Land Rover Freelander Owners Handbook Lrl 18 02 50 501 Rover

Off-Road Driving
171
Steering
WARNING
DO NOT hold the steering wheel with your 
thumbs inside the rim - a sudden ‘Kick’ of the 
wheel as the vehicle negotiates a rut or 
boulder could seriously injure them. ALWAYS 
grip the wheel on the outside of the rim (as 
shown) when traversing uneven ground.
Survey the ground before driving
Before negotiating difficult terrain, it is wise to 
carry out a preliminary survey on foot. This will 
minimise the risk of your vehicle getting into 
difficulty through a...

Off-Road Driving
172
AFTER DRIVING OFF-ROAD SERVICING REQUIREMENTS
Vehicles operated in arduous conditions, 
particularly on dusty, muddy or wet terrain, and 
vehicles undergoing frequent or deep wading 
conditions will require more frequent servicing. 
See ‘OWNER MAINTENANCE’, page 182 and 
contact a Land Rover Retailer for advice.
After wading in salt water or driving on sandy 
beaches, use a hose to wash the underbody 
components and any exposed body panels with 
fresh water. This will help to protect...

Driving Techniques
173
Driving TechniquesDRIVING ON SOFT SURFACES & DRY 
SAND
The ideal technique for driving on soft sand 
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 (particularly on manual gearbox 
vehicles) should be avoided.
Select the highest suitable gear and REMAIN in 
that gear until a firm surface is reached.
Stopping the vehicle on soft...

Driving Techniques
174
CLIMBING STEEP SLOPES
ALWAYS follow the fall line of the slope - 
travelling diagonally could encourage the 
vehicle to slide broadside down the slope.
Select 1st gear (1 for automatic transmission) 
and engage hill descent control (HDC). 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...

Driving Techniques
175
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 engage first 
gear (1, for automatic transmission) and 
hill descent control (HDC).
•Unless it is necessary to stop the vehicle in 
order to negotiate obstructions, DO NOT 
touch the brake or clutch pedals (where 
applicable) during the descent - the engine 
and HDC will limit the speed, keeping the...

Driving Techniques
176
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
177
WADING
WARNING
The maximum advisable wading depth is 
16 inches (0,4 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 tailpipe.
If the depth of water is likely to exceed 
16 inches (0,4 m), the following precautions 
should be observed:
•Fix a...

178 

179
Owner Maintenance
Maintenance
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  181
OWNER MAINTENANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  182
SAFETY IN THE GARAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  183
EMISSION CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  184
ROAD TESTING DYNAMOMETERS
(rolling roads)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  184
Hood Opening
HOOD OPENING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  185
Engine Compartment
2.5 GASOLINE ENGINE  . . . . . ....

180
Battery
BATTERY SAFETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   200
BATTERY MAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   200
THE EFFECTS OF BATTERY DISCONNECTION  .   203
Tires
CARING FOR YOUR TIRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   204
SNOW CHAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   207
TIRE MARKINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   208
TIRE INFORMATION LABELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   210
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING . . . . . . . . .   212
PRODUCTION...