Srikumar

Hi, My Cherokee XJ engine and g Iear mounts are all worn out. I need to get them replaced. I use this vehicle for offroading. Does anyone have any other experience with aftermarket ones vs the original? Also, I gather that you get the mounts in 2 types, rubber and polyurethane? Which one is better? The safest option would be to go for the original. But I was thinking of getting something more heavy duty by importing it as I have seen the cost of importing heavy duty mounts are almost the same as buying the original locally. Please advise.

@Gaurav your vehicle is special that you are able to keep it on 1st gear, and you have the '1' gear option in your auto transmission. This is mostly likely because it carries the gene of the award winning Pajero Dakar Rally model. I have also seen the '1' gear option in Rahim bhai's Pathy as well but not in many other cars. I have honestly struggled with my newer version Pajero where it would continuously upshift in tiptronic mode. I have been driving a manual vehicle for the past 8 months, and in the initial period my gear shifts were never smooth. As a result I was unable to downshift from 2nd to 1st in time. So I used to attack a dune in 1st gear, but was able to reach a maximum speed of approx 55 km/h with the engine at its limit and some clutch being burnt due to the high rpm. So I can relate with what gaurav mentioned that while the adrenaline is pumping, its quite difficult to downshift. I got my clutch changed a couple of months ago, and I have also learnt to do smoother gear shifts. Now, when I reach the base of a steep dune I am on 2nd gear at a speed of almost 80 - 85 km per hour. As I loose momentum during the climb, I am able to quickly downshift to 1st gear and get the last bit of thrust for the final part of the climb. Have been doing this quite successfully over the past few drives. I have been using my vehicle for my daily drive as well so am continuously practicing the quick shifting of the vehicle and now I dont need to see the rpm or the speed anymore as I do the gear shifts based on the engine sound. Though the gear shifts are still not the smoothest, but I am continuously practicing to try and improve it.

@sertac i think your issue is that after 'D' you have '1 - 2'. So after a certain speed the car is upshifting. So you basically need a '1' gear for the last part of the climb. Please post that query of converting '1-2' to only '1' on the forum. You might get some ideas and it might be worth trying it.

As Gaurav mentioned it's a madhouse debate and there can never be a winner. In my recent past I have driven a Pajero (Auto transmission) and a Cherokee XJ ( Manual Transmission). I most definitely prefer the XJ over the pajero mainly for the manual gearing. I unfortunately had a very bad experience with the Pajero that while doing an Uphill climb in tip tronic the transmission would upshift from 1st grade to 2nd gear at 50 km per hour. And this would make every up Hill Climb a huge task. In my XJ, I get to choose the gearing and that for me is the biggest plus of a manual vehicle. But then there are other automatic transmission vehicles which has a D and 1 like Gaurav's Pajero. Here in this kind of vehicles you'll never have the upshift problem. Guys I have a question. If you have two identical vehicles one automatic and the other a manual transmission are the gearing ratios different? Also, how much of a difference does the gear ratios make while off roading especially in sand?

@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