Thread: Sand driving in a D3, what am I doing wrong?

Far out! This thread is very intimidating! We are supposed to be going sand-driving next weekend for the first time ever. How on earth are we going to remember all of this? You guys have me very scared now!

Will have to print this thread and take it with me .

Sand driving is not that hard in a D3. Sand mode, DSC off, air down to 20psi, often using manual command shift rather than auto. Take a spade, flat plate for the jack and use controlled momentum to get up over the dunes. A set of Maxtrax is no bad investment either.

I also agree Defenders are better than D3s on sand as they are lighter and you can get the tyres down further, easily 15psi with no drama. D4 owners with 19" rims...good luck in the really soft stuff. You'll need all your 180kw of power ;-)

Originally Posted by Hastykiwi

One thing that did seem to work for a friend in a D2 with standard size AT's on was when he tried to get going again, a small amount of throttle got him moving ever so slowly, but as soon as he floored it, it just dug in. So 1st low, and just crawled feathering the throttle until momentum gradually built to the point where he could get back on top of the sand.

cheers
Nick

Do that in the county, low low and just idle out.

There is a BW ww2 movie where they take an ambulance though the desert. to get up a large sand dune they took the plugs out and wound her up on the starter crank. Tried that when i was a kid on a s2 hard work but it works.

i always take a bucket, 20 liters in front of each front wheel can do wonders

That low-low technique can and does work for all vehicles.

Take a bucket for 20l? Just empty a passenger or two in front of the tyres ;-)

Originally Posted by FifiLámour

Far out! This thread is very intimidating! We are supposed to be going sand-driving next weekend for the first time ever. How on earth are we going to remember all of this? You guys have me very scared now!

Will have to print this thread and take it with me .

Fifi, the main thing you have to remember in the D3 is to turn off the DSC and keep it OFF when on sand. Every time you turn off the car or twist the TR knob it will reset back to ON.

OK, stopped hyperventilating now. The paper bag and your posts have helped. Thanks boys (where is that *hugs* emoticon?).

Edited to add: That was MobyDisco I was talking about *snicker*.

The BW WW2 movie with the low low range crankhandle was "Ice Cold in Alex"
with John Mills.. One of my favourite movies. Have look if you can find it. I think the ambulance was a Humber 4wd truck but not sure. I'm sure it was petrol.
Be hard to to crank a diesel wouldn't it?

Hi There Fifi,
The object wasn't intimidation, this was my first trip out on soft sand with my D3, usually going from vehicle to vehicle in the past has been relativly straight forward swap, taking the D3 out was different. You have some of the decisions you usually make taken away be a computer.
My biggest issue was the engine dying when I wanted it to go, had the engine surged into action I could well have got out of the predicament I was heading into. What I suspect may of happed when things started to go wrong I think I pressed the reversing sensor switch than the DSC button, had I checked that I had switched the DSC switch things migt well have been different.
The manual gear selection option wasn't something I considered at the time, in future I will. I was with a group, I'd let my tyres down, maybe in hindsight and experience of others not far enough. I'd only had the tyres on a couple of days I didn't want to let them down to far for fear of turning them off the rims, they tend to come off easier when they are new or have been recently repaired. Staun beadlockers are an option here, not sure about this one but they are an option.
So make sure your got a snatch strap, access to your recovery points, if you have a front bull bar this is easy the attachment point is a tad more hidden with a standard bumper bar.
I'm sure you'll have a great time the vehicle is awesome, an electronic marvel. Just get out there and enjoy yourself, once you've done it thats experience and that's invaluable. Enjoy