Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 23:49:53 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: another fun 2200 mile road trip in the 84 inline four.. trip
report
In-Reply-To: <001401c80e25$167e1680$c6b2d8d1@laptop>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Don, I wonder if you have the owner's manual for your van - the small one
that's usually in the glove box.
It tells you in there the O2 light is just a reminder.
It's not like it's a check engine light or anything intelligent, just
triggered by an elapsed miles counter. I suppose there's a tendency to
think warning lights like that one 'intelligent' but on early 80's or
whatever year your van is .......i don't think the Check Engine light or
other computer controlled 'check' light was even invented yet.
RTFM.....i think that's the acronym. \
I like that run......St. George Utah to Winnemucca, from there I go north
than west on all nice two lane roads and come into southern Oregon that way.
Love it out there.
Scott
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Don Hanson
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 10:43 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: another fun 2200 mile road trip in the 84 inline four.. trip report
Just now pulled in to Lyleland, in Southern Washington state after a 14 hour
'Power-drive" (no pun) from Ely, Nv.
We left Lyleland (our 'mansion' about 60 miles east of Portland, Or) last
Friday, headed to St. George, Utah for four days of bike racing. We usually
try to find different routes when we return to a destination, and we've been
across to southern Utah many many times. This trip, we decided to head south
on 395, cut east across through Gerlach, Nv. (home of the once counter
culture Burning Man gathering on the Black Rock Desert) then take Hwy 50
("The Loneliest Road") east to Ely,Nv. then south to St. George, Utah...
The van worked great all the first day, running south down Hwy 31 through
eastern Oregon at 70mph and getting about 21-22 mpg with two people, 3
bikes, two large retrievers and full camping gear aboard..
Then at dusk, approaching Gerlach, the O-2 sensor light came on! "Oh
Crap!" I think, "Couldn't be further out in the boonies anywhere else in
America, almost"...But the van continued to run fine anyhow, with the
mileage diminishing some..maybe a mile or two per gallon was all. Drove on,
after overnighting in a 'stealth camp' late, near Fallon, Nv.
Hit St George the following day and had a successful racing adventure and
four really beautiful camp nights at Snow Canyon St Park just outside St.
George in Red Rock canyon country..Weather into the 80s and cool nights,
trees just turning, no winds for the bike racing..couldn't have been
better..except the competition in my Division One races was really
tough..Hee hee!
During one "off" afternoon following a time trial right outside Bryce
Canyon, I found a generic Denso O-2 sensor in St. George and returned to
camp to try to find out what was up with the warning light. I was hoping a
ground was loose, or something, since I replaced my 02 sensor about 15k
miles ago when I got the van..No such luck. Tried all the connections and
tried to re-set the light by disconnecting the power..Then I tried to get my
O2 sensor loose with just a big open end wrench I carry to change my
propane...That didn't work and I decided that rather than breaking
something...like my knuckles or the sensor, I would just drive on home
without a functioning one...Or maybe it is working, but the light is
faulty...dunno as I have to do some testing tomorrow while the penetrating
oil soaks in..I did not take my Bently along, not that it will probably do
ME much good on electrical testing proceedures...I do best by 'throwing
parts" at electrical problems...$87 for the Denso generic 3 wire O-2 sensor
at Import Auto Parts in St. George, BTW..
The return trip was uneventful. We finished our 60K road race Friday
around noon and left St George about 2pm to make a few miles before dark,
then we "caved in" to the temptation of a hot bath and a warm big bed in
Ely, Nv. after just 180 miles of driving...It was 'snitting' and right at
freezing..so, being tired from the race(s) and all covered in salt, the
motel won..
Up at day break and home across I-84 after heading north from Ely to
Jackpot and Twin Falls, Idaho..We devised a new greeting along the route,
the "Idaho-Wave" where you stick your hand out and wiggle your fingers with
your palm UP, sort of like Senator Craig does in airport stalls...Heh!
The folage is quite spectacular right now along the Snake River and through
Baker City and the Blue Mts.
Don Hanson
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