I am currently on holiday in the Alps (Swiss Valais and French Haute-Savoie). When you drive down a long windy road from a mountain pass, there is obviously a lot of breaking. Even when you use the gears to control speed, you need the breaks on every tight hairpin.

Of course, an option is to use HDC which I've tried.

MY QUESTION: Is this an appropriate use of HDC? That is, on descents that could last some 30 minutes or more.

The manual doesnt't give enough detail on this, though it does warn that under some circumstances breaks may overheat.

Now, in re-reading the manual, I have learnt about GRC which even applies to uphill starts. I can now try this today!

I'll post some photos soon. The scenery is of course superb, and ideal for publicity shots. The driving is a lot of fun too. The FL2 copes very well on these steep and windy roads.

I would say that the HDC would not be appropriate in your circumstances.

it is really best for negotiating steep slopes while on rough/off road terrain, and would very much hinder your progress in your situation. ( and as you say would probably overheat the brakes with prolonged use in this way )

Iain

I agree, as HDC only works in first gear, without pushing the throttle or the brakes, I can't see how you ride down at 9 to 12 kph. My idea is that HDC is used on slippery downhill like grass or mud. Fl2 zermattsilver TD4 S man

I think there is nothing wrong with using HDC for what you have explained although I think due to it's very slow speed you might be better just braking normally.

I recall there been something on prolonged use and brake fade somewhere I just can't recall were I read it.... I'll google it and see If I can find it when I get to the office Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I haven't found anything on time limits yet, but this threads quite good

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic847.html?highlight=hdc Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Thought i would ask the question with the technically minded Disco3 lot to see if there was a max time and what would happen if brakes got too hot...


http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/post503534.html#503534 Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Hill descent is good here....

Click image to enlarge

well by the looks of the D3 lads,

HDC should be only used when off road in slippy conditions and they haven't found any roads that it comes in handy on in the alps

It will also eat away your break pads very quickly

I have to agree thinking about it, wouldn't you be going too slow using HDC Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Have now tried it out a bit more. On some steep narrow roads (just enough for 2 cars to pass slowly), the speed is slow enough (<30 miles/hr). Although it supposedly only works in 1st gear, for me it works in 2nd and 3rd too (not tried higher). However, in conclusion, HDC is not suited to this type of driving. But may be appropriate for similar roads in winter snow.

In general the car is a great pleasure on these roads, with plenty of torque for pulling up hill. I'm in the Samoens area of Haute-Savoie. And the weather has been excellent - sorry to those still back in UK!

sievester wrote:

Hill descent is good here....

Click image to enlarge

....not mountain roads, unless you like to go 2km/h

Cool pic... HDC works well on steep hills/ ruts... but who drives on roads at 5ks

Dorko

This is what I learned from the workshop manual. On Manual HDC works only on 1st and Reverse and Neutral (Not recommended to use)
On Auto it works on D and R or in N (Not recommended to use). When in D it works on most suitable gear for the spped.
HDC only works at speeds below 31mph (50Kmph).
You can activate the HDC between 31mph to 50mph and when the car slows down to 31 HDC will start to work. Over 50mph pressing the HDC button is ignored by the system.

Default target speed on auto is 6mph forward, 2.2mph reverse, for manual its 6mph forward and 5mph Reverse.
Forward speed can be reduced to 3.7mph on Auto and 4.7mph on manual using the speed control “-“ button.
Pressing the speed control “+” button you can increase the forward speed to 12.4mph on both modes. You can’t change the reverse speed.

ABS module monitors the amount of braking activity on each wheel and from this it estimates the temperature on disk and when it gets to a set limit HDC goes in to HDC fadeout which is basically to increase the target speed slowly.

When I at the LR experience day recently the instructor asked me to put the auto box on N while going downhill and HDC still worked but if HDC fadeout happens then car can loose the control completely which is why its not recommended.

Hope this is useful for those who like bit more info.  Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Auto
Zermatt Silver
Side Steps & Mud flaps

Thats good to know, never knew the cruise control buttons have two jobs

So the slowest you can go is 6kms/h?

Dorko

Dorko wrote:

Thats good to know, never knew the cruise control buttons have two jobs

So the slowest you can go is 6kms/h?

Dorko

Udash

You have given us all a really brilliant reply.

Great that you have access to workshop manual.

Many thanks- your reply has helped me as well.

Cheers NSE

Yes, thanks Udash, that's useful.

You say it only works in 1st (for forward gears), but it did seem to be operating in 2nd and 3rd for me (manual). I certainly got a juddery action that indicated it was braking the speed.