Hard to say since it is not a true low range like on the previous gen Tregs. Those had a low range gear box which you did have to stop to engage. Not sure what the offroad mode does in your Treg. Try it and report back.

 

How would you describe the difference between your on road and expected off-road conditions?

The Touareg, even the T3 without the low ratio box, is very capable when left in normal D or controlled by using the tiptronic side of the box.

My T1 is off road every day in one form or another and I've never used low ratio - I just point and squirt and let the electronics sort things out even in the deepest mud and snow. And 3 farmer neighbours with Touaregs do the same.

A couple of them have used low ratio and the diff lock to help pull out mud-bound lorries or a tractor occasionally and low reverse is useful for reversing something large in a tricky spot as the slow speed gives you absolute control and plenty of time for steering inputs, but other than that we are all pretty lazy and let the car do the work!

 

Think the intent of the post is construed...

What I'm asking is is it safe to switch the drivetrain from on road to off road on the fly or do I need to stop and then switch it?

 

On the fly is fine, everything that the switch does is electronic.Everything
from allowing more wheel sleep, to holding revs and activating hill decent. Even the Low range is electronic.

But I usually stop the vehicle when I switch it on and off because I'll have the vehicle in tip tronic anyway for offroad. I'm sure u can do that on the fly too.

 

But I usually stop the vehicle when I switch it on and off because I'll have the vehicle in tip tronic anyway for offroad. I'm sure u can do that on the fly too.

You can flick across to tiptronic whenever you want.

 

On my 08 I need to stop as per warning on MFI. I only use off road when I'm pulling my trailer up my 30 degree driveway. Else it's in Tiptronic mode as since my TCM is in sleep mode I am not taking any chances as to what "safe mode" means.

siberian

 

Last I used it, I stopped And switched to off road. I went off road on an icy trail and I drove through it without any issues. The T3 handled better than my 06 4runner that I also drove through the same trail.

 

No problem rotating the "off road" dial on the fly on 2011+ models. The computer will decide when the program is altered.

On my 2011 "off road" only works below 18-20 mph. IE rotate dial to off road at 30 mph and the green symbol doesn't appear until the speed is lowered to below 20 mph. The symbol goes back off if speed reaches 20 mph again.

 

On the T1-T2 when switching to low range the car should be rolling as per the book. If you stop completely engaging low range may fail throwing a message on the MFI and the low range knob will flash. If you try to engage low range while going fast the MFI will tell you to slow down but not to stop.

 

My 2007 display tells me to shift to neutral if I turn the "Low" range knob. I have never had a problem doing so at a dead stop. I thought this was a VW added feature, just in case you became totally bogged down before you shifted into low. On the other hand, my previous Jeep Grand Cherokee was supposed to be rolling along in neutral at 2-3 mph before you "slammed" the gear case shift lever from "highway" to "low." The Jeep also had a neutral setting in the low-to-high shift lever that was to be used only while it was being towed. Which brings up the question of what happens if your Treg needs to be towed? Is it possible to totally take it out of gear? Or do you just drag the tires, screeching along the ground, up onto a tilt-trailer?

 

Which brings up the question of what happens if your Treg needs to be towed? Is it possible to totally take it out of gear? Or do you just drag the tires, screeching along the ground, up onto a tilt-trailer?

Putting the gear selector into neutral allows the vehicle to be rolled onto a flatbed. Ask me how I know...

 

On the T1-T2 when switching to low range the car should be rolling as per the book. If you stop completely engaging low range may fail throwing a message on the MFI and the low range knob will flash. If you try to engage low range while going fast the MFI will tell you to slow down but not to stop.

I never experienced this message you speak of and engaged low range stopped all the time. I have never had a vehical where I did not have to stop first to engage low range.

 

I was doing the same thing until one day it failed on me with the message and sound on the MFI and the low range knob light started flashing. It will automatically try to engage a couple of times and if unsuccessful you will get the above. I could reproduce it often with my foot on the brake while at a complete stop - but not every time I tried.

I went to the dealer the next day thinking this was a stepper motor problem. I went back to pick up my car little later with the owners manual opened on Booklet 3.2 page 64 "Engaging a differential lock manually". The following was highlighted:

" - Drive slower than 10mph (15km/h)."

I've not had the problem appear since while engaging low while rolling and it's been a few years since I first encountered it. I've never seen the inside of a Touareg transfer case but I am guessing the gears are not synchronized - switching to low range while moving makes it easier for the gears to fall into place.

I try to do this by the book as I am sure VW put this in the book for a reason and I sure enough want the Touareg to not let me down when I expect it to perform.

BTW, the "Drive slower than 10 mph" statement in the book also applies when engaging the diff. locks. Locking the diffs does not require switching to Neutral though as most of you know.

 

On all my tregs engaging low range always gave the message "shift to neutral" upon shifting to neutral you'd hear the low range mechanically engage.

The T3 just alters the electronics, so no physical gears moving around or the like...

