Fiat Ducato - Kon-Tiki Switch Question

[Keep it stiff]

I have just taken delivery of a new Kon-Tiki. (Single rear axle).

There is a switch on the dash that is not explained in the Ducato handbook and Google has not been any help. The dealership also shrugged their shoulders!

It is positioned next to the auto gear stick, the image suggests it is a heavy load switch, when pressed a green light is displayed on the dash but I can't see any difference to the vehicle stance when it is activated. I thought perhaps it was to lift the rear for ferry ramps or whatever however as far as I'm aware the chassis is non-air suspension so I don't really understand what an electric switch might activate.

If anyone could explain this I would be grateful.

[GAjon]

[Keep it stiff]

Thanks for that, nothing to do with suspension then!

I'm not a fan of the auto box and not least as to drive it in manual mode pulling the lever down changes up and vice-versa! Surely logic would have it the other way round? The auto box has no creep, when stationary it assumes a neutral/free-wheeling mode.

[drmike37]

It’s that way round so when the g force is pushing you back in your seat you can pull to get the next gear. Just like a racing car.

[Keep it stiff]

drmike37 said:

It’s that way round so when the g force is pushing you back in your seat you can pull to get the next gear. Just like a racing car.

There was a film quite a few years' ago with Clint Eastwood, the plot was him as a pilot stealing a Russian plane which to fly with auto-controls he had to think in Russian. So I guess it is the same principle, I need to think in Italian with this auto-box!

Seriously though, it is daft, up for down and down for up.

[j4r4lly]

I've got this gearbox on our MH and rarely use the manual mode as I find that it works very well in auto.

Used the "Up" function quite a bit last year when in Spain and also found it to work really well.

No complaints from me with this transmission.

[Alex@POD]

Keep it stiff said:

Seriously though, it is daft, up for down and down for up.

I've always seen it the other way, pull back to change up, push forward to change down. It just feels more natural, but that's probably due to watching rallying and racing when I was younger...

[GSalt]

It makes sense in use, if you're accelerating your being pushed back and if you're braking your being pushed forward.

But if that's a variation on the Duologic box, good luck*...

(*I believe the commercial version in the Ducato is a lot more reliable than the version they use in their cars)