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First IM drive in Sweihan. Was able to achieve, with the idea of @Abdelghani to camp, and join the drive. Was a great idea, and really enjoyed the whole trip. Amazing camping and driving. Thank you very much @Varun Mehndiratta for arranging the drive, very well planned and executed. Very impressed with all drivers, to end the drive without any issue, when it comes to driving skills. Other things can happen, and i can say nothing major, comparing to the drive level. Thank you all, pleasure to see you again, and look forward to meet you again in good health.

Thanks Sailors for joining in for the drive today. It was an amazing morning and the energy of the convoy ensured we had an awesome outing at Sweihan despite the events that unfolded during the course. Truly to the title of the drive, we spent more than 95% of our moving time above 200mtr checkpoint - accomplishing the mission we had set out for. Criss crossing and ridge riding through the marvelous dunes of Sweihan we covered around 65Km in less than 2.5 hours of moving time I.e clocking an amazing speed of > 25Kmph. In the process, with all the awesome climbs we did - we clocked more than 1.35km of climbs through the drive, that’s just wow 🤩. Best of all - No ropes, no shackles, no tugs and shovels out only twice that too to help me get out of those hard compacted ridges - this says a lot about the skill set of all the driver. Only stoppage time we had were one pop out and ofcourse the mechanical issues with the cars - literally today the men managed to beat the machine 👍👍👏👏. Kudos to you all especially the new Int drivers @Gertjan and @Gerrit Bus you both were simply awesome 👏👏 @Naveen Raj you rocked the sl position and the way you matched every track n climb on your 3L Pajero was just incredible. @Tareq Al Turq I don’t know if it was after effect of a nice Friday night party or what - you just rocked the drive today 😀😀 brilliant drive throughout, well done. @Mohamad Anwer that Super Safari SwB is a beautiful looking vehicle on sand and you handled it elegantly throughout, other than that small movement leading to pop out. @MMansoor as always smooth with your Y62, bumper kissing the sand is one of the most common PDA in desert. @Beide Worku good to know you could drive it till the garage, hope it will be all fit and fine for the next weekend, looking forward to see you soon. @Vaibhav @Ranjan Das @Waqas Parvez @Simon D @ASAD. as always thanks for all the support throughout the drive and specially during the small incidents with the car. Your presence ensured safety for all and always brings in an awesome vigor to the convoy. @Hisham Masaad thanks for joining in. With you and @Abdelghani on the drive - we are never short of ideas to fix things and energy to keep all charged. Thanks 🙏 Thanks all again for a wonderful outing on sand, see you all soon.

Thank you for a great drive @Varun Mehndiratta, beautiful dunes and amazing high level terrain. This was my 2nd Intermediate come back drive since my last serious offroading incident at Sweihan and it was amazing to regain my confidence and drive again with my old off roading bodies, @Waqas Parvez @ASAD. @Vaibhav @Simon D @Ranjan Das great to see you guys. Thank you @Beide Workufor your help with my popout, I was very impressed with the drawers on your F150 and the air pressure jack, no jinks!. Unfortunately, you ended with the nose dive incident that caused some damage to the front of your beautiful pickup and some radiator leaks. Thanks to the great support of the team and some creative problem solving, especially from the king @Hisham Masaad &@Waqas Parvez@Simon D @Tareq Al Turq, they eventually managed to get your car on the road. Thank you to the support team @Waqas Parvez and @Hisham Masaad Thank you to the rest of the team for a great skilled and well controlled drive. I look forward to driving with you all again soon.

Think everyone has already covered the drive report but have to still thank @Varun Mehndiratta and the maestro @Hisham Masaad accompanied by our very own Robin (from batman & Robin) @Abdelghani 😄. Fantastic lead, amazing route and never ending support. Always fun having friends from the support team around @Waqas Parvez @Vaibhav @Simon D @Ranjan Das @Mohamad Anwer great to have you back brother, drove behind you for some time today and saw the old confidence and assurance back. Cant me more happier for you. @Tareq Al Turq you were more of support team today, thank you and fantastic driving. @Beide Worku & @MMansoor hope the cars get fixed soon. @Gertjan @Gerrit Bus nice to meet you, fantastic driving and pictures. our 2L was so quiet that i almost forgot him 😂. @Naveen Raj with a 3L pajero you rocked.

