Frederic

I wouldn’t be surprised that the mechanic has installed the timing belt wrong, and perhaps it’s a tooth off, which could explain the crank noise. In any case I would not recommend to continue driving it. Put it on recovery and get it towed back to the shop. This clearly looks as if your mechanic did something wrong.

DRIVE DETAILS Very few places on Earth can rival the mesmerizing beauty of Liwa, nestled within the Rub' al Khali, the vast expanse of the Empty Quarter – the largest uninterrupted desert on the planet! Embark on a thrilling two-day adventure that promises to unveil some of the most immense sand dunes you'll ever encounter! 🐪🌄 Immerse yourself in the raw beauty of nature, far removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Camp beneath a blanket of stars, serenaded by the sounds of the wilderness. Share stories around a crackling campfire, bonding with fellow adventurers over shared triumphs and tales of adventure. Yet, traversing the expanses of the world's largest desert demands respect and preparation. This expedition entails a challenging off-road journey, offering breathtaking vistas at every turn. Brace yourself and your vehicle for an unforgettable test of endurance and exploration! Planning: *Meetup at 8 AM in Khanoor: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rnGP9hxzHzt12Ewf7 Decimal Coordinates: 23.08584, 53.61100 * Full Day Drive, making our way towards Moreeb dune. * Set up camp around 6 PM and enjoy the evening together. * Exit at Moreeb Dune the following morning around 10 AM. Considering its seriousness to keep you and your vehicle safe, these strict rules will be applied to all. DRIVE PREPARATION: Your car should be in 100% pristine working condition, so double or triple-check everything. Full-size spare tire with a lug wrench to match your wheel nut size and it's depth. For aftermarket rims - Your lug wrench also needs to match the wheel nut depth. As it's a long full-day drive, so catch up with enough sleep beforehand. 5-10 liters of water per person. Snacks for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and next day breakfast. Keep your car as light as possible by packing what is truly essential. Fully charged radio with spare battery and all other required off-road gears. Full main tank and 1 additional 20l jerrycan. DRIVE DETAILS: Level: Fewbie Plus and above When: 8 and 9 Feb 2025 Starting time: 8:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Starting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rnGP9hxzHzt12Ewf7 You can come early and camp at the same starting point if you like. (you can head inside on the same dirt track) Last petrol station with washrooms and food is ADNOC LIWA (977): https://maps.app.goo.gl/CqSnCNUTfUwySN2Y7 Last Petrol station near the starting point is ADNOC KHANOOR: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oxVfp85mBCdrWF6e7 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. Approximate finish time: Between 10AM and 11AM the next day. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 Fewbie Plus and above drivers. Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - 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. RSVP HERE

Thanks guys for joining today ! The plan was to explore an area where i noticed sizeable dunes, nearby the well-known Desert Rose Safari camp: https://maps.app.goo.gl/y11DiJwxcEYh8m2H9 As this was quite far out from where we started, this meant a bit more sabkha driving than usual, and swallowing up the bushes where needed In the end, it resulted in a 60+kms track where you guys can be proud of how well you managed it. It contained some tight technical dunes, some larger dunes where we could wake up our engines, and some areas that had lots of crosstracks. The pleasant weather made it nice to do some shovel work as well, so we didn't shy away from that. Thanks for @Emanueland @Ishak for their support as well ! I wish you all a good last couple of days of 2024 and a blessed and healthy 2025 !

Will add you @Sheho as @Amal Sunil had signed out. See you tomorrow!

RSVP IS NOW CLOSED Good morning @Dan S@ALAAEDDIN@Sam Selim@Abdullah A.@Athil@Stuart G@Dipu Francis@Emanuel@nickJp@Amal Sunil@Ishak Thank you all for signing up ! Some important pointers before meeting up: 1. At the meeting point there will be a Fewbie convoy of @DP1011as well. Please make sure to line up close or behind the Blue Xterra (my 4x4). 2. We will be using Carnity Channel 4: 446.081 Mhz on the walkie talkies. Please make sure to bring yours fully charged. 3. Please arrive at least 10-15mins before the meeting time so you don't have to rush to deflate and put up the flag. 4. Make sure you are fully fueled up. There is an ADNOC just next to the meeting point. See you all tomorrow morning !

Good morning @ALAELDIN and welcome to Carnity Offroad Club ! Kindly introduce yourselves (see below inquiry), so we have a better understanding of your current skills. Please also watch the Absolute Newbie briefing video without distractions, as it contains extremely useful information. First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING With regards to tools or equipment, please try to bring: - Offroad Flag. - Walkie Talkie, programmed to our frequencies. - Pressure gauge and deflator. - Compressor to inflate after the drive. Thanks !

Well done @MarcP!

Congrats @Glenn W !!

Hey @Alphin Aloor! Some good questions raised and I’ll just provide my two cents based on my experience owning a winch for 4 years and having owned a Patrol but never installed the winch on it. I kept the winch on my small Pajero and later onto the Trooper. First question for yourself should be: are you planning on doing regular recoveries of others ? And are you currently comfortable recovering others with a kinetic rope? 90% of recoveries can be done with a rope, and it’s only in a small amount of scenarios that a winch comes in handy. I have used my winch perhaps 15 times in 4 years, and it was a lifesaver a few times, but the main reason I got it was for being able to do recoveries in remote or challenging areas like Liwa. As a drive lead there’s always a bit of apprehension when leading in this terrain that something could go wrong and having the winch always gave me that extra bit of reassurance. If you plan to install it on the Patrol, take note it will slow you down further a bit during climbs, and the nose of the car will bottom out a bit faster on typical dune bashing drives on stock shocks. If you focus more on overlanding, then this is less of an issue. Have a look at the OEM winch install setup which some Super Safari models have. This would keep the bumper intact and hide the winch properly. If you want to buy a winch and get custom brackets made, I can of course recommend Warn or TJM winches with synthetic rope. Better to avoid steel rope as this again adds weight. There is little to no maintenance on a winch, but a couple of times per year it’s good to completely roll out the rope, inspect it for any damages, and then roll it back up. The Patrol has a big size battery already which can easily power a winch when needed, so that’s a plus. All in all i got the winch installed from a personal perspective as a drive lead / marshal. Would it buy it again ? Maybe not. I got a great deal as mine was second hand and only 3 weeks old. The guy sold it as he installed a steel bumper and winch and then realized the extra weight in front completely changed the dune bashing experience for him, so he decided to remove it again.

Well done @W a q a r !! Congrats !

Onwards and upwards @J-P L!! Congrats !