Who uses a datalogger/scanner??

[jonszr1]

paul,for the print out. what i was wondering about was why the block learns when cruizing are different l to r example on my 92 with the new inj(bosch rebuilts left runs 129-30 right `130 -`31which seems good . on my 90that has 2 yr old rc injcruizing same speed over the same 5mile road l131-133 r134-137 with a 4 pt spread left to right.why is there such a big spread. both cars have brand new bosch o2 sensors. no vac leaks.on both cars left side reads lower . do all our cars do the same thing?sorry for dumb ?s i am just an old carb guy trying to learn this computor stuff. ps both cars 75mph 2200rpm. 410 gears

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

EASE has PW for LFT and RGT. Please explain how you use injector dwell time to evaluate O2 sensors.

Dom,

It may be just a personal preference kind of thing: preferring a direct (voltage or whatever) reading as opposed to a derived value such as block learn values, etc. Call me old fashioned, but I like my coffee black, my beer dark, and my data raw!

What I've come to understand, over the past 6 years and half dozen O2s, it would seem O2s are a bit finicky at best - or at least perhaps some brands are. (It is amazing what effect the O2 can sometimes haveon ECM data when simply changing a good for good O2s.)

So, when focusing on the O2s specifically, I've gotten into the habit of looking specifically at the O2 parameters; inputs and outputs, as it were. I prefer direct readings to determine their performance. In the absence of direct values, the derived values can be substituted, but there is often a bit of hysteresis and as result, some ambiguity associated with the ECM's derived fueling values. (Think of derived values as 'sex with a condom'! )

Bottom line: It is apparent to me that being the key player in closed loop operation, the O2s are far from consistent, over time and operating conditions they are exposed to. Therefore, I find it necessary to view all the related data - direct readings and derived values on the whole and over several "runs" to get the truth.

But, I'm always looking to learn new stuff. So, an 'ostrich' may be in the my near future!

P.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by jonszr1

paul,for the print out. what i was wondering about was why the block learns when cruizing are different l to r example on my 92 with the new inj(bosch rebuilts left runs 129-30 right `130 -`31which seems good . on my 90that has 2 yr old rc injcruizing same speed over the same 5mile road l131-133 r134-137 with a 4 pt spread left to right.why is there such a big spread. both cars have brand new bosch o2 sensors. no vac leaks.on both cars left side reads lower . do all our cars do the same thing?sorry for dumb ?s i am just an old carb guy trying to learn this computor stuff. ps both cars 75mph 2200rpm. 410 gears

Well, I'm not an expert, so I can just tell ya what I've observed.

The differences you see are not uncommon - according to my experiences; a 4 pt spread warrants keeping an eye on, but not alarming. I would want to see the "cross counts" and pulse width comparison to get a more rounded picture. Also, do a few WOT runs and then re-test. I've seen what looks like a lazy (cross counts) O2 look like brand new after a couple runs. And, I've seen O2 characteristics "swap" back and forth over time and different runs.

4 points difference or even 6 points, in the short term is nothing I get concerned with. However, after some "clearing out the cobwebs" and the characteristics remain consistent, I still might not change the O2, UNLESS the plugs on the suspected bank show some significant sooting compared to the other side, OR the instant gas mileage began to suffer. (I find making some controlled runs on a given piece of highway is "good stuff" for identifying changes in operating (O2, etc) parameters.)

I gotta run, but willing to kick this can around some more later!

P.

[jonszr1]

paul thanx for takin the time to help an old guy learn. i did do a retest on the 90 the one in ? and they are 2-4 apart . i have an auto xray 3000 i dont think i can get pulse withs .but this electronic stuff is new to me so i dont know how to do alot of things with them . i am going to be changing alot of stuff between the 2 cars this week . turning the black one back to stk for a dd car and putting the injector housings and plenum and headers on the callaway . i want to see what theporting on the heads that callaway did compares to the porting on the blk car . plus the blk car has 250 k on her and i think too many more drag runs might break something . i got good gas mileage with the blk car when she was stk . hate to think that way but the price of gas here 4.89 for prem unleaded makes me do it .

[Jason 91]

I just picked up the Autoxray 6000 to use on my cars for basic needs. I've gotten tired of paying people money to tell me what part to replace when my check engine light comes on and it's not a simple solution based on the code I get from my code reader.

Jason

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by Jason 91

I just picked up the Autoxray 6000 to use on my cars for basic needs. I've gotten tired of paying people money to tell me what part to replace when my check engine light comes on and it's not a simple solution based on the code I get from my code reader.

Jason

WooHoo! The 6000 "ain't cheap", and the scanners are limited on what they can do. But, I know exactly how you feel. I quickly got sick of leaving my (then new to me '95/LT1 Vette) with the dealer, only to get "no problem found" reports over and over again, but yet every time I took it out suddenly it would start running like crap!!. VEEEERRRRYYYY frustrating (being "blind", that is!! )

Well, the "1000" scanner was being discontinued, but it had OBD-I capability, and that is all I needed. So, my scanner only cost me $130 (if I recall), and it quickly paid for itself; I found the problem on the first run. I didn't buy the download software for a while, but downloading the data numbers (41 items x 30 columns) one number at a time and putting them on a spreadsheet got old reeeeeal fast - so I opted for PC-link.

Anywayz, the scanners aren't the be all/end all by a long shot. But, they sure as hell are a lot better than guessing and asking "what would cause..." So, good luck. If you are like me, you'll get it running good in no time and (hopefully) the scanner will collect a lot of dust. One thing I have observed tho, for reasons I can't yet put my finger on, the car seldom matches (identically) the base case run to additional runs exactly. I'm guessing it is due to the dynamics of engine temp, air density, etc, etc that result in variances. (I guess that is why I rely more on voltages and dwell times than block learns, etc. when it comes to assessing results. I've been scanning and studying the results on occasion a couple dozen times in 5 years, and I'm still learning more. Next, I wanna get the lap top involved and get comfortable with fuel trims and timing and such.

P.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by Dynomite

What is the difference between an AutoXray 6000 and an AutoXray 7000?

Does anyone have either the AutoXray 6000 or the AutoXray 7000 that they can comment on?

Since this is a Poll, I thought I would keep it going

From their website...

http://www.autoxray.com/

...it appears the 7000 has enhanced memory and graphing capability in addition to that of the OBD-I,II 6000. (Not that I follow it that much - I got my ol' 1000 and haven't been in the market for another (e.g. an OBD-II) scanner, as result.)

[Jason 91]

So I was perfectly fine with my 6000...until I read this and saw the 7000...thanks alot.

Seriously, the 6000 has been great for what I've used it for which is mostly on other cars that I have. It has paid for itself several times over at this point.

Thanks,

Jason

[93 ZR1 Barcelona]

If you guys want to log the car, the TTS Datamaster is the way to go.

Best software for ZR-1 datalog, and also for all Corvette C4's 86-95

10 over 10.

[todesengel]

Originally Posted by Aurora40

One useful thing about the AutoXray is it's just soooo easy to take in the car with you. Lugging a laptop, power supply, invertor, and cable into the car is a much bigger pain.

I only wish the Xray showed the oil temp. For injector info, you can look at the short and long term fuel trims to get an idea. I thought it had the pulse width displayed though, but can't really recall.

There is an alternative to that, installing a "carputer" in your vehicle. I have one in my supra, and the touch screen monitor is in place of the dd stereo. The carputer acts as a stereo, dvd player, computer (mouse hidden in center console, can go online, interfaces with the ems. Great little package for people who are serious about monitoring their system in a particular car!