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The numbers 2, 6, 9.2, 9.3 and 15 need research on whether JL has a known issue or maintenance needed after a certain km. If not, I will stay away from such a car, simply because it points to excessive past abuse, either by driving badly or skipping maintenance. Both ways it will soon backfire on you. Rest all are pretty basic maintenance and consumable items.

Good Morning All ! Confirmed for the drive: @Rajesh NG@Daniel Rodas@Ben Lee@Frans M@Nadeem Ansari@Pavel Pashkovskiy@Tom V@Marketa Dobesova@Felix Obst@Pacific @Looper@Hisham Masaad Waitlisted Attendees: Bjoern @Bjoern Andrei S @Andrei S Ahmed Wagdy @Ahmed Wagdy DanielN @DanielN Ahmad Nerat @Ahmad Nerat Richard Franks @Richard Franks Anoop Nair @Anoop Nair Pierre de Maigret @Pierre de Maigret A few points to note about this drive and overlanding in general: 1. The concept of overlanding in UAE is about selecting a start and an endpoint, and to map out a route to get there. The emphasis is on avoiding tarmac as much as possible, but to use existing farm tracks and trails. While overlanding can in theory take hours, days, weeks, or months, the concept itself remains the same. In the winter time i am planning similar drives over longer distances that will involve camping. 2. The aim of this drive is to explore the beautiful scenery UAE has to offer, so bring your camera and try to make it an enjoyable morning without any pressure. Bring family members if you like as they will definitely enjoy it ! 3. We will deflate to 25psi and not lower. The reason is we want to be able to cross tarmac parts at 50-70 km/h easily. On 25psi you will have a better traction and a bit of dampening which will help in the wadis. You don't need to put up your flag at the starting point. 4. The plan is to end the drive at Dibba al Hisn beach I would love to have a group photo of all of us at the shoreline as it think it would be Carnity's first beach photo of a convoy ! (we will need to leave the cars at the parking). 5. It will be crucial to keep an eye on the car behind you and communicate well over the radio, as we will be driving a small part through the city and we don't want anyone to lose the convoy. Our sweep will have the planned route on his GPS as well. @Looper 6. You will be able to swap between 2H and 4H throughout the drive as per your convenience. Especially on the tarmac parts we recommend switching to 2H to avoid differentials damage. In the sandy parts and once we enter the mountains you will need to keep it in 4H of course. See you all soon !

Hello again group. As you might know from my previous topic I am currently searching for a car. I just managed to find a JL model from 2019 used by the travel company. From the report provided by them the car has several issues: 1- Replace wiper blade 2- Replace RHS and LHS VVL seal 3- Replace battery 4- Replace spark Plug 5- Replace brake fluid flush 6- Replace steering gear box 7- Tyre calibration 8- Hand break adjustment 7- ESP-PCM-HVAC-IPC Software updates 8- Replace coolant flush 9- Replace engine oil, rear oil seal, front oil seal 10- Replace sump releasing 11- Replace air make up hose 12- Replace time cover gasket 13- Replace PLIG seal 14- Replace cover sensor seal 15- Replace LHS and RHS valve gasket cover and nut bolt oil assembly Can you roughly estimate the costs of the repairs and maybe recommend a garage which can take care of it for a reasonable price? I still haven't purchased the car, as I am trying to estimate the value.

Dear Friends essam ibrahim @essam ibrahim Joji varghese @Joji varghese Danish Mohammad @Danish Mohammad Waqar Sarwar @Waqar Sarwar Senthil Kumar @Senthil Kumar Michael Chattle @Michael Chattle Saverio Arena @Saverio Arena James Lovell @James Lovell BIBIN THOMAS @BIBIN THOMAS Jona @Jona Bjoern @Bjoern Thomas Collins Jayakumar @Thomas Collins Jayakumar Rajiv Sam @Rajiv Sam RSVP is closed now and time to wrap it up. Please be on time at 9 PM or bit earlier the better at the designated meeting point at tawi nazwa https://goo.gl/maps/pHtng9gys8ZUdHxJA as soon as you arrive immediately swich on your radios to channel 2 ( 446031 ) then deflate your tires to 12 PSI regardless of their type and erect your flags . No radio or Flag = NO DRIVE After checking each car and the breifing we will hit in the pitch black relying on our own car lights to go through in a trumble not hearing but only our engines . Please see below the convoy order cant wait to see you all tomorrow night Insha Allah

