Is there a "jack mode" for the LR3?

[PaulLR3]

With snow in the forecast for this weekend, I finally got around to putting on my second set of wheels with the winter tires last night. I read the manual but cannot find any mention of a "jack mode". On my old Audi allroad and Q7 with air suspensions, you could put the vehicle in jack mode, which would lock the suspension in place for jacking. I was very impressed with the amount of wheel travel on the LR3 but it is annoying when jacking. I tried the access level lock but it did not help. I was using a floor jack with a jack stand as backup and all went well. However, it must be some adventure changing a flat tire on the side of the road using the OE jack. Also, at the 7500 mile service, the dealer checked the brakes for wear and put on some lug nuts at about 50 foot/lbs and others at about 250 foot/lbs. Just a reminder why it is better to do the work on your car yourself.

 

[mustbeaudi]

I've been thought of as crazy for many reasons, some well justified, but I stand by my apparent but not at all compulsive practice of re-torquing all lug nuts myself after any service to wheels. Better than fighting an overtight lug on a flat, or warping a rotor or such, let alone the safety of lugs too loose. They're never right, by the way.

I also wondered about air suspension control, having owned an allroad.

 

[roverman]

I've always jacked up my own - well being lazy I've fork-lifted them...anyway, never locked anything and never had a problem. That said, I don't know if I've been lucky or if it's not necessary. By the way, the factory jack is garbage. I bent it (the bar actually twisted torsionally) the first time I used it.
And you're not crazy for re-torquing your lugnuts. I was stranded in a snow storm with a flat in N. Michigan once. Flat courtesy of some a-hole's knife that apparently didn't like foreign cars in HIS town. Even the tow truck that finally came couldn't get one of the lugs off.

 

[gtc]

A lock mode would be nice - I'm in the same boat as mustbeaudi and roverman; the odd time when one of our vehicles has the rims touched by someone other then myself, I re-torque everything to proper specs. The variety of ranges I've come across is pretty incredible, though I find they are mostly on the "loose" side and I would have expected the opposite...

 

[Houm_WA]

I like the factory jack...

 

[umbertob]

Put the suspensions in off road height, let the car jack itself up a bit so you don't have to... Set the park brake and chock the wheel on both sides at the opposite end of the jacking point. The supplied scissors jack will work in an emergency, otherwise it's pretty cheap and could easily bend and fail if you don't line it precisely under the jacking "hole" or your car is not on a level surface. In understand a bottle jack is supplied in other countries. I wouldn't trust that scissors thingie much and would definitely invest in a high reach, 3-ton floor jack for the garage if you'll be lifting your car to change wheels on a regular basis (you can open the rear liftgate as additional precaution, so the car doesn't try to self level if something goes wrong with the jack and you happen to be under the car...)

 

[roverman]

I like the factory jack...

It's a great jack, for a Ford Escape. They used to supply nice sturdy bottle jacks. I'd like to get a hi-lift, don't suppose they fit in the space behind the second seat (for the 5 seat model)?
That is the ONE thing my dealership was helpful on. They admitted the jack was junk and would not want to be stranded anywhere and rely on it. They are replacing my bent handle, but I will get a heavier duty one anyway. If it bent on level ground, I sure couldn't trust it on the side of a highway or off road.

 

[Boaz]

Umberto makes a good point about opening the rear lift-gate. That's what they always do at Discount Tires when they are working on mine. It disengages the suspension system. You don't want all four wheels hanging. It could blow an airbag supposedly. Having the door open completely releases it. I've noticed after a service I'm in extended mode. Just floor jacking one side probably isn't a problem though.

 

[drivesafe]

I don’t know if they use different software on US models but if you are on anything but level ground, your LR3 will eventually try to level itself and if this happens while you are placing or removing a jack, you could end up being part of the LR3.

Before placing the jack under the LR3, make sure one of the doors are open. This will lock the suspension in place and it does not do this to allow jacking, it does it so you won’t lower the vehicle down on an object with the door open.

Note, having the tail gate open in an LR3 will NOT lock the suspension.

 

[duckdive]

I am in agreement that the factory jack is a P.O.S. Mine bent after one use as well.
I'm going to start looking for a replacement before I go on anymore runs. Suggestions?