dorsetfreelander wrote:

Well, my son drives over 30k miles a year visiting farms

the itchybushi probably has gripper tyres, pickups are good offraod until you want to manoeuvre,, the lack of a diff between front and rear axles on all but a few posh pickups makes things slippy and intersesting, At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Can anyone advise me if the 4x4 function (ie.Haldex operation) works even without the use of the special functions? Only dead fish go with the flow

Yes it does.

Thanks! Reason I ask is I have the ´special functions not available' (along with abs/no hdc warning light) so wonder if the 4x4 is really still working. Might have to test it again in the snow we have here...  Only dead fish go with the flow

Special functions not available may be a sign that the Haldex is NOT working, but more likely that the ABS system is not working, and most of the special functions rely on the ABS to control wheelspin.
To answer an earlier point, GGS modifies the throttle response (and also I think the auto gear changes). I once left it on by accident on joining an Autobahn, and wondered why I had very little acceleration.
Driving my auto at Kielder, I found that most of the time on what were essentially farm tracks it went better in normal mode. Ex AA Series III LWB Safari - Gone
300TDi Disco (bought new - terrible car) sent back after 18 months
Freelander 1 Estate - leased, given back at end of lease
200TDi Disco (bought from a mate with 100,000 on the clock) - Gone
Disco 2 TD5 - sold and exported to France
FR2 TD4 GS - Gone
FR2 SD4 HSE - Now changed for a DS
New model ex-demo Evoque S 180 in white
Unable to order a new DS, so gave up. Now have a Volvo S90 Recharge.

Just to add.

I am a plonker!

With all the trouble I've had with mine (rear diff bearing, abs/hdc problem, cold starting, turbo leak etc. etc.) I thought the 4x4 function was disengaged if the 'special function' option wasn't available  Only dead fish go with the flow

Do you have an 'i' in the instrument display all the time?? Are the lights on the mode dial illuminated? Does it mention traction reduced on the screen?? Sounds to me like you have a disabled haldex unit. www.bellengineering.co.uk

Am I right in thinking the Haldex is the front/back torque manager.... so if it's disabled then you have purely front wheel drive?

The Haldex is definitely working as I drove it yesterday up a steep snow-covered slippery track. I could hear/feel the traction control kicking in

No the lights on the mode dial are not coming on, and yes there is an 'i' on the dash info display but no mention of "traction reduced" on the screen.

I am stuck with this until spring.... Only dead fish go with the flow

Hey at least you didn't have a Kia Sorrento - had one on holiday on hire and thought it would have at least some basic limited slip diff or diff lock or something to help when one wheel looses traction.

So up a rocky road, one wheel comes off the ground - spin, no forward motion on the other three, all nicely in contact ....... Keep your foot in (like we were told on the cough, Mercedes off road hour we gave our kids), it will sort it out. Well by the time I had filled the valley with tyre smoke, I realised that wasn't going to work. Wife was having kittens, kids were ing themselves (laughing). So I put her out to video and jammed a rock under said wheel. It was just as well he had bottled at a worse price of road.