Hello Fellow enthusiasts,

It just occured to me that I my annual Thanksgiving trip to Ohio is upon me. Which means very steep hills (from Maryland to Ohio). This year for the first time we will be driving the cat. I've have normally used the Escalade for this trip but not this year. The difference in the truck and the Cat is the lower gears on the panel. I'm pretty accustomed to using those to minimize overheating in the trans when driving that vehicle. Obviously there are no such gears present on the Cat. I don't know if sport mode would serve the same purpose or it's assumed the ZF trans is smarter than a fifth grader and able to make the internal adjustments independent of the driver. Either way you all are the genius's and I will take any and all advice provided on taking it easy on the trans while driving on steep inclines. Thanks in advance friends.

 

I've deleted your duplicate post.
Don't worry about your transmission, it will sort itself out.
Just leave it in 'D' .
Of course you can use the L hand side of the J gate to engage a lower gear for engine braking going downhill.

 

+1 on that!

 

When Jaguar built your car I think they realized it would be driven on hills?

Just drive it, there are no special instructions required!
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Not quite sure what this means, but I know of no vehicle with an auto box that has to be overridden because of hills.

 

Thinking more, you'll likely use your brakes more than usual so check they're up to it. Ditto tyres (tires).

 

As others have mentioned, provided your brakes and tires are in good shape, you have nothing to worry about. The only thing I would add, is make sure you have not had any cooling related issues with the car before that would cause the hoses undue stress.

Otherwise, just drive and enjoy the torque of the STR motor pushing you up the hills. The feel of that thrust is absolutely intoxicating. Use the J-gate coming down to engine brake if you are worried about your speed. Given the cooler temps in late November, you shouldn't have any concerns about engine temp.

This past June I drove through the Rockies in my STR, it was an absolute blast. Even in the midst of 100*F heat, the needle barely moved. The only time I had any trouble and came anywhere near overheating was when I climbed Pike's Peak (going from 6,000 feet to 14,000 feet). Even then, that was only the result of the cars in front of me going so damn slow I couldn't get adequate air flow.

Bottom line, check your brakes, tires, and keep in mind any cooling related problems in the past (if any) that may appear under stress.