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Good afternoon all, hope you are excited for this drive/dive. do bring your fishing rods just in case. I hope to see some nice blue lakes 🤞. We will be swinging on looper's constant (Radio Ch 2). We will leave for the dunes at 6:45 sharp (latest) so don't be late; the convoy wont wait. @Marek, @Batuhan Kulac, @george charbel, @Julien Recan, @Mahesh_, @Gautam Banka, @msa, @Imran Asghar, @Dodi Syahdar, @Senthil Kumar, @Gary F, @Stumpy I expect the terrain to be rigid underneath a layer of soft sand; the tops of the dunes will be uneven due to those heavy rains. It will be a long drive as we have to cover a lot of distance, and expect to end the drive near Bab Al Shams.

Good morning all, @Luke K P @Shaun J @Aser @Julien Recan @msa @Robk @Gautam Banka @Frans M @Cristian @Deepak Eswar @Amr A In preparation for tomorrow's drive, please ensure your car is ready and anything loose or unnecessary is removed from the backseat and trunk area. All your offroad gear shall be securely strapped. We will see how is the desert after the rains of last week. There might be water remaining at the starting point. Please assess to avoid getting stuck in the mud. If there is too much water, just wait before crossing, and we will enter from a different place. The convoy order will be We will use Channel 5. Please let me know during the day in case you changed your plan. See you all tomorrow !

Dear Desert Drivers, Thank you you joining the drive today. As expected, the desert was still showing the effect of the rains of last week. Starting with the meeting point, still totally flooded. Once everyone reached, we drove on the tarmac a few km and entered a bit further. The sand was generally still very compact, offering a good grip beneficial for the high climbs. The crossings were also generally facilitated, but the edges were sharper than usual, requiring a perfect accuracy for the driving line. A few other traps in the form of steeper pockets than usual, salt crust remaining from evaporated water ponds in the flat areas, water or sludge on the flat sabkhas. All this did not prevent us to enjoy fully the area. We had our share of high climbs, steep descents, ridge riding and crossing and beautiful desert views. The first portion with bigger dunes, more thrills and sensations, the second portion more technical with totally virgin dunes. Very well driven all of you. @Shaun J, @Aser excellent focus and control for your first FB+, @Julien Recan @Deepak Eswar you had one crossing a bit hazardous, but well done for the rest, @Luke K P @msa @Robk @Frans M, excellent control in both portions. Special thanks to @Luke K P as Second Lead, and @Deepak Eswar for the Sweep, both of you very reliable today. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and see you soon!

Good morning guys ! What a nice looking convoy ! And with @Zed already baking cookies in preparation for this 100th drive, i am sure we'll be having a good laugh as well @Looper@DanielN@Abhilash Kottakkal@Nizar Shawwa@Batuhan Kulac@Ahmed Farouk@Hani Howeedy@Zed@DP1011 We will be using Channel 4 - 446.081 Mhz for all comms. Please make sure to bring all your off-road gears according to your current level. As the weather is getting a bit hotter, i would like to ask to start arriving approx 15mins prior to the meeting time, this allows us to deflate, set up the flags, do the briefing, and get moving by 07.15 latest so we can enjoy while the weather is still enjoyable. See you soon !

DRIVE PLAN Although I usually like to go without a plan, exceptionally this time and given the massive change in the topology the plan or intention of the drive is to explore the changes to one of my favorite tracks in the Dubai vicinity starting at Faqa and heading towards Qudra. It should be fun to watch and document the changes to the dunes, newly formed river beds and lakes as well as the changes in the eco-system and wild life as a result. There are lots of risks involved in driving after such heavy rain so we will be humble and extra cautious watching out for all kind of unexpected surprises like invisible pockets, trenches, moving sand spots, water flows, wildlife,.....etc. Finally, the colors, depth and clarity of the water is very inviting to jump in and dive into these lakes. GENERAL OVERVIEW We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities DRIVE DETAILS Level: Fewbie Plus and above When: 28 April 2023, Sunday Meeting time: 6:30 AM - Sharp Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MBRWvN3aDSSsaHRb7 (24.733092, 55.565264) Approximate finish time: 10:30 AM approx. 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. RECOMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. Swim shorts (extra charges apply!) 😀 LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. 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 - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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 THE CALENDAR:

Hi All, we will use channel 8 tomorrow. Please find the convoy list. @Guido Ferriani @Giacomo @Martin Schwaiger @TIMMY @nithish468 @Pramod B @ChrisW @Benjamin @J-P L @Nicolò @Emmanuelle Ifrah @khlief @Sviatoslav @Frederic118 @Sameer D. Gaurav Silver Pajero Guido Ferriani 2023 Rubicon - 3.6 L - 4 doors - Red Giacomo 2004 Wrangler TJ Martin Schwaiger Ford Bronco 2022 4 door Rajath white FJC nithish468 2011 Toyota fj cruiser - 2 door - white Pramod B Pajero 3.8 2016 ChrisW 2007 Jeep JK Black Benjamin 2018 Jeep Wrangler Sport JL silver J-P L 2021 Suzuki Jimny 3 Door Grey Nicolò 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - White Emmanuelle Ifrah Jeep Wrangler 2 Doors khlief Grand cherokee overland V8 2020 , black Sviatoslav 2014 Mitsubishi Pajero - 3.8 LWB Frederic118 Nissan Patrol Safari 2021 - Black Sameer D. 2017 Jeep Wrangler 2 door black

