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In a continuous effort to improve and support this largest car community in the middle east, we are requesting all of you to contribute with your ideas and suggestion to make Carnity a better place for every car enthusiasts. Coming Friday on 2nd March, 6 active members and key contributors are meeting in person for a brainstorming session to plan the way forward to make Carnity more useful, engaging, responsive and friendly car community than ever before. Thanks, @Jeh @Barry @Rahimdad @skumar83 @Asif Hussain @Gaurav For rest of the contributors, who can't join this meeting, kindly share your ideas and suggestion below and we will explore all the possibilities to absorb them. Thanks.

With regards to downshifting in a manual, heel and toe technique and rev matching are king. Once you master the art of proper footwork, the clutch pedal becomes redundant in situations other than starting or stopping. I can shift up and down gears flawlessly without using the clutch pedal. Experience I guess. But I think Saleem is right. This coffin can never be nailed down. Everyone has their own experiences and their own style of driving. IMO manual will always be king but I can see from the side of girls who can’t shift properly

@skumar83actually now you and the jeep are mingling at the right frequency then...

It was a fanastic and unforgettable drive which would remain my all time favourite.. quick decisions, change in plans, good convoy speed, 3 beautiful places and lots of adventure and fun.. in spite of me being spoiler for delaying the drive which i regret for, the patience and support extended by the complete team is unparalleled.. one and all thanks to the entire team for this memorable drive !!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

So anybody knows any place to get such lenses and glue from? FYI I know buying a new headlight is a lot easier but then again for my specific model it's 1000+ for a piece OEM and about 800 aftermarket.. about 400-600 for a standard one but I'm having the bi-xenon + the labor. Just put in here cuz last time when I asked about the windshield, that was the popular answer. The point is... If it's not necessary, then why waste the hard earned money be it a couple of 100bucks!? A lot of people don't know that just changing out the lens is all they need and according to what I know, it can be done for most of the cars out there!? In most of these kinda car videos, people buy stuff from Chinese websites like alibaba/aliexpress.... I have had bad experiences with it but got a refund although lost some money due to exchange rates and I think it was because I didn't give any P.O.Box number mainly because I don't have 1. Have anybody else bought stuff from aliexpress? It's an awesome place where we get almost anything for dirt cheap price. My elder brother whose in India buys from the site frequently. The only problem he faces is the international shipping time period. There are people who buy stuff in bulk quantity from alie and sell it on Shopify for triple the price. Back to the thread lol. I would also like to know if any of you have swapped out headlights with a new one and how much you paid for it.

lololol. Will see when you ride a manual in the desert long hill climb.

so i guess there is no nail for this coffin...i have driven manual and auto both and i favour the manual as you can do many other fancy things with a good manual gear car whereas the auto will get left behind

@Gaurav your vehicle is special that you are able to keep it on 1st gear, and you have the '1' gear option in your auto transmission. This is mostly likely because it carries the gene of the award winning Pajero Dakar Rally model. I have also seen the '1' gear option in Rahim bhai's Pathy as well but not in many other cars. I have honestly struggled with my newer version Pajero where it would continuously upshift in tiptronic mode. I have been driving a manual vehicle for the past 8 months, and in the initial period my gear shifts were never smooth. As a result I was unable to downshift from 2nd to 1st in time. So I used to attack a dune in 1st gear, but was able to reach a maximum speed of approx 55 km/h with the engine at its limit and some clutch being burnt due to the high rpm. So I can relate with what gaurav mentioned that while the adrenaline is pumping, its quite difficult to downshift. I got my clutch changed a couple of months ago, and I have also learnt to do smoother gear shifts. Now, when I reach the base of a steep dune I am on 2nd gear at a speed of almost 80 - 85 km per hour. As I loose momentum during the climb, I am able to quickly downshift to 1st gear and get the last bit of thrust for the final part of the climb. Have been doing this quite successfully over the past few drives. I have been using my vehicle for my daily drive as well so am continuously practicing the quick shifting of the vehicle and now I dont need to see the rpm or the speed anymore as I do the gear shifts based on the engine sound. Though the gear shifts are still not the smoothest, but I am continuously practicing to try and improve it.

Barry, why I prefer auto in desert because in steep climb downshifting from 2nd to 1st require a PHD that too just to downshift tad above 3K rpm or else power band will die. In such scenario, 1st is too short and 2nd is too long. Auto box (if well designed) downshift in nanoseconds when human reaction is getting nervous and thrilled while dune bashing at 60 kmph speed. I have suffered in my manual Nissan Patrol for 2 years and you can ask any seasoned offroader who ride manual about this pain point.

