Off-road driving
200
DRIVING ON SOFT SURFACES & DRY SAND
The ideal technique for driving on soft ground
and dry sand requires the vehicle to be kept
moving at all times; soft ground and 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.
Select the highest suitable gear and REMAIN
in that gear until a firm surface is reached. It
is generally advisable to use LOW range
gears, as these will enable you to accelerate
through worsening conditions without the risk
of being unable to restart.
Stopping the vehicle on soft ground
If you do stop the vehicle, remember:
Starting on an incline or in soft ground or
sand may be difficult. Always park on a firm,
level area, or with the vehicle facing downhill.
To avoid wheel spin, select ’D’ position (or ’4’
if in LOW range) and use the MINIMUM
throttle necessary to get the vehicle moving.
In LOW range, select MANUAL mode. (see
’Automatic transmission’ for further
information).
If forward motion is lost, avoid excessive use
of the throttle; this will cause wheel spin and
tend to dig the vehicle into the sand. Clear
sand from around the tyres and ensure that
the chassis and axles are not bearing on the
sand before again attempting to move.
If the wheels have sunk, use an air bag lifting
device or high lift jack to raise the vehicle, and
then build up sand under the wheels so that
the vehicle is again on level ground. If a
restart is not possible, place sand mats or
ladders beneath the wheels.
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
(ice, snow, mud or wet grass)
Select ’D’ (or ’4’ if in LOW range). In LOW
range, also select MANUAL mode. (see
’Automatic transmission’ for further
information).
Drive away using the MINIMUM throttle
possible. Drive slowly at all times, keeping
braking to a minimum and avoiding violent
movements of the steering wheel.
DRIVING ON ROUGH TRACKS
On very rough tracks, engage the LOW gear
range to enable a steady, low speed to be
maintained without constant use of the brake
pedal.
To Next Page
Loading...