Dear Friends , @Emmanuel, @RiadJL, @Martin M, @Danny G, @Prithvi Raj, @Sunil Mathew, @Jad Moussalli, @Sandeep Nayar, @Faraz94, @Shiju Raju within less than 12 hours we will meet in the sand,. As always emphasized and required that everyone make sure of your car is in a perfect shape and have all your gear as per your rank. Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/KGF6L8VwXMza3tJz7 Meeting time is 07:30 AM Sharp ( late comers will be sent back ) We will use Carnity Radio Channel 7. The convoy order will be as the following :

STATS 59.0 km Distance 2h 43m Moving Time 3:46 min/km Pace 3h 42m Total Time 58m 57s Stopped Time 21.6 kph Moving Speed 15.9 kph Avg Speed 400 m Ascent 318 m Descent

Hello everyone .. quick update for tomorrow .. I have bad news and good news My car was going through suspension service and was supposed to be done on Thursday.. due to multiple factors this got extended and it’s unlikely that they will be able to finish and test it today. The good news is the drive is still on thanks to @Looper who will be taking the lead for this drive. Wish you all a fun and safe drive and looking forward for driving with you soon.

As long as you are able keep it securely fixed on your car - you are good to go. Please make sure that the camera mounting is not obstructive for your sight of the track ahead. I was perplexed once or twice with my bumper mounted action camera mount; but now I am used to it.

Hey mate. Just recently changed from pajero to ranger raptor. It's definately ready to go out of the box. Rated very good on the @Gauravscale of power to weight for desert play. Great clearance. Suspension is unbelievable when off road (and on) My only issues at the moment are trying to find most comfortable driving mode in sand. I find that the baja mode holds the throttle a bit longer than you would expect when you take the foot off (to keep the turbos spooled).... Might just take more getting used to. Rear end can feel a little loose as there is very little weight over the rear wheels. So I've noticed a bit of changes to my driving style. Using Baja suspension mode, 4H, sand mode with full time rear diff lock enaganed, ESC turned off seems to be the sweet spot for me. 'Off-road cruise' set to 2kph with front and rear diff lock engaged will automatically crawl you out of any refusals allowing you to focusing on just getting wheel angles right and turning left right to clear sand. Let the truck handle the blip blip. Spent a weekend just making stucks to play recovery and was greatly impressed. Only upgrades required is a thicker bash plate to cover the engine and trans as the factory one is like 2.5mm aluminium. Price point to power and features I think U get a very compelling package compared to the offerings in other truck brands and the jeeps. let me know if you want more info or anything cheers mate.

@Luke K P might share the real-life views on Ford Ranger Raptor, as he recently got one.

Nice adventure from Murquab to Lisaili. Thanks Gaurav, Ben and the whole convoy for another great ride in the dunes today.

Welcome to your first Fewbie drive @Martin M and @RiadJL. You and the rest of the convoy drove well. Looking back every now and again we were mostly evenly spaced out and moving nicely. Here is a Relive video of our drive. https://www.relive.cc/view/vXOdXPeBAkO It was driving with you again @Simon D @Sunil Mathew and @Cha. See below drive stats

Thanks @Simon D @Sunil Mathew & @Cha for a great drive. Lots of technical terrain and some side sloping practice while avoiding the abnormal vegetation caused by the recent rain The whole convoy did very well with only a few minor refusals. Great to meet you all Great S/L again @Emanuel See you all again soon

@Islam Soliman hey my Sunday has freed up so I will be joining you guys tomorrow

Outch , that must be devastating . hopefully you will get it soon

Hey @Looper. Nice to see you on yet another drive. Fred leading this time so he can muzzle your ferocious lead pace haha. Could you please bring me one of your Looper stickers. I wan-... Need. One.

The bliss and value of Carnity archives !

Hi guys, Does anyone in the club own this or has experience with it ? Been going through some review videos and at first glance it seems to be the “Silver Bullet” vehicle, having everything and anything you would want in a combo daily driver/offroader with 0 need for customizations and the refinement of a sophisticated on-road vehicle. Any owners or experts out there that can share their 2 cents on this please?

