Working on the above assumption, ie that it's best to engage low-range and perhaps select one of the programs that locks the diff's, does anyone have little off-road routes that they periodically take, to keep such things working ?
(I don't mean some pay and play site).

low range can be selected for anywhere. If you use Rock Crawl, it will lock the centre diff up. It's unlikely that you have a locking rear diff, very few were ever specced with it.

As for lanes near yoiu, sorry I cant help, but there are quite a few in yoiiur area (whether they are all RRS friendly I dont know). Check Glass.org  Bodsys Brake Bible
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As a single motor/mechanism controls Low Range and centre diff lock, selecting Low Range occasionally will probably be enough to "exercise" the overall mechanism. LR's service schedule includes selecting Low Range during the service, presumably to keep it freed up. Whether dealers' technicians bother is a different question, of course. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

OK, thanks chaps.
If it's just sufficient to engage low-range occasionally then that'll do me. The road to my house does have one or two speed bumps, so maybe I should low-range and rock crawl

To add meat to my previous post, the mechanism for High/Low and diff lock is a combination of a solenoid and a motor. The solenoid is used to select between range change function or diff lock function - default is obviously the diff lock position. Actually, the RRS's diff lock is really a torque biasing multi-plate clutch system rather than a Defender style mechanical lock. This is why the default setting for the mechanism is "diff lock" mode so it can work irrespective of high or low range choice.

When in range change mode the motor-turned shaft effects the range change. In diff lock position, the same motor-turned shaft effects the diff locking function. By operating two range changes (high to low and then low back to high) you operate the solenoid and the motor along with the levers/dog rings. The only thing that doesn't get operated is the clutch locking operation itself. In this, the motor causes a ramp to move between two arms that are linked to the clutch. Moving the arms locks the clutch. As mentioned previously, putting Terrain Response in "rock crawl" will usually result in the clutch being locked as you pull away. You must be in low range for rock crawl to activate. Hence occasionally selecting low range and rock crawl should be sufficient to exercise the whole system. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Wow, thanks for the explanation being an engineer myself (admittedly in electronics) I like to understand how thinks work, so I know how to either prevent problems, or diagnose them and fix 'em.

Take it out and give it a proper test!

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/topic40359.html

Not wanting to tempt fate, but I do think things work better when used as intended. My car gets a hard life compared to many and has been totally reliable

Mine gets used too but has been somewhat less than trouble free... 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

That's great post, especially considering your Sport is not that old !

I use mine mainly for overlanding and trekking ie round the Alps / Scotland, so it's more off road trails, than full-on rock crawl, though I need to spend the rest of this year fixing and servicing things ready for next year, which will hopefully be somewhere like the Pyrenees.
That's why I bought the Sport, rather than a Defender/Disco, as it does involve a fair amount of on road driving too, and having spent some time in my youth in a series vehicle rattling around the Devon countryside, I now appreciate the ability of the Sport to be comfortable both on and off road.

RRSTDV8 wrote:

Mine gets used too but has been somewhat less than trouble free...

RogerDeFlor wrote:

That's great post, especially considering your Sport is not that old !

I use mine mainly for overlanding and trekking ie round the Alps / Scotland, so it's more off road trails, than full-on rock crawl, though I need to spend the rest of this year fixing and servicing things ready for next year, which will hopefully be somewhere like the Pyrenees.
That's why I bought the Sport, rather than a Defender/Disco, as it does involve a fair amount of on road driving too, and having spent some time in my youth in a series vehicle rattling around the Devon countryside, I now appreciate the ability of the Sport to be comfortable both on and off road.

RogerDeFlor wrote:

That's why I bought the Sport, rather than a Defender/Disco, as it does involve a fair amount of on road driving too, and having spent some time in my youth in a series vehicle rattling around the Devon countryside, I now appreciate the ability of the Sport to be comfortable both on and off road.

The D3/4 is not comparable with a Defner; it's very much in the same bracket as the RRS here (it's the same as a TDV6 RRS underneath ) - as comfortable on road as anything (if not with the engine options of the RRS).  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

Quote:

The D3/4 is not comparable with a Defner; it's very much in the same bracket as the RRS here (it's the same as a TDV6 RRS underneath Whistle ) - as comfortable on road as anything (if not with the engine options of the RRS). Thumbs Up

Yes, there will always be slight differences. The RRS does have slightly firmer suspension - which many fit to their D3s. The condition of the suspension components will also have a great bearing on the ride and handling. Being heavy cars, they eat through bushes quickly.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

I went to Gaydon a few weeks ago and one of their experience drivers was saying that most of the drivers considered the D4 to be the best car that Landrover makes. He did say though that on the RR Sport can go around their tarmac test circle 10mph faster than than the D4.