Thread: Brake Light Switch Replacement D4

Very interesting thread guys. My MY12 D4 2.7 has been experiencing what I call 'power fade' on hill climbs. You start up a steep track and want to keep the revs up but appox 100m or less the engine starts losing power. Very disconcerting, so you apply more right boot and more right boot and still the thing slows down. So in desperation you jam the peddle to the floor and she starts to gain revs again slowly and you claw your way back up the hill. Till the next 100m... Took it to the LR guys on a number of occasions grumbling that this shouldn't happen but even after service with a mooted 'software upgrade' (apparently), it still happens a bit - but not as much as at first. The LR diagnostic found nothing wrong and it was suggested to me I had not selected the right off-road setting (as I am new to the joys of LR so I thought maybe it was 'operator error' and not the vehicle). An alternative excuse by LR was to blame the electric trailer brakes (even tho fitted from new by LR dealer) and I have since had the diode feedback thing retro fitted to eliminate that excuse. Maybe this brake light switch issue has something to do with the apparent loss of power i.e. the brakes are being applied by the LR magic black box which slows down one's upward progress when on an incline? This happens with or without HDC on and on Mud/ruts and Rock settings. Has anyone else experienced something like this and if so, what did you do to fix it? Thanx.

Sounds like you're triggering the DSC by planting your foot? Try easing off the throttle when it first starts to lose revs and then gently feed the throttle in (and make sure DSC is off).

Cheers,

Gordon

Mine often does it in sand even with the traction control off. We had it reduce its power on us a couple of times in sand over the weekend so not related to the brake switch. Once trying to climb a steep sand hill for fun and a couple in soft sand where we needed more power and the car didn't like it until it decided that we really did need more power and it gave the power back!

I'm doing Gordon's course in a couple of weeks so hopefully I will find out then how to get the best out of the car in sand and what to do to stop the car reducing power just when we need more power.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobD

Mine often does it in sand even with the traction control off. We had it reduce its power on us a couple of times in sand over the weekend so not related to the brake switch. Once trying to climb a steep sand hill for fun and a couple in soft sand where we needed more power and the car didn't like it until it decided that we really did need more power and it gave the power back!

I'm doing Gordon's course in a couple of weeks so hopefully I will find out then how to get the best out of the car in sand and what to do to stop the car reducing power just when we need more power.

Bob

The only way I got around this on the calcup dunes down south, was low range, dsc off, sand mode.....I could not get over the tallest dune without this setting. I almost decided to take the D4 down for a swim.....my old patrol never had a problem with these dunes, and had much less power. Dsc came on whenever power was needed....and always at the wrong time, even though dsc was turned off.

Brett....

Originally Posted by Dfourfun

Very interesting thread guys. My MY12 D4 2.7 has been experiencing what I call 'power fade' on hill climbs. You start up a steep track and want to keep the revs up but appox 100m or less the engine starts losing power. Very disconcerting, so you apply more right boot and more right boot and still the thing slows down. So in desperation you jam the peddle to the floor and she starts to gain revs again slowly and you claw your way back up the hill. Till the next 100m... Took it to the LR guys on a number of occasions grumbling that this shouldn't happen but even after service with a mooted 'software upgrade' (apparently), it still happens a bit - but not as much as at first. The LR diagnostic found nothing wrong and it was suggested to me I had not selected the right off-road setting (as I am new to the joys of LR so I thought maybe it was 'operator error' and not the vehicle). An alternative excuse by LR was to blame the electric trailer brakes (even tho fitted from new by LR dealer) and I have since had the diode feedback thing retro fitted to eliminate that excuse. Maybe this brake light switch issue has something to do with the apparent loss of power i.e. the brakes are being applied by the LR magic black box which slows down one's upward progress when on an incline? This happens with or without HDC on and on Mud/ruts and Rock settings. Has anyone else experienced something like this and if so, what did you do to fix it? Thanx.

Hey Dfourfun,
What gear are you doing your hill climb in out of curiosity?

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

I have been using low range, HDC off and (usually) in Mud/Ruts version but have left the gear choice to the auto (thought the gear box would be smarter than me trying to pick the gear, then again, maybe not). I note some guys are finding the same thing, maybe I should try the Sand selection?

[QUOTE=gghaggis;1701090]Sounds like you're triggering the DSC by planting your foot? Try easing off the throttle when it first starts to lose revs and then gently feed the throttle in (and make sure DSC is off).


Thanx Gordon, tho easing off the throttle sounds counter-intuitive when you actually want more revs not less. I only plant the foot hard when after trying to gently coax more revs from the engine without the desired result. I originally thought it was an engine issue - even in a LR more gas should = more revs. Not sure I'm following your logic of easing off the gas...

Originally Posted by discotwinturbo

The only way I got around this on the calcup dunes down south, was low range, dsc off, sand mode.....I could not get over the tallest dune without this setting. I almost decided to take the D4 down for a swim.....my old patrol never had a problem with these dunes, and had much less power. Dsc came on whenever power was needed....and always at the wrong time, even though dsc was turned off.

Brett....

Brett, I always drive in low range, DSC off and sand mode unless I get stuck, at which time I go slow in Rock Crawl with DSC off and low range. I usually leave the trans in auto but I notice that there is less cutting of power if you select a gear first.

Bob