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I’m sure everyone has heard it, when some VWs change gear, there is a fart noise from the exhaust, especially noticeable on Golfs and Sciroccos. Someone asked me to explain it today, this is the best I could come up with. These cars run a DSG gearbox. This means direct shift gearbox. It runs with 2 clutches but you drive it like an auto. It’s basically a semi auto gearbox with no clutch pedal. During gearchanges, the spark is temporarily retarded but fuel is unaltered. This results in some unburnt fuel getting dumped into the exhaust system where it is ignited by the heat of the exhaust system, causing the fart noise you hear. But isn’t that just a pointless exhaust noise in an attempt to sound cool and down with the kids? Next thing the car will be doing the floss dance from fortnite? No. The ECU is deliberately retarding the timing during gearchanges. Why? Because it cuts torque levels for a split second. This reduces stress levels on the gearbox and twin clutch system which increases reliability. We all know DSG gearboxes are unreliable (mainly due to the mechatronic system) so every little helps. If you have to endure a car with a case of flatulence, just remember it’s the manufacturer trying to save you a gearbox rebuild.

Thank you very much guys, 😀

Celebrate the New Year's Eve Party with style in an awesome and secluded venue in the nearby desert with the best music, food, and drinks to welcome 2019. This venue is the best positioned to view over 9 different fireworks from 8 PM - 1 PM without the crowded vicinity. Burj Khalifa: 18 kms Global Village: 15 kms - 7 fireworks with different countries New Year time 8 PM: China, 9 PM: Thailand, 10 PM: Bangladesh, 10:30 PM: India, 11 PM: Pakistan, 12 AM: UAE, 1 AM: Moscow Dubai Festival City: 13 Kms This spot will be accessible for all cars and 4x4 so that we can get the maximum families turn-out. This place will be set up with light, sound system and bonfire/bbq (in container/fire plate). Enclosed kid's play area (big camp) will be set up in advance so that families can enjoy and kids will also have some entertainment (of course under supervision). We will also have karaoke, so if anyone has flair for guitar or any musical instruments please bring it along on so we can have some live music through the night. Experienced offroaders can make their way to Party site anytime without deflating. For people coming in cars or non-4x4 SUV, pickup will be arranged from meeting point to the Party site. Due to roadblocks, diversions and traffic please start early if you plan to join, as no pickup will be made after 9:00 PM Entry is free for all Carnity members Bring your own food, drinks, wood, and beverages Bring your own camping chair, table, cooking or BBQ grill Get the best party music or music of your choice in flash drive, mobile or card Bring your kids toys, chair or gadgets. When: 31 December 2018, Monday Where: Dubai Outsource City First pickup time: 8.00 PM Last pickup time: 9.00 PM GPS Coordinate: Meeting point: 25.123616 55.427639 https://goo.gl/maps/sd2gzL5QZDK2 Party site: 25.124184 55.439590 https://goo.gl/maps/ArtXQWPxGs92 Level of drive: All level Type of Car: Any car or 4x4 is welcome Approximate Finish Time: 3-5 AM, 01 January 2019, Tuesday Please RSVP on below calendar:

Welcome @Ashwin88. I am glad that after a long time I came across someone who reads and tries to understand things with as much pleasure as we had writhing out the necessities for off-road. Firstly, you do have low bumper overhangs which can be fixed by removing the lower lip which are connected by about 4 screws. However front and rear tow points are cumpulsory, because for any reason if you get stuck we might need to pull you out from either front or back depending on the stuck. A tow hitch for the back should do fine. Secondly as @Barry mentioned off road cover is not necessary but helps in case you damage your vehicle. You may also check other insurance companies besides RSA which offer off road insurance. If you are enthusiastic about off roading it would be advisable to get a cheap 4x4 preferable Japanese in the early 2000's to avoid any extra electronics which can only hamper your learning. As an example I have a Nissan Pathfinder 2001 model and @Gaurav drives a 1999 SWB Pajero. Once you grow interest in the sport and want to take it a notch further than newbie drives your JGC will give you a lot of heart aches unless it's properly modified, which will cost you more than buying an off road vehicle. You are right the radio mentioned is a walkie talkie and you can source most of your things at Dragon Mart or Ace Hardware. But it is important to join for a few drives and see if your interest turns to passion. Otherwise all you spend could go to waste. You can join a few drives as passenger with one of us and we can probably make suggestions on how to take it forward with your JGC. This will also give you an opportunity to learn first hand and get a feel if this sport is really meant for you and how you want to go around with your off road vehicle.

