When you have the dedicated wiring harness fitted and the dealer changes the cars software what is actually changed apart from:

Rear Parking Sensors Deactivated.
Rear Fog Lights Deactivated.
Trailer Indicater Light Activated.
Gear Changes Adjusted to Sport Mode (Auto)
Stop Start Deactivated. p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

40 mph speed limiter cuts in, side windows 'auto tint' as you wont be looking out to check your mirrors anyway.  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

I didn't know that happend, I have noticed that Tractors tow knackered old converted trailers loaded with bales hanging over the sides, no brakes no lights and pointless having mirrors unless they are mounted on a scaffolding pole because the loaded trailer is over width or the mirrors are covered in s***.  p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

ad210358,

I didn’t realise the stop/start was disabled until I had the bike rack on at the weekend. I think you got the rest but forgot the tourettes trigger.

Its your wheels mate, the extra inch does matter

Remember your strap line ‘Never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level and beat you on experience’  A Land Rover owner since 1988

From a 1974 series III to a 12MY XS FL2 with help of a 1995 D1, 1996 D1, 2005 D3, 2007 D3 and a 2009 FL2.

 p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

ad210358 wrote:

When you have the dedicated wiring harness fitted and the dealer changes the cars software what is actually changed apart from:

Rear Parking Sensors Deactivated.
Rear Fog Lights Deactivated.
Trailer Indicater Light Activated.
Gear Changes Adjusted to Sport Mode (Auto)
Stop Start Deactivated.

Post removed by user I know

Last edited by lypsyl on 19th May 2010 7:01 pm. Edited 1 time in total

lypsyl wrote:

You get a very small "S" next to the "D" in the display

[quote=)I'll look out for this 'little s' on Tuesday when I take the 'van for service.[/quote]

Please let us know what happens as I also have never noticed this.

Bill Turner. Life Honorary Member of Wallasey Motor Club.
Licenced MSA Radio Operator for 35+ years.
Rallying is the only sport.

Pushing the gear selector to the left shows the word 'sport' appear just to the left of the 'D' on the display

Mcphersonstrut,

I am aware of this but the post from Iypsyl implies that this small s appears when the lights of your trailer/caravan are plugged into the 13 pin socket on the car without you deliberately selecting the Sport setting manually.

I await with interest the result of Firestar's observations, and after rereading his post would also ask him if his comment about the auto box holding the gears longer is the result of experimentation or maybe that (like we all probably do) he just puts his foot down slightly harder to maintain a decent rate of acceleration?

Bill T. Life Honorary Member of Wallasey Motor Club.
Licenced MSA Radio Operator for 35+ years.
Rallying is the only sport.

OK Bill thanks - I definately do not get an 'S' when the trailer is attached, I've just gone from 12n/12s electrics to 13 pin and on either I can say that nothing changes apart from the dedicated tell tale trailer warning flasher.
On the gearbox comment I'm not tech'y minded enough to answer that but I do know that it 'adapts' to your style of driving so would agree that maybe you put your foot down marginally harder when towing in order to accelerate quicker and so it will hold the gear change longer.

When I plug my light board in for the bike carrier there is no selection of sport mode and since the car doesn't know one trailer plug from another then either mine has a fault or the sport mode is not automatically engaged when towing.

Mcphersonstrut and Tandemman,

I agree with you both that the Sport setting in the gearbox is not automatically engaged which only leaves the statement by
Ipsyl about the small "s" to be resolved, so we will have to wait until Firestar reports back or Ipsyl can give us some further information and maybe a picture.

Bill T. Life Honorary Member of Wallasey Motor Club.
Licenced MSA Radio Operator for 35+ years.
Rallying is the only sport.

Well just back from delivering my 'van for servicing. No 'S' to be seen anywhere!
Engaging SPORT (shift lever left) caused the revs to go even higher - as one might expect if sport mode is engaged. Didn't keep in this mode long as I'm more than happy with normal D for towing.

The manual (Ch21) says:
Electronic gear change strategies
In automatic, or sport modes (not available in CommandShift) the gear change points will be adapted to suit driving conditions.
Hill ascent, towing, and high altitude
The lower gears are selected, and maintained for longer than usual. This helps overcome the loss of momentum when towing, or ascending hills. It also helps overcome the loss of engine torque when the vehicle is operating at high altitudes.

This, to me, implies that it is mainly the extra 1.5tonne of mass that the car responds to (and some clever air/fuel mixture sensing, no doubt). When towing the car tends to sit between 1750 and 2250 revs (hitting 3000+ on hard acceleration and dropping to under 1500 on downhill coasting.