Srikumar

@Prakashs you could also consider removing the lower end of your front bumper. It would help in the clearance and improve your approach angle. We had a member in our earlier drives who used to drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee 2015 model. After the first drive he had removed the lower part of his front bumper with all the plastic guards and it got a much better clearance.

How much did you enjoy your first drive? -Absolutely enjoyed it. It was slight more than a year ago, and the tranquility of the desert away from the city tension ensured that I joined in for as many drives as possible during the past year. What did you enjoy about the drive? - The patience and enthusiasm showed by the Marshals, in training Absolute Newbies. As a Newbie and especially in a new group, you have a fear of not doing well and causing either a delay in the convoy. Gaurav and Rahim not only ensured that they helped us along the way but also developed a bonding and team spirit which is very clearly visible in all our Carnity Drives. I personally enjoy the company of the people in the Carnity drive as much as the drive itself. Which part of the drive you think you enjoyed the best which you would like to repeat? -It didn’t happen on the first drive, but I enjoy being a part of the sweep team to help out those who had refusals or were stuck. In terms of the best moment (which I would not want to repeat), it was the time when we had to unlock Sertac’s car with a flag pole. The joy of achieving that without having to break the glass was fantastic. It emphasized the team spirit that we have in our Drives. Do you think there was a good mix of lecture and practical, was the lecture too long, and any part that can be avoided or done in a shorter or different way? Do you think anything else could be added to the lecture? - I prefer to refer it as driver briefing rather than the word ‘lecture’. The briefing was very informative especially for a newbie drive on how to go up and down a sand dune. Important lessons that still remain fresh are 1. Never Fight Gravity, 2. Straight up and Straight Down, 3. Momentum is your friend, 4. Convoy Discipline Our briefing is quite comprehensive. I would only suggest some reading material for the newbies signing up for the drives so that they know what to expect in the desert Do you think prior reading material would help? - I personally tend to read a lot so I do prefer reading material. But it’s important what material you read. I had been to a couple of Gulf News fun drive about 4 years ago, and based on some misleading information that I read on the internet and in the Mistsubishi owner manual, I was driving on 4 Low for the entire drive and had a transmission overheating issue. So It would be nice to see a nice writeup especially for Absolute Newbies who have no knowledge of desert driving. Even after I joined the Carnity drives I used to drive in 4 HLc (with central diff loack) for a few drives when I could have very well managed with 4H and 2H on dirt tracks. I learnt this during the desert training sessions conducted last May. This writeup can be used even as a reference for people who just visit Carnity website for getting know how on desert driving. Would you know where on the Carnity forum you would be able to find the information you are looking for? - Yes Is there anything you think could be done in a better way? - I agree with some of the other people's suggestions that Radios would definitely help in a Newbie Drive. Also, I suggest having more frequent desert training sessions similar to that conducted by Gaurav last year. It taught us a lot of new things especially on self recovery with a shovel. How do you suggest to make things better for the new comers? - Covered some suggestions in the above points and plus a session on self recovery. How one should control the throttle and steering wheel when one is stuck is something that is not easy to learn and some practice over there would definitely help. How do you think you can progress within the current atmosphere and learning opportunities provided? - We always learn something new in each drive, be it a newbie drive or an intermediate drive. The most important thing that I have learnt is that if you are in a bad position it’s important to take a step back and think what are the options available instead of panicking and doing something stupid that could worsen the situation.

Nice place to learn how to drive off-road. We had our desert training sessions last year in this area. Got some family commitment this weekend so will be unable to make it. But will definitely make it for the next drive. Drive safe.

Hi I have an Acadia 2009 model with the built-in GPS. The maps are loaded by means of a CD which is frankly quite outdated. Would anyone happen to have a newer version of the GPS maps or a place where I can download the latest maps. Thanks

@sertac congrats on your first lead. i am not sure if I will be able to make it as I am currently working to get a permanent fix to my transfer case shifting lever problem. Hopefully if done by tomorrow, will definitely make it.

