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As a simple rule of thumb, it's better to put plastic on battery, alternator and ignition if it's exposed out before spraying any water in new/old cars. I don't prefer cleaning engine bay often, as it will become a sand magnet soon after instead, I do it once in 6 months.

.Classic symptoms of Choked radiator or fan clutch on its way out. If the cooling system is working properly than it should not matter whether standing in traffic or moving. Temp should stay normal.

No matter what modern engineering says that you can start the car and drive off immediately for better fuel efficiency. PLEASE DON'T DO IT. Give at least 20-30 seconds to let all the fluids reach the critical components for a better life of Engine, Gear, 4x4, AC, Power steering etc. Gone are the days when you start the car and wait for 5 minutes to let it fully warm, but still few seconds delay goes a long way. I always start my car, before I get in so that by the time I sit and fasten the belt and roll down the windows its good enough 20-30 seconds. Also, make sure to start AC after these 20-30 seconds delay and not immediately to put additional load on the cold and dry engine.

Pickup trucks offers a lot of options to choose by configuring your truck the way how you want it, They have a strong, ladder style frames, so the body is separate from the chassis and this makes them tough & can carry heavy loads, also handle off roading with ease when driven by a experienced driver. These days buying a truck has become popular, also buying them has become difficult because there are so many options, Some of the manufacturers also provide options like selecting the cab, bed length, transmission, and the engine you want. Besides, this makes them versatile. So you can use them for different purposes like family, hauling, off roading, towing, carrying heavy loads etc. I still remember those days where I used to be a part of an off-road group in KSA, Every weekend convoy drives we had a minimum of 2 trucks during long drives, camping. These trucks were well equipped with generators, refrigerators, tools, tents, carpets, gas, water tanks, fire wood and lots of food. I was looking out for some old pictures in my phone, Unfortunately most are gone but found a picture from my Instagram that I had posted in March 2016 (3 different Ford trucks, 2 stock but well equipped for camping activities)

I am in love with all these pickup trucks. No Need to give up the features and comfort of cars when you buy them. Once you own it then it is hard to imagine without that, it's like a horse sitting in your parking lot and waiting for you. For offloading like desert driving, it can be easily driven in long range and medium range dunes but you should be very calculative in technical dunes, you will be easily get crusted while crossing ridge and stuck in pockets. I learnt to drive in desert in LWB pickup and my masters @Gaurav and @Rahimdad did not sparred me at all. Once you develop the skill of sand reading it is easy to venture anywhere in desert. My advice is don't follow SWB, you will be left behind 😃😃😃

Just posting this for the three inteeresting features seen, 1st the bouncy suspension, which can be pretty handy once stuck and plus looks funny with the car doing it on its own. Second the ability to set height of each wheel individually and the third the ability to ride smooth on the whoops ( wavy track ) Obviously no one in their right frame of mind unless loaded till his eyeballs will use this for any serious and regular dune bashing.

Normal temperature for the Pajero is just below the half way mark. In bumper to bumper traffic with limited airflow through the radiator it can happen that the engine heated up a bit. But if it returned to normal in smooth traffic then it should not be a concern. Anyways do check your coolant level and if it keeps happening you might want to have a look at your radiator an maybe get it flushed.

For me, if it’s modern, start it, wait 5 seconds for the oil pump then drive it. The ECU will take care of the fuelling. Old stuff is a faff if you’re not used to manual choke and carbs. Shutoff is more important than startup, especially if you have a turbo car. If you have been driving hard, let the car idle for a minute before you switch it off. Let’s the coolant circulate. If you just switch it off it can create hotspots.

I follow 2 min rule for my Pajero and 30 secs for Range. Newer engineering drops rpm to idle rev faster and hence following that is also a good idea.

I follow 1 minute rule from ignition to gear. Just to ensure rpm levels are back to normal from high revs as soon as we start cold engines.

@syedyaseer I too had a similar issue with one of my vehicles, soon after I have one rule, no water in the engine bay. Too many electronics nowadays to take any risk. Only clean engine bay with air.

Nicely explained @Asif Hussain, and we were always impressed with your way of handling the Truck. We must have trained thousands of offroader till date, but not everyone picks up equally and you have mastered the LWB handling to the ultimate perfection. My thoughts on this are because you have started your offroading in that truck and now anything smaller in size will be a piece of cake for you to command. That's what I and Rahim bhai always say, to start with underpower or difficult 4x4 to master the art of offroading and not another way around that takes you everywhere with a touch of the throttle.

@Chirag S. nothing will happen if they open the bonnet and spray the engine bay. Years ago some cars used to have a problem starting if water was sprayed in the engine bay with high pressure as water used to get into places it should not but with current cars it is not a problem. I pressure wash the engine bay on my Grand Cherokee every alternate week and have been doing this to my cars for the last 10 years at least. If you do have access to an air blower, use that to blow out the excess water after the wash or ask the service center to do it if you are getting the car washed out. Besides it being a good habit to keep the engine bay clean, it also helps you detect any new leaks that need your attention.

@Chirag S. You could take the car to a known denting/painting guy who will check through the car body works and give you more clarity on the body works and chassis. Painted or not he could definitely advise on it. Majority of the time it’s a worry of chassis been damaged or reworked on. For the engine, transmission, bushes (approx life), mounts (approx life), shock leakages or any sort of gasket leaks or gasket been worn out. Go to your trusted workshop mechanic. As long as the engine and transmission is 👍🏻 then other issues seem like a small fix. Lastly if you want to get a computer check done even that’s would help understand any sensor issues or electrical issues in the vehicle. Some cars malfunction due to some sensors like oxygen sensor or mass airflow sensor or some spark plug coils. If the seller wouldn’t want to let go of a potential buyer then they would be patient enough for you to check the car in such manner before taking a call on if or not to buy that car. All told it’s an hours work to get it check at the workshop. Best of Luck

@Chirag S.. Pros if you don't want to trash your close to AED 150k ride in the desert these will do nicely. Anyways any damages caused are not covered NY warranty and any accident repair you need to pay for the police paper/fine and excess to the insurance if it's fully insured. Cons, the car is old and no matter how good a condition the user keeps it in there will always be some work to be done on the vehicle. Another pro I can think of is it brings you closer to the vehicle as anything you put your sweat and labour into you develop a bond.

