Rahimdad

Thanks guys, Happy New Year,nose, eyes and whatever you have replaced. Spend my New Year with some good friends including @Gaurav and it was one of the best moments as we watched the fire works from a distance.

Just to elaborate on what desertdude jsut pointed out, if you ask any Jeep owner the reason for the heating issue, hardly anyone would have a solution, but a common phrase to make them feel better: "All Jeeps run hot". Just a joke: If you are going for BBQ, no need to take the extra load of a BBQ grill and extras when you have a Jeep, just leave the food on the Jeep bonnet for 30 minutes and you will have a nicely cooked meal.

Thanks for sharing @aatish, very useful information.

I have once owned a brand new Toyota Echo, top of the range, I purchased it for AED 34K and after driving it for 110K Kms in 7 years sold it for 15K, I don't think I lost much. However most of my cars have also been second hand as it takes of the depreciation and can easily cost you a lot cheaper than buying new. However as Gaurav pointed out, be very careful to do a thorough check and if you do not understand ask the owner to take it to a garage of your choice to get it checked. If the owner refuses than he has something to hide, and better not to buy. Better to be safe than sorry. Always jot down at least like typed cars within a similar price range and try to test drive each one to have a feel, sometimes what looks like a good deal can be just the opposite as soon as you sit in the drivers seat. If there is a deal which is too good to be true, than it is probably not true, so be aware of such frauds who advertise a car really cheap and than tell you a story and try for you to send them a down-payment in advance to come back to Dubai to finalize the deal. if you have not seen the car and the person who wants to sell it than that car does not exist.

I have never been wrongfully fined, and I am sure like the others have pointed out its just another car which was flashed and you don't need to worry yet. Just keep checking if the fine appears in a day or two and than take it up with Dubai Police as suggested. About the part on how to prove that you were on 90 KPH, I am totally unaware on how you would be able to prove it, however if the camera was wrongly clicking that day, than you must not be the only one with a fine and a complaint, that should help your case. All the best @Allstar, hope you don't have to go through the hassle and do not get fined at all.

I first experienced the Mitsubishi Lancer back in 1982 when my dad drove one and even for that time it was a head turner and looked very sporty, They have continued to produce the Lancer and than build the Evo series based on the Lancers, however the current model EX is the first time they built the EVO X and than based the Lancer on that. It was again very sporty look with innovations like the CVT gearbox instead of the conventional gearbox, my favorite GT also came with the Rockford Fosgate system with the sub-woofer, sun roof, paddle shifters and the touch screen entertainment system in the later models. Farewell Lancer. One model which they had launched back in the 90's was the Sigma which was to compete with the luxury models at that time like the Honda Legend, but alas some very good vehicles have been discontinued.

Wow @Barry thanks for adding your valuable thoughts to the thread. This is all very informative and useful to all.

Good question @Dave Daniel First thing is you need to love your car to no ends, in case of Gaurav it is literally as any signs of hate and his Pajero would not start up. As per the old books what I learned from my dad, may God Almighty rest his soul in peace, every morning check all the oils and fluids to check if the level is A OK. A visual inspection while the bonnet is open will reveal any discrepancies, get them checked in time and repair small before it effects any other parts. Change the oils, plugs, filters, timing belts, etc on time and avoid any big expenses. If there is any discomfort while driving, any noises from the car, any vibrations, anything that you feel is not right, get it checked immediately, sometimes a small problem solved can save you from bugger expenses. Use methods like fuel injector cleaner and other such products at least once a year just to be sure that all is well on the inside. He used to say that the general maintenance of a car does not make your car run smoother, it just makes sure that over time your car keeps running as smoothly as when you first got it.

Location garage in Al Quoz, you can contact @Barry he is part of this forum. https://carnity.com/business_listing/

Best time to buy a 4x4 vehicle is in the summer time when a lot of people want to sell their 4x4s and not many people to buy them due to school holidays and less people around. Come winters and you can get a good cash for the 4x4s as the season for off-roading is on and everyone interested is looking to get their hands on a good 4x4. Hope this helps your cause.

@Danny Thanks for adding to the thread, this also makes sense and a great tip to delay the inevitable.

Thanks @ethan for reading and appreciating. I think Barry was the one to explain earlier that battery normally consists of acid which is not usable for anything else. However, the distilled water which most people used to add to the battery in the conventional ones is even good as drinking water. So yes you can use distilled water to mix with the raw coolant and is better any day than any Spring, Mineral or drinking water which already consists of solids. BTW, I have a RO purifier in my house and it takes away all the calcium, mineral and other additives in the water, this is good for our consumption and also cost less than the distilled water they sell off the shelf.

@Gaurav Recently a common question that popped in our heads when we were discussing the cleaning of the radiator before putting in new coolant was that how can dirt get in when the radiator is completely sealed and no outside elements can get in. I asked Naeem and he had a very good answer which I think strikes a cord. The raw form of coolant cannot be used in the radiator as it is very thick, so some mix of water is required, this water if distilled would reduce the problem greatly, but we cannot be sure what water is used in the mix. Generally in Dubai all water including branded water on the shelves have added solid in them, like calcium, minerals and you can read the list on any bottled water. These solids over time would settle at the bottom of the radiator, so it is not dust or sand which accumulates over time, but the solids from the water which is the problem. Hope this satisfies your curiosity.

Just to add to this, coolant is not the only important thing, always check the hoses that connect the radiator, the radiator itself and the condenser which is most cases is just under the radiator, top up the AC gas just to be sure. I do not want to advertise any oe company here, but most major service centers and car showrooms offer a free AC check up and discounted parts just before the start of summer. Take advantage of these special packages and you will save yourself from facing issues in mid summer heat.

It would be more tiring waiting for your turn on one of these electric cars rather than walking around the entire mall. A small charge would deter a lot of people for using it with no clear purpose. Oh well, lets see if this grows on people and check for their reactions.

They have 2 free to use cars between over a 100,000 visitors a day. I don't think it will be that easy to get. The initiative is good, but the number of cars and the fact that they are free to use will leave a lot of people in long queues waiting for their turns.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate this occasion. May it bring much joy to you all and more importantly bring you closer to God.

Don't know what to say. Mindless act done by people trying to prove a point. Moreover, mindless act by the person to illegally import such a vehicle into a country. What did he think, he was not going to be caught driving such a vehicle which is very rare in any country. Still don't know what to say!!!

This is absolutely wonderful, however comes a bit late for me as I already sold my Renault. However with 4 years with the car I can definitely try and contribute whenever possible.

Well, I would not advise newbies to venture in Liwa desert as it is meant for the advance drivers only.

You may get a Jeep Wrangler, not on the fast side, but it comes in manual, is convertible and can be a load of fun in the sands of UAE. The fun is on a very different level. Plus they say a Jeep is not bought, it is made, which means a lot of modifications available which help you to make you Jeep yours, different from others. Plus off-roading in a Jeep can be a lot of fun. Than again it is really up to you what is your meaning of fun.

As their ad says : "Are you Dodge?" They have some good vehicles, 2 door muscle the Challenger is there and than there is the Charger which is 4 door, good for family and fun to drive. But unfortunately not manual.

Gulf News Fun Drive 2017 will be the 26th edition and guess what, they are going to Liwa. Please advise here if you have already signed up and advise your driver number allocated to you. http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/leisure/fun-drive-to-roll-in-36th-edition-1.1948674

Thanks for sharing @manums this is really a good read.