turbodb
Well-known member
Having had an amazing time in Death Valley earlier in the year, I couldn't wait to get back. Of course, I had no idea what was in store on this completely solo trip!
A Struggle from the Start
April 11-12, 2018.
If our first trip to Death Valley taught us anything, it was that our adventures there were far from complete. The three days of exploration had just scratched the surface of the vast wilderness before us.
So, when I found out that @mrs.turbodb was headed out of town for a week, I was quick to make plans for a return trip. Going solo, my route did include a few of our favorite spots (Butte Valley and Goler Wash), but focused on several new areas as well - most outside of Death Valley proper (West Side Road, Charcoal Kilns, Saline Valley + Warm Springs, Steel Pass, and Eureka Dunes).
It was a lot to cover in such a short time, and I knew I'd be once again be left wanting more. But that was good in my book - so as departure time arrived I turned on APRS and headed out.
Headed south, I was keen to make good time. I'd gotten started 90 minutes later than our first trip, but I figured I could make that time up with a little speed and no detours (we'd had a 2-hour goof-up on the previous trip). And then, 30 minutes from home, this orange light meant that I had a decision to make...
Engine lights are never a welcome sight, but I figured it was better to get one close to home than in the middle of nowhere, so I set about diagnosing the issue. Of course, I kept heading south as well - time was of the essence.
I quickly determined the code to be P0171 (bank 1 too lean); unfortunately not an easy code debug and fix. Essentially, running lean means that there's either too much air or not enough fuel, so any of the following might be at fault:
I pulled over an hour later for my first refueling, and whipped out the starting fluid, spraying it liberally in the engine compartment, hoping to hear the engine rev. Nothing. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I quickly pulled out the air box and MAF sensor (which was definitely dirty) and cleaned it thoroughly. @m3bassman suggested resetting the ECU (rather than just clearing the code) so I disconnected the battery for 15 minutes to do that as well.
30 minutes later, I was back on my way south. Hoping.
I made it into the fog of Oregon before the light came on again, 96 miles later. But, at this point I was committed. I knew it could cost me a new catalytic converter, but I chalked it up to part of the adventure.
As the fog turned to rain, I continued. Out of the Oregon rain and into the cold and dark of northern Nevada. Having picked up two sandwiches earlier in the day, my only stops were for fuel, and by midnight I was just outside of Austin, NV. @mrs.turbodb had been following my progress on APRS and suggested a nearby Forest Service road where I might find camp - so I headed that way and found a nice little spur where I setup the tent and promptly fell asleep, mentally exhausted.
I was up early the next morning, not to capture the sunrise, but to get on the road - I still had a few hours to my last fuel stop in Beatty, NV and I wanted to have as much time as possible exploring Death Valley. As I passed through Austin and an early morning snow flurry, I marveled at the road ahead - the clouds were clearing and the sun was out.
I continued south until I hit Goldfield and the Enchanted Car Forest. I knew I had to stop to capture the vivid colors, and unlike the last trip, there was no concern about running out of fuel, so despite the 40-50mph wind gusts, I spent some time exploring. The art here changes regularly, so it's always worth a stop. I was also excited to see a new addition - painted, but not yet planted - with just the sort of cha-bling attitude that you'd expect out there.
From there it was a straight shot through Beatty for fuel and then into Death Valley. Worried about time (which I shouldn't have been), I opted not for Titus Canyon, but instead for Hwy 374 into the park. It had been newly resurfaced and the going was easy.
Then, as I came over Daylight Pass, I realized that the 40-50mph winds in Goldfield were at least that strong in Death Valley. And today, it was Dust Valley. I could just barely make out the Last Chance Range across the valley floor.
Not to be deterred, I headed south - hoping that the southerly wind would mean clearer skies where I was headed, and it wasn't long before I was airing down at West Side Road. Happy to be on dirt, I made my way through Devil's Golf Course (much cooler from West Side Road than from the main viewing area) and past several markers and mine sites. And I drove through fields of green scrub as the sky continued to clear of dust.
- - - - - Can't fit everything here - only so many photos per post. - - - - -
To read the entire story, and see all the pics, keep reading here:
Back to Death Valley (Apr 2018)
A Struggle from the Start
April 11-12, 2018.
If our first trip to Death Valley taught us anything, it was that our adventures there were far from complete. The three days of exploration had just scratched the surface of the vast wilderness before us.
