Marek

hey @Stumpy Paj, how's your experience after half a year? Do you feel that this insulation did the job? How does it feel when rains? My swb is loud, but when it's raining I feel almost as if I was driving with rear windows open, that's how much "rain"/water splash noise gets in...

Newbie Pajero driver here - all these are questions are considered based on driving on sand only, so not intended to do doughnuts on tarmac or anything equally dumb. I get the idea why driving on soft sand often requires full power and various assists can only get the situation worse, but why isn't it enough to just shut ASC OFF on my car to do what I want to do? Even in ASC OFF mode I hardly feel any change in the behavior of the car's support systems - the car is still fighting with me by cutting the throttle and braking wheels which makes it difficult to get out of shady situations during dune bashing... And not really allowing to use the full power (all I see is the disco-lights flashing all over the dashboard every time when when WOT on soft sand). So first thing I tried was to physically remove the relay responsible for all traction assistance and I was amazed how much difference this made - talking about four wheel spin on second gear in 4H mode during not-so-steep approach - no more blinking wheels - it's like a totally different car. Next thing was to start looking for various products you guys talk about in this very forum so I don't have to get my hands dirty during every drive to get the relay in and out -> cronos4x4 or others from Australia, as cronos is supposedly causing some side effects and does not work as expected... When I tried to order one, pages I checked only offer them for cars with no diff lock, while the ones with diff lock are sold out (even at the price of over 100 bucks). But youtube is full of various videos where people just cut the grey wire on the ECU and hook it to the ground via a on/off switch to achieve the exact same thing. This guy is particularly creative to achieve the same thing via third relay (complete overkill in my view, but I am wondering what you guys think?), but I did a similar thing to what is going on here - just the white wire and ground loop. There was never enough explanation as it WHY is this approach any different than vs buying a fancy loom and switch for over $100, nor whether this is applicable on 3.8L with diff lock or not... I did it myself today, took me less than an hour, even though I never removed trim pieces from under the steering wheel or the glove box - so took me a while to locate all the bolts and clamps, but overall it's a fairly straightforward job. Pick the white wire, cut it, solder, connect it to ground, and done... Nice round switch next to ignition, just above the ASC OFF, a little wire, soldering iron and job done. Now what is the benefit of using cronos or other alike vs this simple thing? Any pros/cons of the DIY with single wire? What to expect from this setup?

Awesome drive, gents! @Rob S sir, thanks for all the legwork and that realization about tire pressure - I was amazed how such little pressure change adds up over time when tires heat up and how badly it can affect traction in hot sand (14 to 19psi, srsly?) @Islam Soliman great lead - awesome track, I truly enjoyed the experience, gents. @Simon D if not for you, I would probably be still trying to attach my compressor hose... thanks again! See you all next time!

thanks for expanding the group. Pajero SWB, white, stock towing points available. Prepared for mild over-landing (slight lift, spacers, nothing extreme). Over 2M kms on my clock and several seasons of racing - it's like a career shift, I guess. Overlanding and beach driving experience from past life - nothing you guys would consider a pro thing, so after watching your guides I am humbly stating here for the record: a full blown noob ready to learn new things. I'm only missing a... shovel, but I guess it's something I will be able to get tomorrow during the day...

Understood. I'll be following... newbie approach sounds reasonable from organizers' perspective. I get it. Let's see if I can sign up for one...

yes sir, this would be my first drive with carnity. Is this newbie drive mandatory for all newly joined regardless of experience?