Multiple warning lights - on D4's Fraser Island debut

Holding onto gears, while it will rev harder isn't stressing the engine to much, it also helps keep it cool as the extra revs move more oil through the box for cooling and lubrication, your engine also is more effective at cooling with the higher rpm range.
The big advantage of the higher revs is it allows for "torque droop" so when you hit something soft the engine will fall into its power range and keep driving without the need for a shift and effectivity bog the vehicle.
When I'm on sand I just leave it in low range, but like you when I get on a stretch I bump it up a couple to save fuel. As soon as I see something that may slow me down I slide it back to Auto and let it make it's choices.

Mate, I've gone days on end staying in low range. Never be afraid to use it. It's arguably your biggest advantage over the soft-roaders. You're not stressing things more in low-range, in fact you are doing the complete opposite!

Something to remember, low-range isn't just for charging through mud or rock crawling. It's a torque multiplier that you should use whenever you need more torque and/or more control. Plenty of people chuck it into low-range to reverse their boat/trailer/caravan into a steep, tight spot.

As for it reving a bit higher in sand mode due to holding gears, nothing really wrong with that. Don't go sitting it on the redline the whole day (unless you like buying diesel?), but sitting higher in the rev range is fine. As Josh said, it can help keep you in the sweet spot when you hit something a little softer. If it's staying fairly consistent for a while, change it up.

Remember, the vehicle can't see what it's going to drive on, it's best guess from what it's currently doing. Sometimes you have to give it a helping hand. Pretty intelligent things these D3/4's, but they still need a driver. :)

All of that said, the best advice I can give... Keep wheeling, learning and enjoying that Disco, you'll have the time of your life!

And there were mutterings on here a while ago that an Amarock with an extra low first gear in the 8 speed auto will negate the need for a two speed TC.
Biggest load of garbage i have ever heard.

The short run to our carport,off the side of our main driveway is very steep.
I usually use low range to reverse the car up it,particularly on cold start.
Does it so much easier.

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Originally Posted by chrisevz1337

Thanks Chris/all.

Can I ask, for longer softer sand stretches, would you often sit in low range - but perhaps higher gears (3/4?) when doing 40kms on tracks etc?

Chris

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I normally keep it in low range for all of the inland stuff at Fraser. I rarely used Sand Mode except for the entrances/exits of the beach where it is quite soft. I've found that Mud/Ruts is a good compromise between highway mode and sand mode when driving on sandy tracks at 30-50kph. Much smoother than sitting there at 3500RPM all day on a flat, hard section of the track.

With an auto labouring the engine bumps up the egts real fast. Its a disadvantage to a manual where you can shift down a gear to raise revs which drops egts straight away. However with an 8 speed you are better off cause it will shift to a lower gear sooner than say a 5 speed which will hold onto the gear longer and raise egts fast.

Labouring and engine eg high range on sand and manual shifting the auto to drop revs is just wrong..it may save fuel but will wreck an engine and g box fast.

No one suggested running in high-range and labouring the engine... Only that it's acceptable to knock it up a gear two to get the revs down to ~2000RPM - 2500RPM instead of sitting at 4000RPM when you are on reasonably hard, consistent sand.

Labouring an engine with an auto is no different to labouring an engine with a manual.

As for a manual being better than an auto because you can change gears... I'm not sure I understand the logic there. If you are still living in a world where manually shifty an auto will break the gearbox (this is at best misleading, at worse a complete lie) then you need to come into the present where manually shifting a modern auto is not only perfectly safe, but also encouraged in certain scenarios.

I am a lover of manual gearboxes. I enjoy driving with them in most cases. That being said, I'm never going to claim that they are superior to an auto in most off-road situations, because in this era it just isn't true.

I would definitely replace the brake light switch at that age & kms just as a preventative measure.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c00c7a7d5c.jpg

I was in the Ledge Point and Lancelin dunes yesterday just after super heavy rainfall. Tyres at 22psi and soon found that the top wet layer filled the tread like mud and below that was soft dry powder. Double trouble.

Drove too slowly into a soft trap and sunk thinking it would be hard like a highway after rain. A quick dig and rock crawl got me out and I stayed in low range after that taking a bit more attention. All easy again.

After conquering a peak or tough section at high load high rpms I always leave the engine running and never shut down when exiting to check the view. You can smell the car is so roasting hot even after a quick burst although the temp never shifts off the middle. That turbo/s will be red hot.

The fact that all the lights etc went away after switching off indicates was nothing really to worry about - communications failure and then cascading faults - unless something consistently comes back then just move on and put this down to experience.

Garry

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Originally Posted by scarry

Correct,just edited my post.
I know,with a D4,anything is 'possible'[bighmmm]

FWIW,i have used high range at times in very soft sand,with no issues at all,particularly where a lot of speed and momentum is needed.

But in the slower soft stuff,its low only.

In the D2 it was not uncommon to see the auto overheat warning light come on in very hot weather,soft sand,and low range.

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Just my experience. Getting on to the beach and to the hard stuff can be a lot easier than getting from the hard stuff to off the beach, as it’s a little up hill.

I’ve managed to get away with both in high range in the tdv8 L322, but low range getting off the breach is a good idea.

Suggest you pick a sweet spot in the revs and use the gears to keep the engine around those revs. Low range is there to be used.
If you think it's getting too hot, find a firm patch, stop and let it idle for a few minutes to cool down.
Try to stay in firm wheel tracks and avoid soft sand. Had you lowered your tyre pressures?