Hill descent issue.

Hi everyone Joe here. I have searched everywhere but just cant find my problem, maybe someone has seen it before. Freelander 1 2.0 diesel automatic 2004. When i shift from D through N to R or the other way from D to 1 my HD amber warning light comes on and i get a fault F on the lcd. However sometime it all works fine and hill descent works. I dont need the HD function but its a pain doing say a 3 ( 4 or 5) point turn. I have to switch the engine off to clear it. I have brake /reverse lights and no stored or pending codes ( cheap reader) i would love a solution or even a way to totaly disable HD ... Thanks

You can't disable hill decent.

Does it flash F then 4 on the dash when it faults?

Hi thanks for the reply ... yes thats what it does sorryi should have said,,,

Has it been a long time since the automatic transmission has been serviced?
In addition to reading codes (essential), you must ensure as a first step that the gearbox oil is in optimum condition.

Hi there was a full rebuild carried out before i got it .. cost over 2500e .

Wow!!! seems like a high budget ...
I know that HD controls sometimes fail because the switch wires are stripped or cut (convenient to see).
If the reconstruction is well done I do not find the F4 sense, I am sorry I cannot give more ideas to verify with a good code reader.
Maybe another member with more knowledge or experience can say more ideas.
Luck.

F and 4 flashing on the dash on a Freelander 1 means it's gone into limp mode. The vast majority of the time it's caused by an electrical fault with the monitoring or control of the auto gearbox. If it is only triggered by moving the gear lever then it's likely to be an electrical fault. Could be the pcb by the gear lever.

First test is to move the gear lever through all positions, making sure the LED's by the gear lever light up correctly. Include sport mode and manual shift up and down.

Next check the barrel connecters with the resistance test below. Bad connection, broken wire, snagged wire or barrel connecters coming apart are popular causes.

resistance video = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTmdkDuKZ6A