@Hisham Masaad @Abdelghani @Simon D amazing food and great fun camping with you Gents at Sweihan. Must repeat soon !!👌

@JeromeFJ thank you for a really great drive in a new area for me too. Great variation in dunes and inspiring landscape. Some really nice climbs up Nagrah. thanks for the recovery, when i crested on probably the smallest dune of the entire trip .. 😂

@Varun Mehndirattawhat a drive. Kudos to you for such a wonderful drive. I am sure everyone had a blast. Ridge riding, pace, switching contributed to the drive being exciting. Lets not forget @Hisham Masaad sweeped amazingly and was such a big support during the drive. Just one pop out for @Mohamad Anwer . Was great to see you in Sweihan and driving with you in the same convoy at intermediate. @Naveen Rajexcellent job as Second lead. @Gertjan great driving and waiting for the pictures. @Gerrit Busdriving with you for the first time and you drove well. @Simon D was smashing the dunes and such a pleasure listening to the exhaust. @Tareq Al Turq really impressed with your driving such a massive jump with the skills and control. @Ranjan Das did capture the big bowl which last year you were struggling with the cut off issue. @Waqas Parvez big boss drive . @MMansoor hope you get the bumper fixed soon. @ASAD.bhai with the best Prado and skills.😄 @Beide Workugreat drive specially with a LWB but unexpected events happen . Hope your car is fixed soon and see you in the desert soon.

Yalla! What a push! Thanks @Varun Mehndiratta for a great drive! @Hisham Masaad for all the advise from the back! Me and my passenger enjoyed every dune, turn and crossing! I did manage a picture or two - all loaded in the gallery. @Beide Worku - I hope you steed is soon healthy again! See you all on the sand soon!

Regretfully, i have to withdraw from the drive. Still got a few things to sort with the motor and wont be back in dubai now till thursday. Want to avoid a last minute cancellation and give someone on the waitlist opportunity to prepare! Im sure it will be a great one!

No I got the guy from SpeedECU to do it (near JLT) completely changed the car.

@Jaro Tuzinsky what happen with us on Nahel Mega Dunes 😅 Did you do it yourself @Stumpy Paj?

This was such a great experience - @Islam Soliman you are awesome and loved the drive that you took us on and @Davie Chase you are genuinely an inspiration. Today was my first stuck and then second and third and then 4th - and @Islam Soliman and @Davie Chase you both kept me calm and kept yourself calm which gave me more strength and courage - It was an absolute pleasure to be on the drive with you guys. Everyone on the drive was brilliant - the stucks gave us time to meet the people behind the wheels and everyone is absolutely super. See you guys again soon on the sand @nick

To my sand brotheren, Happy to say we left the car in capable hands and are now relaxing at home with a cold one. If it weren't for the facelift it needs, it could have gone straight back to the next drive after the last fix. It drove itself to the garage as though nothing happened. Big thanks to @Varun Mehndiratta for the thrilling ride as always and for constantly checking to make sure everything is okay. @Hisham Masaad the maestro indeed! I've already told Santa what I want for Christmas: for him to load my drawers with everything you have in your car My gratitude to the entire convoy who pitched in whether getting their hands dirty, giving up their precious water, or just waiting on us with patience. Finally the support @Waqas Parvez @Simon D @Tareq Al Turq deserves a round of applause. Have a lovely weekend and see you soon on the next one.

Thank you all for joining the drive this morning. We had excellent weather and sand conditions, .... and the drive was beautiful. Almost virgin dunes for the first portion, just off Nahel, starting smooth, but presenting nice sharp ridges, and gradually increasing to higher dunes and bigger bowls. Perfect for a warm-up and for practicing ridge riding and criss-crossing. Then a more technical portion, until we reached a track leading to the camel farms in the sabkha. At this point we were facing the massive dune of Nagrah. These slopes are always impressive, and we could test the power and capabilities of our cars (and us drivers) with several high climbs. Then it was time reach to the exit, and with a convoy now fully awake, and released from the initial apprehensions, it was a fluid 40min run, just enjoying the rolling dunes. Overall excellent level for this FB drive where we have driven more than 75 km. A few recoveries with shovels, 2 of them a bit more impressive, @premindra rajaram on a crest with a rear wheel high in the air, and @Bravoecho stuck above a bowl at a very steep angle. For the latter I've preferred to anchor the car from the top before starting the actual recovery, just to be sure that the car remains on the safe side ! @Benjamin, thank you for the 2nd lead, perfectly executed. Excellent control of your car as usual. @Ishak, the confidence is coming, and your driving was more fluid at the end of the drive. Good job take the Pajero on top of high climbs. @Bravoecho, @Bashar Beasha keep watching the moment where you loose your momentum and need to turn down on a climb. With practice, you will get more confident. It was already improving by the end of the drive. @premindra rajaram, try to avoid hesitations, that lead to your car being stuck in insecure positions. Confidence will come with more drives also. @Jaro Tuzinsky, thank you for the support, and re-aligning the convoy when needed @Gary F, @Pascal, @Bjoern excellent control of your car in almost every situation, you area really comfortable at this level, congratulations Finally @Chris Wing, always a pleasure to have you in the drive. Big thank you for the sweep and support. Don't hesitate to post your photos and/or feedback of the drive. See you in a next drive !

