Land Rover Freelander Owners Handbook Lrl 18 02 50 501 Rover

							Automatic Transmission
121
Automatic TransmissionCommandShift® TRANSMISSION
The transmission provides both automatic and 
manual operation of the gears.
Automatic operation
The transmission is naturally in automatic 
mode. With the engine started, gear selection 
can be made by moving the selector backward 
or forward to the appropriate position in a 
similar manner to other automatic 
transmissions.
GEAR SELECTOR LEVER
Selector release button
The transmission is fitted with a locking 
mechanism, designed to minimise the risk of 
accidental selection of the P (Park) and R 
(Reverse) positions.
The selector release button (arrowed in 
illustration) must be pressed while selecting R 
from P, and also to enable the lever to be 
moved between the N and R positions.
The selector release button must also be 
pressed when selecting 2.
NOTE: With the engine running, or the ignition 
switch in position II, the selector lever cannot 
be moved from ‘P’ (Park) into a drive position 
unless the foot brake is applied.
WARNING
DO NOT select ‘P’ or ‘R’ if the vehicle is 
moving.
DO NOT select a forward drive gear when the 
vehicle is moving backwards.
To prevent transmission wear, keep engine 
speed as low as possible when moving the 
selector between ‘R’ and a forward gear.
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							Automatic Transmission
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Selector lever positions
An indicator light on the selector panel and a 
number or letter on the digital display in the 
instrument panel, identify the selected gear 
position.
‘P’ - Park: 
This position mechanically locks the 
transmission and should be selected before 
switching the engine off. To avoid transmission 
damage, ensure the vehicle is completely 
stationary, with the Parking brake applied, 
before selecting P.
The selector release button MUST be pressed, 
in order to move the selector lever into, or out 
of, the Park position.
‘R’ - Reverse:
Before selecting reverse, ensure the vehicle is 
stationary, with the brakes applied. Press the 
selector release button in order to move the 
selector lever into Reverse.
With the selector lever in the R position, Hill 
Descent Control can be selected (see ‘HILL 
DESCENT CONTROL’, page 126).
‘N’ - Neutral:
Select neutral when the vehicle is stationary 
and the engine is required to idle for a brief 
period (at traffic lights, for example). In neutral, 
the transmission is not locked, so the Parking 
brake must be applied whenever N is selected.
Press the selector release button to move from 
neutral to reverse.
‘D’ - Drive:
Select for all normal driving; full automatic gear 
changing occurs on all five forward gears, 
according to road speed and accelerator 
position.
‘4’ (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears):
Automatic gear changing is limited to the lower 
four gears only; use this position for town 
driving and on winding country roads.‘2’ (1st and 2nd gears):
Automatic gear changing is limited to the first 
and second gears only; use when driving up 
steep gradients, for negotiating very narrow 
twisting roads and for most Off-road driving. 
This position also provides moderate engine 
braking when descending slopes.
The selector release button MUST be pressed in 
order to move the selector lever into, or out of, 
position 2.
‘1’ (1st gear only):
Use on very severe gradients. With the selector 
in this position, Hill Descent Control can be 
selected (see ‘HILL DESCENT CONTROL’, 
page 126). 
						

							Automatic Transmission
123
Sport mode
In Sport mode, full automatic progression 
through the gear ratios is retained. By selecting 
Sport mode however, the power transmitted to 
the road wheels is increased, resulting in 
improved acceleration. Engine revs are higher 
in all driving conditions, making the vehicle 
more responsive to driver commands.
To select Sport mode, move the gear lever 
sideways across the gate, from the D (Drive) 
position towards the right hand side of the 
vehicle. The word SPORT will appear in the 
digital display and an indicator light on the 
selector panel will confirm the selected mode 
as S/M.
Sport mode can be deselected at any time, by 
returning the lever to the D position.Manual gear selection
There are five predetermined gear ratios, all of 
which can be selected sequentially by a single 
forward or rearward movement of the gear 
selector lever, as follows:
1.With D (Drive) selected, move the gear 
selector lever sideways from the D 
position towards the right hand side of the 
vehicle (this is the same as selecting Sport 
mode). The transmission will remain in 
Sport mode until the gear selector is 
moved forward or back (see 3 below).
2.The transmission then automatically 
selects the ratio most appropriate to the 
vehicles road speed and accelerator 
depression.
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3.A single forward movement of the selector 
lever will change the transmission to a 
higher gear, while rearward movement of 
the lever will change down to a lower gear. 
