Auto Disco

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Snoughie

New Member

Posts

16

• Jan 23, 2009

• #1

What are auto td5 s like for towing, or should I stick to manual box? Do you get many probs wi an auto?

 

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the_yorkshireman

New Member

Posts

66

• Jan 23, 2009

• #2

i tow a caravan with mine and its amazing and so much easier than a manual i can highly recommend an auto to tow with

 

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streetwork

New Member

Posts

32

• Jan 23, 2009

• #3

I pull a twin axle caravan with my Auto, no problems at all, the trick is to antisipate a hill and put it in sport mode before getting to it. This keeps the power on, avois using cruise control when towing though or it will be up and down 3/4th gear on slight hills...

Pulling 1550kgs loaded

 

K

Kiwi disco

New Member

Posts

24

Location

Wellington New Zealand

• Jan 24, 2009

• #4

Just done over 1000 miles towing a boat over 1600kgs in New Zealand...like towing around Snowdonia, with my auto TD5, would have needed leg muscles like a scrum half with a manual. The auto's great the only draw back is the economy is not as good as a manual.

 

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Snoughie

New Member

Posts

16

• Jan 24, 2009

• #5

Do you anticipate or have you had any probs with gerbox or are they fairly reliable? Thanks for your replies by the way!

 

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ttam lleb

New Member

Posts

82

Location

coventry

• Jan 24, 2009

• #6

Td5 auto I tow a 1600kg caravan, family of 5 and dog and fully loaded never misses a beat, you do have to read the road ahead and anticipate hills. As for reliability have recently change auto box oil for which there is an argument that you never need to do it, thread on here im sure. Its a right bitch to do and you just cant check the oil, undo bolt if it pours out you have enough, put bolt back quick.

Good luck

 

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Snoughie

New Member

Posts

16

• Jan 25, 2009

• #7

Cheers for that will bear it in mind, still deliberating whether to swap or not.

 

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PASTMASTER

Well-Known Member

Posts

1,235

Location

S London

• Jan 25, 2009

• #8

Only problem with an auto should be excessive changing going up hills. Either use sport mode as suggested or knock it into third for the hill. Otherwise it may keep changing up and down uphill and overheat the box. Downhill lower gears give you more control, especially on earlier discos which may get brake fade (panic!!!!). Unlike most autos, the Disco is already set up for heavy towing and doesn't need an extra oil cooler.
Bear in mind that towing does put extra stress on everything - brakes, gears, engine, axles - and treat the car a bit more gently if you want it all to last.
The 200Tdi manual has a known problem with fast motorway towing. Tends to lock itself into third.