We will be taking the hotel option, too much hassle with camping given the early start. Plus, we will get a shot for our camping addiction on Day1 and maybe Day2 anyway.

Choosing the Right Air Compressor for Desert Off-Roading in the UAE Off-roading in the UAE desert requires lowering your tire pressure to improve traction on soft sand. While some exits conveniently lead to nearby petrol stations where you can reinflate your tires, this is not always the case. For that reason, carrying a reliable air compressor is an essential part of any off-road recovery kit. It is one piece of equipment you do not want failing when it is time to head back onto the tarmac. Depending on your tire size and the type of compressor being used, reinflating tires can take anywhere from 2–4 minutes per tire to more than 25 minutes for a full set. Under the UAE’s intense desert heat, minimizing inflation time becomes more than just a convenience — it is an important factor for both comfort and equipment longevity. In this article, we will look at some of the key technical considerations when using an air compressor and explain what to look for when purchasing one. Heat Management: The Biggest Challenge The primary challenge with air compressors is heat generation. Compressing air creates friction between air molecules, and this process naturally produces significant amounts of heat. The temperature increase is most noticeable around the piston head, but the air hose itself can also become extremely hot during operation. This is why most quality compressors are equipped with cooling fins and a short metal outlet pipe designed to dissipate heat before it reaches the rubber hose. Even so, compressors should always be handled carefully after use, as certain components may become hot enough to cause burns. It is completely normal for a compressor to heat up during operation, especially when running continuously or operating in high ambient temperatures such as those experienced in the UAE desert. To reduce overheating and extend the lifespan of your compressor, it is recommended to: Keep the compressor in the shade whenever possible Avoid running it continuously for extended periods Respect the manufacturer’s specified duty cycle Allow the unit to cool down between inflation sessions when necessary Understanding Compressor Performance One important factor often overlooked is that inflating a single tire at a time can limit most compressors to an effective airflow of approximately 70 liters per minute (LPM). Even if a compressor is rated for higher output, airflow resistance from a single tire valve can restrict performance, forcing the compressor to work harder and generate additional heat. For high-performance compressors with greater airflow capacity, using a dual-hose or four-hose inflation system can significantly improve efficiency. Inflating multiple tires simultaneously reduces overall runtime, lowers operating temperatures, and makes much better use of the compressor’s available airflow. This setup is especially beneficial for vehicles equipped with larger off-road tires, where inflation times can otherwise become lengthy and demanding on the compressor. What to Look for When Buying an Air Compressor Choosing the right air compressor for desert off-roading is about more than simply buying the most powerful model available. Reliability, durability, and real-world performance are far more important when you are regularly inflating tires in harsh desert conditions. Below are some of the key factors to consider before making a purchase. 1. Warranty and Brand Reputation A quality compressor is an investment, and a reputable manufacturer should stand behind its product with a solid warranty. Premium brands typically offer warranties ranging from 4 to 5 years, which helps justify the higher purchase price and provides peace of mind for frequent off-roaders. Unfortunately, long warranty periods have become less common in recent years, making brand reputation and after-sales support more important than ever. 2. Airflow Output (LPM / CFM) Compressor performance is usually measured in either: LPM (Liters Per Minute) CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute) As a reference: 2.3 CFM ≈ 65 LPM In general, higher airflow means faster tire inflation. For most off-road applications, compressors delivering 50 LPM or more will perform adequately, while larger tires and multi-tire inflation systems benefit from significantly higher output. However, comparing compressor specifications is not always straightforward. Manufacturers do not always use the same testing standards: Some advertise airflow at 0 PSI (free air delivery) Others provide ratings at 40 PSI, which places a much greater load on the compressor This means that published numbers can sometimes be misleading, and real-world performance may differ significantly from what is printed on the box. 3. Duty Cycle Air compressors generate substantial heat during operation, which means most units cannot run continuously without periodic cooling. The allowable runtime before cooling is required is known as the duty cycle. Manufacturers may express this in different ways: Time-based rating: Example: “20 minutes per hour” Percentage-based rating: Example: “33% duty cycle” In both cases, the meaning is essentially the same: the compressor can operate for approximately 20 minutes within a one-hour period before it should be allowed to cool down. This becomes particularly important for drivers who go off-roading frequently or who need to inflate larger tires. Exceeding the duty cycle repeatedly can quickly lead to overheating, reduced lifespan, or permanent compressor damage. 4. Hose and Accessory Quality The quality of the included accessories is often overlooked but has a major impact on usability and durability. Pay close attention to the quality of: The coiled air hose The pressure gauge The clip-on air chuck Poor-quality fittings and hoses are common failure points and can become frustrating during repeated desert use, especially under high temperatures. 5. Automatic Pressure Shut-Off A useful premium feature is an automatic pressure shut-off system. This function allows the compressor to stop automatically when the inflation trigger is not engaged, reducing unnecessary strain on the motor and limiting heat buildup. It also makes operation more convenient and efficient during multi-tire inflation. 