So I visited Al Habtoor today, explained the situation to them. They did a complete inspection (test drive, OBD, etc.) and suggested that the differential is the root cause. They also ruled out wheel bearings as a cause and told me that those would make a consistent noise. Suggested repairs by them includes replacement of solenoid valve, free wheel switch and hoses. If that does not fix the problem then the actuator and all 4x4 switches need replacement. The leak in differential was a false alarm, it was some leftover WD40 from the timing belt replacement job 😅. My personal experience with Al Habtoor was a good one. They were professional and quite helpful. Have to give credit where it's due. My Pajero is still under Al Futtaim warranty (Automall purchase), so I will be visiting them to get the fixes done. I have already visited Al Futtaim Auto Care Centre twice in the past for this particular issue, both times they said "we cannot fix what we cannot observe". So I am under immense pressure of recreating the noise during test drive when I will visit them again. If the noise does not occur during test drive then I will insist on the video being proof of the problem (already tried in the past) and of course diagnosis from the official Mitsubishi Service Center Al Habtoor. @Marek @Frederic I found a post on an off-roading forum about this exact issue where people have (over) analysed this issue. I am pasting the technical explanation from that post to shed some more light on this issue: BTW while driving today I was able to turn off the noise again by switching from 2H to 4H. I will do some more research as well as tinkering and hopefully get the car to make the noise on command. That would make my life much easier when trying to explain this fault at the service centre. Would appreciate any tips to recreate this sound when I want for demonstration purposes. I will keep you guys updated. Thank you!

I hope its just a minor fix. see you on the next one

front diff grinding sound can be caused by half-locked solenoid... so he's onto something. Nonetheless the leak is also something to address (and fast) regardless of the root cause of the problem there...

Good find, finally. However front diff grinding due to low oil will be constant and not intermittent. Still double check the wheel bearing, as wheel bearing noise starts with intermittent behaviour then become all time feature if you ignore.

and THAT is something they were not able to identify at al habtoor? I mean - have they even looked under the car? does every driver in this country need to be a mechanic in order to have a reliable car?

This would have caused the engine to overheat instantly, as water and pressure constantly leak. That's the last stage. My views: 6 liter depletion isn't normal and you would have felt it much earlier before this car switching-off episode. Something is leaking through the radiator or its hoses for sure. Car switched off is the last stage and Im afraid and sorry to say that most likely 9 out 10 times with full engine overheat, the head gasket goes instantly. Probably you might be lucky as you were at slow-moving speed and not on highway or off-road. Don't drive the car until you can get hold of a good mechanic available to minimize the extent of damage (if it's done). Get the coolant pressure check. Get compression test of all cyl, that can 100% tell the engine health. If variance of more than 10-15% in any cyl. surely head gasket is gone. All cyl should read above 120 PSI or Google Patrol compression number to cross-check.

Hi @londondxb the fact you had to add about 6litres is indeed a sign you were basically running without any coolant. Using water to refill can be done in emergency cases, but you will need to get it flushed and replaced with coolant asap. Water will cause corrosion inside the cooling circuit, while coolant has corrosion inhibitor inside, and also has a higher boiling point). Another thing to consider is you might have some air bubbles inside the system now which have to be released. In any case i would highly advise to take the car for coolant flushing and replacement (even a nearby Autopro or something can do this). They can also do a basic inspection on leaks. I do hope if you are consuming water somewhere and you don't seem to see where it's going, it might be being burned by the engine which would mean a faulty head gasket. But then again you'd have to see some white smoke coming out of the exhaust.

The noise feels like a rubbing noise or from the wheel bearing. Just check if the mud guards are not scrapping the tyre especially in the front. Do you have a skid plate for the front bumper? Reason I am asking is because the Pajero front bumper without a skid plate does tend to bend inside after a couple of off-road drives. See if you can get someone to sit with you and try to find out from which side of the car the noise is coming from. That might help to identify if it's a wheel bearing issue

Unless the donuts and shawarma are from last week's drive😂!

With donuts, shawarma, and coffee, we can adjust the time and extend the convoy sir @Zed 😅

It looks will be very interesting drive.

Hi @Simon D I hope it is not too late to jump in?

Yes I come thanks for adding me

I was thinking the same about the half-locked solenoid or actuator, but in that case it would keep showing the blinking 4x4 lights on the dash i presume ? Another thing that's bugging me is that in 2H the freewheeling clutch disconnects the front drive shaft, so the diff should not be rotating or causing noises in 2H, or am i also wrong here and there is still some kind of connection on one wheel ?

Hi @rroker..that is good progress. If there is oil leak in the front diff why they didn’t check the oil levels across all transmission system.. must be low and could be also overdue for change which can cause such noise. I would do that before jumping to parts replacement

@Zed come do drive 100 out here with us this weekend mate 😎

No not yet…. Exploring for now …..I feel like having a new project after building the White Rhino… thinking a pick up truck has more options to build as well. Let’s see whether logic wins or urges win since the car is still under warranty and it is one of the most premium and most pampered Pajeros out there

Congrats @Batuhan Kulac. This quite an achievement. I'll see on IM drives soon.

Congrats 🎉