So, when I found out that @mrs.turbodb was headed out of town for a week, I was quick to make plans for a return trip. Going solo, my route did include a few of our favorite spots (Butte Valley and Goler Wash), but focused on several new areas as well - most outside of Death Valley proper (West Side Road, Charcoal Kilns, Saline Valley + Warm Springs, Steel Pass, and Eureka Dunes).
It was a lot to cover in such a short time, and I knew I'd be once again be left wanting more. But that was good in my book - so as departure time arrived I turned on APRS and headed out.
Headed south, I was keen to make good time. I'd gotten started 90 minutes later than our first trip, but I figured I could make that time up with a little speed and no detours (we'd had a 2-hour goof-up on the previous trip). And then, 30 minutes from home, this orange light meant that I had a decision to make...
Engine lights are never a welcome sight, but I figured it was better to get one close to home than in the middle of nowhere, so I set about diagnosing the issue. Of course, I kept heading south as well - time was of the essence.
I quickly determined the code to be P0171 (bank 1 too lean); unfortunately not an easy code debug and fix. Essentially, running lean means that there's either too much air or not enough fuel, so any of the following might be at fault:
- Dirty air filter
- Dirty or failed Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF)
- Vacuum leak (introducing extra air)
- Failing Air-to-Fuel Ratio (AFR) sensor
- Dirty fuel injectors (restricting fuel flow)
- Dirty fuel filter (restricting fuel flow)
- Bad/weak fuel pump (restricting fuel flow)
- What would they try to diagnose the situation?
- Was it serious enough to abort the trip?
- What was the worst that could happen if I drove 2500 miles with the error code.
I pulled over an hour later for my first refueling, and whipped out the starting fluid, spraying it liberally in the engine compartment, hoping to hear the engine rev. Nothing. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I quickly pulled out the air box and MAF sensor (which was definitely dirty) and cleaned it thoroughly. @m3bassman suggested resetting the ECU (rather than just clearing the code) so I disconnected the battery for 15 minutes to do that as well.
30 minutes later, I was back on my way south. Hoping.
I made it into the fog of Oregon before the light came on again, 96 miles later. But, at this point I was committed. I knew it could cost me a new catalytic converter, but I chalked it up to part of the adventure.
As the fog turned to rain, I continued. Out of the Oregon rain and into the cold and dark of northern Nevada. Having picked up two sandwiches earlier in the day, my only stops were for fuel, and by midnight I was just outside of Austin, NV. @mrs.turbodb had been following my progress on APRS and suggested a nearby Forest Service road where I might find camp - so I headed that way and found a nice little spur where I setup the tent and promptly fell asleep, mentally exhausted.
- - -
I was up early the next morning, not to capture the sunrise, but to get on the road - I still had a few hours to my last fuel stop in Beatty, NV and I wanted to have as much time as possible exploring Death Valley. As I passed through Austin and an early morning snow flurry, I marveled at the road ahead - the clouds were clearing and the sun was out.
I continued south until I hit Goldfield and the Enchanted Car Forest. I knew I had to stop to capture the vivid colors, and unlike the last trip, there was no concern about running out of fuel, so despite the 40-50mph wind gusts, I spent some time exploring. The art here changes regularly, so it's always worth a stop. I was also excited to see a new addition - painted, but not yet planted - with just the sort of cha-bling attitude that you'd expect out there.
From there it was a straight shot through Beatty for fuel and then into Death Valley. Worried about time (which I shouldn't have been), I opted not for Titus Canyon, but instead for Hwy 374 into the park. It had been newly resurfaced and the going was easy.
Then, as I came over Daylight Pass, I realized that the 40-50mph winds in Goldfield were at least that strong in Death Valley. And today, it was Dust Valley. I could just barely make out the Last Chance Range across the valley floor.
Not to be deterred, I headed south - hoping that the southerly wind would mean clearer skies where I was headed, and it wasn't long before I was airing down at West Side Road. Happy to be on dirt, I made my way through Devil's Golf Course (much cooler from West Side Road than from the main viewing area) and past several markers and mine sites. And I drove through fields of green scrub as the sky continued to clear of dust.
- - - - - Can't fit everything here - only so many photos per post. - - - - -
To read the entire story, and see all the pics, keep reading here:
Back to Death Valley (Apr 2018)