Ok everybody knows I got no love for the EVs but this looks very interesting, these people have been quietly and anonymously working away for the last 7 years developing this thing, already bought a defunct Mitsubishi factory in the US and converted it for mass production and looks pretty capable off road and the SUV version is right up there with the swankiest Range Rover in terms of luxury, And unlike Fisker they seem to actuallu know how to mass produce car. And best of all, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg like he Tesla or other EVs of today. The price is around $60,000, the avg price of a truck or SUV nowadays. This video doesn't do it justice but youtube and google more Watch from 16.00 onwards for better shots of the Rivian

i checked with Mitsubishi they said we have to switch off ASTC by pressing the button near knees and engage 4HLc which will lock the central differential to split torque equally. It has to be engaged only when we encounter cross tracks or bumpy ride where the car computer confuses and thinks car is slipping heavily and starts to brake the wheels, and acts upon the engine accelerations as well. let's try this the next time removing the ABS fuse will disengage it completely but it is highly highly highly not recommended. This is the kill switch you were asking for.

You deserve this rank @BIG T. CONGRATS!!!

Hello pplz I am Ashwin.. And I am driving a brand new grand Cherokee summit 2018 model... I am absolutely a newbie with zero experience in offloading.... Even tho having desert training from driving institutions... I am sure group trips and experience only counts... However I have been following carnity and the discussions...and its a great platform for all grades of offroaders. I have certain queries being a fresher into offroad which I would be seeking some suggestions:- 1. My car was registered in Dubai with Qatar insurance when I got the car in June... Now I had called them asking for an endorsement or addition to my existing policy... To include off-road cover... But they declined or refused to add... So I am stuck to wait till renewal of my car... To take a new policy with RSA which has a an off-road cover... But it could probably put a hole in my pocket...and funny bit...they are covering only 50metres of offroading ....So my question is...since I am not being able to find a solution to it.... Is it really mandatory? .. I understand it's safeguarding all risks.... But I am left with no option... Or alternatively would you be able to suggest on what can be done for this situation? 2. One main thing I noticed in all group discussions is... Inclusion of tow hooks in front and back... Unfortunately and weirdly... I do not have tow hooks on my front and back bumper side... Upon checking with trading enterprise... They can provide me with back tow hinch... But they do not have any scope for front tow hooks...as the front bumper has lot of sensors and grills... I am attaching the pix for your reference... Would you be able to help Me out on what can be done for this... 3. I do not have any 4x4 accessories for recovery or inflating or deflation.. Which I need to purchase... So would you be able to suggest a good place.... And what are the basic things really required for the vehicle to move around offloading without much tensions... Also incase I need anything to be fixed.. It can happen on the spot.. Also I did not really understand the terminology "radio" used in many threads... Regalar touch screen radio which is fit in the car? Or something new and extra - like a walkie talkie? if so how is it used? and where to get all of these? 4. How far does an additional cold air intake help in terms of offloading? Which trading enterprise is offering to me..for 3000dhs.. I would appreciate if you could really help as I am enthusiastic about off roading... And would love to explore more.. and really want to start joining you guyz...but unfortunately i am facing these situations... Thanks Ashwin

