TheoB

After changing everything at Al habtoor, and a week later, the light is still flashing. They let me know over the weekend that it is an electrical issue and need time to find the problem. Today the advisor told me a "specialist" team came in and will give me a report tomorrow.

As they always do.

I've read a few posts on the Aussie forums. And from what I understand in this post too, replacing one switch wasn't enough. Eventually replacing all switches fixes the problem. It's really the labor costs that are so much. So I will try claiming poverty to get that down. I just hope this fixes it.

Soo...

This is the error code and quote I received. It's costly but actually it's quite difficult to find a garage I trust outside the agency. At least if I get it done there I probably won't have to fix this again and get better warranty on the repair.

Hi @Frederic and @Gaurav,

Thank you for your responses.

I service my vehicle at Al habtoor every 10k km. It was in for a service just 2 weeks ago. 

I visited a recommended off-road garage in Abu Dhabi where I've been before for some minor things, thinking this will be one of the easy fixes mentioned in this post. They checked with the computer while I was there and explained the fault to me but I didn't see the error codes myself.

I'm also very skeptical that the transfer case can go that easily. From my understanding this transfer case should be near bulletproof.

@Frederic, to answer your questions. I'm very careful with shifting and when I use which gears, another reason I'm skeptical the transfer case could be broken. When going from 4LLc I always stop in neutral, and shift to 4HLc then 4H or 2H. 

This time the center diff light started flashing immediately after shifting from 4LLc and stays on all the time. There are no other lights.

I drove home in 2H but I noticed a slightly deeper hum when I reached 100km/h. So I assumed the vehicle is in 4H and didn't go over 100. I confirmed this by driving three wheels onto a small dune next to the road. While the shifter is in 2H, power is still going to the back and the front wheels. 

I decided to take it back to Al habtoor yesterday since they serviced it recently. The service advisor checked if we could stop the error by removing the battery terminal too but it didn't work. He suspected it's one of the switches going into the transfer case. They should let me know by the end of today.

Hi,

I'm having a similar issue with my 2015 3.8l since the weekend.

In my case I engaged 4LLc to go over a relatively steep and rocky hill. There were three of these on the trail and I did this same trail three weeks back. I have to add that the Pajero did it smoothly with the aid of the great traction control. As luck would have it, when I tried to go back to 4H after clearing the last obstacle, the center diff light started flashing.

My car is at a garage now and the fault came from the transfer case apparently, "switch 63" is what they said. So it is either the motor outside the transfer case or some internals. Now they've checked the motor and let me know it is the transfer case that needs to be replaced. I'm expecting a call back soon.

Please can anyone way in here if you have experience with this or if there is another possibility before spending a fortune. 

My local number and Whatsapp is +971507972796 if it's easier to discuss.

I'll appreciate any advice.

Thank you.

Theo

Hi @Wrangeld, is the drive of Thursday or Friday?

Thanks for the drive @Wrangeld and @Islam Soliman and everyone else. We enjoyed the drive and will join again soon.

Hi @Wrangeld

I have a fare amount of experience off-roading in other conditions and driving sand tracks. Recently purchased a Pajero 3.8 SWB and added front and rear skid plates. Joining the club to gain more confidence in the desert and explore with like minded people.

Looking forward to the drive.

Theo

Hi Everyone,

I have a SWB Pajero 3.8 and looking to buy new AT tyres.

Preferably going with 265/65r18. Very common size for Pajero in Australia and South Africa with no issues.

I originally looked at Geolanders Go15 but I've seen some people complaining about the sidewall strength. I indent to visit the wadis frequently, so I'm slightly put off by that. The other option is Kumho AT51.

At this stage neither tyre is available in the size I want but they are available in 275/65r18. There are mixed opinions for running that size in the 3.2 diesel versions but I can't seem to find any information on the 3.8. Although I've seen a couple running that size around here.

Has anyone tried 275/65r18 on their Pajero? I'd appreciate to hear your opinions.

Theo

So that car was a bust. Lots of little cosmetic issues and took very long to engage the 4x4 gears and diff-lock compared to other vehicles I tested. So I left it. Viewed and tested a few cars. One thing is clear. "Perfect inside and out" is almost never perfect inside and out and not one of the vehicles with "full service history" actually had a complete service record, except the one I bought. 

I got my Batmobile. 😅 2015 model with 30000 km. Full service record on schedule. Pretty much perfect inside and out. Very happy and thankful for everyone's advice here. It really helped.

@Srikumar I checked the vin number with Mitsubishi. It was serviced on 1k, 10k, 20k, and major service on 26k. Evidently also March 2020. 

I bet the owners of both vehicles were either stuck outside the country when corona hit in March or couldn't service since then due to other corona related reasons.

@Srikumar @Gaurav I found two cars I'm interested in. Going to view tomorrow.

The one is on 30k km but was serviced annually and not every 6months since 2017. Therefore the extended warranty was forfeited according to Mitsubishi. What are your opinions? Is it worth having it inspected?

The other one is pushing my budget a bit. It's less than 10k km but hasn't been serviced since March 2020. Mitsubishi says the warranty is still good but I'm sceptical.

This might be a noob question but what is more important in determining a cars value in the UAE? Mileage or year? 

The 3.8 SWB isn't so easy to find but I found some very clean cars with full service history from Al Habtoor and less than 50 000km. 2016, 2017 and 2018 models going for very similar prices. And then there's a 2013 model for not much less. It seems that milage is the main determining factor. In 5 years time would 2016 vs 2018 be much different in value? 

Thank you everyone. Very useful information to make my choices a little easier. Now just to find the perfect vehicle. 🤞

Thank you for your replies. It's very helpful.

I'm quite set on the Pajero. I think the SWB is probably one of the better stock vehicles for the desert, at a good price too. Just my opinion from what I've seen.

Out of curiosity, what are the most expensive parts you've had to replace? 

Are there any recommendations where I should get it inspected?

What insurance company is good that includes off road cover? I got some info from AXA and it seemed quite good.

Hi,

Admittedly it's quite daunting buying a car in a foreign country. I moved here from South Africa a bit more than a year ago. So I've learnt not to trust dealers but further than that I'm quite unsure. 

I'm keeping my eyes out for a good deal on a 3.8 SWB Pajero. Panning to own it for the next five years while I'm in the UAE. Ideally I'd like to go for something low mileage with a warranty and I'll definitely get it checked out by Mitsubishi before I buy. Unless there are better places to have it inspected.

It will be my only car but I will be spending a lot of time in the desert for work and just exploring the wadis. I also plan on traveling to Oman. I don't intend on climbing or jumping the tallest dunes but at the same time I also don't want to be limited too much with where I can go. "As slow as possible and as fast as necessary." 

So now I'm torn between forking out the extra money and buying a newer model with a warranty or buying a cheaper vehicle and saving some money for maintenance and upgrading things like suspension etc. Regardless, I'll still get bash plates and probably increase the tire profile. Would there be any advantage to making additional mods for my purpose? What are the laws regarding suspension upgrades?

I've read some of the posts on the forum but I'm yet to find anything on third party warranties. Are there any providers in the UAE offering extended warranties for secondhand cars and is it necessary or are most parts cheap enough?

What are your opinions on buying older models or higher mileage out of warranty?

I'll appreciate your input to help me make up my mind.

Will surely be joining some desert drives when I get my little machine.