Hi, I have so far been able to finalise the speakers as follows: Front speakers - JBL Club 6500 Component 6.5" 60W RMS - AED 235 Rear Speakers - JBL GT6-5 5-1/4" 2-way car speakers 40W RMS AED 115 or Alpine 2 Way Coaxial Car Speaker 6.5" 50 W RMS - SPJ-161C2 AED 160 Regarding the amplifier I selected a 4 channel amp with HPF based on the above rating. I will bridge 2 channels for the sub and use the remaining 2 channels to power the pair of front and rear speakers respectively. Pioneer GM-A6704 - with Nominal Power RMS at 4 ohm - 60 W x 4 channel Datasheet is available at https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/Amplifiers/GM+Series/GM-A6704 But I have a doubt and that is, if I am connecting a pair of speakers on each channel, then should I add the RMS rating of each pair. For example, in the case of the front speakers (which I have selected), the RMS rating of each is 60 W, so total is 120 W. Does the amp need to be rated for 120 W RMS per channel at 4 ohm? Also, do I need to match the resistance (4 ohm, 3 ohm, etc) between the amp and the sub?

The oil grade and brand (ADNOC) has been maintained the same since the past 2 oil changes and I have been regularly changing the oil at 5000 km. After the last oil change done about 3 weeks ago, I still had the fluctuations on the oil pressure reading and with pressure indicator dropping to zero at about 2k rpm. However, over the past 10 days I have noticed that the pressure indicator has been working fine (just like before I had this problem), and the oil pressure increases as the rpm of the engine increases which is normal behavior. Any suggestions or ideas?

I am mostly in as well. @Asif Hussain hope your vehicle recovers soon. Your love for off-roading is commendable.

I would add the rear bumper scooper of the Pajero, especially on a vehicle that can be used for offroading. It's like the rear of the car has it's own in-built shovel.

Thanks everyone for all your inputs. @Frederic Nuyttens, I am going to take up your suggestion of the system and will shortly post it as well. The component speakers come with their own crossovers which helps filter for frequency between the tweeter and the woofer. Are you suggesting that the amp should have an additional crossover to filter between the front and rear speakers? Also, if I am connecting rear speakers directly to the head unit which in my case might be underpowered (22W RMS), will it be ok or should I get a 4 channel amp and connect the rear speakers to the amp. @Gaurav, I am planning to put a subwoofer as I have a good compartment in the rear where it can be placed without reducing any storage space. Thanks for the input on the pricing, which comes to my final question, is there any place or shop where we can get good used equipment as branded audio systems are generally quite rugged and have quite a decent life, if handled well. I feel all the more excited, after getting your inputs, to start working on this mini project. Thanks guys !!

Thanks @Gaurav for the advice and @Frederic Nuyttens for the detailed explanation. It has given me some idea from where I need to get started. I have one more question, while upgrading the system, do I need to check the capability of the existing car electric system, like alternators, electrical wires, etc I think I should be able to install bigger speakers at the front, only might have to drill additional holes. To your question on whether I would like to do it on my own or from outside, I prefer to do it myself as I have started enjoying working on the car and it will help if I need to tweak things later. I am sure that I will be making quite a few mistakes along the way, so let's see how it goes. Thanks!!

@sertac, thanks for the feedback. Would you know what was the RMS rating for your head unit and front speakers? Also, I thought normally since the amplifier feeds the subwoofer the sub power rating has to match the amp power rating.

I am looking to change the audio system in my Jeep Cherokee. Currently the audio receiver unit is a Pioneer DEH-4250SD with 50W x 4 rating which I am currently going to continue. The 5.25" front and rear speakers seem to be the original from the factory and are completely worn out. I intend to buildup a good quality sound system, but since I am on a very tight budget I felt I will start changing one component at a time and hopefully in a few months would have a sound system that I can really enjoy. I plan to replace the front speakers at the first stage, then next the rear speakers, then get an amp and woofer. But, I need some help in defining the final system so that I am moving in the right direction Some of the questions I have are: 1. With the current audio receiver being rated for 50W x 4 which I presume is the RMS wattage, would it be ok if i install speakers of higher RMS rating so that if I upgrade the receiver unit in the future it would improve the sound quality at that stage 2. Should I go with 4-way speakers or 2-way speakers, full range speakers or component speakers? 3. I do get a lot of road noise at high speeds, is there any kind of dampeners that can be used to negate this? Or can you define a sound system that can take this into account, because I am sure that this issue would be faced in convertibles or car with soft tops as well. 4. How do I decide what should be the amp and sub rating? I am quite new to this, so do appreciate your advise and suggestions.

And so came the famous saying "You can buy the Model T in any color as long as its black"

Looks great. Am in as well.