6. Electrical Protection Features Quality compressors should include built-in protection systems such as: Inline fuse protection Thermal overload protection These safety features help protect both the compressor and your vehicle’s electrical system in the event of overheating, excessive current draw, or electrical faults. While these protections are generally standard on premium models, cheaper compressors may omit them entirely. Below a typical specs example of a Bushranger Black Max: Duty cycle is 30 minutes @40psi at 24°C ambient temperature. Obviously the ambient temperature will be much higher for us here in the UAE, so you will need to take that into account. Keep the compressor in the shade while using (or even on the inside of the car if possible) and keep your engine running. These compressors are rated to work most efficiently at 13.8 Volts, so your alternator should be running. Below i will be going through most of the brands we have encountered in the club, and how we can rate them: Premium Brands (****) Brands like ARB, Bushranger, TJM, Dobinsons, and Mean Mother, are the most famous premium brands that will be providing a quality unit that should last years. ARB and Bushranger/Viair have the advantage that you will find spare parts for them, so if you are interested and savvy, you can rebuild your compressor later on. Price range of these compressor is from 750 AED upwards up to 2500+AED. The main reason why they cost more is due to the quality of materials used, higher duty cycle of their compressor, and of course marketing as well. ARB ARB has the single cylinder unit for about 1000AED, while its big brother will be around 2,700AED. They have by far the best quality of hoses and gauges, and these units should last many years if being well taken care of. MeanMother The Mean Mother Adventurer is the only brand/model we know of in the UAE that offers 5year warranty, hence this model has become very popular in our off-roading community. You will find the Adventurer III model for around 750AED (150lpm), but now there is also the Adventurer IV which is having slightly better performance (180lpm) and costs about 999AED. We have heard about a few models failing but were replaced within warranty. Bushranger / Viair Bushranger/Viair has a range of different models with output ratings from 52lpm up to 72lpm. (Black Max for 800AED and Max Air III for 1120AED). The Max Air III has an automatic pressure shut-off. Their compressors are extremely reliable, but i have never been impressed with their yellow plastic coiled hoses and clip-on, except for the black hoses they use on the old SuperMax and the newer Max Air III model. Their smallest model (RV Air for 599AED) is the minimum in terms of output flow (52lpm) and will take quite some time to inflate your tires, but should work fine. Dobinsons Dobinsons have the Zenith model (170 lpm) that is being sold for 999AED. Quality looks top notch with good set of accessories and backed by a premium quality brand. Midrange Brands (***) Golden Camel The "Golden Camel" brand with its red compressors, sold in single cylinder and double cylinder models are fantastic performers for the price (200 AED for the single big cylinder 160lpm, and 280AED for the double cylinder compressor (300 lpm). Yes the hoses break, the electrics fail sometimes, and it won't be the most reliable compressor, but for that price it's worth a try if you want it. You will find the hoses also separarely in DM, and if you are a bit handy with a soldering gun you might make an attempt to replace the switches or solder a wire back on. They now even have a mighty big 4-cylinder unit, which pumps out an impressive 300lpm. The problem nowadays is that you have even "fake" Golden Camel compressors, who look 100% identical, but their quality is even more of a question mark. I recently bought one and it started overheating and shutting off after only two tyres. The vibration coming from the compressor makes me wonder about the tolerances used in the manufacturing process. On the other hand i also have a single cylinder Golden Camel that has been going strong for 3 years now and never failed. Vitaly Vitaly is a brand that basically re-labels these Chinese compressors and sells them at a higher price in hardware stores like ACE and Speedex. Again they are a bit of a gamble and the only advantage you will have is you will get at least 1year warranty through these stores. T-Max These compressors are looking very similar to the DM Single big cylinder compressors and the Mean Mother Adventurer. There is a smaller 72lpm unit and a big 150lpm unit. Prices are similar to Vitaly, and T-Max seems to be a reputable Australian brand, so perhaps the build quality will be a slight notch above the DM compressors. Volcano I recently stumbled upon this brand via a shop in Ajman. They are manufactured in Taiwan and manufacture compressors for high end brands as well. Their biggest compressor model is the B850 which is being sold for about 650AED. Have seen them on sale in DM as well. They come in a sturdy box, with decent hose (like the Bushranger top model) and have a pressure gauge with automatic cut-off. Flow rate is 98lpm. Brands/ Models to avoid: -The smaller "Golden Camel" Compressor. Absolutely worthless. Also sold under the "X-Cessories" brand name. -Mini compressors to connect to the cigarette lighter: Will last only a few drives. Not made to inflate weekly from 15 to 35psi, unless you want to wait for 25mins or longer. Will overheat easily because of this. These are made for sedans and bicycles. The Black and Decker and Michelin models seem to work better, but it will take you upwards of 25 minutes to inflate your tires. If you happen to have one of those, i strongly recommend to only inflate to about 25psi you can then drive to the nearest petrol station and use their compressor. If you are in the market of buying a new compressor, i hope this article can shed some light and useful information that will guide you in the right direction. As you can clearly see, inflating tyres on a 4x4 in the summer heat requires a big powerful compressor that can quickly inflate your tyres before overheating or shutting down.

