Innovate MTX-L Wideband AFR Gauge
What a disappointment this gauge has been! Purchased this wideband AFR gauge to monitor & tune my quadrajet, and had high hopes because of Innovate's positive reviews of their LM-1 wideband AFR monitor. I liked its price point and the simplicity of connecting in my Firebird. Man was I wrong!
This gauge has all of its circuitry within gauge's housing. You have a ground wire, 12V switched wire and a optional dimming wire to dim the gauge at night. The wires are unusually thin, but overall hookup is easy. The length of the cable from the O2 sensor to the gauge is generously long.
After 5 months of light usage, it went dead on me. I went to Innovate's website and visited their support forums and was appalled at the amount of complaints others have had with this product. My problems were consistent with others: O2 sensor gets so hot that the gauge shuts down within 30 - 45 minutes of driving. In addition, the gauge is sensitive to interference due to poor ground. I tried grounding the ground wire at various spots, - but the wires they supply are SO thin that it makes you wonder how you can achieve such a strong ground so that the gauge doesn't malfunction? When the ground is poor, the digits on the gauge flicker erratically. In my case, the digits would flicker when my car reached normal operating temperature. I got the impression that heat, whether from the O2 sensor cable or from the attachment point of my ground wire, was causing the gauge to malfunction.
Regarding the overheating issue, the sensor was mounted 12 inches away from the end of the exhaust manifold, then relocated 20 inches back. The only plus was that instead of the gauge shutting down after 20 minutes, it shut down after 45 minutes of driving. Inevitably, the gauge shows an error code #E8, which signifies the O2 sensor is too hot; shortly thereafter it turns off.
My gauge R.I.P.'ed on me last weekend. After checking my wire connections and trying to recalibrate the O2 sensor, I had no luck in getting it to work. I even replaced the thin ground wire with a thicker, 18 gauge wire, - no luck. $200 down the drain.
I share this with other PY members so that you're aware of the potential problems these gauges have.
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Raffi R.
1968 Firebird: 350 .040 over, #11 Heads w/2.05/1.66 valves, Tomahawk TC-03 cam (214/221 flat tappet cam, 112 LSA, .0450/.0465 lift w/ 1.5 rockers), 200-4R w/3.55 gears, Street Demon 625 w/ Edelbrock Performer, H-Pipe dual exhaust w/Delta Flow 50's.
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