Being a new Land Rover owner (and instantly HOOKED on it), I am not sure if the things I notice about my vehicle are correct or not, so I may be asking a lot questions like this one.

I have noticed that when I let off the gas pedal - at any speed - the transmission stays...engaged, for lack of a better word. I can feel the vehicle being slowed down. It doesn't actually coast unless I put the tranny in neutral. If I let it go long enough, I can even feel it downshift as I slow down. This isnt the norm for other vehicles I have with auto transmissions, but is it normal for an LR3?

Thanks!

 

Seems normal to me. Also, it seems consistent - to a degree - with other AT vehicles I have driven. It may just be more noticeable in the LR3 for some reason.

 

It does downshift, especially on downhills off throttle to save your brakes, and will hold gears longer depending on incline (LR/ZF calls this Hill Mode). How it behaves is linked to a ton of other variables (incline being just one) and it might choose to remain in a lower gear when you lift off the gas instead of shifting. You'll come to find the LR3 is inordinately complex compared to other cars.

I would only be concerned if it seems to slow an excessive amount or keep engine RPMs unnaturally high accompanied by other unusual transmission behavior (banging, slipping, rough shifts).

 

Its normal. Older transmissions used to coast better because they used a "sprag" inside the transmission. The sprag was a one-way clutch. It would catch with torque applied and overrun when coasting. However, sprags have proven to be unreliable and have pretty much phased out in favor of more planetary gear sets and more clutches.

 

My Tundra (2wd) does the same thing. I actually like the downhill assist feature...probably the only "smart" feature about the transmission that I like.

Rover does it better though... Neither vehicle does it in sport mode.

 

Good info - thanks! I took to a local alignment shop yesterday (very reputable and the guy said he had the software to put it into 'tight tolerence mode'). After the new tie rod x2 installation - so much for the clean bill of mechanical health from my local LR dealership service center - the mechanic came back from the test drive commenting on the tranny 'braking'. Said it was probably a good thing, as heavy as the vehicle is. It seems to hold 1500 RPM's or less consistently - so it sounds like it is functioning as advertised!

 

Just make sure you have all 6 forward gears. If you have inconsistent tire sizes installed, it can actually prevent the vehicle from up shifting into 6th gear.

 

More surprising info... I counted the shifts tonight on the way into work. 6...

 

Woah you have 7 gears?!?!?!

 

I'm sure one of the shifts he was counting was actually the torque converter clutch locking up.