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Good topic @eduardo. One more thing that I do before driving away is to lift the wipers and get out the sand that collects on them. If you need to use the wiper on your drive back, you don't want the sand there scratching your windshield.

Good topic. * I do a complete clean after every drive and hose down the chassis of the car. The amount of sand that gets stuck in all these nooks and crannies is unbelievable, and after time it hardens up and becomes even more difficult to remove. * Check all fluids as @Gaurav mentioned rightly. * Definitely bring the tyres back to road pressure condition (34psi works best for me). Also inspect the tyres for unusual wear or tear. * Clean the engine bay (not hosing down, but with a rag and some soft soap) and inspect for leaks or loose fittings, hoses.

Hi all, I'm trying to list the right things to do after a drive in the sand in order to maintain the car. More experienced driver what would you add ? What I have so far: Inflate the tires Turn all electronics back on Put back all fuses that were removed for the drive Clean the air filter

Very good question @edouard and thank you @Gaurav for this very helpful answer. I must admit I bearly do a third of those checks, but starting from now I will follow your list. Just like to mention another very simple detail, something we might forget before going back on track : to remove the flag ! It happened to me a couple of times...

Nice thread @edouard and ill try to add few points Check both the number plates are intact and not fallen off or bent inside after the impact. If it's lost, report to the Police immediately and get it replaced. Check the coolant level (visually) in the expansion bottle if its well within the Min/Max range. If it's low in expansion bottle or coolant reservoir tank, then top up at any nearest fuel station. DO NOT OPEN the radiator cap, when hot, it will gush out all coolant like a hot fountain and burn, just top up in the expansion bottle and check the radiator level again next day when the car is cold. Check inside the front grill before the radiator if any shrubs, plant or plastic stuck in front, that can block the air circulation and overheat the car. Check inside the engine bay and under the car from wheel arc with a strong flashlight to spot any noticeable leaks, broken hose, pipe etc. A leak may be very small if you spot any wet hose or pipe, worth diagnosing and getting it fixed as soon as possible. While driving back on road immediately after offroad drive, start slowly to hear any unusual noise, vibration etc and then gradually hit the highway speed. Also while doing this music should be off so you can actually pay attention to any unusual hissing/noise. This means to reach to 120 (highway speed) in 5 minutes and not in 10 seconds so you can drive and notice in different speed, as many time some intermittent noise or vibration comes at a very specific speed only. If you venture in water crossing or mud terrain, important to get the car underbody cleaned asap.

Trip report. Thank you @Emmanuel for graduating yourself within the club to be able to post what turned out to be an amazing place to discover. While you graduated through the different levels you have bought in many ideas and inputs to improve the experience of the new comers. Congratulations to @Javier M for graduating to the next level to enjoy this drive and thank you and Ramon for bringing your A game. Thank you to @Gaurav and @Srikumar for the support. A big thank you to @Asif Hussain bhai for joining us and giving us company. As we met on time and experiencing a little rain on the way to the deflation point our hearts were racing with what was in store for us. Upon reaching the deflation point we were briefed well by @Emmanuel and started towards the start of a fantastic day ahead. Sorry, after being put in second lead after a long time I was waiting for everybody to move before I did and someone had to tell me to move behind Emmanuel. As we started it was like a Veloceraptor was released from its cage. We had a good mix of some really fast paced drive through some gorgeous dunes and some really big dunes we could play on. Somehow we finished the first session on time to head out for Friday prayers and grab a quick bite. If the first round was an appetizer, round two was the main course and desserts combined. It was even more quicker in pace even after 2 pop outs and a few stucks we were able to cover so much more and loved every moment. As the sun coming down we were trying to find a suitable stop to camp for the night. We finally found a reasonable bowl in which we settled. As we settled we found two challenges, the wind due to which we couldn't set our tents and the passing drizzle which made it difficult to get the BBQ going. But @Javier M and Ramon didn't let the spirits dampenand got the BBQ going. Great preparations for both food and drinks along with music. Had to sleep in the car, but the best sleep ever with a great wake up call. After a quick brush of the teeth it was the wonderful breakfast provided by @Emmanuel and @Gaurav. In conclusion have to admit didn't feel like going home after the brilliant day out with such wonderful people in some amazing dunes.

I forgot to express my deep gratitude to you @Srikumar for all the things you taught to me

Absolutely

Nice topic @eduardo and very good points covered by all.

Yeah most important. 😂😂😂

Since there are a lot of Newbies requesting for a morning drive, this one is for you. I am planning on a relaxing morning drive from Tawi Nizwa shops to Pink Rocks and if time permits to finish it off at the Big Red. Plan to play all along the way, so we can enjoy for a couple of hours before the heat kicks in. This will also be an opportunity for those who have not been in this area to explore a newbie level terrain where you can explore and learn the techniques of off-roading. When: 22 March 2019 Meeting time: 07:30 AM, the convoy will move sharply at 07:45 AM Where: Tawi Nizwa shops GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/KKBUhkQ2y382 Level of drive: Newbie but all levels are welcome to join Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 10 inches of ground clearance What to bring along: Breakfast snacks - whatever you like with little extra to share, water, liquids, smiles and courage. Approximate finish time: 11:00 AM RSVP the below calendar:

Thank you all for giving me this opportunity to learn, for your support, for the fun - and @Rahimdad for this perfect report. I hope you enjoyed as much as I did.

I would like to add Kia Sorento 2007-2009 to the list. It has 3.3 V6 engine with 242hp and it has proper 4x4 system. Prices around 6-15.000AED I never seen any of these dune bashing but i think those are hidden treasures for this price range.

