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Inovate AF gauge stopped working
https://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40873
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Author:  Sam Powell [ Sat Jul 03, 2010 4:41 am ]
Post subject:  Inovate AF gauge stopped working

This brought tuning to a halt. It worked for 2.5 years and then died suddenly. Fortunately it runs pretty well now, but figured on going out tuning again with in the next week or so.

The gauge starts up displaying 3 digital 8's for a second, and then the display shows just dashes from there on,which hold steady. Of course this happened after 4:30 California time on the 4th of July weekend, so no support is available at this time. I have read through the manual, and suspect the sensor went bad, and maybe from heat. They suggest mounting it all the way back at the end of the exhaust, and I have mine just about 3 feet down stream from the turbo, just before the dual split. They recommend a copper heat sink , which they sell, be mounted under the sensor, which I did not do, out of blind optimism and hope. So heat maybe killed this guy. The sensor is available from the VW dealer and is a Bosch part. Is there any way to test an O2 sensor?

This gauge is part of an entire package of gauges that daisy chain one after the other to simplify wiring, which then will data log on a lap top with their software. This all goes way beyond me. Being the electronics dunce that I am, I was happy just to get it wired up and working.

Does anybody have any experience with an Innovate LC-1 AF ratio gauge? Any tests you know of I can run, or tricks to try to get it to come back alive? I can call them In California on Tuesday, but would like to be thinking about this until then.

Thanks, Sam

Author:  Pierre [ Sat Jul 03, 2010 9:12 am ]
Post subject: 

I use an LC-1. I have it maybe 12-18" from the dutra dual outlet. I use their fancy heatsink bung but I've ran it without before. I've had to replace sensors every year or two but that's most likely because I run too rich I suspect. When the sensor would die it would read a certain level and get stuck until powercycled. It wouldn't just read nothing....

Do you have the LC-1's second output hooked to the megasquirt? Or maybe just use a voltmeter to see what its outputting to make sure the controller itself didn't die.

Author:  Sam Powell [ Sat Jul 03, 2010 7:42 pm ]
Post subject: 

Pierre, do you have the LED hooked up to trouble shoot? I did not do that, and suppose I should. It says in the book a code of 8 is a bad sensor,(I think). Can you point me to the section in the manual that would explain how to read the voltage on the output please? I have looked through the book several times, and must be skipping past, or not recognizing the importance of what is written on that particular page. Thanks.

Sam

Author:  Pierre [ Sat Jul 03, 2010 9:04 pm ]
Post subject: 

Yes I do have the LED hooked up, however the sensor can fail in a manner which doesn't indicate any codes as well.

The LC-1 has 2 outputs. One is driving your gauge, whats the other doing? Is it empty, and you have a separate narrowband driving your megasquirt?

The default configuration for the LC-1's output (yes it can be changed) is 0-5v for 10-20AFR (or was it the other way, 0-5 = 20-10 AFR?) linear. There is a wire between the LC-1 and the gauge - put a voltmeter on it and ground to see what the LC-1 is feeding the gauge. 2.5v would be 15:1 AFR, etc

Author:  Sam Powell [ Sun Jul 04, 2010 5:50 am ]
Post subject: 

Thanks, I got to go visit my mom, but will respond more later. Take care, and have a good 4th.

Sam

Author:  Matt Cramer [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:42 am ]
Post subject: 

Error 8 is usually a bad or overheating sensor.

Author:  Sam Powell [ Mon Jul 12, 2010 7:45 pm ]
Post subject: 

I called Inovate today, and they tell me the problem is a basic wiring problem. He said only dashes for a readout indicates the wiring has failed some where. So, I guess I will dig into that. If the wires are not bad, they want me to send the interface box back to them.

Sam

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