Repeated forward or rearward movements 
of the lever can be made until the desired 
gear ratio has been selected (the selected 
gear will be indicated in the digital display 
in the instrument panel).
4.To deselect manual mode, simply move 
the selector lever sideways, back to the D 
position. Automatic gear changing will 
then resume.
NOTE: When coming to a halt with manual 
selected, the vehicle will remain in 2nd gear. 
When starting again, ‘kick down’ can be used to 
select 1st gear if necessary.USING AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The following information is particularly 
important for drivers who are unfamiliar with 
the techniques required to drive vehicles with 
automatic transmission.
Starting
The engine can only be started with the selector 
lever in the P (Park) or N (Neutral) positions.
•ALWAYS apply the Parking brake and foot 
brake before starting the engine.
•KEEP THE BRAKES APPLIED while moving 
the selector lever into a drive position (the 
selector lever cannot be moved from the P 
position unless the foot brake is applied).
•DO NOT rev the engine or allow it to run 
above normal idle speed while selecting D 
or R, or while the vehicle is stationary with 
any gear selected.
•ALWAYS keep the brakes applied until you 
are ready to move off - remember, once a 
drive gear has been selected, an automatic 
will tend to creep forward (or backward if 
reverse is selected).
•DO NOT allow the vehicle to remain 
stationary for any length of time with a drive 
gear selected and the engine running 
(always select N if the engine is to idle for 
a prolonged period).
NOTE: The starter key cannot be removed 
unless the gear selector lever is in ‘P’ (Park).
WARNING
Vehicles fitted with automatic transmission 
CANNOT be ‘push’ or ‘tow’ started. 
						

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Driving
When driving, the transmission will 
automatically adjust to the most appropriate 
ratio, according to accelerator position, vehicle 
speed and terrain (whether the vehicle is 
driving uphill, downhill or on the flat).
Gear change speeds
With D selected, the road speeds at which gear 
changes take place will vary according to the 
position of the accelerator pedal: minimum 
acceleration will result in gear changes at low 
road speeds, while larger throttle openings will 
cause the transmission to delay gear changes 
until faster road speeds have been reached 
(thereby increasing the rate of acceleration).
With practice, gear changes can be made to 
occur at a wide range of road speeds depending 
on the accelerator position.
‘Kick-down’
To provide rapid acceleration for overtaking, 
push the accelerator pedal to the full extent of 
its travel in a single, quick movement (this is 
known as kick-down). Up to a certain speed, 
this will cause an immediate downshift to the 
lowest appropriate gear, followed by rapid 
acceleration. Once the pedal is relaxed, normal 
gear change speeds will resume (dependent 
upon road speed and accelerator pedal 
position).
If the accelerator pedal is pushed down to its 
full extent and then immediately released, 
unlike most automatic vehicles, the 
transmission will not automatically select the 
highest suitable gear ratio. Instead, the 
transmission will maintain the current gear 
ratio, to enable engine braking. This function is 
especially useful when an overtaking 
manoeuvre is aborted, enabling the driver to 
retake the vehicles previous road position and 
avoid colliding with the vehicle in front.Parking
After bringing the vehicle to a stop, ALWAYS 
fully apply the Parking brake and select P, 
before releasing the foot brake and switching 
off the engine.
AUTOMATICALLY SELECTED MODES
The transmission control system automatically 
selects different gear change modes, listed 
below, designed to suit a variety of driving 
conditions.
 NOTE: Automatically selected modes cannot be 
manually selected by the driver and will not 
operate if ‘Sport’ mode is selected.
Hill ascent, trailer and high altitude mode
A suitable gear change pattern is selected to 
counter momentum loss, caused by the more 
frequent gear changing which can occur when 
climbing hills, or when towing a trailer or 
caravan. This gear change pattern is also 
selected at high altitudes to combat low engine 
torque.
Cruise control mode
When cruise control is activated, a suitable gear 
change pattern is selected which is less 
sensitive to throttle changes. This reduces the 
amount and frequency of gear changes, 
providing a smoother ride.
High coolant temperature mode
In high ambient temperatures during extreme 
load conditions, it is possible for the engine and 
the transmission to overheat. At a certain 
temperature the transmission will select a gear 
change pattern designed to aid the cooling 
process, whilst enabling the transmission to 
continue performing normally in high 
temperatures. 