While offroading, we cross dunes by using different methods, based on how the dune is formed and what the drive level is. Once you have spent some time in the desert, you will slowly start to pay more attention to the dune formations and how we cross them. Once you reach Intermediate and Advance level, you'll need to start learning how to read these dunes in order to navigate and create your planned routes in the desert. As a rule of thumb, the prevailing wind in UAE is blowing from a North-Western direction to South-East direction from 10AM onwards. At night and in early morning it will be reversed and blow from the South-East to North-West. This is something you should remember and you will notice when you zoom into certain areas with your navigation app (Google Maps, Gaia, MotionX, Mytrails,...) you will notice that the wind from that side has caused the dunes to take on their shape. This is a general rule and will not always apply, as you will see that in certain areas where wind is coming from different directions, you will see for example "star" dunes appearing. There are different types of dunes which are separately described below. As you can see in below picture, a dune is formed when the prevailing wind blows on a mound of sand, where the grain will move into the wind direction and create a ridge. The sand which falls on the other side of the ridge, creates a slipface, and this sand is not compacted by the wind. This is the main reason why we generally drive on the prevailing wind side or the convex side of the dunes on the Newbie level. "A dune is a curiously dynamic creature," wrote Farouk El-Baz in National Geographic. “Once formed, a dune can grow. It can change shape and move with the wind. It can even breed new dunes. Some of these offspring may be carried on the back of the mother dune. Others are born and race downwind, outpacing their parents. [Source: Farouk El-Baz, National Geographic, February 1982] The shape of dunes is affected by things like the strength, direction and consistency of the winds; the consistency and amount of sand; the hardness of the terrain and the amount of vegetation. Below we will describe the most common dunes found in the UAE. Different Dunes Crescent or Barchan Dune This is the most common dune. It forms the shape of a crescent moon when the wind blows from one direction. We generally use the words concave and convex to describe both sides of the dune: * Concave is a shape that curves inwards. * Convex is a shape that curves outwards. Crescent-shaped mounds generally are wider than long. On the concave side you will have the slipface. These dunes form under winds that blow from one direction, and they also are known as barchans. Parabolic Dune A parabolic dune is similar in shape to a barchan, but it is just the opposite. The tips of this dune point into the wind, and its main body migrates with the wind, forming a depression between the tips. Because of this formation, parabolic dunes are also known as blowout dunes. These dunes often occur when vegetation stabilizes sediments and a U-shaped blowout forms between clumps of plants. Example of Parabolic dunes near Faya: https://goo.gl/maps/ob8xu3y8VJJvF6hk8 Longitudinal or "Seif" Dunes They are also often referred to to as "sand ridges" or "seifs". Their length can range from a few meters to many kilometers and their height from a couple meters high to a couple hundred meters high. Wind pushes the sand and forms ridges parallel to the prevailing wind direction with slip faces either side of the crest. Linear dunes are straight or slightly sinuous sand ridges typically much longer than they are wide. They may be more than 160 kilometers long. Linear dunes may occur as isolated ridges, but they generally form sets of parallel ridges separated by miles of sand, gravel, or rocky interdune corridors. Some linear dunes merge to form Y-shaped compound dunes. Many form in bidirectional wind regimes. The long axes of these dunes extend in the resultant direction of sand movement. Barchanoid Dunes These ridges are similar to Barchan dunes. They are connected in long crescentic waves as the sand supply is much greater than that which forms a Barchan Dune. Star Dunes These dunes are formed when there are several prevailing wind directions - there is a complex wind regime. Typically there are three or more slip faces, whilst the dunes do not migrate they grow in height. Star dunes are radially-symmetrical, spyramidal sand mounds with slipfaces on three or more arms that radiate from the high center of the mound. They are created when the winds blow equally from every direction, causing the sand dune to grow many extensions and resemble a star. They are rare and are fairly stable and remain in the same place. Some are landmarks with names. Example of a Star dune: https://goo.gl/maps/jRnYghQc8ACzVz6T7 With this knowledge, the next time you step into the desert, you can start looking at the different dune formations, and this will give you lots of knowledge that you'll be able to apply in the future when leading and navigating off-road drives.