 

Earlier I was going to post that I, too, thought you had to stop but V10TDI's post was so positive I didn't want to make an idiot of myself [Who said "Again!"??]!

I had recalled that when I had some off road training from the VW demo team that used to exist here in the UK before the banking crisis got them all the sack [bad move VW!!] that I was told to stop the car, keep my foot on the brake pedal, engage neutral, turn the gizmo knob to LOW and then drive off.

And do the same to go back to HIGH.

 

noobytoogy,

There are no idiots here - there are T owners with different levels of experience. I was simply sharing my experience and observations just like many others here. Bottom line is if you know you will need low range/diff locks I recommend to be proactive and do it while rolling as per the book. If you find yourself stuck and then need to engage low/diff. locks there is a higher chance the system may fail when you need it most.

 

I have never had a vehical where I did not have to stop first to engage low range.

Didn't have to in my V8 Durango, as long as the speed was below 45 mph as I recall.

siberian

 

Didn't have to in my V8 Durango, as long as the speed was below 45 mph as I recall.

siberian

I recall our old D's would switch from 2H to 4H like that. But switching into 4L, I think that's a low/no speed operation. :-k

 

keep this page handy as I'm prone to forgetting a few things! I'd imagine the 2011 is none too different. As for 4xmotion, it will get you out of places that 4motion won't. You have to test your Treg to find that out!

 

keep this page handy as I'm prone to forgetting a few things! I'd imagine the 2011 is none too different.

Unfortunately the knob in the 2011 looks nothing like you posted in your handy reference. I have two settings: On road and off road, nothing else.

As for 4xmotion, it will get you out of places that 4motion won't. You have to test your Treg to find that out!

Don't think the vehicle has been blessed with 4xMotion. Think it's just the standard variety 4Motion which is Torsen based as opposed to Haldex. VW has stripped down the system in the T3 without the locking center diff, which would explain just two settings for on road and off road.

I have plenty of familiarity with 4Motion. Came stock on my 04 R32, and has gone through several variations of Haldex upgrade through the last 7 years of ownership, currently at Competition. It has saved my arse many a time on the track and street.

 

what does the dial change when you go to off road mode? Is it gearing, does it lock differentials? Its strange but even VW doesnt really show in brochures or on net what this feature ACTUALLY does. Help please... Thanks

 

I can't seem to find the documentation, but the knob makes no mechanical changes There are no diff locks or low range physically present (as there were on the previous generation)...all the changes are electronic - it alters the abs and esp parameters, as well as engages the hill descent electronics.

 

Ok the reason I ask is that in the brochure it mentions "electronic differential lock" so I was wondering if that dial locks center or rear diff. Not sure????

 

Ok the reason I ask is that in the brochure it mentions "electronic differential lock" so I was wondering if that dial locks center or rear diff. Not sure????

That is for the 4Xmotion which you don't have. There is no transfer case and no diff locks on the 4motion one. You have to remember the manual is for all of them, not just the 4motion ones. 4Xmotion is still available, just not to us here.

 

ok thanks guys. i understand now. wish they still offered it but maybe the current version still does ok for light off road. Mainly need it to get to the fishing and hunting holes but don't expect it to be a jeep either.

thanks,

 

it'll do fine enough offroad.

 

X2 , don't forget, the T3 uses a torsen center diff, which is a mechanical, torque sensing, locking diff, as opposed to the older electrically operated, disc clutched, center diffs ( locked when actuated but open when not). It is missing the epicyclic reduction gearing, but the 8 speed gearbox's first is plenty low for all but the most extreme conditions. The offroad mode optimizes the ESP/ASR/EDL and ABS interventions with respect to traction and braking performance on loose surfaces offroad. Greater wheel slip values are allowed until one of the control systems are actuated. The EDL function ( which by high frequency single wheel braking transfers power away from the slipping wheel) is activated at low differences in wheel speed. Very similar result in overall traction to a conventional locker.
IMO, Comparing it to my Landcruiser, it is probably more capable and much easier to drive 95% of the time in low traction situations
Don't forget, a huge percent of a vehicles capability offroad rests in the skill and experience of the driver!!
All that said, I would like a set of decent skid pans for the T3... ;-)

 

Well as long as the new T3 is not what Top Gear demonstrated with the BMW X6 going up a lawn hill, as per that link Oilslurper posted up in an other thread, we are ok then

 

There's only one way to find out..go get it dirty. 4xmotion was ommitted for a reason on T3. It is now an option on T3. So, there is a difference....go get it dirty so you find out what is missing. Take someone (another vehicle with proper 4x4) with you if you get stuck. I'm serious! No forest trail dawdles either, get into some rough stuff. If you plan to take a T3 off-road, you'll need to find out when it gets stuck (hits its limit). Ain't no otherway I'm afraid....it's how I learnt to get the most out of mine (the ex-Treg that is). A good word of advice; fit A/T tread pattern tyres......that helps bigtime! The rest is up to the limit of the drive train and the skill of the driver.