To add to few of the points mentioned above: 1. Normally off-road cover is provided for any 4x4 as a standard. However, off-road recovery is very rarely covered and what is provided is 50m from the road. So are you checking recovery or off-road coverage? In the event of an accident in the desert, you would need off-road cover and valid driving license for the insurance company to pay for the damage. 2. The front end is extremely low and like desertdude mentioned that would be the first donation you would do in the desert the moment you step in the desert. Some people have been able to remove the lower black grill. Check if you can remove that and you will need to have to install at least one tow point which is firmly fixed to the chassis. Regarding the rear tow point, if you read one of the earlier drive posts (I think in the last 4 weeks) someone had posted a picture of how they have attached the recovery point at the back. On closer look at the pic what is that on the center of the front lower black grill? Is it a hole or a camera? 3. If you have sorted out Point No 2 you can join the absolute newbie drive where you will be told of the entire off-road gear necessary. They are available at Dragon Mart. 4. Don't do any modification at this stage unless you have done a few drives and feel that it's really necessary. Also a final point, though you are driving a JGC, it has become an onroad vehicle with occassional offroading as the approach and departure angles are practically not there. You can join upto a Newbie level, but it might be difficult to push this vehicle for heavy offroading. So you can do the initial basic offroading in this car and once you are sure that you want to off-road on a regular basis, you will have to get another dedicated car.

Brillian @Gaurav bhai. It was a blast last year so looking forward to even more fun with new faces in our club.

@desertdude is right. It’s a SUV, not a proper 4x4 and it would take a lot of modifications to make it suitable for desert driving. Perfect for snow and ice but not for the desert, sorry. But to answer some of your questions, 1 - You don’t require insurance or even a licence to drive in the desert although insurance would help if you wrecked your car. 2 - Rear tow hitch would be advantageous. If you look on your front bumper, there should be a piece of plastic you can pop out with a screwdriver. In your toolkit beside your spare wheel, there should be a towing eye that screws into this hole. 3 - You will find everything you need in dragon mart. The basics for inflating and deflating are a valve tool, tyre pressure gauge and 12v compressor. When people talk about radio, they are talking about a 2 way radio, like a walkie talkie. Again available in dragon mart. Check the guide on here to make sure you get one that works on compatible frequencies. 4 - Upgraded cold air intake is good for any engine. It will release an extra maybe 5 BHP but it’s not a necessity. And 3k dhs is way too much to pay. You should be looking at under 500 dhs for something suitable.

Totally unwanted comment, even with lol Thanks @Barry for sharing this info on DSG autobox, so that many won't fall for it per their marketing campaign as a twin clutch bla bla god-like tech.

You are right about the unreliability of these gearboxes- in fact, the one developed by Ford was such a pile of crap that they gave up on trying to work out the bugs. Instead, they just gave it up as a bad idea and abandoned their use altogether.

You mean the Big Dipper (the Plough in the UK) asterism, as opposed the constellation Ursa Major? Sure, this works to find your way if you know what to look for but in my experience, less than a 5 people out of 100 can identify any constellation, much less an asterism that can save their lives.

Congratulations @BIG T for reaching the fewbie level with Carnity Offroad club. Within last few newbies offroad drives you have shown tremendous progress and well deserve this new offroad rank. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Fewbie: Number of drives 10 (16 regular drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune reading Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor (recommended) Drive teamwork Observe recovery from a safe distance and offer help when needed Drive posting/joining Join newbie and fewbie level of drives only Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Spotted this for sale. 205 Rallye. Rarer than finding a chicken with teeth these days. Never modified. Only 38k miles too. Impressive for a 1990 car. https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/peugeot/205/peugeot-205-rallye-euro-spec-38k-mint-3-owners/9060579