@Frederic Yes please add me. Excited and looking forward!

Great drive! Nahel is an amazing place, especially when you have a great lead and a strong convoy like today!

Thank you Jerome for this amazing drive, lots of variety of terrain, beautiful scenery, excellent lead and support. Really enjoyed it. See you soon on the sand.

@Islam SolimanThanks for your help today and thanks for the advice. I’ll surely go to a tire shop. Regards from my Mother to have a blessed life ahead.

Thank you @JeromeFJ it was an absolutely amazing drive and perfectly executed leading in the desert as usual it was really beautiful drive riding the crests. Everyone drove absolutely amazing we had a few refusals along the way but nothing our support team couldn’t handle. thanks everyone for the amazing drive have a good weekend

Is there a camp spot for the Friday night? I am in Saudi next week, so need to plan now!!!!

Ohh dear Fred @Frederic that’s a real fantastic one to prepare for . Personally if I get away after a massive “wasta “ mostly would be at a penalty of hibernating at home not even seeing Qudra for a long time 🤣… honestly wish to be part of that .at least as the trip doc ( could be convincing 😅), let’s see 😄

looks like the support team and the leads will be in the waitlist))

Thanks Fredy for arranging this long awaited drive. I will be joining along with my co-pilot. Looking forward to a proper overlanding trip along with camping. Going to be exciting

@Frederic this is a fantastic overland themed drive, I dare to call it a signature one in case no other club would have thought or done it before Carnity. Attaining approvals from my MoI and her technical advisors will be as challenging as the drive itself. If I am not able to make it, I won't even dare reading the post drive reports as it will be without doubt an epic drive and will hurt knowing all that was missed. Fingers crossed!

Brilliant @Frederic… this was in plans for months and now finally we can do this… 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I have been suffering from this problem, I had the Omani hack but did not like using it. just had my transmission reprogrammed to remove the upshift and had the rev limit/fuel cut reprogrammed as well……….completely different car to drive. I would recommend anyone who has one of these generation Pajero to get this done before anything else.