I'm talking about real Landrovers 59 vintage when men were men and LRs were LRs, not the poncy great boxes we see today!!

I'm talking about real Landrovers 59 vintage when men were men and LRs were LRs, not the poncy great boxes we see today!!

Terfyn,

the last person who implied that was in a Discovery and ended up on the end of MY tow rope when he got stuck and I didn't!!

Sounds to me that an automatic is quite a good idea for off road use. DSG I await your arrival. Aren't most Range Rovers automatic these days?

Mike

Terfyn,

the last person who implied that was in a Discovery and ended up on the end of MY tow rope when he got stuck and I didn't!!

Wasn't the Discovery the one made from parts of other LRs?

My LR had a canvas lid, a homemade dash, a heater that worked from a tap on the engine block and noise levels that would be condemned today. I loved it!!

I once "walked" it off Mochras beach. It was getting bogged down in the soft sand so I engaged Low, used a bit of choke for a hand throttle, set it off and walked beside it until it found hard ground. Then I hopped back in

I have towed three "sad" drivers out of ditches with the X-Trail. A case of 4 wheels good, 2 wheels bad.

Edited 29 September, 201015 yr by Terfyn

I have never understood why the old Land Rovers are so good offroad. They have got narrow little wheels and no locking diffs and from what I've seen not even particulary good axle articulation.

My uncle lives in South Africa and whenever the Landcruisers get bogged down in the sand they fire up this horrible old LandRover with cracked bald tyres and somehow it pulls out the stuck Landcruisers. But you don't see many Landrovers in North and West Africa, nor do you see any in the Middle East.