Stock O2 sensors and 950 mV...

[tici]

Yesterday I finally received Autotap, connect it to my '98 TA, made some scans...
and... I got 7 to 9 LTFT and 950 mV at the O2 sensors.
Mods: FIPK II and LT headers.

Am I running rich like hell? Or are the stock O2 sensors that bad that it could be ok?
If too rich: because of my mods or beceuse of GM?

Do I have to expect a relevant power gain if I bring the A/F ration in the optimal range? Or at least a better mileage?

I'm not planning to modify the car more than this, do you suggest a comlplete tune or just buy a MAFT?

Thanks - Stefano

[JandJsTA]

I would suspect your LTs as the culprit for your richness as shown by your + LTFTs and yes a MAFT with some tweaking & logging is a cheap solution to this problem. Some good targets to shoot for are in the links under the A/F tuning thread at the top of this forum :) ...

Also please remember that your O2s are not a reliable indicator for your A/F at WOT .... a wide band dyno is really the most reliable way to determine this, or buy your own A/F meter and wide band sensor :)

[tici]

Do you think it's bad to drive around having those numbers? I mean, is there something I could damage like plugs, sensors or wathever?

Do you think that a correct AF ratio would bring some power and/or better mileage?

Wideband: I think that it should be placed before the cats, am I right? I really don't want to drill an hole in the headers + welding...

MAFT compared to LS1edit: is there a lot of difference in the final result? I'm not looking for the last 1/2 HP...

Thanks - Stefano

[smiley]

don't forget - ltrims are for cruising, o2 are for wot. make sure you're getting your numbers from the right place.

yes you are rich.

http://smiley.tzo.com/fbody/atap/af.htm

a maft may work fine for you. remember that is only does cruise and wot - you have to tune across the whole board.... you don't get the fine tuning that you can with edit. but in your case - it may be you best choice.

wide band dyno the usually stick a sensor up your tailpipe. they won't have to drill holes in your exhaust ;)

the stock o2 are not 100% accurate - but they will be good enough for your stuff. not everyone uses wideband tuning.

[JandJsTA]

:werd:


... as for damage... you could foul your plugs or plug your CaTs if you run that way for a long period of time :)

[smiley]

oops - forgot about that question. hehe you are better to be running rich compared to being lean ;) plugs are easier to change than a bad engine :D

[tici]

Thanks guys for your answers.
I'm tempted to have a "real" tuning but here it will cost me about $800. I'd like to spend this money in another way....
I have an A4: can I expect something special after a LS1edit tune? Better/optimal gear shift and so on or nothing more than the Hypertech (hypercrap) programming capabilities? (firmness / shift point).

MAFT: they say to lean it out without looking at the O2 sensors, just stop when KR appears and go back a little. Isn't it a little dangerous? ...lean it's mean does exist in Europe too...

Thanks

[JandJsTA]

Originally posted by tici
Thanks guys for your answers.
I'm tempted to have a "real" tuning but here it will cost me about $800. I'd like to spend this money in another way....
I have an A4: can I expect something special after a LS1edit tune? Better/optimal gear shift and so on or nothing more than the Hypertech (hypercrap) programming capabilities? (firmness / shift point).

MAFT: they say to lean it out without looking at the O2 sensors, just stop when KR appears and go back a little. Isn't it a little dangerous? ...lean it's mean does exist in Europe too...

Thanks

With those MoDs you are not going to see any amazing gains with a tune so I would save your money for other MoDs ...... as for the MAFT adjustments as long as you do "SMALL" adjustments at a time and sneak up on the KR and LOG each and everytime you should be okay :cool: the trick is small incremental adjustments and log but you will need time for the cruise adjustments to "learn in" on the PCM after you make them, WOT adjustments will take effect immediately if done seperately from cruise adjustments ......

[tici]

This sounds good...
Just another question: a lot (and relly a lot) of people are selling their used MAFT. Why?
Have they all made so many mods that a real tuning became necessary? Has everyone LS1 edit?
I know the function of the MAFT: simple but effective. Cheap, easy. Why sell it if it was that good? This is the only thing that holds me to buy it.:drunk2:

This smily doesn't fit to the post! It's just I feel I need a few... hehe!

