sluggish towing

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To be fair, roads round here aren't too bad atm, been a big push to repair after the wet weather last year. Doesn't make much difference to me, mile of dirt track to the council road anyway, more potholes than you can shake a stick at!
 
To be fair, roads round here aren't too bad atm, been a big push to repair after the wet weather last year. Doesn't make much difference to me, mile of dirt track to the council road anyway, more potholes than you can shake a stick at!
Roads round Worthing were pretty awful when I was over last month:mad:
 
Huh, you should see the French roads next to me! You can instantly tell when you drive over the border, because the smooth Swiss tarmac suddenly changes to rutted and potholed French stuff :)
You must be unlucky, I've toured all over France (and Spain, Portugal, Germany Switzerland & Austria) on my motorbike and only rarely hit bad roads in France. Round here in the Vienne, even the back lanes are kept in good shape:D
 
You must be unlucky, I've toured all over France (and Spain, Portugal, Germany Switzerland & Austria) on my motorbike and only rarely hit bad roads in France. Round here in the Vienne, even the back lanes are kept in good shape:D

My daughters were at boarding school in the Vienne, I know the back roads very well :)

And yes, the French Alpine roads do seem to be particularly bad, or maybe that's just in comparison. I suspect the Swiss make their side of the border especially good, just because :D
 
OK, I retract the statement about getting used to towing with the TD5.

Just towed the wife's new 88 project home on a rope {didn't have opportunity to borrow a trailer}. I started off in low box as I had to pull out onto a steep hill with traffic lights, every time I tried to change gear it nearly stalled. Twas only at the top on the level I realised I had the 110 hand brake on too 😳

That said on the flat in high it was a nice gentle tow with stutab keeping the rope taught with the 88 brakes.

But then the last drag up to the house is a 1m drag up a steep hill which gradually flattens out. As you turn into this there is a singlish track railway bridge, so I had to go down to 1st then waiting for the turbo to spool up is painful. Up to second and it dies on its arse barely able to keep rolling until the hill starts to decrease.
As 2nd winds up nicely and I try get 3rd, flume.

Maybe I should have used her 300tdi Disco instead
 
I have an admission. I've got on old rice hunter trailer, really old as in its got a reversing pin and a strange handbrake contraption, which is easy to flick on if you're in a hurry. I did one day. Think I got about 18 miles, this was in my D1, still towed fine, though felt a big "tight".


Trailer had to have new brakes :eek:
 
I've had Mike at Dynachip done one of mine and 2 others done my Alive tuning.

I would say the results were about the same.

The biggest single difference between a std and a re-mapped TD5 is that the engine is soooooh much more tractable.

For example, it is quite possible to leave the manual box in 5th and pull away smoothly from as low as 1200rpm. You do it gently of course, but it will dot it admirably.

Example 2, when towing with my previous manual TD5 (re-mapped) I was dragging approx 2.8tons of horse trailer and 2 big horses and I never had ANY issues with the engine bogging down,or being 'off-turbo'. Just didn't happen.

IMO there is something wrong with your TD5 so here's a list to check:

1. Oil in the red ECU plug? - clean with aerosol brake and clutch cleaner;

2. Sooted-up MAP sensor on the inlet manifold? - clean as above;

3. Take out the air filter and test drive, any better? If yes change the air filter;

4. Brakes dragging? Wheels getting hot to the touch? -service caliper all round;

See how you get on with those.

Dave
 
I've had Mike at Dynachip done one of mine and 2 others done my Alive tuning.

I would say the results were about the same.

The biggest single difference between a std and a re-mapped TD5 is that the engine is soooooh much more tractable.

For example, it is quite possible to leave the manual box in 5th and pull away smoothly from as low as 1200rpm. You do it gently of course, but it will dot it admirably.

Example 2, when towing with my previous manual TD5 (re-mapped) I was dragging approx 2.8tons of horse trailer and 2 big horses and I never had ANY issues with the engine bogging down,or being 'off-turbo'. Just didn't happen.

IMO there is something wrong with your TD5 so here's a list to check:

1. Oil in the red ECU plug? - clean with aerosol brake and clutch cleaner;

2. Sooted-up MAP sensor on the inlet manifold? - clean as above;

3. Take out the air filter and test drive, any better? If yes change the air filter;

4. Brakes dragging? Wheels getting hot to the touch? -service caliper all round;

See how you get on with those.

Dave

Thanks Dave, will check those out. What about a de-cat for spooling up the turbo better our would the increase in noise be worse then a boggy Td5
 
Thanks Dave, will check those out. What about a de-cat for spooling up the turbo better our would the increase in noise be worse then a boggy Td5

Most TD5's come without a cat from the factory, especially the prefacelift cars.

Re the noise, the only time I've found the exhaust noise to be intrusive is when you remove the mid-section box (not just the de-cat section), for a straight-through pipe. The turbo sounds much noisier and the cabin tends to drone.


Dave
 
Remember that it is technically illegal to remove the cat if yours is a late td5 like mine.

That or find a friendly mot inspector who may turn a blind eye
 
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