What A/F Gauge are you guys using?

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Why don't your sensor last in high octane?

 

[spoolie]

tuner told me 110-116 kills sensors fast...ive been through 3 in my last setup (2 yrs)

 

[aminga]

It's always best to have some kind of display, otherwise you're stuck with having a laptop sitting in the car all the time. That's why the powerlogger and scanmaster 2.2 are such a great combo.

What he said.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

We use[d] Sonoco 114 NOLED..

 

[incubus2432]

I'm assuming that the scanmaster is turned into a wideband A/F ratio monitor by the powerloggger? So thennnnn who's watchin the KR screen then?? That's the most important screen to watch isn't it??

The Scanmaster shows w/b readout and KR on the same screen......just like it shows narrowband and KR on the same screen (which is still available if you'd like).

 

[TurboBuRick]

Why don't your sensor last in high octane?

It's not octane that kills them. It's leaded fuel.

 

[spoolie]

the sensors arent that expensive...goto autozone and get one for a turbo beetle and it works fine...79 bux. but running the q16 or 110 will eat them.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Ah, it uses the same readout. very nice.
And yea, I know octane doesn't kill o2 sensors. I questioned, because I didnt think anyone would actually use leaded fuel on an expensive o2 sensor. Though...what's ANYone using leaded fuel for, for that matter lol. Use unleaded race gas. Or mix 94 with xylene.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Though...what's ANYone using leaded fuel for, for that matter lol.

I like the way it smells!

 

[forcefed3.8's]

You should have a way to display. On my only run this year, I was seeing no knock, but my wideband read 12.6, way too lean. If I had stayed in it, something would have melted. I traced it back to my 2nd fuel pump not kicking on, as I adjusted the hobbs switch with a very crude boost source. I had the GEN 2 set to add 40% extra fuel at high rpms hoping to be super rich, so 1 340 pump supplied almost enough for the 1/8 mile.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

You should have a way to display. On my only run this year, I was seeing no knock, but my wideband read 12.6, way too lean. If I had stayed in it, something would have melted. I traced it back to my 2nd fuel pump not kicking on, as I adjusted the hobbs switch with a very crude boost source. I had the GEN 2 set to add 40% extra fuel at high rpms hoping to be super rich, so 1 340 pump supplied almost enough for the 1/8 mile.

If your car was lean, wouldn't it start to knock? And couldn't you have seen a lean condition with the standard O2 sensor?
So a scanmaster, with kr and wb 02's is ok? Just tryin to figure this out, so I can make one order, and not have to order more crap down the line.
And what's recording my run. The post above said the powerlogger. If that's true. then where in the plogger am I looking for the results after the run ?

 

[mr go fast]

Has anyone installed the NGK unit?

Powerdex AFX - Air-Fuel Ratio Monitor with Wide-band Technology

 

[aminga]

If your car was lean, wouldn't it start to knock? And couldn't you have seen a lean condition with the standard O2 sensor?
So a scanmaster, with kr and wb 02's is ok? Just tryin to figure this out, so I can make one order, and not have to order more crap down the line.
And what's recording my run. The post above said the powerlogger. If that's true. then where in the plogger am I looking for the results after the run ?

Powerlogger has a buffer that stores 20 sec of run data. More than that it gets stored to your computer.

A conventional narrowband is only sensitive within a few points of Stoichmetric whereas a wideband is sensitive over a wide range of A/F ratios.

 

[darkred87T]

Exactly.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I know the difference between narrow and wide but, would that matter if your run's lean condition still woulda showed on the narrowband? With maybe a 500 or something reading?
And the powerlogger has a readout screen? I didn't know that. And how long of a run can be stored on the laptop? Are those files big?

 

[TurboDave]

I know the difference between narrow and wide but, would that matter if your run's lean condition still woulda showed on the narrowband? With maybe a 500 or something reading?
And the powerlogger has a readout screen? I didn't know that. And how long of a run can be stored on the laptop? Are those files big?

Problem with trying to interpret the NB signal is that they are far too inconsistent. A reading of 700 "might" equal a 12:1 while a readinf of 680 might be 13:1.
Small reading changes in a NB will likely be (will be) huge changes in actual A/F ratio.

All of us that run a Wideband in conjunction with a Narrowband can tell you just how bad it is.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I see. I say this because as I read more, I keep hearing how stupid widebands are, and how people have been tuning just fine without them. I tend to think that's wrong but,,, the proof is there. People have indeed been tuning without them for years. Whaddy think?

 

[TurboDave]

I see. I say this because as I read more, I keep hearing how stupid widebands are, and how people have been tuning just fine without them. I tend to think that's wrong but,,, the proof is there. People have indeed been tuning without them for years. Whaddy think?

Yes, and I was one of those. I've only been running a wideband for just over a year. And since I run both (narrow band to run the ECM in closed loop for idle and cruise) (wideband takes over at WOT), and have the opportunity to see both run in unison.
Trust me, I never realized how far off the tune can be, even though the narrowband numbers "looked good" you still really have NO idea.

Oh sure, you can tell with the narrowband (assuming it's working correctly) whether or not you're somewhat rich or lean on your WOT pass, but... and that's a big but, you have no real idea just how far rich or lean you really are.

Anything richer than 14.0:1 or leaner than 15.4:1 on the narrowband and the curve is so radical even small readout changes can equal huge swings in actual A/F ratio.

Fortunately my narrowband is still working perfectly because it's still able to maintain a perfect 14.7:1 A/F ratio in closed loop mode.
As soon as I go WOT my wideband takes over and maintains my desired (set) 11.4:1 WOT A/F ratio.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I definitely see the point but... does it matter how far off (i'm just playing the devils advocate here, so I can learn. it's not me arguing whatsoever) the tune is, seeing as how either way, you still gotta bring it back lean if you're rich, and rich if you're lean, correct? Who care's how far from stoich you are?

 

[TurboDave]

Ok, I guess when you've replaced enough head gaskets/broken parts from guessing wrong oh how lean to go based on faulty data........