[JandJsTA]

Originally posted by tici
This sounds good...
Just another question: a lot (and relly a lot) of people are selling their used MAFT. Why?
Have they all made so many mods that a real tuning became necessary? Has everyone LS1 edit?
I know the function of the MAFT: simple but effective. Cheap, easy. Why sell it if it was that good? This is the only thing that holds me to buy it.:drunk2:

This smily doesn't fit to the post! It's just I feel I need a few... hehe!

I believe a lot of ppl use the MAFT for what it is .. a simple tool to fix some A/F inacurracies.... but there has also been a big interest in self tunning lately and with that, a big interest in EDIT and Predator so there is now no need to keep the MAFT IMHO :)

.... a quick couple ?s for you ... I see you are in Zurich .... many F-bodys over there and what do they think of the f-body :) .. I would imagine there are plenty of road courses but are there any drag strips :confused:

[tici]

MAFT or Edit... whideband o2...
Financially it's not a problem, but with EDIT I will end up making a tune every week until I'll brake everything!
I'd like to quite down a little and enjoy the car for whait it is: a car! If I'm spending more time with a screwdriver in my hands than drive around something is bad... I just want to fix that rich issue and then leave it.
But EDIT is tempting me...!:rolleyes:

F-bodys are really rare here. Some really old cars, few 3rd gen and just a couple on really new cars. I know only 3 or 4 cars like mine here and only one convertible... yes mine!
Some Corvettes....
Here we pay car taxes depending on the engine. Here 2 liters is already a big one, imagine 5.7 liters... Fuel is expensive too, at least the double than in the US.
Better don't talk about insurance...
So not many people have cars like this. If you have a mortgage to pay, family, kids and so on forget it. Can't pay it.
Here we can drive a little faster than there: 80 km/h on the coutry roads and 120 km/h on the highway. Nothing special... Automotive isn't that popular like in the US, no races, no drag strips. :(
Driving a big US-car here (yes, for here a F-body is big!) there are two different reactions: either people love you and are amazed of this "exotic" look or they hate you! Noise, pollution... and maybe jealous too!
I don't give a fuc! I like it and I'll always have something like that.:D

[JandJsTA]

If you simply want to fix the rich condition a MAFT would be fine... just remember to work with the cruise/base trims first and get the 6-14 LTFT cells to 0 or slightly - and then work with WOT ... only in that order or it is nearly impossbile to get the A/F stable, read, read, read and you will be fine :) http://www.vetteguru.com/mods/howto/

[smiley]

wow - that is some cool info about where you live. how did you get the car there in the first place? it sounds like there are not many sitting on a car dealer lot - did you have to import it or something?

[tici]

The car has been imported directly fron the US by a small garage.
There is an official dealer but they have to modify a couple of things like lights, mirrors, exhaust and it's quite expensive (with the current change about $54'000 for a convertible). This is a rape but it's like to buy an Europaen car over there... you pay more just because of the "exotic look".
The small garage made me an "human" price and the car is as you know it in the US.
To import it as a private it's diffcult because you have to go through a lot of paperwork and mechanical controls...
To have parts here it's not so easy: there are a couple of dealers that just multiply the $ price by 3...!
It works because not so many people speak English, so it's the only way to buy something. I personally buy from Tom Byrne and it works fine. The shipping is expensive but at the end it's like 1.5 times the $ price... not so bad compared to the dealers!

[JandJsTA]

Thx for sharin DooD ... some great info :thumbup:

[smiley]

:thumbup:

[1999Daytona500PaceCar]

It was really cool to hear about your car and experience with it there! Thanks and good luck with your tuning! ;)

[tici]

Thanks!
This was an old post, my tuning strategy (and mods) have changed since then, but I had to go through a long list of try and error to find out how it works (more or less ;) )

What is the W54 option of your car?