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Controlling Steep Descent with an Auto Box
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PaulP
 


Member Since: 04 May 2007
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 4317

Spain 2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3

LiftedDisco wrote:
In a sick sense, I am actually wondering which 'other forum' is inhabited by such folks..

Actually I think it's great that they're discussing things like this.... Thumbs Up

Most replies so far have been about how the gearbox will explode, the world will end, and you'd slide down the hill out of control until you die, but none of us have really explained enough to know if this is true or why it would happen.

It's obviously a bit of a crazy idea and doesn't sound very mechanically sympathetic, but none of us have been able to explain what would actually happen to the internals of the gearbox etc in this situation.

Topics like this are brilliant because between all the replies we could actually learn something new Thumbs Up

EDIT: Snelling Pistakes corrected
 2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham Blue
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Last edited by PaulP on 11th Nov 2010 1:46 pm. Edited 2 times in total 
Post #71493111th Nov 2010 1:22 pm
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stapldm
 


Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330

United Kingdom 2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Stornoway GreyDiscovery 3

I'm sure that in an emergency a standard (mechanical controlled) auto box could be used to brake the car by selecting reverse. It'd cook the oil, cook the box and you'd risk stalling if you didn't keep the revs up, but an emergency is an emergency and if you write off the 'box/engine/car in saving lives then so be it. As a standard practice I'd say you've bitten off way more than you can chew if you believe this is one of the techniques available for normal driving.

On a sophisticated box like the D3 has, it'd say sod off and let you career down the hill. Try driving forwards (on the flat) at about 7mph and dropping into reverse gear ...you keep travelling forwards without any engine braking effect whatsoever until the speed drops (by road friction or braking) below about 3mph...THEN the reverse gear engages and you start to slow - until then you're in neutral. The controller simply won't allow a condition to exist that might harm the 'box.

I'll leave the discussion of whether the 'box should allow this damaging behaviour to another thread; there are times when lorries have crashed after long steep hills (such as in the Alps) 'cos they tried to down shift to slow down (brake fade having left them no option) but the 'box said no, then the 'box changed up each time the revs hit redline. Big Cry
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Post #71493711th Nov 2010 1:44 pm
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widget
 


Member Since: 18 Jul 2010
Location: Marlborough, on the Ridgeway
Posts: 38

United Kingdom 2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Zermatt SilverDiscovery 3

CFB - speaking from personal experience...

Reverse gear descent with an auto does work. But, its pointless off road. I tried it on the 1:1 grade at the Longcross testing facility (Google Maps Longcross), and I thought I was going to die. The surface is high grip ridged concrete. The length is approx 50m. Car was a 90 V8 Defender 50th Anniversary. Nothing blew up, it was all very quiet, it didn't stall (thanks to the throttle stepper) and descended very slowly.

Why did I do this? Well I didn't set out to do it. I actually drove up it first, then having overcome the novelty (and boy it's quite scary) I stopped on the slope to try a restart using left foot braking and blending from brakes to power. Next I explored how much it would roll back and how much throttle it needed to hold to car. Result after some experimentation was that it would roll back, slowly against the engine and torque converter. So then having thought about all the internet theorists who have various opinions about reverse gear retardation, I gave it a go. First by backing up and descending a short distance before building up some courage and doing the whole lot. By comparison doing the same on the brakes in 1st low felt nervous.

In my opinion:
Would I do it on a soft surface? No.
Is it something I'd do again? No.
Is it practical in any form of off road driving? No.
Is it mechanically sympathetic? Yes - the peak pressure is less than under acceleration.
Did it stall? No.

I drove the same testing facility in the V8 Ninety which you bought from me Andy, but only went down it. Best technique on a wet hard surface was brakes and light throttle together to keep the wheels positively turning and resist lock up.

Hope that helps - feel free to link back to here if it helps.
 JB  
Post #71754618th Nov 2010 8:23 am
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CFB
 


Member Since: 02 Dec 2005
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
Posts: 6100

United Kingdom 

Thanks Widget, pretty much as I would have thought, yes it is technically possible but no real benefit and a risk of more harm than good if you end up out of control Thumbs Up
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Post #71757318th Nov 2010 9:45 am
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Simons17
 


Member Since: 12 Aug 2010
Location: beverley north yorkshire
Posts: 233

United Kingdom 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 HSE Lux Auto Orkney GreyDiscovery 4

Whilst doing my advance course in a D4 the guy showed me that whilst moving forward the D4 would not select reverse anyway even when the shifter is put in reverse. not sure about D3. but with all that compression why do you need reverse anyway. cascade breaking works well when diff lock is not fitted or HDC
  
Post #71820419th Nov 2010 6:33 pm
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Hobgoblin
 


Member Since: 15 Nov 2007
Location: As always, in the sh*t, it's only the depth that varies
Posts: 1445

Spain 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Lux Auto Kaikoura StoneDiscovery 4

widget wrote:
Best technique on a wet hard surface was brakes and light throttle together to keep the wheels positively turning and resist lock up.


That would certainly be my preferred method Thumbs Up Thumbs Up

Rgs
Paul
 I'm not as good as I once was........but I'm as good once as I ever was.  
Post #71823119th Nov 2010 7:24 pm
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