Driving a softroader in sand article

[victorwong]

hi all,

I have just got a 2nd hand 09 tiguan. it is a 147 (no DSG) auto. it is generally pretty good.

My colleagues (who has a subaru XV) and i are planning to drive to port stockton (NSW) to have some sand driving fun. i am having the stock tyres and which has pretty good tread.

anyone has done port stockton (or sand driving) on their tiguan? do you think it should be fine if i dont driving too crazily.

one question, will the sand get into the radiator heat panel?

an example will be :Off-road Subaru Forester 4wding Stockton Beach - Subaru & Maxtrax promo - YouTube

and Tiguan Experience - YouTube


anything we should take care of?
please share you experience

[gldgti]

yes - don't drive too crazy. if you get airborn, the landing can do a lot of damage - sand is harder when you hit it that it seems whilst trying to drive through it.

Dont drive right behind anyone.

watch the temperature gauge.

more power is not always a good idea

[z1000]

Having done plenty of beach and sand dune driving previously, I can share the lessons I have learnt the hard way.
- Reduce tyre pressure as much as you can, but not too much the tyre rolls off rim.
- Cheap 12v pump inflates the tyre really slow, invest in a good one if you can.
- Work out where your recovery points are, front and rear.
- Bring your own recovery straps and gears, make sure they are rated accordingly and up to the task.
- Don't drive right in other people's track, Tiguan's clearance is not the best.
- Keep your momentum up on soft sand, and work on your throttle control.
- Don't try to get some air on purpose, it will just ruin the car
- But seriously get a mate with a proper 4wd to tag along as the backup.
- Eat and sleep well the night before, it will be quite a workout digging up bogged Tiguan.
- Thoroughly clean the car afterward to prevent rusting.

Yes it does seem a lot of hassle just to take Tiguan to the beach, but the better prepared you are, the more likely you will have a truly enjoyable day.

I personally would not take my Tiguan to the beach ever again, reasons being:
- The clearance is rather poor
- Front bumper is designed for digging
- Stability control is not calibrated for sand driving
- It drives like a fwd car at all time, no permanent 4wd locking available
- DSG is useless offroading, traditional auto seems better
- The car gets hot rather quickly, hot enough to get me start worrying
- Road rage on beach, yes it does happen, more so in a Tiguan. I sense Tiguan is not welcomed on the beach by the 4wd crowd.
- Such a heavy small car, seriously heavy for its size.
- PITA to clean up thoroughly afterward

Regardless of my opinion, go and test out your Tiguan on sand, and who knows you may end up enjoying it.

[TDZ]

On top of everyone else's comments. I'd suggest taking off the plastic sump guard if you intend on keeping it. They have a habit of getting ripped off in soft beach sand. Just becareful of rocks etc

If you can afford get a proper sump guard. Cheapest option is find a good metal fabricator to make one for you. Alternatively if you can swollow the shipping prices get the one from ecs tning

[z1000]

On top of everyone else's comments. I'd suggest taking off the plastic sump guard if you intend on keeping it. They have a habit of getting ripped off in soft beach sand.

Lol, very true indeed, totally forgot mine has been missing for a while, could not be bothered replacing it though, as there will be no more off-roading for me.

[victorwong]

hey thanks all of you (especially z1000),

i am sure that your comments help.

can i drive without the sump guard?n is it easy to be taken off? is the sand going to get into the bottom easiler without the guard? and how about the radiator, is sand going to splash into and stuck on the radiator??

[z1000]

Plastic sump guard has little protective value IMO, not sure how easy to take off, but it is ripped off easily enough when off-roading.

Sand and salt get stuck everywhere, and high pressure hose actually does more harm than good, that's why it's a major PITA cleaning up afterward. But your pre MY12 bumper may not scoop as much sand as mine.

[TDZ]

just some notes to help you out

- Plastic sump guard comes off easily from memory there are around 5 plastic screws and two metal ones all of which require a torx key or similar. If you really wanted your fingers might get off the plastic ones in a pinch.
- Sand will always get into your radiator so don't worry about it too much only worry if you get stuck! thats when temperature gauges soar typically.
- Plastic guard does little in terms of protection against rocks etc sand will get in every nook and crevice
- Clearance is your biggest concern including approach and descent angles. I have heard of people ripping off their rear bumper coming down a dune let alone your sump guard. It may seem high now but when you factor in deflating your tyres you pretty much half your clearance.
- Recovery hooks in the car twist in reverse (anticlockwise) and make sure you tel the driver to take it easy!
- Remember you only have a space saver, if you accidently lose a tyre youre going to have a bad time! you think finding traction with a full tyre is bad wait till you have a space saver on one corner! (Don't even bother trying to change tyres in the sand especially with stock jack)
- drive in compacted sand as much as possible which may be near the water but watch out of puddles which may be deeper than they look
- Tiguan isn't really designed for off roading so don't expect it to perform as well as a proper 4wd. Also beach driving is tough (I'd say one of the toughest driving conditions) and really tests your the cars electrics so dont underestimate it. There's a reason people spend thousands on tyres, suspension, locking diffs etc and still carry recovery gear plus go with others
- When buying recovery gear don't skimp, eg don't buy cheap and def don't buy a short handled shovel unles youre really fit! shoveling sand on multiple occasions is demanding work.
- be prepared for lots of sideways driving esp if you dont have off road pack. Slow and steady and you'll make it through. Even if you feel like your stuck slow and steady your electrics will soon find the best traction point. Only stop completely if your belly is touching the floor.
- If in doubt stay in first gear and take it real slow. Tiguans in first gear i think is a 50/50 split and the gearing is quite low to give you the power to get out of tough situations

As Z1000 says off roading in the Tiguan isn't great (its not designed for off roading) but it is capable of doing it and doing it quite well for a soft roader. As long as you keep that in mind you'll have a great time

let us know how you go.

[MGV]

Some excellent tips, people!
I've had mine on the beach a few times but never pushed it to doing dunes as i knew it wasn't really capable in that regard. It handled low-tide hard sand without a drama though & was a lot of fun!
Have had my sump guard off 4 times (has to come off to change the engine oil). From memory, there are 4 or 5 T25 Torx screws under the front of the bumper & 2 larger ones (T30 perhaps?) at the back of the sump guard guard. Easy to take off & put back on, 5 minute job the second time round once you know where the screws are & have the right sized bits & a handy driver!

[jcubed]

I have just got a 2nd hand 09 tiguan

Hi Victor,

In reference to the sub-title, I've unfortunately observed this a number of times. As forum "founder" members move on, a lot of the lessons learnt gets lost to the new owners, and they start the learning curve again.

You may find good background information on the Tiguan and Rough Roads thread, specifically jimbomorts post #18, and the responses which followed.

See here: http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...ads-42905.html Post #18.