Advice on driving Landy in this weather

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nikkinoo

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what am I doing wrong driving my disco?

While driving down my yards steep driveway I had no breakes whatso ever (i was in 4 wheel drive), rather frightning as I was heading straight for a 40 foot drop luckily my breaks kicked in at the bottom as there was a wet bit that had washed away the snow.


I drove along the lane in 1st and 2nd and it felt much safer but the backend still started to go when I gently braked. I didnt attempt the drive today so parked at bottom and walked up,
I am lucky enough that I only live 2 mins along the lane so could walk but as I have to take my young son with me and I had a 4x4 thought I would be ok.

someone said that because I had only just got in the landy the tyres/brakes hadnt had time to warm up ??

any advice appreciated
 
Use the gears to slow you down as much as possible, so work your way down through them. Try not to use the brakes. If you brake, it could send you into a slide, then four wheel drive, or not, it's very difficult to gain control.
 
You cannot defeat the laws of physics. If its icy you are going to slide... 4x4 or no 4x4.

However if in doubt...Lock diff locks as well.
If you feel unsafe, take feet OFF pedals, allow the car to drive itself. (This is only recommended in slow speeds btw!!!) Give you an example (ok not weather related but...)- I was towing my pride and joy - horse not trailer - horse in trailer
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. I was going down a VERY steep hill off a mountain side. I had my FEET on the brake with all my strength but the trailer was pushing me down the hill faster than I was comfortable with and heading towards a sharp bend and sheer drop! Panic was about to set in when I remembered what I was taught off roading. WHen in doubt take feet OFF the pedals and let the car engine work FOR YOU. A voila, instant brakes!

Do not be tempted with revs. You will slick your tyres.
Keep hands soft on the steering wheel. The car can sort itself out.

Slow and steady is the key. This works for manual and automatic 4x4's Diesel and Petrol.

These cars are designed for extreme conditions. We just have to learn to have a little faith in the ability of the car and allow it to take the strain.

Hope this helps.
 
yeah that makes sense

how do I lock diffs?
what are they for and do?

sorry for being a dull lady 4x4 driver but I really want to know how to drive one properly if you know what I mean.
tried asking the guys at my garage and they were not really that helpfull,

Im a hands on, fingers in, like to have a drill or screwdriver im my hand sort of girl so like to know how all things work lol
 
Not sure if Disco had high and low box, but if you do, use low box on steep downhill bits, it will keep you slow and may help. Also, check your tyres, if the tread is getting low you will have less traction, and do you have road, off road or 50/50 tyres?
 
ahh right other gearstick as I call it has 4 wheel drive up where 1st would be (on normal gearstick)and high and low where 3rd 4th gear would be.

tyres normal tyres but was saying to other half maybe I needed a better tread on then,
 
you should be in 2nd gear in low range and use your engine to brake - do not touch your brakes as you will slide no matter how much tread you have on your tyres.

(from my OH who has spent many years in snow in the Scottish Highlands)
 
Ummmm. Ok. What model is it? 1,2 or 3? If it is the later model you wont have much physical control over your diffs. It'll be done thru the "settings" - "snow" etc. TBH as I said I haven't had a great deal to do with Disco's so cant tell you "where" everything is. (Just going on what I DO know about them and having a chat with my "anorak" OH)

If it is the older model Disco then you will have another smaller gear lever with something like 4wdl and 4wdh (high and low range) Your car will be in permanent 4wd anyway.

The debate is also that locking diffs would not help you on your average snowy / icy road. Perhaps in a snow drift and up to your butt in it. You would more likely damage your gears.
 
hi. Discos have permanent 4x4 drive. the stubby lever controls high/low ratio and locking the diffs. If you do have to use locked diffs remember to unlock them as soon as normal traction is available other wise you will do very expensive damage to the transmission!
 
Tyres tread will help but tbh unless you are completely crazy (as I had to be at one stage!) and are going across fields in all kinds of stupid and suicidal conditions you will be ok with a good pair of road tyres. I had BF goodridge A/Ts on my car at one point. They are fab and lasted (and expensive!) but I cannot justify them now as most of my driving is on the road these days.
 
thanks crazyfreisian,
its a 1997 p reg, with the other "gearstick" so I put that one up in to ahere 1st would be then a light came on similar to letter H, presumed this was the 4 wheel drive

it does have a high and low (where 3rd and 4th wld be on normal gearstick) I think it is in the high one to drive normally.
 
