New version for those who have a 2022+ model year vehicle (apparently at some point in 2022 the Vehicle Recovery procedure for unlocking the transmission changed from a mechanical lever in the engine bay to having to perform a procedure involving starting the car w/o your foot on the brake and a combination of accelerator pedal presses while standing on the brake). See first updated first post for the new PDF, leaving the original PDF up for the folks who have 2022 and earlier that have the old procedure.

 

I think it's a terrible design change, removing the mechanical release to put the transmission in neutral.

Having suffered an alternator failure with loss of any and all electronics, it would not have been possible to activate neutral with the newer system. It requires power. If you have none, you're SOL.

I sometimes wonder if the folks at LR ever actually think about the practicalities of these design changes. Makes zero sense.

 

Yeah, I agree. Our early 2022 build had a manual release but it changed sometime after that I guess....

I did read that LR changed the 4WD/full time AWD system so that the front wheels are decoupled from the drive train until the traction is required (so on the road, it acts like a RWD setup most of the time). It's supposed to improve fuel economy and on a recent 700 mile road trip in our 2024 D110 P400, we were getting about 18-19 mpg w/ freeway driving (and pretty aggressive on the throttle to pass clumps of traffic/semi trucks, so wasn't trying to be super economical) which was about 2 mpg better that we did on a similar drive in our 2022 D110 P400. So that change made things better at least.

 

Getting rid of the mechanical release was dumb, but I have something that might top that in terms of dumb JLR decisions. Right now I'm in a 2024 Discovery Sport loaner car, and they decided to get rid of the EPB switch and in its place is a blank. I know it comes on automatically, but getting rid of the switch is insanely dumb. In the words of Ron White, "you can't fix stupid."

 

There are times when you need to engage/disengage the EPB manually. I would have though having a parking brake was a mandatory thing. I guess not. That does seem to be a cost cutting exercise with only disadvantages to the driver.

 

Taken from the manual on how to disengage the EPB on the Disco Sport:

In some circumstances, for example in extreme cold conditions, the driver may wish to leave the vehicle secured using only P.

To deactivate automatic operation of the EPB:

1. With the engine running, press and release the P button to engage Park and apply the EPB.
2. Press the brake pedal and simultaneously press the P button for approximately 1 second. The EPB releases, but the transmission remains in P.
3. While still pressing the brake pedal, switch the vehicle's ignition off.

This is overly complicated. Hopefully they won't do the same thing with the Defender.

 

Yeah. That's pure nuts.