Hi Chaps,

Well the snow is here. Driving back home today I had occasion to have to press the off-road button.

The downhill drive support light came on...even at 35mph.

Should this come on when you press the off road button or only below 30kph?

I had a read of the manual and I found it a bit erm.. Ambiguous but i interpreted it as not coming on above 30kph seven when the button is pressed.?

What does everyone else's do?

Cheers

John

I

If I remember correctly, mine will come on and the button will turn yellow at any speed, it will only become active when going down a steep enough hill at below 30kph. You know it is active because the light in the speedo will flash, at least that is what happens with mine.

 

Ian

Yeah. Thought the same as you. It wouldn't work above a certain speed. I thought it was around 10mph.

Also thought I read somewhere that you have to be stationary to switch it back off. That's what I've been doing but its a bit of a pita.

Will watch this thread with eagerness (or reread the !manual) :/

I don't think you have to be stationary, it will turn off it the gradient levels out, turn the system on and go down a steep hill with the brakes on and it will take over the braking to maintain the speed you are at. We have quite a steep, long hill near me and I tried it once. Going slow enough, I pushed the button, started braking and the light changed from solid to flashing, I could then feel the brakes altering their pressure to maintain the speed, once the gradient levelled off the light changed back to solid and the car started to increase speed a bit.

Ian

You just turn it on or off when moving if you think you might need it. From memory (18 months is a long time!) it just slows the car down hill in DNR or RN123 to about 5mph, changes throttle input below 30mph, allows you to lock the brakes a bit and a few other things that a skilled 4x4 driver does anyway (Llanigraham).

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks Mike.

Not got the button on mine, but reading the blurb you can press the button on and off on the move.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies.

Guess you can turn it on at any speed and the light on the button lights up.... But is there a speed threshold where the hill descent thing lights up at? It's just the manual hints at 30kph but mine is on when the off road button is pressed...even at 35-40mph.?

I think I worry too much.

Cheers

J

Indeed. Light will be on but steady (system 'armed') but system isn't 'active' until within the speed range for the gear selected (gear or neutral) when the light flashes.

 

Also, for downhill descent mode, gradient has to be at least 10%.

 

When in neutral, speed can be adjusted using brake and accelerator as required.

 

Quite handy when in a long, downhill traffic queue!

I have only just had a chance to "test" my 4X4 on a snow covered icy road last night. There is a single track road not far from me that they dont bother to grit, and it is a 1:5 hill approx half a mile long with a 90° bend half way up.

 

I went up it with the Yeti in various modes, ie "off road" and "ESP" switched on and off etc, I kept stopping an re-starting to see how it copes, and to be honest it just took off like it was a dry road most of the time. When I got to the bend I kept power on and forced it to step out at the back a bit, but still no real drama. All the time I am thinking is this all because I have Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons tyres or is the 4X4 doing its job, or both.

 

Well I always worry more about going down steep hills in the snow than up, so we turned round and set off back down, the "off road" system held us back with no problems at all, I even tried that system in neutral, now that is weird when you press the throttle and the car speeds up when in neutral, very clever.

 

When we got back down to the sharp bend, you could clearly see two sets of tyre marks where all four wheels had been spinning as I broadsided it round on the way up.

 

So although it was difficult to detect the 4X4 working from within the car, it most certainly was.

 

Phil

Indeed. Light will be on but steady (system 'armed') but system isn't 'active' until within the speed range for the gear selected (gear or neutral) when the light flashes.

 

Also, for downhill descent mode, gradient has to be at least 10%.

 

When in neutral, speed can be adjusted using brake and accelerator as required.

 

Quite handy when in a long, downhill traffic queue!

The light you refer to.... is the one in the speedo...at about 5 o'clock?

Cheers,

J

Yup! That's the one.

Nice one. That's why it was on then!

Assuming that my 2010 mk1 behave in the same way.

Cheers

J

A quick, definitive (possibly) update after driving (on road) to work....

Any speed, any gear - press the button and button light illuminates.

When in the speed/gear range as per the manual, 'downhill assistant' instrument cluster light comes on 'steady' that we were talking about.

If you're on a 10% gradient then system becomes active and light flashes.

I think....

Thanks,

Got it.

Couldn't check mine this morning as the wife nicked the yeti to get to work coz of the snow!

Will have a look at how it behaves again when I next get in it.

Cheers again for all your help.

John

If you've got time to watch for flashing or steady lights you don't  need the systems they are monitoring.

 

Fred

With off road button pressed (so the button itself lights up) you get a steady green light in the instrument panel. If you start going downhill the green light flashes if the system is actually doing something. If you exceed the threshold speed (on mine) the green light goes out, (but the light in the button stays on) until your speed drops once again.

Carefful though, the brake pedal becomes far more sensitive with less "free" travel when hill descent control is active, so unless you are expecting it, you can easily apply more brake force than you intended until you get used to it.

It's a great piece of kit!

You shouldn't need to use the brake pedal at all, John, as the "system" should keep you to about 5mph.

You shouldn't need to use the brake pedal at all, John, as the "system" should keep you to about 5mph.

It will adapt to whatever speed you like Graham as long as it's less than the maximum the system will allow before it cuts out (around 10kph?).

You can adjust the speed to anything from a dawdle to a fast walking pace by accelerating or braking. Whatever speed you are doing, the system will maintain.

You can confuse it a bit if you put a lot of steering lock on (or off) as it uses the ABS sensors to monitor your speed.

 

I agree though that on a slippery or loose surface, hitting the brake is sometimes not a good idea.

If you've got time to watch for flashing or steady lights you don't  need the systems they are monitoring.

 

Fred

Very true.

The root of my issue really...

Pressed the button then at some time during the fun glanced down noticed little light on within speedo .. Not sure of speed as I think feel is more important than numbers in that situation but guessed at about 30mph but could be wrong. Didn't look again until got home. Light Still on. Looked in manual...seemed to hint that it should not have been on above 30kph..

This piqued my OCD...Hence OP.

Still not had a drive in it since....tomorrow will press button on clear road and see if the indicator in the speedo comes on 'at speed'...well above 10kph anyway. Am sure it's all to spec but I don't like it when I dont understand something.

Cheers

J

System active up to 20 mph on my 62 plate. Really got to know the system last weekend and totally impressed.

System active up to 20 mph on my 62 plate. Really got to know the system last weekend and totally impressed.

Just out of interest Dave does this mean that when the button is pressed then the light in the speedo is 'on' and steady up to 20mph and extinguishes over that ?

Cheers

John

Well...

I can comfirm my button behaves just as described by the helpful and learned posts above.

I can only think that the other day I wasn't going quite as fast as I thought.... I also find the feel of the yeti and how things are reigned in are speed dependant...even throttle response. Stunning bit of kit.

Thanks guys.

John

Sorry for late reply John. Yes, light out on speedo above 20 mph.