Well that's no excuse if 72 is your year of birth then you are slightly older than I am. I'm also a 70s kid.

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...

How would you explain in one sentence what is Carnity to others? The most like/well done/totally agree reply will get 500 bonus Carnity points. End date: 15 May 2019

Hi to all I was driving in full in Neck to Neck traffic yesterday for almost an hour and i noticed by Temp Gauge is rising , it moved from half to nearly hot Once i was on free road it started to settle back to half gauge , is this normal or i need to do some check ups Pajero 2008 3.00

In my experience cleaning flushing having it rodded out really doesnt help fpr some reason. Only proper cure Ive found is to get a new radiator and don't skimp and get a 400dhs dolphin radiator too.

If you dont hear gushing fan when temp is rising, then its radiator viscose clutch fan has gone. If you hear it gushing then the radiator is choked and need proper cleaning not flushing, with new coolant. For this exact free advise I spent a fortune 10 years back and almost all garages ripped me by saying multiple theories and stories and still car was overheating after 5k spent. And yeah btw temp rising on road is not normal by any means. If its offroad I can understand that.

@Sidshk go to a radiator shop, get your radiator cleaned, flushed and fill with Mitsubishi original coolant. Coolant has a life too and needs to be changed as it looses its effectiveness with time. Like @desertdude said get the fan checked also, might be getting weak.

Literally a place to kill time when I'm out havin' a smoke or in the crapper. Including this post.

Indeed. Email toyota directly and ask them about their warranty policy. Show it to the dealer and call them out.

Friendship, community, brotherhood, family.

Personally i am big fan of Short bed single cab pickups. I am hoping to get one. As long as it is short bed and single cab i am not seeing anything minus for off roading with pickup.

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

I had Daewoo Matiz 2001 model in my home town. Once i had faced this issue. Soon after full wash ignition itself was not working. I panicked and was worried of my dad anger if he come to know about this. Luckily the guy who washed had some idea on water getting clogged in some area for specially Matiz. He did something for 5 minutes and thankfully ignition was restored.

@AaqilSheikh thanks for your value addition.

I lost one of these in the Central African Republic. Best vehicle for almost every off road application,ever. OK, maybe not for rock crawling, but it can handle almost anything else.

@Rahimdad thanks for clarity. In few cases, i came to know that old models bought on cheaper rates having accident history and hidden surprise expense, which were known after buying and few drives. Is it possible to avoid such instances?

Even better if you get it with the 4.5l diesel V8. Only if i wouldn't have kids to drive around... The choice of well as special forces as well as any rebel group...

Always loved this G. Cherokee, Congratulations. Enjoy and drive safe !

Good and interesting topic. What pros and cons someone should keep in mind before buying these old models?

I recently met a guy who imported this vehicle from Oman on his personal name and then got it registered in Dubai on his personal name as well. He mentioned this is the only way possible to register the Bu Shanab on an individual name.

My absolute favourite ride for offroad use is the Bu Shanab i.e Land Cruiser Pickup. I dunno about the current generation with the V6, square lights plastic bumper version, But I have driven, used and abused off road and on road the previous generation in every imaginable way possible. I'm talking about this, one with the round lights and steel bumper Built like a tank and virtually indestructible, inside out. And will go anywhere with anything loaded on it. Personally tested it up to 2 tons with generators and watertanks in the bed and then hit some decent dunes and soft sand. I just love it to bits. But very rough ride, but you get used to it after a while. and unfortunately individuals cannot register them on their name.

Refer to this post.

Going back to my classic question: How many pickups you have seen in the desert? Maybe 1:10 Friend of mine bought Tundra SWB single cab, I think with supercharged or he added on and sold after 6 months to go back to LC SWB. When he bought it, he was all excited and peppy about Tundra but when he changed, he did it quietly. All the marketing commercials of pickup talking about unleash your freedom, to be more manly and live like a king is a lifestyle touch for people who use these trucks to reach from point A to B in the desert and then camp and have tea, bbq and shisha whole night. Those people have different 4x4 for a different lifestyle needs + 1 wrangler or capsula with LS engine for dune bashing.

The old Blazer and Tahoe don't even fall in the expensive category, no idea why they put it there. Arabian Adventures were using the Tahoe for 10 straight years instead of the Land Cruisers.

Yeah maybe about the cost, as you said Dear Gaurav, some of them is the best

Mahindra Thar & Jeep Cherokeee?? made it to the useless list??

My friend has the Hummer H3 and takes it for camping trips in UAE and Oman. He's happy with the performance but it is not a dune-bashing kind of car.

Any opinion? https://motor-junkie.com/30-useless-suvs-that-you-should-never-use-off-road/14582/

Well due to proper 4x4 they may be good for beach, Aweer and Khawaneej sand or fit for newbie level drive but not for fewbie level due to underpower and heavyweight. If you get 3.5 liters engine then it's acceptable as opposed to 3.0 with LWB.

@Gauravso you are telling not to go for nativa? at least as a beater ? found a good deal for this one, and am thinking should i go ahead or not

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

Yeah most important. 😂😂😂

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.

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.

I was riding Mitsubishi nativa v6 -3ltr I have done few drives and it sounds good and cheaper... hope not much for maintenance