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View Poll Results: wideband gauge in car, yes or no
yes
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97.30%
No
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To have a wideband gauge or not

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Old 07-17-2014, 06:13 AM
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Default To have a wideband gauge or not

Please vote yes if you think having a gauge in the car is a smart idea.

Or vote no if you have the best tuner in the world. . Whoever that is
Old 07-17-2014, 06:20 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not



That's creative, I like that.. Using full Honda-Tech consensus to create evidence on your point from the other thread. You missed my argument entirely, but I know it can be difficult to communicate a perspective via a web forum.

Of course the internet consensus is going to overwhelmingly believe so, even if they don't have a project car finished yet. Nor are you accounting for the possibility that those who do not have one in the car as a gauge don't have access to one when it comes to tuning time. Nor do you address if it is a true 5 wire wideband gauge vs. the typical "XMAS lights" that Autometer offers.

So, a more precise poll would be, "if you DID run a wideband within the car at all times, which one in particular?

Zeitronix
Uego /AEM
PLX
Bosch OEM
FAST
Etc.

For those looking at the origins of the use of Wideband O2 sensors, here's a bit of general light reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_sensor
This is cool.. I find it rather flattering that you created this just to prove a point. You're definitely pretentious, if not committed...

Last edited by TheShodan; 07-17-2014 at 06:25 AM. Reason: grammar correction.
Old 07-17-2014, 06:23 AM
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Lol relax dude there is a lot of ogs that lurk here
Old 07-17-2014, 06:55 AM
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This is a technical question. Simply yes or no to having a gauge in the car.

I also made a thread to the second part of our discussion.

https://honda-tech.com/forums/general-discussion-debate-40/ever-hear-tuner-warranty-engine-failure-3215633/
Old 07-17-2014, 06:56 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

You know that feeling when you walk in on your parents arguing... well this is that.

I voted yes. $150 to make sure your tune is still rock solid seems well spent to me. Even on a stock bin I see my car run strangely at times and it helps alert me to that. Currently I have an issue (I believe an O2 sensor dying) where the car will run very rich (10.7 AFR) at low load cruising. Only sometimes though. It's nice to know that instead of just 'guessing'.
Old 07-17-2014, 07:29 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

exactly
Old 07-17-2014, 07:44 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

If you trust your tuner, I dont see the point in running a wideband. Also, if you dont understand/attend to the output, its meaningless. I'd spend the money on a better EMS or more tuning, but that's me...(i live 2 miles away from my tuner so its easy to pop in for a quick check up)
Old 07-17-2014, 08:51 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

Originally Posted by Freemananana
You know that feeling when you walk in on your parents arguing... well this is that.
I almost fell off the chair after reading this.. :-).. that's so sad, but true. I'm literally in tears laughing right now..;-)
Old 07-17-2014, 08:56 AM
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7 to1 on the polls
Old 07-17-2014, 08:57 AM
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Originally Posted by TheShodan

I almost fell off the chair after reading this.. :-).. that's so sad, but true. I'm literally in tears laughing right now..;-)

I know people have very specific ways of doing things but to say a wideband isn't needed? Idk about that one
Old 07-17-2014, 09:17 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

Originally Posted by TheShodan
I almost fell off the chair after reading this.. :-).. that's so sad, but true. I'm literally in tears laughing right now..;-)
Thank you thank you!

I don't have a wideband to protect myself from running lean and blowing up the motor. I have it for potential issues with the part throttle tune. I completely trust my tuner. Not a shadow of doubt in my mind that what they did is perfect. I know for a fact I'm not a better tuner than who I got my car tuned by.

The only thing I can potentially see is running overly rich at low loads and possible detection of leaks. That's all. Is it necessary? Nope. Doubt you'd realize the car is running half a point lean when you are at WOT anyways.
Old 07-17-2014, 09:42 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

Originally Posted by turbohatch96y7
7 to1 on the polls
Hipster vote...i didnt want to do what was popular
Old 07-17-2014, 09:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Schister66

Hipster vote...i didnt want to do what was popular
Lol

hows that neck beard haha
Old 07-17-2014, 10:16 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

I run one for a few reasons.

1) Let's my keep an eye if I'm running lean or rich.
2) I trust my tuner, but even the best of the best make mistakes.
3) It looks cool having a gauge in your car that changes color when driving, bitches love gauges.
Old 07-17-2014, 10:18 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

Originally Posted by turbohatch96y7
Lol

hows that neck beard haha
Goes really well with my striped tank tops and sunglasses.

