Blackbird

So the guage seemed to be working great for a week and now what it does is read all over the map. It jumps around at idle, any time I get on it, it just reads 10. Just basicaly is spitting out random numbers now.

Any of you experience this and if so what was the fix?

Thanks in advance!

oange ss

iTrader: (50)

throw it away

Beer99C5

iTrader: (21)

Contact Innovate with whats its doing, they will have you check some voltages, if its bad they will RMA it on the spot. I did it via email. They were quick to reply as well.

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

Yea I agree. Had an LM-1 for a week and it took a ****. Their top guy in the forum acts like a clueless ******* retard.

LM-1 basic kit plus 2 extra ss O2 bungs for different cars = $395 + packing materials, second day shipping charges with insurance $25. $420 grand total.
And will it take a **** second time around, why not?

Blackbird

Dynotune where I bought it from replied to me and gave me some things to test and if none of that fixes I return to them for more tests and if defective they said they will replace no problem.

Thank goodness I just have it temporarily wired up. Makes me nervous to perminantly mount the sucker though as then ripping it back out will be a major PITA.

Fingers crossed it's a one time problem and I get it taken care of without major issues.

Doc

iTrader: (9)

Flamesuit on. Easily, 98% of all LC-1 failures are due to incorrect installation.
And with that, Innovate happily RMA's without hesitation, 100%. One would think at this point they would just sit down and re-write their instruction manual and provide better protection for their DAC which in your case is the most likely the culprit in your case.

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

On the LM-1 I don't think thats the case with my serial port not connecting to anything, I used it once, the serial cable. The wideband still works fine, just can't configure anything, log runs, etc with no serial interface connection. And of course it's always my PC's port problem.
One jackass even said to try changing the battery.

DynotuneN2O

iTrader: (13)

No need for a flamesuit - you are correct! Would be nice if the grounds were not as finicky but we have these things in cars, trucks, snowmobiles, jet skis bikes and atv's and they work well. Do we see some bad yes - maybe 5% but given the shear number out there they do very well.

Dean

Doc

iTrader: (9)

Maybe it's the serial to USB adapter? Which brand are you currently using?

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

I'm using serial to serial, no adapter.
Which is another good point, why do these people make this stuff in 2007 with a serial cable?

Doc

iTrader: (9)

I take it you have tried other laptops/desktops with and without USB to serial converters and whatnot?

In order for the chip on the mainboard to output to the Digital to Analog Conveter or DAC chip as you have stated(the sensor reports but you can't "talk" to the controller to change any of the calibration constants), the likelihood of "part" of it being bad is slim to none.

Have you approached Innovate about this?

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

I contacted Innovate, they sent me a RMA and now they have it. Thats in my price breakdown above (shipping and packing materials).
I tried it on my laptop also.

Heres what I said in their forum, I even told the guy this on the phone and he started getting all pissy with me.

When I try to connect it to my PC using the serial cable, everytime I click 'connect to com port 1' the LM-1 tool screen flashes from 'no sensr power connect 12v pwr' to 'warming up' the screen flashes between those two things back and fourth real fast.
The top guy in their forum kept replying to me as if I were in the car trying to power it up like everything was connected. BUT this is me, the lm-1 tool, the serial cable, the PC. THATS IT. thats the same way I did it the first and only time it did work. And when it did work it read 'serial port connection' after clicking connect to com port 1. And it played back recorded info, let me configure settings, etc. But it only connected the first time.
I used it about four times. Had power unplugged when starting the car as instructed in the manual, followed the instructions exactly.
I even made a video clip of it when I click connect, kind of blurry hope it works here. link removed.

Beer99C5

iTrader: (21)

I had difficulty connecting to the LC1 using the adapter. joe car straightened me out, what I was doing wrong was pluging into the "In" miniplug on the controller, when i should have been connecting to the "Out".

This was for programing the voltages and what nut...

I trried it his way, sure enough the screen popped up and I was able to program everything.

Is this the issue you are having?

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

Me? no. theres a plug clearly marked serial. the serial cable doesn't fit the other one marked out.

Doc

iTrader: (9)

Well after hearing all of that I would have swapped the sensor. I have multiple widebands. One permantly mounted in my car, and two custom stand alone units that I can get in and out of people's cars. The sensors are very fragile. Their biggest weakness is to the build up of moisture in the exhaust overnight. The angle that the bung is mounted is key but not fool proof even when installed correctly on a car that is down south like mine. Usually a sensor is just a sensor though and I can still communicate with the controller via the serial to USB adapter.

I don't work for or sell Innovate products but you seem to have a real big problem with them. So you had to pay shipping? Big deal. They are paying a solder tech ~50-60 bucks an hour to replace a couple of inexpensive components on a used piece of electronics. Most companies won't even come close to that level of service.

Everybody on this board in this thread and apparently on Innovate's has tried to make helpful suggestions to which you dissmiss all of them.

To me, despite the faults, the total cost of ownership\product support of the Innovate line is still a good value for the money.

And no, I have never had to send my LC-1 off to get fixed...I just fixed it myself and added / improved the circuitry to make it even better.
Lighten up, it beats reading plugs.

1320FEVER

iTrader: (9)

My LC-1 has been great. I did have problems understanding the directions initially, but after calling innovate along with researching this forum, was able to hook it up correctly. It has worked fine ever since..

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

I would assume you're saying I should have replaced the sensor? (I feel bad because the guy that started this thread seems to be getting ignored)
Why should I have replaced the sensor?
This is why I'm so frustrated because no one understands. The sensor has been used four times (it's an LM-1 so it's not permanently mounted, I put it in a warm exhaust each time), it works fine, the tool reads AFR fine. But thats all it is at this point an O2 sensor with a screen, I cannot connect it to a PC or laptop anymore. How is changing the sensor going to help that? It's not.
When you connect to a pc or laptop to read a run log you do not use the sensor or 12 volt power. So how would changing the sensor help?
No one on this board has made suggestions, I never asked. You suggest run out and replace the sensor I know better than do that, I know thats not the problem. I called Inovate and told them the problem and they said it should work with what I'm doing.
My LM-1 was at Innovate before anyone on this board even knew I had one so I'm not dismissing anyones advice. Except for those on Innovates message board who cannot get it through their heads that my problems is only connecting to a pc to read playback, they too insist to tell me I need to connect 12 volts, my battery is weak, now replace the sensor....
Like I said. Me, the LM-1 tool, the serial cable, a PC. Those are the four things needed to connect to a PC, I've done it before.
I should have never brought this up.

joecar

Some things to watch out for:
a. do not short the yellow or brown wires to anything (pops the internal DAC chip, instant death).
b. do not download new firmware into it (it will never recover, virtual death).
c. do not permanently connect the black wire to ground (this keeps it in calibration mode, but is not harmful).
c. when reading the signal from yellow or brown wires, the voltage is referenced to the green or white wires, not ground.
d. to avoid ground loop currents (which cause voltage drops), avoid connecting the green or white wires to ground.
e. make sure that the red wire is supplied with better than 12V wrt the black wire (i.e. a corroded relay/connector/ground may reduce this voltage).

My $0.02