Gaurav I will always respect your opinions and experience but automatic gearboxes will never be for me in any driving situation. I don’t want to have to miss gears or push buttons to make the car do what I want it to do. I have been driving manuals since way before I ever got a driving licence so it’s second nature to me, it feels completely natural and I’m in control. With an automatic, I don’t feel in control, the car is. I’m just controlling the throttle. I’ve only ever owned one automatic car and I didn’t gel with the driving experience. Having a high revving engine and wondering wether the car will shift gear or stick and blow the rods out through the block wasn’t a nice experience for me. I have only ever driven a manual in the desert and it performed perfectly. I told the car what to do and it did it. I had 2 small stucks due to lack of experience but I recovered myself quickly and nobody even noticed. A bit of clutch control and I was out easy. If I had been in an automatic I would have been calling rahim bhai for a tow.

Exactly, now you got it 100% right. In some cars, you have O/D off, PWR, Sports mode etc kind of button to tell auto box for late shift and quick downshifting. That's even better so you can get what you really want.

But that is kind of the point. If you need to override the automatic function at any stage for any reason, then the system is inherently flawed.

So if you have an automatic, you still have to use the manual gear select function to climb? Better just buy a manual then.

I am so grateful to CARNITY for selecting me for the upcoming brainstorming meeting and i am looking forward to attend. Carnity member's let's share our ideas and suggestions and contribute carnity, friendly car community.

Next time when i go to Saleem we will try that wire modification. After that if it will work, i will post the solution here.

some people buy brand new ones and spend a tonne on the body kit, wheels, springs and Recaro seats.... In theory, they could have just bought an evo atleast used lol

@sertac i think your issue is that after 'D' you have '1 - 2'. So after a certain speed the car is upshifting. So you basically need a '1' gear for the last part of the climb. Please post that query of converting '1-2' to only '1' on the forum. You might get some ideas and it might be worth trying it.

Good question @skumar83. The hearing ratios are slightly different but not all that much, with a good automatic transmission you can get the job done, but with a manual it is a breeze, plus you get better petrol consumption on road.

@Vinod Krishna Murthy you have a wonderful spirit and you're a good team player. Good to have you on board and looking forward to many such adventures. Surprised with the generous power and torque produced by you 2.7 on 4 cylinders.

Thank you Carnity for the honour and the chance to contribute within our community. Like any community it needs fresh and engaging ideas to improve it and make it a better place. I feel honoured to be a part of this change and looking forward to more contributions from everyone. Some one wise once said there are no bad questions or ideas, just bad answers. Lets keep our minds and hearts open and speak up. Remember that nobody will know what you're thinking of you don't speak up. Lets all contribute with an idea each at least to get this journey started.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Most of it has to do with the final gear ratios of the transmission and axles combined. Engineers figure out what is required to make the vehicle perform within the parameters they preconceived. Auto and Manual transmission ratios will typically be different, especially now that some have up to 9 gear transmissions. I read an article not long ago that with upgraded transmission, transfer cases may be out the door. I have noticed most people out in the dunes have mostly stock’ish lifts, just upgrade suspension components with no lift. More money goes into engine upgrades for horsepower. So is HP better then torque when driving in the dunes. i was actually looking at some of the manual Jeep XJ’s on dubizzle the other day.

As Gaurav mentioned it's a madhouse debate and there can never be a winner. In my recent past I have driven a Pajero (Auto transmission) and a Cherokee XJ ( Manual Transmission). I most definitely prefer the XJ over the pajero mainly for the manual gearing. I unfortunately had a very bad experience with the Pajero that while doing an Uphill climb in tip tronic the transmission would upshift from 1st grade to 2nd gear at 50 km per hour. And this would make every up Hill Climb a huge task. In my XJ, I get to choose the gearing and that for me is the biggest plus of a manual vehicle. But then there are other automatic transmission vehicles which has a D and 1 like Gaurav's Pajero. Here in this kind of vehicles you'll never have the upshift problem. Guys I have a question. If you have two identical vehicles one automatic and the other a manual transmission are the gearing ratios different? Also, how much of a difference does the gear ratios make while off roading especially in sand?

Welcome @Corbie to the madhouse of Auto vs Manual debate. If you have grown old with manual and now switch to Auto, then I'm sure you must have realized that auto is the way forward. Only thing depends on the gearing and chip controlling the downshift as that's what matters the most in off-road (at least in sand). I have seen great car engine failing due to stupid gearing. Remember before buying your next jeep, do few sand offroad drives to really understand what is needed for the desert. Those fancy monsters with 33 or 35 with 20-inch lift looks good on road to scare people but they actually sit down the dunes eating the dust. If all this is done with massive engine modification or swap to the powerful motor, then it makes sense to have a capable, well-protected climber. For wadi and mountain, these mods may be good in the stock engine, so pick your bet as per your taste. For desert, my simple theory is getting the MAX power to weight ratio and you will win, even in 2.0 liter 4x4.

