GWM Ute Range

There are a couple of issues here. The first is that your mechanic may not have the correct scanning tool to be able to interrogate the car’s on-board computer to check for fault codes. And without the correct one, you won’t get far down that track. However, it’s worth following that route as it’s the best, most efficient way to find out what’s really going on inside the car.

Ironically, the same scanning tool required will probably also be able to turn the transmission warning light off. But turning the light off is not the solution; you need to know what triggered the warning in the first place and attend to that. Otherwise the light will keep cropping up, regardless of how often you turn it off.

Continuing to drive with a warning light illuminated risks doing more damage to the vehicle in the long run. Something is not right in your car’s driveline and the car knows it. But you’ll need the right mechanic with the right tools to be able to know what the fault is and how to fix it.

The short answer is very good. It never fails to amaze first-timers just how capable modern 4X4s really are. With decent tyres, and a transfer-case with low-ratio gears, the GWM ute is likely to have more off-road capability than most owners will have brave pills.

Of course there are limitations, but for the average weekend away camping in the bush, the GWM will absolutely make it there and back. The good news is that you don’t even have to modify a vehicle like the GWM to be capable off road. Even in its stock standard form, it will amaze you where it will go. That said, throw some proper tyres on it, and it’ll be even more capable.

Of course, the counter-point here is that even the best off-road vehicle will run into trouble if it’s being driven by somebody who has no idea what they’re doing. So an off-roading course is a good idea, as is joining a club that takes newbies out to teach them the ropes in the field.

It’s possible that all these faults happened at the same time from different causes. But you’d have to agree, it’s much more likely that there’s a single cause for all this stuff happening at once. In which case, suspicions are always drawn to the car’s body computer. This controls a huge range of functions including the lights, climate control, dashboard, entertainment, central locking and much more.

Like any computer, they can be faulty from new or sometimes just need a reboot to put them right. I’d start by disconnecting the battery overnight to see if the car comes good after you’ve reconnected it. But even if it does, a trip to the dealer is in order, to log the problem for future warranty claims.