Having recently done numbers 2, 9, 12 on a 2019 sport that had full agency service history, list price for this work alone is about 8000aed but we got it for 6k. batteries for main and auxiliary is about 1500 at agency ( but if they die within 7months like ours did there is guarantee) in the case of vvl seals ours leaked again within one month of replacement but this was handled under warranty cc @Benjamin

Hello Doc @M.Seidam I am not sure if i can get enough rest after your drive as I have an early morning drive on Sweihan in sat morn as well. So I think its wise for me to remove myself from the waiting list and join you another day. Have a nice ride Doc.

Sorry to hear that buddy. No worries we will have plenty more of these the coming months.

Fantastic intro @Frederic , I have something committed else would have loved to be part of this epic drive - P.S : Mandatory Gear to include "Beach wears" for the photoshoot at the end ?

It is no mystery that off-roading takes a heavy toll on your vehicle. In this topic we will discuss the preventative and corrective measures you can do to minimize the risk of your 4x4 breaking down in the desert. While below steps will not remove the chances of breaking down completely, it will at least reduce the potential significantly. Preventative - Pre-Drive Checkup This preventative check takes only 15mins and will take away a lot of the potential issues you can come across. It does not take away the need to get your car serviced but is merely a quick first inspection before heading out into the desert. 1. Check your oil level on the dipstick. If the level is too close to the minimum level, or the oil is appearing too black, replace the engine oil. We generally advise you to replace the engine oil: * at 80% of the normal recommended km. (for example change your oil at 8,000km instead of 10,000km) in case you are an occasional off-roader. * at 50% of the normal recommended km when you are a hardcore high level dune basher. How to Read an Oil Dipstick - AutoZone We always recommend using fully synthetic oil only from a well-known brand only (Mobil1, Castrol, Amsoil, Redline). Our cars deserve only the best if we push them to the redline on regular basis ! Make sure to run the engine for 5-10mins first so the oil is at the right temperature and viscosity before turning off the engine and taking out the dipstick. 2. Check your coolant level. The overflow tank will have a min. and max. level line. Coolant level should be within this range. Coolant should be replaced every 50-60,000kms with the recommended type of coolant for your 4x4. 3. Check your air filter. Off-roading will clog up your air filter quite soon, so inspect it before every drive by opening the air filter box and taking out the filter element. Take out the filter and gently tap it on a soft surface. The majority of the sand will come falling out. * If the filter element is paper-made, better to replace it every 20,000km. * If it's made of a nonwoven fabric or material than can be cleaned you can clean it with a gentle water pressure and let it dry (having a second filter at hand is very useful so it has time to dry out). In case of an oiled filter, you will need to follow the recommended maintenance of these filters religiously which includes oiling the filter after cleaning it. PS always make sure the close the airbox properly. In some vehicles it's a bit tricky and you don't want to have sand getting inside ! Make sure all the clips are on and there is no misalignment. Even the mechanics often make this mistake when being in a rush. 4. Check for any loose hoses or leaks. While you are under the bonnet, have a close inspection at the air intake hose to make sure there are no cracks, and look for any suspicious signs of leaks (often you will find a leak as the sand sticks to it). 