Nissan Xterra maximum temperature when driving in the sand

[Lorenzo Candelpergher]

1 hour ago, Thomas Varghese said:

I'm aware of this @Gaurav and appreciate Carnity management for the steps taken. Gone nuts trying to solve the issue. As I painfully found out you can try mods and run on a lean wallet but nothing helps in this overpowering heat. Desert driving is a passion but the temperature has put a damper on it. I couldn't stay back to help out on @Lorenzo Candelpergher's friday drive with @Abu Muhammad's pop out and had to leave as I knew I will collapse with exhaustion if I didn't get back to my home at the earliest. I felt guilty but I had no choice. It was only almost 9am and the heat was unbearable. No way you can endure a day drive without AC. The AC shuts down once the engine temp rises. 

 

 

 

Dear @Thomas Varghese, it was indeed very hot and, as many others in the convoy, you did the right thing to leave. In fact, I was already parked and about to start inflating when I heard about @Abu Muhammad's pop-out 209m away, so went back, but most of the convoy was indeed already out.

This is why we start as soon as possible in the morning (currently 15 mins before sunrise and it is key that everyone makes to the meeting point on time) and Leads do their best to exit by not later than 9:15, adjusting the route if needed, but possibly not extending the drive any later. 

[Islam Soliman]

UAE summer is tough not only because of the high temperature (50+ Degrees) but also because of thick air saturated with humidity not making it easy on our cars and our lungs too. 
Staying hydrated at all times is a must and falcon eyes on the engine temp gauge as well as transmission temperature are all equally important.

my experience with my Yukon is, the car performance will start to degrade when it gets hot even without serious moves on the gauges.. A/C blowing thick less cooled air, partially losing power at high climbs, and strong engine vibrations all start to take place randomly and intermittently while gauges still look ok. Being cautions of these behaviors gives me early indications of situation to start taking corrective actions before things to escalate requiring stopping the convoy and disappointment of fellow drivers.

first actions is of course kill the A/C and rolled down my windows while partially avoiding pushing the car on high climbs. This will for sure make things better .. if situations continues and temp goes above midpoint I switch off the A/C compressor and put the temp control and fan speed to max and start enjoying the by-product of a free sauna 😂 while continuing to drive at average speed (1500-2000 rpm) immediately brings things back to normal.

I haven’t modified any thing in my car (yet) including cooling and have been able to manage so far..as stated by everyone there is little that can be done when driving during the UAE hot summer specially on daytime. Very early morning or late evening drives are for sure less stress for both driver and car and plenty of these options are available during weekends and midweek too so everyone can enjoy with their own preference.

Opting for easier recovery options is always a good idea where possible specially during daytime.

P.S. I liked and tried Angela’s@Foxtrot Oscar idea of latched hood yesterday and it for sure helped, as stated it’s very important to make sure your latch is solid and no chance of the hood taking off 🤪 

[Thomas Varghese]

8 hours ago, Islam Soliman said:

UAE summer is tough not only because of the high temperature (50+ Degrees) but also because of thick air saturated with humidity not making it easy on our cars and our lungs too. 
Staying hydrated at all times is a must and falcon eyes on the engine temp gauge as well as transmission temperature are all equally important.

my experience with my Yukon is, the car performance will start to degrade when it gets hot even without serious moves on the gauges.. A/C blowing thick less cooled air, partially losing power at high climbs, and strong engine vibrations all start to take place randomly and intermittently while gauges still look ok. Being cautions of these behaviors gives me early indications of situation to start taking corrective actions before things to escalate requiring stopping the convoy and disappointment of fellow drivers.

first actions is of course kill the A/C and rolled down my windows while partially avoiding pushing the car on high climbs. This will for sure make things better .. if situations continues and temp goes above midpoint I switch off the A/C compressor and put the temp control and fan speed to max and start enjoying the by-product of a free sauna 😂 while continuing to drive at average speed (1500-2000 rpm) immediately brings things back to normal.

I haven’t modified any thing in my car (yet) including cooling and have been able to manage so far..as stated by everyone there is little that can be done when driving during the UAE hot summer specially on daytime. Very early morning or late evening drives are for sure less stress for both driver and car and plenty of these options are available during weekends and midweek too so everyone can enjoy with their own preference.

Opting for easier recovery options is always a good idea where possible specially during daytime.

