Thread: It's a great car, but there's a couple of things I resent!

I hear ya. There is a kind of patient, thinking-ahead driving style that you have to develop to get along well with the diesel start/stop and ZF 9-speed box. Most of the time I'm cool with that... sometimes really not.

The GPS speedo thing is complicated. I don't think it's as consistently accurate as we would like, and even if it's used to calibrate the mechanical speedo over a longer stretch it still has to err on the side of caution given that tyre pressures change – especially those of us who mess around with deflators and compressors for fun.

It would be great if some of the process could be handed over to the driver. Maybe a user-calibrated digital speedo option. I don't think it's likely to happen though.

Is there a small, 2nd battery for stop/start? The L494 has a small 2nd battery for its stop/start and disconnecting the earth lead from that battery disables stop/start.

Originally Posted by TB

I hear ya. There is a kind of patient, thinking-ahead driving style that you have to develop to get along well with the diesel start/stop and ZF 9-speed box. Most of the time I'm cool with that... sometimes really not.

The GPS speedo thing is complicated. I don't think it's as consistently accurate as we would like, and even if it's used to calibrate the mechanical speedo over a longer stretch it still has to err on the side of caution given that tyre pressures change – especially those of us who mess around with deflators and compressors for fun.

It would be great if some of the process could be handed over to the driver. Maybe a user-calibrated digital speedo option. I don't think it's likely to happen though.

I just switch the stop/ start off - if I remember! If I don't I grumble and then switch it off. We should have the option of having it switched off permanently.

My Disco 3 had an aftermarket GPS which showed the accurate speed on the GPS screen. That is entirely independent of tyre pressures. wear, etc. The GPS in the Disco Sport also has that function, but doesn't display it. That's the bit that annoys me - the info is there but someone has decided that we, the drivers, are not able to cope with that info and therefore deny us access to it.

Your D3 used to have a fantastic after market GPS showing the correct speed but it won't work any more!! Replacing the battery has somehow broken it.

I agree with your gripes but unless Graeme can invent a way to get over these annoyances we are stuck with them. As mentioned previously the car speedo also knows the correct speed but won't display it. That is even more annoying to me, especially in the D4. The inaccuracy is the same in my D4 and DS. Matt's D3 is accurate so the D4 and DS are a backward step.

The reason LR won't allow us to switch off start/stop permanently is that it's contribution is factored into the published fuel economy and emissions data for the car when operated under 'normal conditions', and therefore they could be accused of cheating if it could be permanently disabled by the owner. Yes I know we can switch it off every time we get in the car, but this is user intervention, not the 'normal' condition so it doesn't count.

And, I have to admit that although I hated it at first, mine stopped working for a couple of months and I did miss it. It's now returned after a trip to the dealer and I leave it switched on (ie. it switches off - if you see what I mean ) at all times except crawling along in traffic.

Can't you just not press the brake pedal quite as hard so the stop-start isn't triggered? Works in our Mazda.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Can't you just not press the brake pedal quite as hard so the stop-start isn't triggered? Works in our Mazda.

Yes, but it requires very light pressure to prevent start/stop activating in the DS, and often it's such a juggling act to apply enough pressure to stop but not enough to activate start/stop that it's easier just to reach over and press the button to turn start/stop off. Releasing the brake pedal enough so the engine starts but you don't actually move off is a bit easier to do, so I'll often do this to pre-start the engine if I want a quick getaway at a junction.

Originally Posted by Mamil

Releasing the brake pedal enough so the engine starts but you don't actually move off is a bit easier to do, so I'll often do this to pre-start the engine if I want a quick getaway at a junction.

This is the key. Get the torque converter spooled up and the gearbox ready for action just prior to the moment you need to move.