EDIT- Bitches do not love gauges, trust me. Got me this fine honey and she doesn't car about gauges in the least. She's pissed that the car doesn't have AC anymore. (Motor swap a turbo more important)
Old 07-17-2014, 11:58 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

I use innovate widebands.

I keep an eye on my a/f ratio - especially when doing data logging / street tuning.

I've been using e85 lately, and it's been a great help.

Personally, I find that most tuners don't give you the best tune for daily / track use.

Sure they might get the wot down perfect, but partial throttle or cruising can be lacking and that's where you can see what's wrong on the wideband and tweak.

They also may not get the temp / Baro compensation perfect, so while the car feels and drives good on the day you get tuned, maybe the car runs a little leaner in the winter, or pings in the summer.
Again, you can see this at a glance on your wideband.
Old 07-17-2014, 12:09 PM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

To say that you trust your tuner and don't need a wideband makes no sense to me. When your car breaks it isn't cause your tune failed.
Old 07-17-2014, 12:19 PM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

Originally Posted by Freemananana
Goes really well with my striped tank tops and sunglasses.

EDIT- Bitches do not love gauges, trust me. Got me this fine honey and she doesn't car about gauges in the least. She's pissed that the car doesn't have AC anymore. (Motor swap a turbo more important)
False, my gauges are panty droppers and no a/c is a plus. Bitches get naked to stay cooler.

Last edited by toyomatt84; 07-21-2014 at 05:44 PM.
Old 07-17-2014, 12:26 PM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

LMAO
Old 07-17-2014, 09:55 PM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

a wideband is a must in a turbo car has nothing to do with the tuner. you can trust your tuner all day then drive down the road and you can experience a problem thats not tune related that can pop your motor. wideband is just their to let you whats going on.
Old 07-17-2014, 10:35 PM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

must to a modified car, not essential to a stock car
Old 07-18-2014, 04:19 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

A wideband is definitely a good idea for every performance car that's modified.

You can have the best tuner in the world, but that tuner can't predict things like fuel pump failures, clogged filters, dead injectors, etc. The wideband, in most cases, will alert you to any of that usually before anything too detrimental happens.

On the other hand, once the car starts going pretty fast, you won't be able to watch the wideband like a hawk. On a lot of 600-800hp Honda's we have through here, you can't watch the wideband at all when you're driving.

General rule of thumb: gauges are for slower street cars that you have enough time to watch instead of holding on and trying not to die.

My personal car isn't the fastest thing on the planet (700hp or so), and I can't tell you the last time I glanced at my wideband while on throttle. That's what the datalog is for.
Old 07-18-2014, 04:41 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

I was about to make a poll lol.

but I think we need to expand the poll.

if you use a wideband, when and how (full time monitor, tune only, datalog only, only at the track, etc)

if not, why?

maybe add these options to the poll then ask each user for a small explanation in a post
Old 07-18-2014, 06:03 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

Originally Posted by wantboost
I was about to make a poll lol.

but I think we need to expand the poll.

if you use a wideband, when and how (full time monitor, tune only, datalog only, only at the track, etc)

if not, why?

maybe add these options to the poll then ask each user for a small explanation in a post
i have a wideband in my turbo and daily all motor civic. i dont always look at it but its nice to have as often im always trying to tweak with it. the questions is how often do you drive around with the laptop actually messing with it or datalogging.

but yeah, wideband for life. i also have egt in both my civics
Old 07-18-2014, 06:23 AM
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Default Re: To have a wideband gauge or not

I run a permanent wideband in all of my cars. I don't look at it that much unless I suspect an issue or I'm tweaking something.

here's something else to consider, the display refreshes slower than the controller and since it's interpolating between values it isn't always right.

the typical display might refresh once a second, where the sensor and controller are sampling at 60 times per second.

for example we have an ngk afx wideband in the z06. At Road Atlanta since it was so hot (120F ambient) we tossed 110 in it and upped the methanol injection amount and ramp rate. the wideband display showed 11:1-11.2:1 while the datalog showed closer to 11.5:1 at WOT

this us obviously way too rich. so don't rely on the display to be 100% accurate. when in doubt datalog.


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