P.S. I liked and tried Angela’s@Foxtrot Oscar idea of latched hood yesterday and it for sure helped, as stated it’s very important to make sure your latch is solid and no chance of the hood taking off 🤪 

At the end of the day you can repair or replace a machine part if it breaks down if you have a fat wallet. What you cannot replace is the human behind the machine whatever the size of the wallet is. The sun is blazing so much that its becoming difficult for a human to endure the heat and its effect on the body. Wise men of the past overcame this by lying low when the sun wants to show his power. As of today the sun powers at 52 degree centigrade. It overpowers all our wish and will. The ancients didn't stop travelling from point A to B just because the sun overpowers them. They just circumvented it by changing their travelling time. My opinion is heed to them. Desert is an unforgiving extreme environment. We are all here because we like to challenge the nature. Otherwise why should we be driving our machines in such a harsh environment?  It doesn't mean we just bang ourselves and commit suicide. Let us have our fun with the moon as witness. Maybe I'm becoming old and try to go easy. But why shouldn't we be smart? 

[Thomas Varghese]

9 hours ago, Lorenzo Candelpergher said:

Dear @Thomas Varghese, it was indeed very hot and, as many others in the convoy, you did the right thing to leave. In fact, I was already parked and about to start inflating when I heard about @Abu Muhammad's pop-out 209m away, so went back, but most of the convoy was indeed already out.

This is why we start as soon as possible in the morning (currently 15 mins before sunrise and it is key that everyone makes to the meeting point on time) and Leads do their best to exit by not later than 9:15, adjusting the route if needed, but possibly not extending the drive any later. 

I still feel I acted childish and didn't help a fellow driver and stand with him in times of need. I just can't forgive myself. I promise I won't do it again. Of course the sun was overpowering everybody. But it is not an excuse for my irresponsible behavior. I'm sorry I ran away. 

[Lorenzo Candelpergher]

8 hours ago, Thomas Varghese said:

I still feel I acted childish and didn't help a fellow driver and stand with him in times of need. I just can't forgive myself. I promise I won't do it again. Of course the sun was overpowering everybody. But it is not an excuse for my irresponsible behavior. I'm sorry I ran away. 

Dear @Thomas Varghese, the drive was over, everyone - not just you - exited, except for the Seniors who went back to help for the pop-out and those who were in close proximity who decided to wait as, for them, the drive wasn't over yet.

There was nothing irresponsible from your side: on the contrary, as I said, I believe you did the wisest and most appropriate thing and, as a paradox, I would have found it more irresponsible of you, knowing how tired you were at that point (even more so now that I know about your A/C issues), if you had stretched further, to the point where you may have gotten in trouble. 

@Abu Muhammad was fully supported by @Jeepie, @Tero Vallas, @Rob H and me, way more people than needed to fix a simple pop-out.. There was no need for any extra help. 

I'm the first one potentially suffering from the heat and dehydration and I know very well that, in my current poor shape, I have limits I shouldn't cross. The overall safety of each drive goes also through the individual driver's judgment of what is their personal limit in these extreme weather conditions so that no additional risks are taken by the entire convoy. 

[Foxtrot Oscar]

 

11 hours ago, Thomas Varghese said:

At the end of the day you can repair or replace a machine part if it breaks down if you have a fat wallet. What you cannot replace is the human behind the machine whatever the size of the wallet is. The sun is blazing so much that its becoming difficult for a human to endure the heat and its effect on the body. Wise men of the past overcame this by lying low when the sun wants to show his power. As of today the sun powers at 52 degree centigrade. It overpowers all our wish and will. The ancients didn't stop travelling from point A to B just because the sun overpowers them. They just circumvented it by changing their travelling time. My opinion is heed to them. Desert is an unforgiving extreme environment. We are all here because we like to challenge the nature. Otherwise why should we be driving our machines in such a harsh environment?  It doesn't mean we just bang ourselves and commit suicide. Let us have our fun with the moon as witness. Maybe I'm becoming old and try to go easy. But why shouldn't we be smart? 

We are smart. We drive at the coolest times of the day and we also have at least 3 night drives per week.

Believe it or not , many members joined Carnity during the summer months at the height of the pandemic. The brilliant planning undertaken by the Carrnity Crew meant that we were able to escape from our locked down homes and drive in the blazing heat.   You weren't here to experience that, but I tell you , it was an absolute god send, especially for me and others like me who were stuck here all alone without our families and confined to an apartment. It allowed us to get out, talk on the radio to fellow enthusiasts and feel safe as we weren't exposed to crowds or covid, furthermore we didn't have the option of night drives due to the curfew.

As I said, summer driving isn't for everyone, but some of us enjoy the extra challenge it provides.

Now, let's keep on topic, This thread is about keeping your Nissan Xterra cool in the summer months, what warning signs to look for that indicate overheating and what to do to resolve them quickly and not about the why fors and wherefores of summer driving, there's already a thread for that.