18
6 Off-road
Many if not most Delica owners are families who expect to do only minor off-road
activities. Consequently they are at risk of being under-prepared and inexperienced
when they do occasionally venture off-road. This section provides basic guidance to
reduce this risk. It is not intended to replace training and experience learned by
being with experts.
6.1
Basic rules
Some Basic rules (from [18] and others)
!
Use 4WD, i.e. 4H - remember you have to manually engage this gear, it will
not automatically engage.
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Slow down.
!
Don't change gears when in the middle of mud, sand or a river.
!
Be gentle with the brakes.
!
If in doubt, go slowly.
6.2
Principles
There are three main issues, steering, traction, stability.
(1) Steering
Slippery surface (gravel, sand, mud, wet grass or ice) decrease the effectiveness of
steering - the vehicle tends to skid.
Change to four wheel drive 4H in these conditions. Preferably beforehand, but you
can change to 4H even when you are already in difficulty (see above).
(2) Traction
Surfaces that are slippery cause reduced grip for the tyres - the vehicle tends to spin
the wheels on the spot. Soft surfaces (mud, sand, snow) are particularly troublesome
as the wheels can rapidly dig themselves pits out of which they cannot climb.
The prevention is to use 4H or 4HLc or 4LLc before getting stuck. And keep the revs
low at take off (e.g. use A/T HOLD mode, see Figure 1:2) to prevent ripping up the
surface.