I am looking for a wideband air fuel gauge for my 97 Miata. I am looking for suggestions for a good gauge to buy and suggestions where to install it. The Miata has a retro look so an analog gauge would be nice.

 

If you can abandon the retro look, the PLX DM6 is great.

AEM wideband is also nice, but less functional than DM6.

Or you can follow the dumb masses and get a crappy LC-1.

 

Properly grounded, and sourcing power from the cigarette lighter wire instead of a noisier signal, the LC-1 is fine.

The PLX stuff is sweet, though. They can have their data report alongside OBD data, making consolidated logging easier and tuning easier. If you're running a standalone that's irrelevant, of course.

 

Do you want fine, or awesome?

The PLX also has a rolling graph which is great for tuning things like tip in, and you can give it a quick glance after a WOT pull to make sure your AFRs were stable.

 

Seriously? The dumb masses?

While I won't disagree that the PLX is nice, suggesting an AEM UEGuessingwhatyourAFRreallyis over an LC-1 is like suggest warm water-filled balloons over a nice firm set of C cups. If you're trying to jerk it and you close your eyes, I suppose they'll get the job done. Eventually though you're going to want to take it up a notch and you'll realize how much better the real thing is.

 

+1 for the PLX. It's a sweet setup.

 

Yes, Jeff, the dumb masses.

Do a search here for threads with LC-1

At least 1/4 are discussing some problem.

 

I'll also point out that if you read the threads completely, Reverant, myself, Joe P, Brain, Hustler, Sav, etcetcetcetc all point out that if you simply read the instructions and wire it up correctly, they perform flawlessly.

To use your own words:

 

Also many threads about calibration woes etc.

 

Is Innovative still shipping the LC-1 with the crap-*** firmware or have they fixed that yet? That's my only gripe.

 

I hear they finally updated it. I have a recently shipped one waiting to be installed. I'll try to confirm when I can.

 

Since when do widebands have firmware????

Oh yeah, since they're crappy LC-1s.

 

I have a brand spanking new LC-1 in the box on my desk and an AEM UEGO in the car. IF my VEI gauge ever gets here and IF someday I'm feeling less lazy, I'll weld up another bung and do a side-by-side video.

I know SportCompact or one of the magazines did an article a while back, but it really was NOT very technical. I know I've heard Reverant complain about the filtering and reaction time on the AEM, and everyone complain about firmware and grounds on the LC-1. It would be nice if someone who actually had proper equipment could do a comparo.

Where's Joe P? Doesn't he have a bunch of electronic scopes and crap for doing things like this?

 

If someone wants to send me a UEGO, I would be ------- THRILLED to build a test rig. I have everything necessary ready to go except for the AEM paperweight.

 

My plx matches my hydra wideband. They are side by side.

Also, my AEM is very responsive. Instant response. I can see my throttle pump renrichments as I move the pedal blah balh

You niguz don't know shi you pack of LC-1 lemmings.

http://www.aemelectronics.com/wideba...fuel-gauge-25/

 

Done. PM me your address and I'll pull it out and drop it in the mail this weekend. My DIYPNP is non-responsive so the sensor is acting like a plug at the moment. The sensor itself has about 3k miles on it so it should still be in tip-top shape.

Edit: You know... provided I get it back eventually

 

This ---- is totally happening.

 

Fae, is your car running? Wanna volunteer your PLX?

 

Honestly, I don't even need to build something to test this, 'Ford Muscle' magazine already did.

FMM Wideband shootout

Relevant info:


LC1 (xd16 is just the gauge) latency: <100ms
UEGO latency: <400ms

 

No need for fancy crap.


On the one AEM unit I've personally owned, I found that analog 0-5v output to differ by anywhere from 0.5 to 1.0 from the reading on the gauge itself. By then installing it in parallel with both an LC-1 and a stock narrowband sensor, I confirmed that the display on the AEM gauge was fairly close to correct, and that most of the error (which was non-linear, incidentally) was on the analog output.

So, based on my extremely small sample size, I draw the following conclusions:

If you just want a wideband gauge to look at, and can tolerate a jittery display that's hard to read in direct sunlight, then by all means get the AEM.

If you want a wideband system to connect to an ECU and use for tuning, skip the AEM.