freebie2disco
Member Since: 01 Jan 2007
Location: wantage
Posts: 334
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| New use for low range on the m25 |
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Well had the D3 for 2 months and 2K miles now and love this car to bits. Not had it off-road yet but did have a play in the snow, where it performed better than I thought it should on road tyres.
Yesterday it came up trumps again in a very strange way. Low range useful for Off-road and towing normally but yesterday I used it for 1.5 hours on the M25. A couple of muppets had decided that they would try to mate in the outside lane during rush hour and the resultant tail back was 10+ miles long and crawling along. Fed up with stop and start driving, I stuck it in low range 2nd and let it run along on tickover. With a bit of care was able to not use the clutch for the next 40 minutes.  I know the auto boys will say that they dont have this problem but I have never got on with auto's and the D3 auto I had as a test car was the same, I just didnt like it.
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 21st Feb 2007 6:00 pm |
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captain_sugar
Member Since: 05 Sep 2006
Location: Hradec Kralove
Posts: 1095
  
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yep, I do the same!
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| 21st Feb 2007 6:47 pm |
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NicSymonds
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 519
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Wish I had though of that today stuck on the M6 south for an hour!
Have to remember it for next time, of which I am in no doubt there will be a next time
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| 21st Feb 2007 10:11 pm |
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lee01277
Member Since: 06 May 2005
Location: Shed
Posts: 821
 
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I had auto V  ll Omega's for 6 years b4 the D3. The great thing about that auto box was in "M25" traffic, you could add a "squirt" of "D" , "N" , "D" to just keep the momentum going in heavy traffic, even from a stop.
On the D3 , you can do this as long as you don't stop, 'cuz then you have to press "Brake" to get back to "D"
No worries though. Small beer. ..............Somewhere in-between my old D3 and what's to come next .........
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| 21st Feb 2007 11:58 pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26701
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you can take the gearbox out of D and put it back when moving. Its only when you are stationary that you have to use the brake. This is how you change from high range to low range on the move.
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| 22nd Feb 2007 12:03 am |
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DiscoDad
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: Beautiful Teesdale
Posts: 3003
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You shouldn't put the auto into N when moving. This causes unneccesary wear on the auto box.
It is also best keeping it in D when stood for short periods at traffic lights. Back in the game!
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| 22nd Feb 2007 10:27 am |
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stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
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Useful other places too...used low-2nd taking my family around Longleat Safari park yesterday - cr@p MPG but a very smooth ride around at just the right speed and virtually silent.
Tried Low-1st but was too slow and required far too much right foot to stop the vehicle against the torque!
Tried using HDC in High-1st instead but ABS pump ran continuously and was noisy/jerky when brakes actually clamped.
Low-2nd is a winner... Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
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| 22nd Feb 2007 1:30 pm |
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LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23361
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[quote="DiscoDad" It is also best keeping it in D when stood for short periods at traffic lights.[/quote]
I'd be intersted to know why? There seems to be a divide between those who say you should always put it in neutral & those who say just leave it in drive.
Personally I do both, but tend to engage neutral if the lights have just changed to red & I know I'll be stationary for a while. I always use the parking brake if I have other vehicles behind me, rather than blind them with the brake lights.
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| 22nd Feb 2007 2:41 pm |
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freebie2disco
Member Since: 01 Jan 2007
Location: wantage
Posts: 334
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LT wrote:
Personally I do both, but tend to engage neutral if the lights have just changed to red & I know I'll be stationary for a while. I always use the parking brake if I have other vehicles behind me, rather than blind them with the brake lights.
Every defensive driving course I have done, and thats quite a few now, says that when stationary at lights, you should always have the car in gear ready to move and the hand brake off and the foot brake hard on. And to leave about a cars length between you and the car in front. The reasons for this are
1. if an idiot hits you from behind with the foot brake hard on there is no chance of you being punted into traffic crossing the lights.
2. in gear and ready to move if you see the idiot failing to stop and you can safely pull forward out of his way without looking for a gear or taking off the handbrake. Now in the D3 with its fly-off handbrake it kinder of doesn't matter if you have it on or not.
Don't always do this but it has saved the backend of my car once. I saw the in a BMW coming and knew he wasnt going to stop. Jumped into the next lane just in time for him to remove the backend of the car in front of where I was.
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| 22nd Feb 2007 3:45 pm |
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LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23361
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I always keep a space infront of me & for "defensive" driving I'd agree with everything you say. However, I prefer not to blind those behind me with my brake lights. Therefore I'll use the brakes if no vehicle behind, but once a vehicle has become stationary behind me I'll either have no brakes on (on the flat) or put the parking brake on.
What I'd really like to know is what is best for the auto. box & why?
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| 22nd Feb 2007 4:43 pm |
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lee01277
Member Since: 06 May 2005
Location: Shed
Posts: 821
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Gareth wrote:you can take the gearbox out of D and put it back when moving. Its only when you are stationary that you have to use the brake. This is how you change from high range to low range on the move.
thats what I said  ..............Somewhere in-between my old D3 and what's to come next .........
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| 22nd Feb 2007 8:30 pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26701
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Sorry Lee! Did not want to steal your post. I was on a pda last night and I must have posted at the same time, although the pda takes ages to react. 
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| 22nd Feb 2007 8:44 pm |
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lee01277
Member Since: 06 May 2005
Location: Shed
Posts: 821
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no worries ..............Somewhere in-between my old D3 and what's to come next .........
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| 22nd Feb 2007 8:49 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
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DiscoDad wrote:You shouldn't put the auto into N when moving. This causes unneccesary wear on the auto box.
It is also best keeping it in D when stood for short periods at traffic lights.
Doesn't say that in the manual 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 22nd Feb 2007 9:11 pm |
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10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
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you can jam the auto box into R when driving and it won't cause any problems (providing the engine is running) it just ignores the input until below 6 mph....
It's not a 'standard' auto box, most of the control is carried out by fluid solenoids and the control cable is just a means of connecting the gearshift to the 'box - it doesn't actually move any hard control components...
It's 'kinder' on all components to use neutral when stationary, leaving it in D will put all transmission components under load and rely on braking force to prevent movement, together with forcing fluid through the pressure relief valves, generating heat in the fluid and wear on the valves - nothing significant but it'd make a difference in a hot climate or in ten years time 
Last edited by 10forcash on 22nd Feb 2007 9:27 pm. Edited 1 time in total
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| 22nd Feb 2007 9:20 pm |
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