Thread: Our recent caravan trip

That whistling sound will most likely be your exhaust manifold is warped. Check for black soot marks around the bolts and it will tell you if it is or not.

Regarding the missing dash lights, checking fuses is always a good starting point. Do the red position lights show up on the gear shift?

Other possible culprits are wiring and dirty connectors. A dirty xyz switch on the transmission will also result in the LCD position indicators not showing and the wiring from it over the back of the transmission can also chafe. In my experience though only some of the positions disappear in these cases and doesn’t explain the lack of S&M lights.

Finally a left field idea, but has the instrument cluster been accidentally reprogrammed to a manual transmission configuration? Weird I know but it happened to me when I changed the central locking on Charlie to one click door opening, using the nanocom. Threw me for a bit as I was missing all the auto related lights in the dash. Nanocoms can be a bit random at times.

cheers

Steve

Originally Posted by Rok_Dr

Regarding the missing dash lights, checking fuses is always a good starting point. Do the red position lights show up on the gear shift?

Yes

Originally Posted by Rok_Dr

Other possible culprits are wiring and dirty connectors. A dirty xyz switch on the transmission will also result in the LCD position indicators not showing and the wiring from it over the back of the transmission can also chafe. In my experience though only some of the positions disappear in these cases and doesn’t explain the lack of S&M lights.

Finally a left field idea, but has the instrument cluster been accidentally reprogrammed to a manual transmission configuration? Weird I know but it happened to me when I changed the central locking on Charlie to one click door opening, using the nanocom. Threw me for a bit as I was missing all the auto related lights in the dash. Nanocoms can be a bit random at times.

cheers

Steve

That's interesting as I did just that a while back.. Will have to check that out - thanks
Pete

Hi Pete,,
First question is how much does the van weigh,,

you have the right idea not towing with the Auto unlocked,,,

It's a Jayco poptop. With a full tank of water and set for the road with a few days in the porta-loo I'd guess a bit over 1 tonne. Should be almost insignificant for a mighty D2 but sure knocks back the fuel economy. Over the 6000+km trip averaged 8.2 km/l with maybe 1000km without the van. At home I'm displeased if it returns less than 10 km/l. Then I wonder how a Hilux would go....... I love the TD5 motor.. But then it has not gone wrong yet!

That's pretty good fuel economy Pete. My all up average over almost 60k is 12.8l/100km, including van towing duties, where I get 15l/100k towing a 1800kg poptop.

It will be interesting it hear how you go with the dash lights and whether it ends up being the same problem I had.

Cheers

Steve

Hi Steve, don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining, just saying, tho' I could have said it better. Someone said once that it's not so much the weight you're pulling but rather that you are actually pulling another set of wheels down the road. I have not done long trips with our box trailer but I do notice a dramatic change in fuel usage even with that little thing behind. Then there is there is the windage......... The last leg of our trip hope was into a stiff breeze and by golly it chewed up the juice.
Presently engaged in another project but will try and find time to chase up the Nanocom/dash lights possibility.
Cheers,
Pete

Originally Posted by Tinggu

I have heard that one should not tow in drive, but rather 3, locked. This is OK but anything over 85kph and the revs are in the 3000 and that's not comfortable for sustained driving to my ear. Also its unreasonable to other road users. I think we've all seen the queue of traffic banked behind a slow caravan and who enjoys being pushed along by a B-double up their clacker?
But what is best for the car? Perhaps it's a compromise of best practice for traffic conditions and the car has to put up with it.
Pete

It's fine to tow in Drive as long as you are at speed to lock up the TC ie; 80+. Rule of thumb is third locked up cruising to 80 and for hills, cruising on the flat above 80 Drive locked up. Nick