Will try to explain diffs (differential) to you!

Basically (roughly!!) power comes from the crank shaft to the axel which then turns the wheels at either end. The differential usually sits in the middle of the axel,and when unlocked allows power to both wheels on the axel, but will allow more to go to the wheel that has the least resistance underneath it - so, for example, if you put one wheel in mud, that wheel has less resistance for the wheel to grip onto, and so more power goes there and the wheel spins, while the wheel with more grip get less power and you can't get out.

If you lock the differential, then equal power will always go to each wheel, which often allows you to drive out of places where normally you would slip, as the wheel not in the mud can drive the car out.

However - you must not drive along normally with the diff locked - it is designed in principal to allow the outside wheel to scuff along when going around corners...if this didn't happen, then the axel would get wound up and eventually break (think about the difference in size between the circumference of a circle the inside wheel of a car would make compared to that of an outside wheel and you should get the concept - one is much smaller than the other). If you keep the diff locked on all the time, then you car's diff will pop (!)......it should only be put on when your wheels are slipping and preferably when you are driving in relatively straight lines...don't go round in tight circles with it on!!

Hope this helps!!

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If I remember correctly from my disco the stubby lever positions are:

1st = low ratio diffs locked
2nd = high ratio diffs locked
3rd = low ratio diffs unlocked
4th - high ratio diffs unlocked

unless offroading or towing a heavy load off a field 4th will do for 99% of the time if you have decent tyres.
 
im so glad i asked this question. clear as mud now lol.

No seriously I do understand. once it is explained, just blokes at garage prob think I wouldnt get it ! bet they just didnt know how to explain as well as you lot.
 
*Rolls eyes* Heehee. Know the type. Have had "those" convos before. The funniest being when I went to buy a 4x4 quad. Salesman said to me "Well I know you horsey women, so why would you want a quad that has 4wd? the 2wd will do you fine" LOL. Similar convo's bout my cars.

I just dont do the real "technical" detail. I let others with a better head for the techy stuff do that for me. NOW if you want to have a discussion on equine anatomy or behaviour...
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Blokes at garages want to start living in the real, new modern world!!

Loved it in the summer in the States when OH and I went to hire quads for a morning. The guy at the desk automatically assumed I just wanted to ride on the back with OH and was quickly corrected (I used to teach quads and off road driving). Was made to eat his words even more when the quad broke down out in the middle of nowhere and I was able to fix it as it was the same model as ones we used to use. Was able to tell him what the problem was when we got back, for him to fix properly and to his credit, he did blush slightly!!

I like to know how things work and tick too, whether they be cars, horses or people!!
 
If its sheet ice no 4X4 will do you any good, you can't change science...
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But like others have said, decent tyres help...
 
Might be worth getting yourself a set of winter tyres with a suitable tread for the worst months or even snow tyres.

Chains generally aren't much use in the uk as the snow is rarely consistently deep enough and you just end up damaging the road.

Would also be worth taking a short course in skid control and/or off roading. I did a skid course years a go and it was super, I learnt so much and it made me so much happier driving on snow and ice. It was a couple of hours at our local racetrack and we drove a special skid car - brilliant fun too - it was a birthday present!

It would be worth keeping a shovel and a bag of grit in the car too during snow and ice conditions if you are on country roads a lot. Means that you can always stop and dig yourself out or lay some grit if it gets scary.

And keep off the breaks! You need to slow with gears as much as possible.
 
sorry but i'm going to be really flippen - diff lock and floor in jezza fashion
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but proper advise:

diff lock on,
drive smoothy,
use you engine to do most braking

and PLAN well ahead and you shouldn't get stuck - i wish i hadn't sold my landie, v lucky to have 4x4
 
spend the day off roading with someone who knows what they are doing...loads of fun and you'll be surprised what a standard disco can do! they will teach you how to go up/down ridiculously steep slopes and how to save it when goes wrong!
 
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