"Sailing" mode with the ZF gearbox?

[emax]

Is there any information about whether the ZF gearbox offers a "sailing mode"?

i.e.: when I take my foot off the accelerator the transmission decouples completely from the drivetrain to let the car roll with the engine at idle ?

I often do this manually and set the selector lever to 'N' when I'm driving down a long incline or there's a red light a bit ahead. It saves fuel noticeably.

According to the manual, you should not do this, but it works fine now for 300000 km.

 

[ECrider]

Never tried that while rolling but I always chuck into N when stationary. Do you then chuck it in D from N while in motion?

 

[emax]

Yes, forward and backward at will. I even did this a couple of times on the Autobahn above 160 Kmh and switched back at 120 Kmh or so. And in daily driving I do this (at 'normal' speeds) dozens of times a day.

It's an old year 2000 ZF 5-gear. My idea was that if it's possible it shouldn't do any harm. And it didn't. I do however not take any liability if you try this with a Land Rover or any other car.

 

[ECrider]

yes, I have visions of accidentally selecting R and the gear box disembowelling me in the LR!

 

[Orcmurd]

I had a ZF gearbox in my BMW X4 3.0 diesel and in eco mode, it would free wheel when you took your foot off the accelerator.

 

[emax]

@ECrider
> yes, I have visions of accidentally selecting R and the gear box disembowelling me in the LR!

Don't know how this is arranged in your LR, but I can not accidentally select 'R' first because there is a corner in the slot and second because it's simply blocked as long as the car is moving forward.

 

[emax]

I had a ZF gearbox in my BMW X4 3.0 diesel and in eco mode, it would free wheel when you took your foot off the accelerator.

Good to hear. Would love this in the Grenadier as well.

 

[DenisM]

I understood that free-wheeling a vehicle with automatic transmission in Neutral was similar having the vehicle towed thereby preventing critical lubrication.... would welcome advice from those more knowledgeable

 

[bemax]

I understood that free-wheeling a vehicle with automatic transmission in Neutral was similar having the vehicle towed thereby preventing critical lubrication.... would welcome advice from those more knowledgeable

That’s absolute right for the older versions. The lubricant was carried threw the system by the moving parts itself. In my 2013 Seat with a double clutch (VW) it’s that way as well.
However the newer systems normally are different as they do as emax wrote. The lubrification than is done probably by an extra pump. My wife’s car from 2019 has this system and the difference is astonishing.
So I hope as emax does for the sailing mode. Unfortunately the bricklike design will brake the car without a braking automatic anyway quite fast

 

[emax]

I have never experienced any problems since 22 years and 300000+ Km. No noises, no mechanical problems, switches as always.

The manual explicitly says: "Towing an automatic: The selector lever of the automatic transmission gearbox must be in position N."
And: "Maximum towing distance: 50 Km". And thats a manual-like worst case scenario, it would very likely hold much longer.

So no worries: It's about a few hundred meters or inclines of maybe up to 5 Kilometers or so, far below any critical limit.