OMG, this could have been the worst disaster in summer with children and age-old diabetic patient without food and water. Of course, many people drive for few drives and think they can venture alone, of course, you can but mother nature always strikes when you are least prepared. Apart from navigational skills or software their both cars stuck and that reminds everyone to go in at least 3 or more cars and not alone or in 2 cars. Stuck tow rope between two vehicles is very common especially if you are not a seasoned offroader and plan your recovery without considering the downslope, vehicle weight, angle, and tug intensity. Slight correction from Khaleej Times statement, GPS signal was unavailable they might have meant that 4G or 3G was not there and that's why "online" GPS connection wasn't available. GPS signals are always working BEST in the desert and even if you have the most stupid offline phone app, you can make your way out without counting stars, sun, and moon in today's age. GPS signal gets lost in an area that is filled with skyscrapers like in Burj Khalifa area, but they never fail in desert or offroad. I have been driving offroad since Garmin brick GPS days that works perfectly fine, now phone apps like Motion X for iPhone and wikiloc for android have changed the face of offline navigation entirely. Secondly, every car, phone, most watches and offline google maps have a basic compass, so even if they have followed the qudra lake direction back with correct northing, they wouldn't have reached to Murquab that is way too far. Secondly, they could have gone on top of tall dune by foot and visually spot the road or street light and mark that direction in compass to follow. We see road lights from 15-20 kms very easily unless you are in Liwa, Sweihan or Wagan expansive desert. Kudos to Dubai Police for sending the helicopter for search and rescue in such situation.

Some basic navigational skills would have helped here. Most phones have a compass, head north west towards the coast and you’ll eventually come across a road. GPS isn’t the be all and end all. If you don’t even have a compass, use your brain. Everyone knows the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, this will help you in the day time. Night time is even easier and more accurate, look for the Ursa Major constellation, make a line from the 2 stars on the edge and follow them towards Polaris, the North Star. I used to hike for days at a time in the mountains at home with no electronics and minimal gear and these 2 simple things always helped me find my way. Relying on GPS for navigation and phones or radios for communication isn’t always a good thing. Batteries die, things break, it’s best to learn the basics like our ancestors did so if things do go wrong, you have a chance of finding your way out. I could go on about survivalism but I feel that would be a whole thread on its own.

Totally agreed with you, same here, but I have to do something for car traction control, anytime I need power the engine stop down, Thanks alot brothers @Rahimdad @Gaurav @skumar83 @Asif Hussain for help and guidance

It was a wonderful newbie+ drive and thanks Rahimdad for this great idea to throw newbies in some rough water and teach them swimming without the floaters - perfect example @skumar83 I have seen lot of new faces who were so confident in newbie tracks before were struggling on newbies+ level was there for a purpose to let them graduate the art of driving and learning their vehicle real capabilities. Some of the newbies have shown excellent learning curve and others have demonstrated that they have relevant previous experience based on which few promotions have been made today. Few others are almost close and maybe in the next couple of drives will be promoted shortly, once we all feel you are ready for the next level. I like to reiterate on the point that Rahimdad already mentions on "PATIENCE" that any offroad sport is an extreme adventure and if you cannot learn to be patient, tolerate and forgiving to others you can never learn real offroading. Offroading has no rules and laws, lanes and red lights, streetlight and signboard so one has to be very cautious and careful at every turn then being stupid and driving blind-folded. Secondly, we also need to learn to level up with each other while offroading so that we can learn together rather than running alone in a race. Thirdly, In this extreme sport, trust is everything that we extend to each other while venturing out and have that unsaid faith on each other capabilities and support so that we all can enjoy our weekend in a safe environment. Safety for yourself and for others is paramount and we will never compromise on that so that everyone can return home in one piece and in their own car after the weekend fun. I really appreciate a lot of you guys come from previous experience and didn't actually enjoyed yesterday drive with tons of refusals, but we all have learned the same way and I hope you continue to provide your support in the future to train others. This is how we all grow together and learn from each other at every stage of offroading.

@BIG T congratulations brother. I am very happy that your quick learning and patience has earned you your new rank. Please make sure you equip yourself as per your new level. Really enjoy your photos also. Keep working in similar fashion to reach the next rank.

Congratulations. Well deserved. You can now gear up for some nice challenging drives.

Congrats @BIG T !!

You will leave that bumper in the desert the first time you take it out, you are hardly clearly the kerb, let alone any dunes, Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news but unless you make expensive mods, that car is not going too far in the desert.

An answer to a question no one ever asked ! lol