						

							Hill Descent Control
126
Hill Des cen t C ontrolHILL DESCENT CONTROL
Hill Descent Control (HDC) is of particular value 
when driving off road, and operates in 
conjunction with the anti-lock braking system 
to provide greater control in off-road situations, 
when descending severe gradients.
Selecting HDC 
HDC can be selected with the vehicle in any 
gear, but will only operate once 1st or reverse 
R gears are engaged.
NOTE: Reverse gear should only be selected 
when the vehicle is stationary.
With HDC selected, if 1st or reverse gear have 
been engaged, the HDC information light 
(GREEN) in the instrument panel will illuminate 
continuously (if 1st or reverse gear have not 
been selected, the information light will flash).
To select, press the HDC button, situated to the 
rear of the gear selector lever.
Deselecting HDC
Press the HDC button.Hill descent control in action
During a descent, if engine braking is 
insufficient to control the vehicle speed, HDC (if 
selected) automatically operates the brakes to 
slow the vehicle and maintain a speed relative 
to the accelerator pedal position.
When driving off-road, HDC can be 
permanently selected, to ensure that control is 
maintained whenever positions 1 or R are 
selected. ABS and traction control are still fully 
operational and will assist if the need arises.
NOTE: HDC can be left selected while off-road 
driving, the system will only operate when 
needed and gear changes can be carried out in 
the normal way.
If the brake pedal is depressed when HDC is 
active, HDC is overridden and the brakes will 
perform as normal (a pulsation might be felt 
through the brake pedal). If the brake pedal is 
then released, HDC, if necessary, will 
recommence operating.
In extreme circumstances, the HDC system 
may cause brake temperatures to exceed their 
pre-set limits. If this occurs, the information 
warning light will extinguish and the HDC 
‘failure warning light (AMBER) will start to 
flash. You should stop the vehicle and 
disengage HDC. If HDC remains operating and 
the brake temperature continues to rise the 
HDC system will gradually fade out and the 
failure warning light will continue to flash until 
the brakes have cooled. 
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							Hill Descent Control
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HDC fade-out
HDC fade-out gradually decreases the HDC 
brake intervention with the effect that the rate of 
hill descent will increase. If this occurs either 
one of the two HDC warning lights will flash for 
the period that HDC takes to fade. HDC will be 
disabled completely once the descent is 
complete.
If required (e.g. the angle of the descent levels 
out significantly), fade-out may be achieved 
deliberately by deselecting HDC while the 
system is operating or by changing out of the 
appropriate operating gear, in which case the 
green information light will flash.
If a fault with the HDC system is detected, or if 
the braking system reaches a pre-set 
temperature due to extreme conditions, HDC 
will automatically fade out (amber failure light 
flashes).HDC warning lights
HDC information light - GREEN:
The light illuminates briefly as a 
bulb check when the ignition switch 
is turned to position II. If HDC is selected 
when either of the operating gears is engaged, 
the light will illuminate continuously. When 
HDC is selected and a non-operating gear is 
engaged, the light will flash to inform the driver 
that HDC is selected, but not operating. The 
light will also flash to indicate that HDC is fading 
out.
HDC ‘failure’ light - AMBER:
The light illuminates briefly as a 
bulb check when the ignition switch 
is turned to position II. The light will start 
flashing if the brakes become in danger of 
overheating and continue flashing until the 
brakes have cooled sufficiently for HDC to 
operate again.
If the light illuminates at any other time, a fault 
in the system is indicated. If this occurs, 
deselect HDC and consult your Land Rover 
dealer. 
						

							Cruise Control
128
Cruise  Co ntrolCRUISE CONTROL
Cruise control enables the driver to maintain a 
constant road speed without using the 
accelerator pedal. This is particularly useful for 
motorway cruising or for any journey where a 
constant speed can be maintained for a lengthy 
period.
The cruise control system has three switches; a 
master switch on the left side of the instrument 
binnacle and two control switches marked SET 
+ and RES mounted on the steering wheel.
WARNING
DO NOT rest your foot under the accelerator 
pedal while cruise control is engaged - your 
foot could be trapped.
H5123
IMPORTANT
Always observe the following precautions:
•DO NOT use cruise control when using 
reverse gear (R for automatic 
transmission).
•DO NOT use cruise control on winding 
or slippery road surfaces, or in traffic 
conditions where a constant speed 
cannot easily be maintained.
•Use of sport mode on automatic 
transmission vehicles is not 
recommended when cruise control is 
selected.