5. Check the pressure of your 4 tyres. If you inflated it properly on the previous drive, then the tyre pressure should still be the same. If you notice that 1 tyre has a lower pressure, it could mean there is a slight leak. Either from the valve stem, or a small puncture. You don't want to drive in the desert with a leaking tyre as this will be a recipe for regular pop-outs. 6. Battery. It is visually not possible to inspect the car battery, but after about 1 year you might start seeing signs that the car doesn't start on the first go. A good tip is to pass by a service station like Autopro which is generally next to the gas station and ask them to perform a battery health check. They have a special device that will show you the battery health in about 2mins. If the result is below 50-60% i would recommend replacing it. Those devices are available on Amazon as well: Car Battery Tester - YUNGU 12V Battery Alternator Analyzer Load Tester Starter and Charging System Tester Battery Analyzer for Cars Motorcycle Marine Truck and More : Amazon.ae: Automotive 7. Dashboard lights. Do you have check-engine lights? Better get them looked at by a professional mechanic. These are indications something is wrong and it should not be ignored. If you are a bit technically inclined, get yourself an OBD scanner tool that allows you to read out any DTC (fault codes). 8. Clutch. In case of manual gearbox: if you noticed the play of the clutch pedal has changed recently, like feeling a lot softer, this is a clear indication something is wrong. Do not go off-roading with a faulty clutch ! 9. Underneath the car and your parking spot. Have a look underneath the 4x4 itself. If you see lots of sand sticking in some area nearby the engine and/or transmission, this means you have an oil leak somewhere. While in old cars small leaks are acceptable, in newer ones this should not be tolerated. Check the parking floor as well, as this will give you an indication if you have a coolant leak or other oil leaks. During The Drive 1. Keep an eye out for overheating signs. Stop the car immediately and inform the convoy if your engine or transmission is overheating. 2. If you made a nasty hit, ask the convoy to stop for a minute. Step out and inspect the front of the car including radiator, bash plate, and verify if you have any leaks. If you can spot it early enough most probably it can still be fixed and we don't have to drag your 4x4 out of the desert. 3. Understand your 4x4. With every drive you will gain experience and you will learn from pushing the car how much it can take and for how long it can take this. The more you are in tune with your 4x4, the quicker you will spot any potential issues. Post-Drive Checkup This can be done while inflating your tyres. 1. Open the bonnet and check for any loose hoses or leaks. Same as in step 4 mentioned in the pre-drive checkup. 2. Check for any debris underneath the car. Especially after having driven in bushy terrain. 3. Check for any leaks underneath the car. 4. Inflate the tyres back to normal pressure. 5. On the way home, turn off the radio and listen to the car itself. Suspensions squeaks or rattling noises means you'll need to take it to the mechanic to get it inspected. Long story short. If you look after your 4x4, she/he will look after you and you will be able to enjoy this sport with less head-aches and costly repairs. Make sure to do your due diligence in selecting the right service/repair shop as well that doesn't cut corners but understands that as an offroader you want your car to be in the best possible condition technically. Please do share your own experiences and tips !

This would mean i have to get my mechanic for all my drives as a passenger!

thanks @Hisham Masaad for organising the drive, it was enjoyable, fun and safe drive... I really enjoyed and I wish that u organise more and more drives in Badayer area 🤗.. it was also great meeting @Patrick van der Loo, @Mark B, @Gary F and @Tareq Al Turq I'll post some pic, in the drive Gallery Looking forward to drive with u again Ahmad

Drivers make the drive. You guys were amazing, yes short convoy, but all was keeping the pace, controlling, and with very good driving skills managed to keep moving. Weather was helping to enjoy. Dunes somehow disturbed and got irregular and unexpected after the windy days, but at the end, drive was good and i personally enjoyed, and hope all of you. Thank you @Patrick van der Loo for joining as SL, you did it perfectly. @Tareq Al Turq amazing SW, and @Mark B @Gary F @Ahmad Neratglad to meet you again and thank you for joining. Look forward again to see you in sand friends, and wish you a nice week end.

Really gutted to have to be pulling out of this one, summoned on duty at work. Hope there are more of these style drives in the future. Enjoy all.