Innovate LC1 wideband and others advise needed

[Riley 0]

OK, Here's the script for the G60...

 

I've been running an lc1 setup for a while, and I use it to feed the digi ecu via a narrowband simulation/output. All was 'sort of' ok, as when I went to do any logging I found the fact that a laptop with a silly bloody serial port was required so I just didn't bother with that side of things for a while...

 

More recently I wanted to get it working so I found a serial > usb convertor lead and plugged it in and tried to run the logworks software. Obviously it didn't bloody work...It popped up saying 'No serial port'

 

So after lots of searching online, I downloaded some random driver from some random site and it did the trick. Logworks actually worked and I got some logs!

 

Typically though things have gone boobs up...

My AFR gauge started p1ssing about, jumping stright from 7.4 (Very rich) to 21.9 (Very lean) at tickover and while driving, it then started jumping to random numbers rather than smoothly going up and down the scale.

 

After a while it just sat at 7.4 static. I searched the net and people are mentioning error code 8. I checked for an error code via the led i fitted, and I did indeed have error code 8. People are saying that you need to roll back the firmware from version 1.1 to 1.0 all over the net and yet I can't find it anywhere! Frustratingly and bloody annoyingly, even the innovate website only has version 1.1 from 2007!!!

 

So i thought sod it, I'll redownload and upload that to see if it cures the problem. Uploaded it and now the gauge cyles as normal for a few minutes and then sticks at 14AFR. So i then tried running logworks to see what that was showing...and guess what. It now won't connect again! 'No serial port'

 

I've had enough! The error code is supposedly pointing towards a knackered lambda or it's over heated. But I don't feel like spending £80 on a new lambda now after all the hassle with this kit. If I buy one, it possibly won't fix the issue, and will the crap logworks work again? Too many ifs and buts...

 

What to do? Sorry for the long winded post but that's the sequence of events.

 

Neil.

[Riley 0]

Bump.

[RedTyphoon 0]

Remove sensor from the exhaust and do free air calibration first. I had same problem.

[Riley 0]

Have tried the free air calibration with no success unfortunately. Today it's been working, but it ended up sporadic again, sticking at 14.4 while driving. And then it simply alternated between only 11.3 and 11.4 till the engine was shut off.

 

Weird. I've rechecked all the earths etc. cleaned them up, no difference.

[wormy 0]

My experience with running "emulated narrow band mode" is that it doesn't always work as intended.. :(

A friend had some problems, and it was fixed with adding a normal o2 sensor as well. Normal one hooked up to the digifant, the other one to the gauge.. Worth a shot if all else fails?

[Riley 0]

Yeah, that's the ideal thing to do I suppose as if anything goes wrong with the lc1 then there's no chance of it 'messing' with the narrowband signal to the ecu. Just a hassle to have a lambda welded into the exhaust, especially around here as it's always hard to find anyone who can do a proper job :-(

 

What sort of other kits are there just out of interest? AEM UEGO?

 

To be honest, I may remove the wideband completely for now and go back to standard as I'm about to buy a kitchen for the house project so money is tight!

 

Neil.

[Riley 0]

Still having issues with this damn thing...I have been spitting muchos flames today! And then the next minute while pottering along, it spikes lean and starts spluttering! Very disconcerting!

 

Can anyone recommend a wideband kit that gives a narrowband emulation and blows the innovate away? Ideally with good logging software etc too.

 

Neil.

[Riley 0]

Hmmm. Looking at the AEM UEGO, but unsure of the logging capability?

[wormy 0]

I have one, but never really tried the logging-functionality.. And now that the car is in molecules, it's kinda hard to try.. :-(

 

A friend of mine have one aswell, and iirc he had problems with getting it to run with the Digifant using the narrowband emulation..

...

Just checked our old MSN-conversation-log.. And yup, his problems was more or less sorted with installing a normal o2 sensor aswell. He didn't get the emulation to work.. So he's using the original lambda for the ECU, and the wideband just for the gauge..

My theory is that the ECU senses that there's no connection on the heating-wires for the oxygen sensor, and then ignores it..? Or maybe the emulated signal isn't "accepted"..? Iirc the emulated signal has a more "wide" curve then the original o2 sensor curve?

 

Hope that helps.. :scratch:

Edited February 28, 2013 by wormy

[Riley 0]

Cheers Wormy, yep, it does help in my ever growing thoughts that narrowband simulation is more and more problematic, the more I read about it! lol.

 

If anyone has any more thoughts on these narrowband outputs and why they don't work as well as they should, I'd love to hear it.

 

I'm sure I remember programming my LC1-/Innovate to work on narrowband around 14.7, but obviously there's more to it than that...

[Riley 0]

Hmmm. Had a quick try with the laptop again this morning. It actually connected and worked! It downloaded a new driver for the usb > serial lead so I assume that's the reason it failed to connect last time.

 

So I looked at logworks, and redownloaded the software to the innovate and boom! It's running absolutely spot on now! All well and good but I still don't have much faith in the innovate kit. Did some 2 minute tickover logging and I'm now averaging 14.5afr with a swing of only 1.1 afr which is pretty good.

 

Still after some suggestions on a better kit (Whether I run it in it's own sensor bung or not) it looks like the AEM UEGO doesn't have logging software out of the box.

 

Neil.