•ALWAYS switch off the master switch 
when you no longer intend to use 
cruise control.
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							Cruise Control
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To operate:
1.Press the master switch (the switch 
indicator light and the warning light in the 
instrument panel illuminate whenever the 
switch is pressed to the on position).
2.Accelerate until the desired cruising speed 
is reached. This must be above the 
systems operational minimum speed of 
45 km/h.
3.Press the SET + switch to set the vehicle 
speed in the systems memory. Cruise 
control will now maintain that road speed 
without the need for operation of the 
accelerator pedal.
With cruise control operating, speed can be 
increased, by normal use of the accelerator, 
when overtaking for example. When the 
accelerator is released, road speed will return to 
the selected cruising speed. On diesel engine 
vehicles, cruise control will be disengaged if the 
accelerator is used for longer than 30 seconds 
- press RES to re-engage.
NOTE: If the 30 second period is exceeded, 
cruise control will automatically disengage. 
Press the RES switch to re-engage.
To reduce the cruising speed: 
Press the RES switch to slow the vehicle, until 
the required speed has been reached. Then 
press the SET + switch to establish the new 
cruising speed (remember that cruise control 
will not operate at speeds below 28 mph 
(45 km/h).
To increase the set cruising speed:
Press and hold the SET + switch - the vehicle 
will accelerate automatically. Release the 
switch as soon as the desired speed has been 
reached.
Alternatively, the set speed can be increased 
incrementally by tapping the SET + switch. 
Each press of the switch will increase the speed 
by approximately 1 mph (1.5 km/h).Disengaging cruise control
On automatic gearbox vehicles, cruise control 
will disengage when the gear selector is moved 
into neutral, or when the brake pedal is pressed. 
Cruise control can also be disengaged by 
pressing the RES switch.
To re-engage cruise control at the previously 
set speed, press the RES switch.
NOTE: The speed held in the cruise control 
memory will be cancelled when either the 
cruise control master switch or the ignition 
switch is turned off. 
						

							Brakes
130
Brak esFOOT BRAKE
For your safety, the hydraulic braking system 
operates through dual circuits. However, in the 
event of a brake failure where only one circuit is 
operational, the vehicle should only be driven at 
slow speed to the nearest Land Rover dealer. In 
these circumstances, exercise EXTREME 
CAUTION and be aware that much greater pedal 
effort and longer stopping distances will be 
required.
Servo assistance
The braking system is servo assisted, but ONLY 
when the engine is running. Without this 
assistance greater braking effort is necessary to 
safely control the vehicle, resulting in longer 
stopping distances. Always observe the 
following precautions:
•NEVER allow the vehicle to freewheel with 
the engine turned off.
•ALWAYS take particular care when being 
towed with the engine turned off.
•If the engine should stop for any reason 
while the vehicle is in motion, bring the 
vehicle to a halt as quickly as traffic 
conditions safely allow, and DO NOT pump 
the brake pedal as the braking system may 
lose any remaining assistance available.
Brake pads
Brake pads and linings require a period of 
bedding in. For the first 186 miles (300 km), 
you should avoid situations where heavy 
braking is required.
Remember that regular servicing is vital to 
ensure that the brake components are 
examined for wear at the correct intervals and 
changed whenever necessary to ensure long 
term safety and optimum performance.WARNING
DO NOT rest your foot on the brake pedal 
while travelling as this may overheat the 
brakes, reduce their efficiency and cause 
excessive wear.
NEVER place non-approved floor matting or 
any other obstructions under the brake pedal. 
This restricts pedal travel and braking 
efficiency.
NEVER move a vehicle without the engine 
running because braking assistance will not 
be available. The pedal brakes will still 
function, but more pressure will be required 
to operate them.
If the brake warning light should illuminate 
while the vehicle is in motion, bring the 
vehicle to a halt as quickly as traffic 
conditions and safety permit and seek 
qualified assistance before continuing. 
DO NOT pump the brake pedal - the braking 
system may lose any remaining servo 
assistance available.
Brake warning light
If the warning light on the 
instrument panel illuminates while 
driving, and the Parking brake is 
fully released, a fault with the braking system is 
indicated. Check the brake fluid level; if the light 
continues to illuminate, seek qualified 
assistance before continuing.
Wet conditions
Driving through water or even very heavy rain 
may adversely affect braking efficiency. Always 
dry the braking surfaces by intermittent light 
application of the brakes, first ensuring that you 
are at a safe distance from other road users.