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Dear Desert Drivers, Last update for tomorrow morning Meeting time: 5:45 AM Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/Mf11NJccmLJrgbEv5 Convoy order will be We will use Radio Channel 4 Enjoy the evening, take as much sleep as you can, and see you tomorrow !

Dear Dune surfers! @Bravoecho @Stumpy Paj @Anoop Nair @Joseph Raju @Gary F @Benjamin @Ahmad Nerat welcome to the drive! you are among the few who are ready to take on this technical challenge. Thanks @Mehmet Volga for joining up as well!! Repeating this : Please follow the https://goo.gl/maps/FReXSwN6iFgt8aa19 location to show you the route on GMAPS. The convoy order is as below: I am expecting temperatures to pick up to 39 deg at around 8:30 am.. Thus i suggest everyone to be deflated and ready to move by 5:05 AM. see you all tomorrow!

Dear friends @Abdelghani @Deepak Eswar @Cristian @Nadeem Ansari @DP1011 @Juan R @Rk ram @george charbel @Sunil Mathew thank you for joining the drive. We will be moving as mentioned below, using radio channel 2. For any requirement you can reach me on 0506318834. See you tomorrow morning 5:15am.

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

While I have released one video from our drive from Al Saad last week - it is going to be a two part series and only one of two has been released - so I will not post those videos here. Instead I want to look back to a spectacular Intermediate Drive I drove in October last year. It was second drive of "Sweihan Drives" Series on 23 Oct 2022 series by @M.Seidam. With Support from @DP1011 as second lead, @Davie Chase in the middle who was in his 50th Drive and me at the sweep. We also had @Imran Kashif, @Imteeaz, @Daniel Yang (who exited midway), and @Tom B in front of me. Part 1 Sweihan: This is the 1st part of two part series in which we drive in the Swihan area. It was a fast paced drive involving a lots criss crossing in the dunes of Sweihan. Part 2 Nahel: This is the 2nd part of two part series in which we drive from in Nahil (Nahel) area. It was a more technical than previous part and tested the skills of all of us. Hope you enjoy these two videos.

@Looper don't forget to charge Insta360 +bring extra batteries and memory cards 😄 This will look epic on video 👍

1. 100dh 2. 600+1300+200 7. 850 4. 800

Steering gearbox or Steering Rack or Rack & Pinion is expensive. I'll copy-paste original Mopar parts in US$, it might be slightly cheaper in the UAE, but for American cars not so much price difference: 6. Steering gearbox: US$ 364 3. Main Battery $291 + Aux Battery $162 15. The gasket covers are cheap as they are gaskets, but the labour to replace them might go between 300-500 dirhams depending on garage:

DRIVE DESCRIPTION From the outskirts of Sweihan on the E16, drive West along the dune cordons, pass the Tilal area, cross the sabkha to the south, and continue West on the high dunes, try to find the Sweihan Pond, continue on the white sands of Fayah and exit on the E75 side. High dunes, soft sand, hot temperatures... you know what to expect ! MUST READ AND COMPLY Off-road Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Intermediate and Above When: 10 June 2023 Saturday Meeting time: 5:45 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/Mf11NJccmLJrgbEv5 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Mandatory off-road gears: Tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, compressor, walkie-talkie radio, off-road flag, shovel, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on FRIDAY - 12 PM If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned back - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned back - Without any exceptions. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. Please RSVP on below calendar

Drive Plan: Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Skill drive series - Technical Terrain Transit - Part 3. If you enjoy cruising through the Technical Dunes and are not afraid to put your limits to test, you have come to the right place! Latitude and longitude have been used in astronomy and navigation since ancient times. By calculating the angle between the horizon and a celestial object (usually the sun or the North Star), navigators could determine their approximate latitude using basic tools. Lines of latitude, also called parallels, are imaginary lines that divide the Earth. They run east to west, but measure your distance north or south. The equator is the most well known parallel. At 0 degrees latitude, it equally divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. From the equator, latitude increases as you travel north or south, reaching 90 degrees at each pole. There are other named lines of latitude. They’re based on the sun’s position during Earth’s orbit, and they help us understand climate, weather, and ocean currents. The Tropic of Cancer, at roughly 23 degrees north, and the Tropic of Capricorn, at roughly 23 degrees south, are the boundaries of what we consider the tropics. The Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle are at roughly 66 degrees north and south, respectively. They mark the boundaries of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Using GPS to determine the Latitude and Longitude, we can pin point the exact location on the surface of the Earth. We use Inbuilt GPS on our mobile devices or standalone dedicate GPS devices to find these coordinates and mark our positions / waypoints on a track. Our intention of the drive will be to follow the 24.8 degree latitude ( hence the name of the drive) moving EAST to WEST ( Murquab to Qudra Solar Park) navigating the most technical patch of desert. What to EXPECT: Tight Corners / Hard Right - Hard Left / Shoveling Shoveling Shoveling!!! What NOT to Expect : High Flying Dunes / Fast pace / long range climbs / 6000 RPM! General Overview We request every member that joins this drive to go through the below information and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquettes and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie Plus and Above When: 10th Jun'2023 Saturday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions). Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/FReXSwN6iFgt8aa19 This is drive start point https://goo.gl/maps/FKA51EZqJrGvmZ5e6 Type of Car: Any 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 9:30 AM THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE UNLESS YOU HAVE A COMPRESSOR. ANYONE ARRIVING AT THE DRIVE WITHOUT A COMPRESSOR, FLAG, PROPER SHOVEL AND DEFLATION KIT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. ALL TOW POINTS WILL BE CHECKED BEFORE DEPARTURE. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars only. Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. Please RSVP on below calendar

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

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 !

Welcome back @JeromeFJ !!

Apologies @JeromeFJ bad wrist and painful, don’t think I could manage driving with it. you guys enjoy.