I've done a search and turned up loads of results about the hesitation from the Auto box when initially pulling away.

Plenty of people have mentioned: holding the car on the handbrake, sand mode, anticipation etc but is it generally recognized that there is a significant delay from removing your foot from the brake, accelerating hard and the car actually picking up?

I would say the delay in accelerating is well over a second and this has caught me out on several occasions now. In fact so much so, i've booked the car in to be checked out.

But - what is the best option for removing this delay? How do other people work around it? or is there a problem here?

Mine hesitates about a second its annoying but ive learned to live with it,when it gets going it really shifts (Sheffield talk )

Unfortunately there is a delay and made worse by switching your foot from brake to accelerator, you just have to anticipate and always be aware on pulling out into a roundabout or from a junction, it can be scary at times when traffic is heavy.

There is no option that I know of to remove this delay and workarounds are an extra PITA.

Why do people keep asking if its a problem.....it's not.

You have a two tonne lump of metal to shift, it ain't going to happen quickly, if it was a manual car you would be holding the car on the handbrake or clutch ready to go, you dont sit there with your clutch to the floor and the handbrake on you need to adapt to the way the auto works, it will pick its feet up and go quite rapidly, yes I have been caught out before too but in fairness if your need to pull into traffic and a split second matters then maybe you shouldn't be pulling out?

Mine was like that until advice from above, keep off the foot brake, hold it on the Hand Brake, then it's fine.

Disco 4 doesn't do it, whoooosh  p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

if you use both feet when your stationary it will have a severe hesitation when you pull away. Try leaving the brake alone first & see how it goes

I have an auto & no hesitation whatsoever ( It used too really bad to the point of dangerous ) and its actually very quick off the mark as well.

Last edited by oldgeezer on 4th Jun 2013 4:46 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Mine is the same and has also caught me out a few times after 30+ years of manual gearboxes.

I had a manual eD4 for a year before getting the auto and, in spite of the bulk, got used to being able to make a quick start (with high revs and clutch abuse!).

The auto flies once it's rolling but (in my hands) it just doesn't lend itself to really prompt starts. After 3 months with it I'm getting used to anticipating a little better and maybe not trying to jump into the gaps I used to . 2012 SD4 XS Santorini Black

Sorry to take the thread off topic, but....

Walkerdel, what made you change from an eD4 to an SD4?

Is it worse when turning?
The car knows that the steering is turned, maybe it slows acceleration if it believes you might run the risk of wheelspin?
If this is so, is it possible that the vehicles believes the steering is turned when it isn't?


Anyway if you really do need to set off quick:
left foot on brake.
right foot on accelerator, engine at 1800rpm.
wait for it, wait for it.
light goes green, simultaneously plant right foot and lift left foot.

Fun but not reccommended if you have to pay for your own gearboxes  Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

The eD4 was a company car so the lower list price and CO2 minimised the tax and lease cost. When I 'opted out' of the car scheme I no longer had to consider that aspect and the SD4 came along at the right time/price - simples...  2012 SD4 XS Santorini Black

Hold it on the handbrake, the ECU detects the foot brake in use and kills the engine power, try it, drive along at 20 mph and touch the brake gently, the engine power dies off then comes back.
Doesn't happen with the handbrake, alternatively, try Andy's method

Andy's method is a bit extreme for me ....but I shall certainly experiment with your 'handbrake' solution.

The slow take-up of the drive is about the only thing I don't like about the auto. You don't need a quick launch often, but when you do it's embarrassing to find you can't  2012 SD4 XS Santorini Black

Not as bad as stalling though

oldgeezer wrote:

I have an auto & no hesitation whatsoever ( It used too really bad to the point of dangerous ) and its actually very quick off the mark as well.

It shouldn't pull away in 2nd unless in sport mode.
Mine spent almost 3years pulling away in 2nd gear and landrover dealer kept saying nothing was wrong and was diagnosed as turbo fault. Mine was dog slow and seriously dangerous pulling away with horrendous hesitation, really bad at roundabouts !
It also only used to return 23-26mpg because it was struggling to pull away.
I found a fix for mine and goes like a rocket and no hesitation and my wife will now drive it whereas for 3years she wouldn't drive it.
You need to hunt out 1 of my old posts.
There were a few who thought I was cuckoo and quick to suggest from a technical point of view the fix couldn't work or make the difference but can assure you it transformed my car from a dog slow horrendously hesitant unreliable heap to a rocket ship that's actually fun to drive. Just a shame that I had to sort myself as 3years of visits to the dealer were a waste of time