Lambda AFR Monitoring
Turbo Mini Forums

Unbelievable....

The Lumenition one is £124 if you want 19 pretty LEDs plus £52 for a sensor and plus VAT on both.

The LM3914 or LM3915 chip(s) which they undoubtedly use (one chip for 10 LEDs, two for the 19 LED version) cost £1.92 +VAT.....

(I've just bought some for another project).

I could build that for less than £10, maybe £11 if I included a pretty box with labels, and get any old narrowband sensor from a scrappy for £5, the electronics is undoubtedly just a basic voltmeter (that's what the LM chips do driving up to 10 LEDs each over the voltage range) covering the narrowband sensors very small voltage range.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

So whats the outcome, Wideband with which gauge or which kit. Not into diy solder it up yourself things.

Personally, I have had no issues with two AEM gauges purchased at different times. I use one as a "diagnostic tool" which get stuffed up tailpipes and duict taped to the dash and powered by the tab lighter outlet - so it has been knocked about a fair bit.
That said - I like the display of the 14.7 linked here - and the price of course! The latest 02 sensors seem to have advantages over the earlier ones - but not genuinely sure if they are worth searching out if the AEM fits what you need.
Finally, folks did manage to set cars up and not melt pistons on narrow bands back in the day, and widebands made this even easier. I am not convinced (yet) that the very latest accuracy is the paradigm (sp?) shift that we saw 15 years ago from NB to WB for what we do in all honesty. Steve has already stated he is using the same equipment he built years ago for example...
It's your money, so do your own research and make your own call.

Edited by TurboDave16V on 6th May, 2014.

Im using the same one I bought....the DIY ones I built....never did last too long lol

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

Thanks for the advice all.

I won't really be using it for tuning much. Once the turbo is fitted, engine run in, boost set it will be RR'd.

After it's been RR'd I won't really be doing anything else to the car after that, that would involve re-tuning. I really wanted the AFR gauge/leds just for monitoring to spot problems before it causes damage. As an example mine started pinking lots lately even though nothing changed - turned out to be inlet manifold bolts coming loose and gasket leaking.


So, does everyone on here with a turbo run a wideband? Is a narrowband better than nothing at all?

Has anyone tried the 14.7 one? I could budget for that, but £150 is a bit out of my price for what will really be a monitor.

1994 Mini Mayfair, 1330, Mspd Ph2 cam, Benross turbo head, 9:1, GT1752, TT Intercooler, MegaJolt, BMW M3 leather seats.

Ian,

A narrow band is better than nothing for sure. You asked - I answered. But spending 20 quid on a NB is foolhardy.

After reading all these posts once more, and everyone telling you to purchase a WB, not a NB, and all the links about how crappy NB's are in comparison to WB's; yet you are still asking what to buy and justifying not wanting to pony up for what is basically a "monitior" (your words not mine)?
Here is my suggestion: Do what makes you happy, as our answers are clearly not what you want to hear.

Harsh but true..

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

EDIT -

Ignore the earlier version of my earlier post (now deleted) if you saw it.
His website is now working again but I'm not sure about his forum.

Edited by Rod S on 7th May, 2014.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

So something like the AEM wideband kit with failsafe ?? has datalogging build in which looks quite interesting as well

Cheap is usually another word for shit. If you don't want to spend loads see if anyones got a decent 1 that they're willing to sell.
Found this on fleabay but seems a bit to good to be true for the money

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JDM-60mm-Smoked-...=item3f2b9fa4dc

Masturbation is not a crime its a hobby

note there is no mention of "wideband" or "Uego" in the description,

I reckon you will recive a gauge that interfaces to a narowband, but no sensor,

^^^^^

As Joe says, looks like a narrowband gauge (a very pretty one) but no sensor.

The sensor would be £5 down the scrappy or £15 for a new on on eBay, but it's narrowband, nothing in the description says it has a wideband controller - forget it.

Just my opinion.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

Just want to pick this up again.

To clear up a few things:

- I'm not discarding anyone's advice. I appreciate any advice you can give. I also appreciate all of your comments about wideband being far superior to narrowband. Although, someone did say narrowband IS better than nothing.

- I know people Metro/Mini turbos who don't use either - and I'm sure there must be some on here as well not using either. My thinking was that even a narrowband would be "better than nothing".

- I don't understand your comments about the pinking I currently have. The whole reason for this thread is that I DON'T want pinking to be the first signs of a problem. I DO want a gauge (be that NB or WB) to give me early warnings of a problem. This is the whole reason for wanting something that can be discretely fitted into the dash (like the home-build kits) rather than a gauge I remove. I wished I had a Lambda gauge at the moment as at least I would have known if the fueling was off to start with.


Anyway, in light of what everyone says I am thinking about getting the 14.7 one (SLC Free with 4.9 sensor) as this is the only one apart from Narrowband's that fall in my price range:
http://www.14point7.com/products/slc-free

Any reasons not to get it?

1994 Mini Mayfair, 1330, Mspd Ph2 cam, Benross turbo head, 9:1, GT1752, TT Intercooler, MegaJolt, BMW M3 leather seats.

Edited by Rod S on 28th May, 2014.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

I gave my 14.7 ''JAW'' away in the end .

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

There's been a lot of improvements since the JAW. The current 14point7 products are really good. The only issue is the hit-and-miss customer support as reported by Rod and others.

http://www.jbperf.com/

that's what made me give it away jean, the total lack of concern or response to questions on the forum when I was trying to get it to work ..that must be 6 years ago now I think .

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

The customer support issue - well he doesn't do himself any favours in that respect.

Sometimes he's fine, other times hopeless.

But the products are good - I can't commment specifically on the SLC-Free module as mine still hasn't arrived to try it out but here's what Jean and I have been doing with it's biggger brother (the SLC-OEM modules)

http://forum.jbperf.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1360

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Hmmm, not sure what to do then. Don't mind waiting a bit for the 14.7, but I don't want to send money and not get anything.

Might check Ebay for second hand gauge.

1994 Mini Mayfair, 1330, Mspd Ph2 cam, Benross turbo head, 9:1, GT1752, TT Intercooler, MegaJolt, BMW M3 leather seats.

I have used two AEM,s on two different vehicles, with no problems at all (other than my own ineptitude) I consider it essential to have a constant AFR display to avoid any disasters with an old (50+ years) design boosted way beyond it,s design parameters

+1 for AEM, I respect there's a lot of knowledgeable people posting on this thread and I can't comment on the ins-and-outs of WBs but I'm happy with mine.

rod I just remembered ,you used to like the tech edge stuff, have you had a change of opinion on their product?

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM