Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

[shaun Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close shaun]

I have just been on a free half days trial in a LR Disco 3 and I must say I am surprised about what it could tackle both up and down as well as cross axle's and with minimal of fuss - I am keen to know if the land cruiser could handle similar terrain with such ease?. My question is that does the Toyota's traction control system work similarly i.e. sensing lack of movement in a wheel that is not touching the ground and applying the brakes in order to increase traction - could someone explain how the totota's traction control works please as hear in blighty I don't get as much of a chance to test it to its limits??

Getting back in the cruiser afterwards still felt better even with all the landrover hype that I was being flogged!!

[4tshorty Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 4tshorty]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

The traction control works on the Prado the same way as the Discovery and others.
It uses the ABS wheel sensors to sense for wheel movement and systematically applies the brake(s) on wheels that are spinning to transfer drive to those that aren't.
The engine power is also reduced in some cases also, to reduce wheel spin.

Cheers, Mat

[shaun Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close shaun]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

Thanks Matt,

would you say that the prado is as capable as the Disco as the instructor was demonstrating at how the disco automatically engages diff locks etc and the descents and climbs that it did was unreal - I have never experienced such gradients in a 4x4 before!

Cheers, Shaun

[speed_racer Member Find all posts View Profile Close speed_racer]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

I have seen and compared both Disco 3 and my Grande and i beleive they are both exceptionally capable vehicles. The traction control is great and works as intended. Search youtube if you want to see it in action.

Even traction control cant help though if the terrain is extremely slippery. Ie. soft sandy ascents, Muddy slippery ascents. These are areas where i find the traction control can only get you so far. Lockers would be ideal, and allow you do have more control (use slightly lower speeds) than Traction control, but for most purposes will get you where you need to go.

[bitdist Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bitdist]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

The traction control works on the Prado the same way as the Discovery and others.
It uses the ABS wheel sensors to sense for wheel movement and systematically applies the brake(s) on wheels that are spinning to transfer drive to those that aren't.
The engine power is also reduced in some cases also, to reduce wheel spin.

Cheers, Mat

While it is true the traction control works the same for all vehicles, and that the traction control works very very well for the prado, the disco 3 develops the idea a lot further with their terrain response, which combines different types of applications of traction control, (ie how agressive it is etc) throttle response, suspension height, e locker action, engine management mapping, etc etc etc for different types of terrain like mud, rocks, sand. I have been out with disco 3's and they will go a lot further than the prado and do it easier, but you are paying a lot more for them as well

cheers

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

And what was that car that I had tow up the big hill on the Cooktown to Daintree track after unhitching my camper trailer - ah, that's right - a Land Rover Discovery with all the elctric fruit. Seems it couldn't manage the slippery road that my Prado had just climbed in first gear low range whilst pulling the camper!

I'd take my Prado anywhere that a Landrover would go anyday.

Having driven defender t/dsl, defender V8, Discovery, Range Rover and military versions including Perenti (6 wheels are better than 4), I reckon the Prado would still keep up with ease.

[bitdist Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bitdist]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

And what was that car that I had tow up the big hill on the Cooktown to Daintree track after unhitching my camper trailer - ah, that's right - a Land Rover Discovery with all the elctric fruit. Seems it couldn't manage the slippery road that my Prado had just climbed in first gear low range whilst pulling the camper!

I'd take my Prado anywhere that a Landrover would go anyday.

Having driven defender t/dsl, defender V8, Discovery, Range Rover and military versions including Perenti (6 wheels are better than 4), I reckon the Prado would still keep up with ease.

I though someone would bite :roll: :roll:

A lot of it comes down to the driver and tyres which makes it hard to compare sometimes. You could easily be a better driver or just picked a better line or had tyres that suited better. I've had older discos (still have an old one now - highly modified) etc for years before my last 2 prados and know them very well and I take things to the limit in trying tracks that most people wouldn't be silly enough to try (which is why I have about 6k of panel damage in the Prado from the last trip to tassie to repair )
I'm not one eyed and realise that there is no perfect 4wd and all have their strenghts and weaknesses
For all the desert/sand/normal rough tracks both will get there. When it gets near the limit with steep rocky rutted tracks like we can get in the harder tracks in Vic the landrovers in general have the advantage of better articulation (especially in the front end) departure angle and less stuff hanging down underneath to get hit. If you saw my sidesteps, Bruce davis front bash plate, petrol tank bash plate etc on the prado which are all totalled from the last track I went up you would have some idea what I mean....

cheers

[Matt Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

LR3 is light years beyond its predecessors , but id say a TR equiped LR is on par with a prado..

where the LR comes into its own is with its air suspension.. being able to rise the ride height to crawl out is a big advantage.. that said.. driving a LR in the high mode gives a very harsh ride.. id rather spend my $$$ on a prado and a lift kit...

horses for courses...

i dont live in a capital city.. and ill go months without seeing a D3.. and nearly every 4wd is either a hilux, prado, 200 series, gu patrol or pajero..

and true i dont have a LR dealership.. but i dont have a benz one or a vw, and i see plenty of them around (toe-rags and gl's).. to me that rings a few bells as far as LR are concerned..

[bitdist Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bitdist]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

i dont live in a capital city.. and ill go months without seeing a D3.. and nearly every 4wd is either a hilux, prado, 200 series, gu patrol or pajero..

and true i dont have a LR dealership.. but i dont have a benz one or a vw, and i see plenty of them around (toe-rags and gl's).. to me that rings a few bells as far as LR are concerned..

Agreed, thats why I did not really look at one. No dealer support outside the capital cities and very little in them as well

[lawrance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close lawrance]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

Traction control will vary from vehicle to vehicle, even though the principle is the same, i.e. ABS modulator has the ability to brake individually whichever wheel that is spinning faster than the rest.

However, I can say that some systems do it better than others.

I took a Pajero offroad and found that its traction control is far more aggressive than the Land Rover Discovery (2) so it performed quite well initially, but after about 2-3 minutes of continual TC work due to the slippery surface, it started to beep a warning to the driver saying that the ABS modulator was exceeding a temperature threshold and that it was not going to be able to keep up what it is doing.

The Disco also had TC working hard but had no trouble even way past 10 minutes of continual activity.

The Disco 3's system is significantly better than the Disco 2 and definitely more in tune with the type of terrain that the driver can select.

[4tshorty Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 4tshorty]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

I have a mate who has had almost every new Discovery model in the last ten years including the Discovery 3 and whilst I am impressed with the improved quality of his latest aquisition, at the end of the day, as with the older ones, it always isn't IF the electronics are going to fault, it's more like WHEN!

LandRover still have a long way to go with reliability of this equipment, because frankly, most Jap manufacturers are running rings around them and have been for years now!

Cheers, Mat

[Addy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Addy]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

The Discovery 4 coming later this year sounds good, I have read a few write up now. Disco's electronics may let it down but all the euro brands motors are developing more power and fuel economy than the japs for along time, that's where Toyota and the like need to pick their game up. Look at the 200 series v8 only 200 plus kw's, Audi, BMW ect diesel motor produce alot more power and better economy.

[Matt Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

yes... but euro diesels are highly tuned...

id like to see a highly tuned TD go head to head with a toyota v8 TT TD day after day at a mine site, or the outback.. the reasons behind toyotas tune of their motors will become clearly evident..

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

I have to agree with Matt on this one. Highly tuned engines certainly have their place but the cost is reliability under heavy constant use. This situation is slowly getting better as better methods evolve with how to mate electronic circuitry and software with a 4X4 system. Once the computing and electronic aspect can be sorted for reliability then we'll be getting somewhere. At the moment, I'm still a heavy skeptic when it comes to vehicles that rely on a swathe of sensors and processors. When those systems work there is no doubt they are fantastic, but are still a little too fragile for my liking. When I can plug my car into my home PC or laptop for a full diagnostic check then I might be interested, as long as I have access to a full range of replacement sensors and processors that are easily swapped out. But having to take it to manufacturer X to do exactly the same thing in exchange for your arm doesn't thrill me much.

Automotive electronics is far better than it used to be, but still has a way to go. The systems already in my Prado make me nervous.....

[Leethal Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Leethal]

Re: Traction control on Disco 3 compared to my Landcruiser

yes... but euro diesels are highly tuned...

id like to see a highly tuned TD go head to head with a toyota v8 TT TD day after day at a mine site, or the outback.. the reasons behind toyotas tune of their motors will become clearly evident..

Highly tuned (in the traditional sense) is not exactly correct, its more the the inhierent design of injectors etc that currently have the european engines producing more power for the capacity. I don't think Toyota have "detuned" their engines to last, more so than having chosen a cheaper to produce design that meets the various emissions regs around the world thus appealling to more buyers around the world while producing a little less power for the capacity (read efficency)

A "moderately" tuned diesel with poorer control of injection is potentially going to have reliability issues with heavy constant use as well, the much discussed D4D "knock" would appear to be a injector control issue.

As has been said electronics in 4wd's will always make some of us uneasy, more so if you have some bad history with it ala Land Rover, but having crossed the Simpson, Boggy Hole Finke river etc along with a Disco 3 and others ( another Prado, a Jeep and a Lux) I must say the D3 did perform well (once it figured out which mode to use :lol: ) but electronics are here to stay wether we like it or not.

Lets just hope the best Traction control system around doesn't become obsolete ...our brains :roll: