Hi,

am trying to get a definitive guide to when HDC will operate (manual transmission).

The "Quick start guide" to my car says it operates at speeds below 50km/30 mph (no mention of auto/manual)

The actual handbook says on manual only use in first or reverse.

I have been to Land Rover experience twice and both instructors demonstrated that it will work in neutral also, but obviously recommended that it be used in gear to avoid boiling the brakes.

I appreciate this is mainly intended as an off-road feature, but it strikes me it would be a useful aid to have when descending a steep slope on the road in slippy conditions in say 2nd or 3rd at 20 - 30 mph.

Anyone had any experience of using it above 1st?

Thanks.

Mine is auto, so it kicks in whenever I push the button under 50 km/h, unrelated to gear.

It slows down the car to 1st gear speeds anyhow so if you are willing to go faster no use of hdc. You can adjust the speed it goes but after each use it resets back down to original setting.

So it is only usefull for very high slopes and very slow speeds. 2010 Freelander 2 Select TD4 auto....gone
2011 Freelander 2 TD4 auto ...current

In my manual, it works in 2nd gear despite the LCD saying 'not available'. Not sure if it is still capable of slowing you to the minimum speed in >=2nd, the gear ratio would suggest not since speed at tickover in 2nd would be greater than minimum HDC speed. I would assume it works in any gear but the higher the gear, the less engine braking so you're just relying on HDC operating the normal brakes. In 3rd or above it might even try to stall the engine - never tried it.

Yes, as said the speed can be increased or decreased using the + - of the cruise control buttons. Below is a HDC summary that I found on another site

Hill Descent Control: Agile Handling Off-Road

Engineered with Freelander's new breed of customer in mind, Hill Descent Control is a brilliant technical solution which obviates the need for a dual ratio gearbox, and makes no additional demands on the driver. HDC is standard on all the latest Freelanders.

The most challenging aspect of driving off-road is making a steep decent on difficult terrain.

Within the limits of adhesion, HDC provides a well-controlled decent ability without the need for a low range gear or use of the brakes. Using the traction control, it is designed to maintain a target descent speed irrespective of steepness, giving control during steep, off-road slopes when overrun braking is insufficient to maintain a comfortable driving speed.

How it works

The HDC system is selectable by the driver. To protect the brakes from abuse, it will only operate whilst the vehicle is in First or Reverse gear, below 50kph

Because the ABS can detect rates of deceleration and acceleration for each wheel, it can also detect when one or both of the rear wheels is/are accelerating too fast, and trying to overtake the front.

Instantly the ABS senses that loss of control is imminent, it pulses the brakes to slow the wheel/s allowing the driver to control the system target speed using only the throttle pedal, regardless of how steep the descent is, within the limits of adhesion.

If adhesion is insufficient in one or more wheels, the system automatically activates the ABS to maintain as much control as possible. Application of the brakes overrides the HDC system at any time, allowing the vehicle to be brought to a halt if required.

The Benefits

Automatic control of speed on steep descents using only the throttle pedal; safety and comfort.

It operates when you press the button mate  We Don't Care About Pot Holes !!

W.D.C.A.P.H. wrote:

It operates when you press the button mate

Correct, and there is no brakelight behind you so be aware and check there are no cars behind you.

Go out and play, you'll see how it works. 2010 Freelander 2 Select TD4 auto....gone
2011 Freelander 2 TD4 auto ...current

Wintermute wrote:

Correct, and there is no brakelight behind you so be aware and check there are no cars behind you.