Damaging an LC-1 sensor via heat?
 

My LC-1 has been acting up recently. Not responding as fast as it used to when I roll into the throttle, displaying a variety of odd numbers when I shut the car off, bucking and hesitating like the car is running too lean (17.0+) when the LC-1 only shows 15.0-15.5. My sensor is not installed in the BEGi bung at the end of the DP, but rather where the stock O2 sensor goes, mabye 15" back from the turbo. There is no heatsink on it right now.

It's probably possible to damage the sensor by overheating it repeatedly, which is what I've probably done, correct?

Also, it acted up rather badly last month at Thunderhill. It refused to read anything richer than 8.5:1, and it would start at 7.4:1 and slowly climb up, like the sensor wasn't getting hot, even after a hard 20 minute session. It finally kicked on during the second session, but it took a solid 30 minutes of running for it to finally work. It's never happened again.

Any ideas, or should I just email someone at Innovate?

aye you've probably overheated it. A heatsink made via the Innovate instructions would've saved it though :(

Whether you do or don't need to replace the sensor get a heatsink made, it costs buttons and IMO it's not worth running without one :)

I'd definately get a heatsink made and fitted, but I'd try, (whilst the sensor is out of the exhaust) hard resetting and re-calibrating it by unplugging it from the main unit.

good luck!

I never had a problem with my Bosch sensor about 15 inches back. Did you try doing a free air calibration? I had mine go crazy once and a free air calibration fixed it.

Just in case:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...298504?ie=UTF8

Frank

I know innovate still recommends "maintenance" free air calibrations.

It hasn't been calibrated in 6 months. I'll try that. Thanks guys.

Didn't some people in a previous thread highly recommend moving that to the end of the DP? Sucks, sorry man. :mad:

Yeah, I think it said once a month for normal applications. Way more often for dyno shops.

I need to recalibrate mine but I need to repair the LED first.. I'll have no idea what it's doing until I fix that.

The good news is that you can calibrate the O2 sensor without having to pull it out of the exhaust. Just make sure the car hasn't been running for like 8 hours to let regular air fill your exhaust.. then you can recalibrate. I need to make it a habit to do it real quick once a month right before I'm about to drive somewhere in the morning.

I've heard that 8 hours isn't enough to clear the exhaust pipe. There was a thread over at M.net about that recently. Someone said that coasting in-gear with the injectors off was one of the better ways to quickly clear the pipe.

I'll pull the entire thing when I am home next weekend. I need to rewire it and move the grounds anyway, so I'll fab up a heatsink and move it down the DP then.

Innovate does say that mounting the sensor lower than 9/3oclock is a big nono, but the BEGi bung is mounted at 7 oclock. I know the idea is to keep condensation in the pipe from damaging the sensor, so am I going to have issues mounting it in the other location?

Perhaps I'll try recalibrating it first and see if that solves the issuse. I'd much rather keep the unit where it is and just run a new ground wire for it vs. trying to totally rewire the damn thing.

Yup, the best way to recalibrate is pulling it, and I hope that fixes your problem.

Maybe I'll go into the garage tonight and fix that damn LED.

by 9-3 you mean try to keep from mounting it horizontally? are u guys talking about a heat sink on the board or the sensor?

Sensor. It cant handle much over 900 degrees.

The manual says you don't want to mount it anywhere underneath 9 and 3 o'clock. Condensation pooling up in the bottom of the pipe is bad.

Am I right guys? The manual says that right?

Yeah, that's what the manual says, but BEGi puts all their wideband bungs at like 7 o'clock. I really don't want some hackjob muffler shop welding on my BEGi SS DP :(

Where are you getting power for your LC1 controller?

I'm grabbing it at the bottom of the fuse panel on the pass. side engine bay. The fuel pump circuit-- it's one of the many white/red wires which are all B+, but some at different times.... use a multimeter to find the fuel pump circuit (test for 12v+ when it primes) and you've got it. It's a nice location as it's fairly close to the ECU grounds at the block which you need as well.

I got my power off the blue connector in the engine bay by the diagnostic testing port.

any thoughts on mounting in the stock BEGi spot in the DP, which is below horizontal?

What about mounting in the front location with a heatsink/extender?

thanks

The BEGi location simply doesn't work especially if you leave your wideband O2 sensor in all the time. I left the sensor in at an autox once...hit a cone (ok I didn't say I was good) and nearly ripped out the whole ecu with sensor.

Besides the fact that condensation will kill the sensor, it just hangs way lower than any other component on the car just waiting to be damaged.

Have a competent shop reweld a new bung location or do what I did when I had my 3" exhaust installed along with my BEGi DP (see pic) Just a hair shy of 12 o'clock, compliments of TurboTim. Let me know if you need a better photo.