Srikumar

TRIP REPORT Qudra has always been one of my favourite areas for doing a Newbie Drive as it offers some nice set of broad range dunes compiled with sabkhas that gives Newbies the perfect play ground to master the basics of offroading. After the newbie briefing we divided the huge convoy of 34 cars into 3 convoys with the first time offroaders being led by Gaurav, and the remaining Newbies being led by me and @Frederic. This time I was in a different situation, as I had only @tjsingh for support in second lead. When I was thinking on whom among the Newbies I could put in Sweep position, my eyes fell on @Nivin and decided that he would be performing the Sweep duties and I must say that he managed it pretty well by communicating with me and TJ on a continuous basis. As soon as we entered we faced a lot of cross tracks which was unusual for Qudra, so while I was making my way to find some nice virgin dunes, @Jun Zamora mentions on the radio that he had hits his bumper over a small step. Despite his Murano always being borderline with the ground clearance, I was surprised to hear this happen. Upon closer inspection, we found that the under body plastic protection had come off. With a couple of screw drivers we ensured that the remaining under body protection was safely removed. Not sure if that added to the ground clearance of the Murano, but after that incident Jun was flying across the dunes doing everything that the cars in front were doing. Well done buddy. Love your spirit. While searching for a clean stretch of dunes we came across a tricky patch with soft churned up sand at the bottom of the dune and the only way forward was to crawl yourself out from the other side. And that for me was the best moment of the day, to see 8 cars learning how to manage their throttle with brisk left and right steering to get out of that situation. And I am sure that for everyone, crossing that hurdle must have given immense satisfaction. Once we crossed that stretch, we reached the broad virgin dunes were we did a bit of side slopping, riding on the top of broad dunes. The entire convoy managed themselves exceptionally well and also for maintaining the pace through this section of the dunes. Except for a few crests that required some intense shoveling the ride was more or less very smooth. Well done to the entire bunch of Newbies. Look forward to seeing the pictures that you guys took on the gallery. See you on the next drive.

Check Ace or Speedex. They have an online store as well. So you can visit the website or give them a call before driving down to the shop.

What I understood is that with bigger tyres the normal wheel balancing is not useful. You need to balance the wheels without removing them. In Arabic they call it 'Mizanaya Arzi". I have had to get this done for my XJ to solve vibration issues at above 100 kmph. But I have got them done in Sharjah

@Nayan Shenai welcome to tomorrow's drive Hope you have sorted out your tow points at the front and back.

I have a hunch what your surprise would be. Looking forward to it

Hi Chaitanya, welcome to Carnity Offroad Club. As you would be driving for probably the first time, its important that you have full focus and concentration on the drive. If you are sure that the family would not distract you while driving, you are most welcome to bring them along.

Hi Wrangled, there would be a gap of about 1 hour between both the drives. So to answer your question, you can do both drives.

I think it's a 3 ton pickup

Al Qudra Desert is a very good and versatile learning ground for absolute newbies for their first time desert driving thrilling experience. If you have already driven in sand before then you can learn more from experts having decades of offroading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridge to test your off-road control. Drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. You can bring your family, friends and kids, but if you are absolute new to sand offroading it is better to drive alone first to the learn offroading without any distractions. Drive will start with detail briefing, followed by 2-3 hours of driving in sand dunes and then followed by a break for refreshments over a feedback and assessment session for each offroader. What you'll learn: Introduction to off-roading Desert driving basics and etiquette Desert driving tips, techniques, myth and best practices Off-road and safety gear familiarization and recovery procedures Vehicle orientation, risk analysis, deflation and outdoor safety advice First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details below Prior off-road experience (Yes/No) Confirm front and rear tow hooks Level: Absolute Newbie, Newbies and above (All level) When: 21 Feb 2020 Meeting time: 6:45 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point : Al Qudra https://goo.gl/maps/FbLs4vy99taAEzbTA 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, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 12:00 PM - (much before Friday prayer) Friday Prayer Mosque: The Endurance Masjid - https://goo.gl/maps/SXmkx2jntnK85DzB7 MUST READ: First off-road drive checklist Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Off road Driving Etiquette's Off-road Convoy Rules Off roading - Everything you need to know Please RSVP on the below calendar.

Check the cross of the drive shaft. If that has gone bad it might cause this noise. Tell your friend to go under the cargo and try to rotate the drive shaft by hand and see if there is any play.

Would you know if the check valve can be fixed or the whole unit needs to be replaced. Also would a bad check valve result in power loss at higher rpm, or does that issue point towards a clogged mesh.

I suspect that as well, but the car starting in second crank does indicate the check valve, and I am not sure who has the expertise to replace that part. @sertac did you change it with Mopar or any other brand?

On my XJ, for the past 3 years my fuel pump was always on the weaker side as the engine would fire only on the second crank and never on the first one. However it never was on top priority as the car was performing well. But over the past several months I have found the car to be increasingly sluggish. Recently, when I checked I found that the fuel pressure was dropping to about 40 psi as the RPM was being increased to beyond 3500. As per spec, the fuel pressure should be 49 psi. My questions are : 1. Is such a drop in pressure normal? Does it warrant a change of pump? 2.The original Mopar complete module costs about AED 1450 + vat. I have seen some good reviews of Bosch and Carter but not 100% sure. Any feedback or suggestions?

Tell her that you will celebrate on two days, Feb 13 and Feb 15 When I told my wife that I am not there on Feb 14th, the first question was, Who are you going out with? 😁

Finally, the much awaited Liwa drive. Absolutely looking forward to it. It seems that Emmanuel is so excited that he is already been camping in Liwa for the past 3 weeks. So that's where you have been buddy. 😁

you had to mention the chocolates 😂 Congrats Freddy. Well deserved. You are one of the most innovative and funniest guys I have met and your attention to detail is fantastic.

Lets do a fast paced drive starting from Fossil Rock to Faya and then further depending on the convoy response. Expect plenty of ridge riding, side slopping, and pushing your car towards the rev limit. This drive is for Intermediate and above only When: 07 February 2020, Friday Meeting time: 01:00 PM, the convoy will move sharply at 01:15 PM Where: ADNOC Service station at Maleiha GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/7PnUAmkB5SHZsYay8 Level of drive: Intermediate and above Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 10 inches of ground clearance. Plan: Drive and enjoy until about 11:30 AM, with some small breaks in between to have breakfast and snacks. What to bring along: Some snacks, plenty of water - whatever you like with little extra to share, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Please RSVP the below calendar event

Guys when you approach near the meeting point there is a small section of a cycle track. Drive besides it and not on it

All Newbies please ensure that you reach the meeting point with a full tank of petrol