I have had both automatic Jeeps and a manual Jeep both had stock 4.0l engines. I had a great time in both. I used the manual when off-roading more and the Auto as my daily driver in heavy traffic. The off roading I did was not sand or dune based. So I am following this thread to learn more. What I did like about my experience is having that second vehicle, if one breaks (Usually the off-road one) you will have a second car to get to work at the end of the weekend and until you get one fixed. Doing it again I would buy a Jeep with better lift, wheels, lighting, and everything else that I want, that is in my budget. The type of transmission is lower on my priority list. When I was young, 30 years ago, I would kill car batteries a lot. Dead batteries of the past still haunt me. I have not killed a battery in 2 decades. Since those time being stranded still haunt me if I found two Jeeps that are equal I would probably get the manual.

Hi there, It goes without saying that your car's alternator, battery, and wiring should be in good and working condition, with or without installing additional equipment. Basically, you will need to run another power wire straight from your battery's + towards your amp(s). Choosing the right size of cable is based on how powerful your amps are: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-1TnffuYRpSC/learn/learningcenter/car/cable_gauge_chart.html I'm not good with gauge sizes, i used 10mm2 cable if i'm not mistaken (7 AWG). You can buy the complete cable sets on s o u q or downtown which will contain the following: 1) Power Cable (red) with fuse and fuse holder: Avoid drilling holes in your firewall (metal wall between your engine bay and the inside of your car). Just look at which location the cabling from your engine bay goes towards the dashboard. This will normally pass through some kind of rubber. Through this rubber you should be able to pinch a small hole and then put your power cable through it. Now guide your power cable to the back of the car where your amp will be located. You'll need to remove the upholstery/carpets/sidepanels and look for the shortest way possible. 2) (Ground cable) Black: This will be a short piece of black cable of the same thickness as your power cable. Connect this one to a GOOD grounded chassis point nearest to your amp. with GOOD ground i mean it has to be a bolt going into the metal frame of your car. Use an ohm meter to be sure that the grounding is actually in touch with the frame. In many cars, the bolts that are used to mount the seat-belts to your car frame are good for this. If nothing is available then you could drill a hole in the metal panel, remove the paint, and bolt it to the frame. But use this as last resort to avoid corrosion or hitting something which you did not intend to hit like your gas tank. 3) RCA Cable: This is the cable that sends the audio signal from your head-unit to the amp. DO NOT put this wire together with your power cable in the same cable trunking. In some cases it will result in humming or noise when you accelerate the car. Just try to find a different route. Normally the power cable goes through the left side of the car (the side where your battery is), while the speaker cable and signal cables go through the right side. 4) Remote Cable: This is a simple wire that you'll need to connect to the headunit's "remote" connector. It sends 12 Volts to the amplifier to switch it on when the headunit is switched on. Most RCA signal cables have a small third extra wire along the core that you can use, but any wire (or some extra speaker wire) will do. 5) Speaker Wire: Regular audio speaker wire 2,5mm2 will do to cable the speakers all the way up to the amp. You can choose to tap into them through the original connector behind the head-unit, or you can pull new cables all the way up to the speaker itself (not so easy to do with front speakers as you'll need to pass through the original rubber door cabling). You'll need the following equipment: -Soldering iron (if you decide to solder instead of using crimping lugs). I prefer soldering any time. -Crimping lugs (forks, male and female). -Electrical tape. -Multimeter. To identify which speaker is which in your cabling, you can use a 1.5 AA volt battery . Just hold the speaker wire on the + and - for a second and the popping sound will get you to identify which speaker is which. Try to take into account the correct + and - connections of your speakers. If wired incorrectly it will result in a phase cancellation fault which you cannot hear easily, but results in far less bass coming through the speaker because one speaker moves outwards while the other moves inwards during pumping out sound, resulting in a cancellation. If you are not sure which is the + or -, just wire up everything and when you play a song with some good bass, try shifting the balance from L to R on your head-unit. You will notice that suddenly you will have more bass out of 1 speaker instead of 2. That means your + and - are reversed . Most-probably you WILL break some of these side-panel plastic thingys that pop into the holes and keep your doorpanels and sidepanels in their place. The older the car, the more likelier because they are detoriorated and will break off very easily. But that's a small pain compared with the joy of having a good sound system.

Gaurav you finally found someone who is crazy about an old Pajero (a rare breed) as you are. Think you guys are going to be real good friends. A match made in heaven!

Now you are very special buddy

With all due respect to your experience and knowledge, only 1 in million NEED to cross continents. I totally agree that in real hardcore sturdiness manual win hands down but our regular off-roader here doesn't take more than 100 - 500 km in a week. Nope, that's not the point. This manual selection is only needed in some auto box that automatically upshifts. In my ride 90% of my time I drive in D, even in steepest hill climb as it downshifts gear SUPER FAST to 1st when I need it the most.