When to calibrate wide band O2

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Ok, I see the schedule, but that's about it. What if I take the sensor out of the bung, do I need a recal? What if I unplug the sensor. Isn't the cal lost then? If not, how does it not get lost? What's giving it power if it's unplugged? If I unplug my ecu wire, those changes are lost. Then isn't the sensor recal as well?

Please explain your answers and cite proof for full test credit lol.

 

[Raeban]

The LC1 can be unplugged and not lose its calibration as long as the lambda controller is not turned on while it is unplugged. This will help you with installing the O2 sensor as well. The car ECM being unplugged will have no effect on the O2 calibrations. I no longer have an LC1 as it crapped out but the LC2 instructions I have confirm this for test credit.

Now as far as schedules go, I re-calibrate mine whenever it is convenient such as I am taking parts off that side of the car for some reason as well as before I am going to do some serious pulls. This probably works out to be every 4-6 months on average.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Cool. But how does it retain its cal? How does nothing else on the car retain its cal, but the 02 sensor does... Isn't that weird?

 

[Raeban]

My guess would be an internal battery but don't know for certain. I just went out and looked at my old LC1 controller and there is no easy way to get that thing apart short of a hammer.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I see.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I see now. While redoing some of my wiring, I see that it has a wire going to a switched power source. So just like the ecm, it keeps the cal. Unplugging the sensor doesn't interrupt anything. But if you undo the battery, then yea, it loses everything. I ask because I'm getting the oddest readings in the world. I'm PULLING massive fuel, and it's getting richer. I'm starting to doubt either 1. the whole sensor, 2. the chips effectiveness or 3. the sensor calibration. Or a combination thereof.

 

[Mike Licht]

when the sensor fails or the unit goes out of cal it typically shows lean so that the ecm will add fuel. It is simple to recal the sensor takes 5 minutes. It retains the cal even if the battery is disconnected for a short time

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Wait. My wideband's not part of my loop. It's just for monitoring.

 

[Mike Licht]

you made it sound like it was controlling fuel what numbers are you seeing at idle and cruise?

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

It idles around 14.7-15 and cruise I can't remember lol. I have powerlogger scans posted on here if that helps. Trying to see if it's accurate or not.

 

[Mike Licht]

it is a touch leaner at idle than I would suspect but not bad and possible. Do a recal if your worried it is 5 min. what does is say at WOT?

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Wide open throttle? When I first bury it it's about 10.5 then starts to creep down pretty quickly to high 9's. I pull a decent amount of fuel out of the chip and it goes further down to mid 9's after I pull the fuel lol.

 

[Mike Licht]

turn down the alky too?

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Yep. Nothin. It's odd. Just did it again today. Pull the fuel down to 110 in the cells and the wide band went down to EIGHTS this time lol. The more I pull fuel, the richer the wideband reports lol.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

This wideband never stays active for more than a few minutes without going to a flashing 7.4 stating an error. Wow. I'm not sure what's wrong with this thing.

 

[Raeban]

My LC1 did the same thing. Turned out that it was a loose connection at the the lambda controller where the O2 sensor harness plugs in. I switched to an LC2 which is a different design a few months ago. The LC2 doesn't have all the silly calibration switches either.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Was it noticeable? The loose connection?

 

[Raeban]

Yeah, when driving sometimes it would just drop out and start flashing 7.4. Turn the engine off and it would start right back up and work. I figured the controller was losing ground intermittently so I checked all the connections until I got to the controller. I could rotate the connector in the housing which didn't seem right and there was no way I was going to chance wrecking an engine over it. I don't remember letting the engine run and wiggling the connector to see if the sensor faulted out to be honest. I figured that the issue was my fault in this case because I had a wire tie strapped right on the connector between the plugin and the housing in the "natural" location that would have put unnecessary stress on that point. This wasn't intentional, but rather an oversight when I put the new motor in.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

No, I mean was the looseness noticeable. I asked Innovate and they said my sensor's probably ruined, and that I'll have to buy another one Really? lol. This things got like 200 miles on it.

 

[Raeban]

Yes I could rotate the controller connector in the housing maybe 10 degrees in either direction.