just drove home from work up a really steep hill from clayton to queensbury. chap all over the road in front and finally gave up and waved me passed, so I had to start up hill from stopped. GGS ON, new wranglers on front and as I drove up the really steep hill, orange triangle light started flashing and even though my foot was pressed well down car would only inch forward... It never slipped back just inched forward until it gripped and I shot up the hill like a bullet.. I was amazed by the freelander taking over and getting me up the hill. Anybody else had this. It's a manual and I had to use first due to the mid hill start. I've been on the experience course and nothing like this happened. It felt like it might stall it was so low on the revs even though I was pressing my foot hard down.

It was your DSC/TC. In some some circumstances (usually where traction is close to zero) it is best to turn it off. If you have that situation again, then stay in GGS, switch off DSC, but then as soon as you have enough momentum then put the DSC back on.

James

The orange triangle is the DSC (traction control) kicking in so that's why you have experience the lack of power

Sounds like you was over reving and the car was trying to gain traction

The Morel is to work with the cars systems, not fight them  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

thanks for the advice... It crossed my mind to turn it off, but I've no experience of TC in zero grip so I was unsure.I only got the freelander in late feb so I missed the bad snow last year. I'll build some vital experience this week!

To add: working with the cars system can sometimes mean turning DsC off too  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

have you got an auto mr pink? I'm not sure of the best way to work with the car on a hill start with zero grip in a manual. I tried the GRC technique but it didn't seem to hold the brakes just dropped back so I had to give it some revs! any advice, I'm loving learning how best to drive my car in this weather. cheers

GRC only works on very steep hills and only if HDC us on prior to stopping

TBH it's hard to comment on situations when you have not been there, I have been told that slow and easy is better, giving time through the tyres rotation to grip what's underneath, High rev and spinning wheel with skip over what could be gripped

Try finding your clutch biting point, with just enough revs to get you up the hill and feather the throttle

If it fails gun it with DsC off

Thats how I tried in my manual FL2 before going auto  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

do manuals have GRC or is it just the auto's  freelander 2 SE black and beige - now sold

It's on both man and auto.
As pinky says, it's got to be very steep, 1:5 or more.

The guy at the LRE I did told me when the DSc comes on to put your foot on the floor as that is how it works?!

I told him in snow if I ever got really stuck I switched it off and tried to spin my way out which usually worked and he told me the system was designed to work while putting down loads of power with the dsc working and it only trully worked if you put loads of power down ?

Hmmm

Hopefully I can explain.

DSC/TC is basicly the same system (uses the ABS) however when pulling away the TC needs to have at least one wheel with continuial (and regular) traction so that it can establish which wheel/s is/are spinning and the road speed, so as to apply the brakes to the spinning wheel/s.

What the OP experienced is such low levels of grip that all four wheels had minimal traction, therfore the vehicle is unable to differentiate between it spinning (whilst stationary) and traveling along (out of control). Therefore in such situations it thinks that it is loosing control and therefore limits the power to regain control.

So, the two opperate quite differently, which is amplified on snow/ice (or wet grass). If you are in a situation where the vehicle will not be able to accurately establish road speed then you need to turn DSC off, but this should only be done at low speeds to get momentum going.

In this weather you can find a quite road with an incline and see the difference.

James

Thanks for the explanation James....

it happened JUST like you described! If i find my self in that situation again naturally, ill knock off the DSC because it did not know were it was! I think the steep hill start on snow/slush/ice tricked the DSC, I was foot to the floor at one point with no revs coming through .......... the chap in the van was not impressed behind!

Sounds like the best situation at first then would be to disengage DSC and try to set off just on the clutch, no throttle.

If you just spin, you can try try moving back slightly, with HDC on for if this goes wrong...and jumping on the brakes so lock the wheels and create some clean road, enough to just get moving. Sounds quite alarming and haven't actually tried it in a modern LR but used to work a treat in older disco's  Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

Kershaw 39 wrote:

just drove home from work up a really steep hill from clayton to queensbury. chap all over the road in front and finally gave up and waved me passed, so I had to start up hill from stopped. GGS ON, new wranglers on front and as I drove up the really steep hill, orange triangle light started flashing and even though my foot was pressed well down car would only inch forward... It never slipped back just inched forward until it gripped and I shot up the hill like a bullet.. I was amazed by the freelander taking over and getting me up the hill. Anybody else had this. It's a manual and I had to use first due to the mid hill start. I've been on the experience course and nothing like this happened. It felt like it might stall it was so low on the revs even though I was pressing my foot hard down.

I had a driver in clayton today! he was in a sprinter it took 4 1/2 hours to get back to Leeds

It's not fun, but i'm glad we changed the A4 cab for the FL2

Big Dave wrote:

Sounds like the best situation at first then would be to disengage DSC and try to set off just on the clutch, no throttle.

If you just spin, you can try try moving back slightly, with HDC on for if this goes wrong...and jumping on the brakes so lock the wheels and create some clean road, enough to just get moving. Sounds quite alarming and haven't actually tried it in a modern LR but used to work a treat in older disco's