Perfect use of the Multipla for its intended customers

If your car needed an oil change, you jacked it up outside your house, drained the oil, screwed the old filter off, screwed the new one on and filled the engine with oil. If the car was running bad, you change the spark plugs, get the timing light out and make sure the distributor is on point. If you’re having starting problems, you make sure the points are set correctly. Making an engine run is easy. Every petrol engine needs 4 things to run. Spark, timing, fuel, compression. When did we reach the stage that people lost all knowledge and started to depend on overpriced dealerships? I know so many people who call themselves petrol heads but they couldn’t even point out a spark plug. Where did it all go wrong?

Oh no... Another one we absolutely need to explore in China and Mongolia ! Advice to all off-roaders : don’t open Google Earth and don’t zoom on this region

It was really amazing experience with the experts like @Rahimdad @GauravI felt like I was going n a team where I always ( never felt like I am new to the team) frankly speaking I personally have some kind of resistance to mingle with new people and that resistance was not there when I meet with the team thanks to all of you for accepting me in and for the drive. i have done earlier few small drives alone and with my office colleagues and it was still I can say just an learner stage and when I start with carnity the way it was organized was fantastic like startup briefing what we call in our industry is tool box talk and the discipline of team members was amazing. Hope I have followed the instructions and willing to join upcoming drives as far as possible

Can't argue with that. I also appreciate things for what they are, so I hate all cars equally.

Good topic Barry. I think many of our generation grew up on the street messing with scooters, bikes, motorcycles because there was nothing else to do to spent those long summers. Video games were coming up but watching 2 pixels going left to right wasn’t that much interesting. younger generation people now grow up with internet and a massive amount of information at their fingertips but I think it makes them less focused and they can’t decide if they want to be the next youtuber, DJ, Pro-Gamer, or anything else. I am sure there are still so many young people who are genuinely interested in technology although we might get the impression that this is not the case.

I have no hatred for any of these cars. I used to dislike the fiat multipla but it grew on me. It’s quirky and quirky is cool. Totally functional too. I used to date a girl who’s mother had one and lent it to us on weekends. Having 3 seats in a row up front comes in handy sometimes. The CX is also a cool car. Citroens are equivalent to the cars America were turning out in the 50s with space age influenced design. The only difference is Citroen had the newest technology to back up the funky looks. The minx and sprite had their own coolness too. Think of the minx as a European 57 Chevy and it makes sense. The sprite was what it was, small light and nimble and designed for the roads it was on. I cant think of anything I’d call ugly. I appreciate things for what they are

Well to be fair thats not the worst example of pre 80s ugly European cars The Hillman Minx and the frog eyed sprite come to mind

Very well said, Rahimdad In short go with proven 4x4 what work here in UAE sand offroading than just on computer or phone screens.

I have seen my friend drive the Kia Sorrento with his huge family in the dunes. But don't go just for the figures they are misleading. The car can barely touch Fewbie level. As for the Kia Mojave, once again just fancy car that can carry 7 people, not to sure about their performance in the desert. One thing I have learned from my experience, to keep cost down and fun level up choose a car that you see often in the desert, they have been established to have spare parts and mods available when you need them.

Hi Sunit, welcome to the forum and congrats with your Pajero ! Regarding your queries: 1) Yes, Mobil1 is a really good brand, @Gaurav his car runs on it. Not sure where you can buy it here in UAE. I have asked the same question to quite a few workshops and they all seem to have their own preference based on what they have available and the type of car. Have a look at the attached SAE grade range. 2) I bought Geolandar 265/70/16 about 6 months back and paid closer to 2000 i think, ill check my invoices and update you. I don't have the impression my tyres are fake but how to define this is the million dollar question. What matters is the fabrication date stamped on the tyres. Some shops try to get rid of their older batches of tyres at lower prices. 3) Have a look at the attached Pajero maintenance schedule. 4) I am not sure what the Habtoor guys do in every minor or major schedule. This might depend on the car history. If you just bought it and don't have enough reliable service information on what was done before, i would recommend bringing it do a decent workshop and going for a 25,000 service to remove any doubts you might have and let them inspect all belts while they are at it.

Post your engine bay clear picture It may be an O ring in the power steering pump need replacement if the fluid is not less. Have you noticed any leak near the power steering pump lately or in the parking?

Congrats @Melvin Martin

Friends! I have an update. I'm even more confused now. Had been to well known used car dealer saw 2015 Prado 4.0 EXR with odo reading at 94K kms. Had a test ride found it OK. Best part was, it had lumbar support. Saw few pajeros too, comparatively It had whole lot of options. But being Toyota fan till now I will be more comfortable with tried and tested one. Asking price is 90000 which includes 1 year 20K warranty. I need to decide quickly by tomorrow. My only concern is only 94K odo reading. Please help with your valuable suggestions guys. Syed Yasir

You deserve it bro....

In my Opinion the Pajero is highly under estimated. I have mine for quite sometime and I have no regrets owning it. Speaking about Offroad capabilities, I was able to drive upto Iftar bowl without a fuss. Have not faced any overheating issues yet. It may not be that quick, but it gets there...

Hands down the most ugly car i have ever seen, although Nissan Sunny comes very close

Almost every European or Japanese car before the 80s

Well done @edouard ! I just donated 20 points to you. Think we will shortly post a drive there. Who’s in ?

@eduardo in that case it's out of this world not only UAE. Hahahaha.