# Driving Up Jebel Akhdar or Jebel Shams: Is Your Car Ready? | Otto Explains | AutoTronix **Section:** Otto Explains **Canonical:** https://autotronix.om/otto/jebel-akhdar-jebel-shams-mountain-driving **Language:** English **Arabic version:** https://autotronix.om/ar/otto/jebel-akhdar-jebel-shams-mountain-driving --- ## Short Answer Your car is ready if it suits the road and its cooling system, brakes and tyres are in good condition. To drive up Jebel Akhdar you need a four-wheel-drive vehicle: the police checkpoint at Birkat Al Mouz, where the mountain road starts, lets only four-wheel-drive vehicles continue, and the registration papers must show four-wheel drive. The long climb in the heat works the cooling system hard, and the long descent is where brakes overheat, so climb in a low gear and come down in a low gear, letting the engine slow the car instead of riding the brakes. If the temperature gauge climbs, the brake pedal feels soft or you smell burning from the wheels, stop somewhere safe and let the car cool before going on. --- ## Can any car drive up Jebel Akhdar? No. Four-wheel drive is required to drive up Jebel Akhdar. The road up the mountain starts at Birkat Al Mouz, where a police checkpoint lets only four-wheel-drive vehicles continue. Oman Observer reports in 2022 and 2024 said that drivers need their driving licence and the car’s registration papers at the checkpoint, and that the registration must confirm the vehicle is four-wheel drive. If your car isn’t four-wheel drive, don’t plan to drive it up. Rules can change, so check the current position before you travel. --- ## What is the road to Jebel Shams like? Jebel Shams is reached from Al Hamra, and the road is different in character from the Jebel Akhdar road. Omani press reports recommend four-wheel drive for the trip and mention unpaved roads in the area, though no official source we found says exactly which stretches are paved today. After rain, the Royal Oman Police has warned that mud on the Jabal Shams road can make vehicles skid, and asked drivers not to take the risk, to drive cautiously and to keep a safe distance. If there has been rain, or rain is forecast, check conditions before you set off and be ready to turn back. --- ## What does the long climb ask of your car? Climbing a long, steep road in the heat makes the engine work hard for a long time, and manufacturers warn that hilly terrain, extreme heat and heavy loads all raise the risk of the engine and cooling system overheating. Low or old coolant makes that more likely. Start the climb in a low gear rather than changing down halfway up, which strains the engine, and keep an eye on the temperature gauge all the way. When you reach the top after a hard climb, some manufacturers advise not switching the engine off the moment you stop, and the cooling fan may carry on running after you do. If the needle starts climbing, treat it as a reason to stop somewhere safe, not to push on; Otto explains what an [overheating engine](https://autotronix.om/otto/car-overheating) needs. --- ## How should you drive down a steep mountain road? The descent is harder on the car than the climb. If you hold the brakes on all the way down, the pads and the brake fluid heat up until the brakes start to fade. Before you start down, select a low gear so the engine holds the car back (engine braking), and use the brakes firmly when needed rather than resting your foot on them. In an automatic, use the manual mode, the paddles or the low gear position your owner’s manual describes; the gearbox will not accept a downshift that would over-rev the engine. A four-wheel-drive car still relies on its brakes and gears on the way down. The Jebel Akhdar road has emergency exits along its sides where a vehicle in trouble can pull over and stop. --- ## When should you stop and let the car cool? Stop somewhere safe as soon as you can if the temperature gauge climbs towards H or red, the engine suddenly loses power, or steam appears: do not keep driving an overheating engine. Leave the bonnet closed while steam is escaping and never open the radiator cap while the engine is hot, because steam and coolant can scald. Stop too if the brake pedal feels soft or spongy, it travels further than usual, or you smell burning from the wheels. These are signs of brakes fading from heat or of brake fluid boiling. Slow down with the gears, pull in somewhere safe (on Jebel Akhdar, an emergency exit if you need one), and let the brakes cool before you go on. If the pedal still feels soft once the brakes have cooled, or a warning light stays on, don’t drive on down the mountain: arrange for the car to be recovered and inspected. Stopping is about safety; finding the cause still needs an inspection. Brake noises and smells in everyday driving are covered in [Otto’s guide to brake noise](https://autotronix.om/otto/brake-noise). --- ## How do you get your car ready before the trip? Have the cooling system, brakes and brake fluid checked before the trip, along with the engine oil. Coolant that is low or past its best raises the risk of overheating on the climb. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, which lowers its boiling point and makes it more likely to boil on a long descent, so it should be changed as your manufacturer recommends. Check that the tyres are in good condition and set to the pressures your manufacturer gives; pressure rises as the tyres heat up. AutoTronix Express can check the car before you go with its multi-point vehicle inspection, which covers brakes, fluids, belts and hoses, and its brake service covers pads, discs and brake fluid. If the inspection finds a brake fault, AutoTronix Garage repairs the brake system. AutoTronix offers no tyre services. For the general checks before any long journey, see Otto’s [checklist for a long drive in Oman](https://autotronix.om/otto/long-drive-car-check-oman). --- ## Common Questions **Does all-wheel drive count as four-wheel drive at the Jebel Akhdar checkpoint?** Don’t assume it does. Reports say the car’s registration documents must confirm that it is four-wheel drive, so what matters is what your registration says. If you’re unsure, check before you travel. **Why does my car smell of burning after coming down the mountain?** Most often it is hot brakes: a burning smell from the wheels is a sign that the pads have overheated. Stop somewhere safe and let them cool, and use a lower gear for the rest of the descent. If the pedal feels soft afterwards, have the brakes inspected before driving on. **Is it better to coast downhill in neutral to save the brakes?** No. In neutral the engine can’t hold the car back, so the brakes do all the work and heat up faster. Stay in a low gear so the engine slows the car. **Does a four-wheel-drive car need any special checks for the mountain?** The same essentials matter: cooling system, brakes, brake fluid and tyres. Four-wheel drive helps with grip, but it doesn’t cool the engine on the climb or the brakes on the descent. --- ## Related Otto Explanations - What Tyre Pressure Should You Use in Oman?: https://autotronix.om/otto/tyre-pressure-oman --- ## Related Services - Vehicle Inspection: https://autotronix.om/express/vehicle-inspection - Brake Pad & Disc Service: https://autotronix.om/express/brake-service - Brake Repairs: https://autotronix.om/garage/brake-repairs --- ## Book a Service WhatsApp: +968 9966 7600 https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=96899667600&type=phone_number&app_absent=0 Location: Mabellah Industrial, Street 7, Muscat — Saturday to Thursday, 9 AM to 9 PM