Auto for off roading?

[BIGMIKE1]

Hi
I'm on the look out for a LWB V6 Frontera as a cheap workhorse and to try a bit of off roading, nothing major just a few green lanes and pay&play days to try but as a lot of the V6's are auto I just wondered what people's experiences or thoughts were on using auto's off road?
Mike

[gregster]

Auto's are ok off road, what you loose in engine braking you make up for by not having a clutch to burn out. Control is easier on climbs, once you get used to left foot braking without throwing yourself through the windscreen. Regular maintainance I would say is vital though, and keep the tranny cooler clear of mud.

[AskDean]

bang on greg if your going to use it as a tow horse for something heavy you might want to consider adding an oil cooler rad kit in the front for the atf it simple job just unhook the pipes where they go into the bottom of the radiator and then mount a small extra rad youll find them on ebay then plumb the pipes in.

and change your fluid every 10k for optimal performance as the v6 does love to cook the atf fluid and thin it out. if you notice it lurch on pull off and judder on down change then on acceleration seems to miss a beat bewteen changes. just swap the fluid out there is a guide in the how to section take you an hour and it will feel like a new car again.

[badsykes]

I heard the Automatic cars are pretty expensive on maintanance side ? The Automatic box takes more oil...

[geeks]

Nah not really. From what i have seen from the autoboys other than the autobox taking a different oil to the manuals its pretty much the same!

[gregster]

without the headache of killing, cost, and having to change clutches!!!

[geeks]

Indeed, mine is going in at the end of the month for one. £395 all in....

[AskDean]

the auto box is pretty much bulletproof just change the fliud every 10k and your laughing

and so much more pleasure to drive in the v6 as you stomp and the loud pedal and your gone. no slowing to change gear at pull off so you'll destroy most things off the lights on that we all have when you just feel like wiping the smug look of the not nice in the convertible next to you at the lights blasting his good awful music

[badsykes]

AskDean: After "no slowing" i lost myself in your english ...

Someone with a Jeep Cherokee automatic gear box version had a problem with the car being stuck in first gear and not changing anymore..He went to service and they change some computer box..He payed around 600euros...

If there was a 2.0l with auto gear i would give it a try...

[Xplorer]

Both my troopers are autos and have been off-roaded, as Greg said really little less engine braking on down hills ( just have to be a bit braver )rock crawling is easier can't stall it no clutch to burn out

[badsykes]

Kinda ironic that the 2.0 doesn't have too much engine braking anyway...
Long ago i applied a wrong technics for downhilling: i was putting the gear box in "neutral point" and let the inertia do the job and i just control the steering and gentle handbraking.. When i felt that the car lose power too much then shift in 2nd gear and then press the acceleration again...
I suppose with auto gear box i wouldn't miss the engine braking anyway as i am used from my actual 2.0 with very little engine braking...And i kinda like the idea of braver

[BIGMIKE1]

Cheers guys, just wanted to check so I wasn't limiting my search to manuals, I've always loved driving big autos but I'm always wary of autos as an old auto box guy once told me when they go wrong pick a number and add 000 but as you've said if I can find one with a decent auto box and look after it with oil changes and a separate cooler than fingers crossed should be as reliable as the manual anyway.
Mike

[badsykes]

Hey bigmike...

I liked the joke about the price of auto gear box...Pick a number from 1 - 9 and add three zeros ... )

I am afraid of those 3 zeros behind ...

[AskDean]

Badsykes you can get a v6 lump for 300 to 600 abs the auto boxes from 400 at 4x4 breakers i used to change the lump as it was cheaper than paying for the head gasket being done lol.

But other than being brave with the brakes for down hill put it 1 and is a fixed gear so you get engine braking.

[badsykes]

[Wilberforce]

Badsykes, I think Dean has taken your joke about auto box repair costs the wrong way, and was trying to supply helpful pricing information.

He was saying that you can buy a V6 engine (sometimes called a lump) for £300-600, and an auto gearbox for £400.
Also, that when the head gasket needed doing, he would swap engines because it was cheaper for him.

[steve 1967]

autos are easy once you get to grips with the 4x4 system, select low range and 1st gear for maximum engine braking, if all working properly you should not need the brakes on a steep descent, on a steep climb also low range but 2nd gear and don't be shy with the throttle , all obviously much dependant on the terrain.

[badsykes]

[AskDean]

Over here there are loads of v6 in bits lol

[badsykes]

Is the 2.2DTI automatic more reliable than the manual gearbox version ? I heard that 2.2DTi manuals have a design issue that don't lube properly..