I will be there along with my son

Hi, I drive a Cherokee XJ 1997 manual transmission. Over the past couple of weeks I have noticed the engine oil indicator behaving in an abnormal manner : 1. On a cold engine it shows a good oil pressure and as you increase the acceleration the oil pressure increases 2. ‎once the engine is heated to normal temperature at an RPM of approx 2k - 3k the oil indicator drops to Zero. 3. ‎when I put the car in neutral the engine oil again increases to a normal reading 4. ‎at low rpms like 1k or at rpm above 3.5k the engine oil pressure is at normal condition Any idea if this issue is to do with only the oil pressure sensor or with any other part. BTW I have checked the oil via the dipstick and the oil is at the normal level and the oil has been used for 4000 km. Thanks

Truly one of the best drives that we have had in Carnity. It had everything one can imagine, huge bowls, massive tall dunes giving us ample opportunities for side sloping, technical dunes and most importantly, absolute beautiful virgin dunes. Big thanks to gaurav for leading us through this amazing terrain and also to Rahim Bhai for the sweep duties to ensure the convoy was moving continuously at the necessary pace. Ofcourse this drive would not have been what it was without the entire team's effort to ensure a smooth and fast paced drive. Absolutely loved it!! Look forward to more trips to this area

I shall be coming only early in the morning possibly by 5 or 6 am at the deflation point or where you guys might be camping. Saleem mentioned that he would be coming in the night itself.

@Gaurav. Noted. Not yet sure if I will come the previous night or on the day of the drive. But will be there before time.

What better way to start the 2018 season, by having a full day drive at Al Wagan on 12th Jan 2018. It will be the first drive to Al Wagan for Carnity Group and hopefully the first of many more. The plan is to meet up on Thursday evening at Al Wagan around 10 pm and camp there for the night. We shall start our drive early morning on Jan 12th. The drive will be split in two sections, with the first being one stretch of dunes. We shall return via the sabkha area back to Al Wagan town for the Friday prayers and also to finish our lunch. We would then return to the desert via the sabkha area and head towards more deeper wagan, as per time permits. This is an Intermediate level drive, so no newbies and fewbies are advised to join. This requires the best of the driver and cars so please sign up only if you are 100% confident. This drive requires a lot of dedication, discipline, and commitment to continue driving in rigorous off-road terrain and keep the convoy moving at all the times. It is very important to reiterate to everyone to ensure that your car is in the best of condition with all necessary fluid checks done, air filter check is done, 5 good working condition tires, etc. Further, due to the nature of the area, I do recommend that to carry only the essentials that are needed for the drive to reduce the weight in your car. Time and Date: 7 PM, 11 Jan 2018 Meeting point: https://goo.gl/maps/JdSnTEv3jN72 - Emarat Petrol Station at Al Ain Road Deflation and Wagan Entry Point: https://goo.gl/maps/g9uegbtfkAJ2 (23°35'32.0"N 55°24'24.8"E) ADNOC Fuel station near entry point + Mosque: https://goo.gl/maps/S9u6EQusFgC2 Breakfast: 7 AM, 12 Jan 2018 and pack cars and start off-road drive by 8 AM Optional: Members who don't want to do overnight camp, can join at above deflation point by 8 AM. Friday Prayer and lunch Break : 12 PM – 1 PM at Al Wagan town Ending point: https://goo.gl/maps/3HhxuWTF6yt (hopefully by sunset) - Next fuel station at 70 - 80 km range. Checklist: Each and everything will be verified at the meeting point before starting Your 4x4 should be well serviced and all lubes and fluid should be topped up 20 Liter fuel jerry can 20 Liter water can or equivalent water bottles "5 WORKING INFLATED TIRES" Air compressor, tow rope, 2 rated shackles, proper shovel, flag, jack and wooden plank Fire extinguisher, first aid kit, radio with charger, mobile with car charger, emergency light/torch Camp to sleep overnight, warm clothes, In case of emergency - contact number printed Enough food for 2 days for yourself and others to share - MUST Disposables plates and glasses would be better to lighten the load for the drive Dry food, energy bar, cookies, nuts, crisp to munch while driving Stand-alone GPS unit or mobile GPS app that works offline (MotionX for IOS and Geo or GPS tracker for Android) Please RSVP on the below calendar