Wideband controller options, narrowband emulation
 

Strongly looking at an AEM UEGO. O2 sensor won't ground properly (been tested/replaced, it's the manifold) and I need something to spruce-up the interior, and I want to know what the engine is breathing.
I like the UEGO because the price is within reach for me, it has the gauge and though the sweep doesn't reach as rich as the stock tuning goes, the digital part will. Plus, I've been told it has a narrowband emulator, so a few feet of shielded wire out to the stock connector, and viola.
However, I've been doing a bit more research on the AEM UEGO, and apparently it is slow, inaccurate, incompatible with my chosen future EMS (RTek), and AEM has crappy CS.

So my question is, does there exist a wideband controller that has:
-A gauge with a range of at least 10:1-16:1
-A narrowband emulation output
-An included O2 sensor of decent quality (last 6months @ stock bung)
-Preferably a price point in the range of $200

If I can get the first three, then the fourth is negotiable, I'll just have to put-off buying a Leatherman MUT for later.

Yup. It's LC-1 from innovative. http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/products/lc1.php

Though the stock location isn't the best place for a wide band.

I've heard the innovative have some issues, first is they require a very very specific ground connection (no real issue) but the thing that troubled me is the O2 sensor needs to be zeroed everytime the car is turned back on. I'm not sure if they currently have these issues, but a friend o mine had an older on, and everytime he went to start the car the system wanted the sensor calibrated, not bad for him (turbo crx) but for one of us.... A much greater hassel....



J.

I'm not sure I follow. Every wide band has a startup routine (whether you're made aware of it or not is another matter). It's the nature of the beast. The probe needs to heat the probe before getting accurate readings.

Calibration of the probe doesn't happen until you push the button to calibrate it.

In another way to look at it, where the narrow band is a passive sensor, where the wide band is an active sensor.

My friends wideband it required him to remove the sensor from the exhuast, hold it in atmosphere, for it to zero, then reinstall into the manifold...

I know there is the start up heat cycle for them (about 5-8 seconds I believe) that's no biggie, my friend removed his from the mani before each start up... It sounds weird... But that's what he did... Now mind you, he could have been acting really really stupid and doing that for the calibration sequence, which would make him a complete tard... It could have been misinturpitating the instructions...



J.

I'm going to put that on your friend then. You don't need to calibrate the sensor every time you start the car. That's just redundant. You only 'need' to calibrate the sensor if and only if you have a suspicion that the sensor is no longer in spec.

Furthermore to calibrate the sensor (if you have it in a proper location) you won't need to pull the sensor. Think of it this way: don't try to calibrate the sensor while the exhaust stream is going over it as that will skew the result, but if the car is off there is no exhaust going over the sensor and if it's been off for awhile any and all exhaust gases there were retained in the exhaust system have long since seeped out and been replaced with regular 'old' air.

Honestly, the LC-1 is your best bet. Though if you have an RTek you don't need a narrowband. You can tune with the wide band and get your fuel mixtures where you want without having to go into closed loop (the benefits of tuning).

I agree with vex, I have installed and tuned with several Innovative widebands and never had to repeat the calibration process after the first time(although it is a good idea to do it every once in a while, and can be done while o2 is installed as per vex's instrucitons). Although I have done the UEGO once and I must say I was pretty impresed by the ease of installation and did not really have any issues, but that was only once.

When he was telling me that I almost shit my pants... I thought he was kidding (maybe he was) I agree though, if there is no exhaust flow over it, then why remove it to calibrate it....

I doubt I'll ever know, but at least that clears up any concern I had with the innovative stuff :P


Thanks Vex


J.

Boy it's been awhile sine I've been here. Sorry, it just seems that this forum moves alot slower than RX7club. Certainly are nicer people here though. At least alot less 'newbies' posting in netspeak.

Yeah, the Rtek just alters the stock WOT[right?] mapping +/-50%, independent of the O2.

Well, problem is, the LC-1 is just the controller, no gauge included (that I can afford, whereas I can get a digital UEGO controller/gauge for $175 shipped off evilbay).
Plus...I may have been mistaken about the UEGO's reputation.

So, for sure the UEGO digital gauge has a narrowband emulation output, or is that just the full-controller package they sell?