QuestionHi, I recently bought an 03 Discovery in June. I live in Mich. and the weather gets bad. When there is snow on the roads and I hit my brakes I feel a grinding plusation down a hill and it seems like the car does not want to stop? Is this normal am I doing something wrong?
Thanks for your time,
Sarah
AnswerHi Sarah,
nice Disco by the way...
I'm not sure if you have braking problems. I live north of you (Quebec) and our winters may be colder and have more snow than yours. Our road conditions could be the same are yours. When I am approaching a downhill stop, I too have a pulsating feel to my brakes. This is the ABS system activating. I do admit that the sound may have "a grinding" feel to it and it is awful.
In your case, IF it is NOT the ABS system and the grinding is very real, you may have to replace the brake pads. IF this is true, you would normally hear a grinding sound whenever you applied the brakes. If this is the case, I would go to the local brake shop (Meineke, Midas, ...) and have them perform a brake inspection to determine if brake work is necessary. Most will do this for free and give you a written estimate. Ask around to see which brake shops have the best reputation and price.
IF there is nothing wrong with your brakes, then it could just be your introduction to the LandRover ABS braking system, which is rough sounding and awful to the first time users.
You have to remember that you have a very heavy 4x4 truck. Your brake design is much better than the earlier Disco's but you still have a great deal of weight (momentum) that will cause your Disco to slide. What you have to practice is to ignore the sound and feel and continue braking and steering your vehicle as you normally would do. However, you should consider the weight of your Disco and slow down in winter driving conditions, always thinking you must stop earlier than most other SUV's.
Just this morning, I was following a snowplow truck and descending a steep hill. When the truck suddenly braked and I reacted quickly. My ABS brakes started to pulse and the vibration could be felt on my brake pedal. I started to slide as I was braking. The first impulse is to press the brakes harder and freeze (hold on...). Instead, what I did was continue to press the brakes and steer my vehicle to an area on the road that was less hazardous (less ice better grip). All that time, the ABS braking was pulsating until my wheels were no longer slipping and gripping the sand/salt section of the road.
I hope this is helpful,
JohnMc
NB: unlike any other SUV on the road, your Disco is heavier and you should increase the distance between yourself and any vehicle in front of you. Always ensure you use winter tires and that they are in good condition. This will help improve your stopping distance. A good suspension system also will improve your stopping power. Something to consider in the years to come... John.
