Thread: Please excuse my Ignorance but.....

The 6 speed is very smooth, 1st is very very low and in low range the car cannot be stalled. An automatic conversion on this vehicle is not really required. The only things I would change on the vehicle is a price drop, get the rear windows electric or the front manual so they are all the same, a rethink of that bloody ugly dashboard (110's shouldn't have a dashboard) and have a bit of waterproof shielding for the ECU considering it's bolted to the firewall.

I'm surprised that there is not a transit engine running an auto gearbox.

But, as an owner of the 6 speed manual it is a great gearbox (when working mine keeps going in for repairs). It is smooth, ratios are reasonable and it runs smoothly and quietly. It is far different to the ones of old.

Xavier.

Originally Posted by camel_landy

Stick it in 1st-Lo and make it go over something on tickover... The anti-stall will let it do a lot more than people think!

M

I must second that. I stuffed up and went in to the wrong gear going in to a steep sandy incline. I needed to be in 1st but was in 3rd. Although it did not let me accelerate and it was to late for me to change in to 1st it just chugged up the incline in 3rd with anti stall obviously in action and got me up there with no issues.

Xav

Xavier, Frank,

I think there might be an auto for the Transit. I hired a Motor home in New Zealand about 2 years ago and it was a Transit with turbo deisel. It had a 5 speed auto, but no actual selecter. It had buttons on the dash and steering wheel. If I put it in manual mode, it even held on to the gears. I accidently stuck it in manual mode (without knowing) and it was in 5th. When I slowed down I tried to accelerate again and it just wouldn't go and was wondering why it wouldn't kick down...but it was my mistake.

I don't remember if this is the same engine as what is in the defender, but I'd think it might be. For some reason I seem to remember it was a 2.4L turbo.

And it struggled to keep 100km/hour if there was a slight incline, but I remember thinking that if it didn't have this ridiculous house on the back it would actually go very well. And the 5 speed auto worked well with it. Coming up steep passes (like up from Milford Sound) I just left it some gear (can't remember which) and it sat on it's 4000rpm limit happily. Really seemed to like being on 4000rpm unlike my 300tdi...but it could have been because it wasn't my car!!

It had just over 100,000kms on it and it drove well.

Sorry to get sidetracked, but this Transit definitely had a turbo deisel with a 5 speed auto.

Pete

Don't worry Pavo

The one I hired was an automatic as well. Either that or I forgot to change gear or find/use the clutch for a few hundred km's.

The Transits I've driven have had a semi-auto gearbox. Very easy to use, just press a button. If you want to reverse you have to press it twice, to be sure to be sure.

They have been impressively easy to drive and the motor has coped with good loads.

Chris

Some very interesting info, I have always found that 1st gear in nearly all 4WD's is too high and once in Low/Low if you run out of puff up a steep obstacle ridden track and find you are about to stall sticking your foot in usually makes matters worse with wheelspin, bucking and jumping all over the place. Which is hard on the driveline, but it seems from your comments that L/R have put a decent 1st gear in the new Defender.
I will have to try one out and also look into the Ford Transit semi-auto box as well, I have a Disco but I have always been a closet Defender nut, love 'em, Thanks for all of the replies, most appreciated, Regards Frank

Originally Posted by Tank

Some very interesting info, I have always found that 1st gear in nearly all 4WD's is too high and once in Low/Low if you run out of puff up a steep obstacle ridden track and find you are about to stall sticking your foot in usually makes matters worse with wheelspin, bucking and jumping all over the place. Which is hard on the driveline, but it seems from your comments that L/R have put a decent 1st gear in the new Defender.
I will have to try one out and also look into the Ford Transit semi-auto box as well, I have a Disco but I have always been a closet Defender nut, love 'em, Thanks for all of the replies, most appreciated, Regards Frank

I assure you the 1st gear in new model deefer is a beauty. Even in hi range off road it goes well but once it is in low range 1st it feels like you may as well be driving a tractor.

Xav