Land Rover Discovery Series Ii 04my Owners Handbook Nas Rover

Off-Road Driving
160
Loss of traction
If the vehicle is immobilised due to loss of tire 
grip, the following hints could be of value:
•Avoid prolonged wheel spin; this will only 
make matters worse.
•Remove obstacles rather than forcing the 
vehicle to cross them.
•Clear clogged tire treads.
•Reverse as far as possible, then attempt an 
increased speed approach - additional 
momentum may overcome the obstacle.
•Brushwood, sacking or any similar material 
placed in front of the tires may improve tire...

Driving Techniques
161
Driving TechniquesDRIVING ON SOFT SURFACES & DRY 
SAND
The ideal technique for driving on soft surfaces 
(dry sand for example) requires the vehicle to 
be kept moving at all times - soft sand causes 
excessive drag on the wheels resulting in a 
rapid loss of motion once driving momentum is 
lost. For this reason, gear changing should be 
avoided.
•Engage the diff lock
*.
•Select the highest suitable gear and 
REMAIN in that gear until a firm surface is 
reached. It is generally...

Driving Techniques
162
CLIMBING STEEP SLOPES
Engage the diff lock* and ALWAYS follow the 
fall line of the slope - travelling diagonally could 
cause the vehicle to slide broadside down the 
slope.
Steep climbs will usually require the LOW gear 
range. If the surface is loose or slippery, use 
sufficient speed in the highest practical gear to 
take advantage of your vehicles momentum. 
However, too high a speed over a bumpy 
surface may result in a wheel lifting, causing the 
vehicle to lose traction. In...

Driving Techniques
163
DESCENDING STEEP SLOPES
WARNING
Failure to follow these instructions may cause 
the vehicle to roll over.
•Stop the vehicle at least a vehicle length 
before the start of the slope and apply the 
parking brake. Engage first gear (‘1’) LOW 
range and hill descent control.
•Unless it is necessary to stop the vehicle in 
order to negotiate obstructions, DO NOT 
touch the brake during the descent - the 
engine and HDC will limit the speed, keeping 
the vehicle under control provided...

Driving Techniques
164
NEGOTIATING A ‘V’ SHAPED GULLY
Observe extreme caution! Steering up either of 
the gully walls could cause the side of the 
vehicle to be trapped against the opposite gully 
wall.
DRIVING IN EXISTING WHEEL TRACKS
As far as possible allow the vehicle to steer 
itself along the bottom of the ruts. However, 
always keep a light hold of the steering wheel to 
prevent it from spinning free.
Particularly in wet conditions, if the steering 
wheel is allowed to spin free, the vehicle may...

Driving Techniques
165
CROSSING A DITCH
With the diff lock* engaged, cross ditches at an 
angle so that three wheels always maintain 
contact with the ground. If a ditch is 
approached head on, both front wheels will 
drop into the ditch together, possibly resulting 
in the chassis and front bumper being trapped 
on opposite sides of the ditch. On vehicles 
equipped with self-levelling suspension, and if 
the severity of terrain makes this inevitable, 
manually operating the self-levelling 
suspension to...

Driving Techniques
166
WADING
WARNING
The maximum advisable wading depth is 
20 inches (0.5 m).
Severe electrical damage may occur if the 
vehicle remains stationary for any length of 
time when the water level is above the door 
sills.
Severe damage to the catalytic converter 
could occur if the engine is stopped for any 
length of time when the water level is above 
the exhaust tail pipe.
If the depth of water is likely to exceed 20 
inches (0.5 m), the following precautions 
should be observed:
•Fix a...

167
On-Road Driving
On-Road Driving
INSTRUMENTS AND WARNING LIGHTS . . . . . .  169
POWER ASSISTED STEERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  169
WARMING UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  169
VEHICLE HEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  169
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  170
FUEL ECONOMY  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  171
BREAKDOWN SAFETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  171 

168 

On-Road Driving
169
On-Road Driving
O n- Road  Dr iv in gINSTRUMENTS AND WARNING LIGHTS
Before driving it is important to fully 
understand the function of the instruments and 
warning lights (see ‘INSTRUMENT PANEL’, 
page 65).
NOTE: Red warning lights are of particular 
importance, illumination indicating that a fault 
exists. If a red light illuminates, always stop the 
vehicle and seek qualified assistance before 
continuing.
POWER ASSISTED STEERING
The hydraulic power-assisted steering is...