Laning in a Free-Lander, the aftermath...

Caught an interlude between the gales and rain to drive Sarn Helen, coming South from Forest Lodge. Lots of puddles and surface water but the lane has a good hard base so early sections to the bridge were no problem, as expected. Views over surrounding hills and valleys excellent in winter sunshine. Didn't see the red kites that I've seen before on this section.

After the bridge I went up the rocky section of track towards the top gate first, stopping half way (there is a firm patch of grass on the western side where there is a gate into a field) to see if the following Free-Lander was getting up OK. It was - quite impressed.

The next section has some minor steps and biggish rocks and is steep, it was also flowing with water this afternoon. The Free Lander got about half way up this, to just before the steepest bit, and was stopped by a boulder which the wheel could not step up over. We got out and shuffled some rocks around and then noticed a very strong smell of dead fish, eggs, sulphur and rubber...

Following this Jamie found that he could not engage any gear in the Free-Lander; forwards or reverse. Suddenly this was starting to look like a long and difficult afternoons' recovery, probably to be followed by some expensive garage work! I went up to the top and turned the 90 to come back down the hill nose-first, plan being to attach a tow rope and roll him backwards down the hill in neutral using the 90 as a brake. Eventually this would have brought some difficulties because at the foot of the hill I would have needed to get past him and hopefully turn him round, however there was no way we could tow up hill with the Free Lander clearly struggling before the most awkward section...

Turning the 90 and coming back took about 15 minutes by which time Jamie found that things had cooled down enough for him to be able to engage reverse. This allowed him to back down to the grassy section and turn round before descending to the foot of the hill in first gear. He found that whenever he attempted to engage hill descent control the engine just stalled dead. Still a bad smell in the air...

Two well prepared suzukis and an orange 110 turned up during the recovery, and stayed until we got to the foot of the hill to ensure that we got off the difficult bit ok. Thanks guys.

We returned the way we'd come. Back on the road the Free-Lander seemed to behave as normal although the smell lingered...

I was quite impressed by how far the Free Lander got and I think in dry conditions it would have got further, however I don't think I'll be buying one. Pity it doesn't have a low box. Any ideas why HDC wouldn't engage?

Cheers,

M.

Reply to
McBad
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On or around Sat, 8 Jan 2005 17:03:02 -0000, "McBad" enlightened us thusly:

's broken.

seriously, though... is it a diesel or petrol one? the smells sound a bit like a damaged CAT...

otherwise, dunno. cooked clutch, maybe? HDC should still work unless it's got into some kind of non-functional upset mode in the electronics.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

It's a TD4. (Do diesels have a CAT?) Our feeling was cooked clutch but it didn't really explain the HDC problem.

M.

Reply to
McBad

CAT's only on petrols. Maybe the clutch got too hot and the electronics didn't like it, hence HDC problem. may reset itself or may need some jiggery pokery, I don't know much about that.

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

Reply to
Mr.Nice.

Mark, Sorry, but have to disagree. According to the Freelander Workshop Manual (RAVE CD) the Td4 does have a CAT. Brom.

Reply to
Brom

Really? I am surprised, I had understood they were petrol only. well I sit rightly corrected.

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

Reply to
Mr.Nice.

So Austin Shackles was, like

If the HDC on the Freebie is the same as on the Disco II, then it will cut out if used too long or too severely - some overheat sensor, I imagine. One of the reasons I don't trust 'em. If you tried using HDC on a long steep descent (and with the absence of low range (FL) or CDL (D2) you would need to) then half way down it might just decide it's had enough and let you roll all the way to the bottom under gravity. It will reset when it has all cooled down.

Don't know if this was the case for the OP, but it might explain why the HDC refused to play.

Reply to
Richard Brookman

I wonder what would happen if you engaged HDC whilst going UP hill, say by accident, then used the accelarator heavily in an attempt to get up a steep slope? Is it possible to engage HDC going up hill? I'll ask about it on Monday but I wonder if HDC had been engaged whilst the f/l was going up the slope...

M.

Reply to
McBad

e que nous

Assuming the same setup as the D2 then all that will happen is that the HDC will be taken offline while you're accelerating.

P.

Reply to
Paul S. Brown

On or around Sun, 9 Jan 2005 16:45:19 -0000, "Richard Brookman" enlightened us thusly:

I'd like to hope that the default failure mode is to put the brakes on... dunno if it is, but I'd like to hope that it is...

Reply to
Austin Shackles

wifes Td4 is on it's third clutch after 'cooking' 2 on fairly gentle, but slippy hills (grass & mud) whilst shunting a caravan about (1500Kg's).

Stew

Reply to
90ninety

The result of lack of low box :(

Reply to
Mr Jolly

Mmm, that was our final conclusion. It certainly smelt cooked by the time we'd finished!

M
Reply to
McBad

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