2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.
Sponsored by:

'89 Turbo II Autometer A/F Gauge Question!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 05-09-02, 09:25 AM
  #1  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
PraxRX7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Alberta
Posts: 660
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
'89 Turbo II Autometer A/F Gauge Question!

Alright I installed my autometer a/f gauge last night and went for a spin. I was wondering if the following patters are right.

The gauge when starting the car reads LEAN and then works its way slowly up to semi-rich at idle (heating up the sensor I am assuming).

When Driving at cruise control, the gauge light bounces between the top part of stoich and the bottom part of lean (crossing into rich somtimes).

At WOT it is RICH which is a good thing

But when I let off the gas the light disappears into the lean section and comes back on when I give it more throttle (straight to the rich section).

Is that about right?
Old 05-09-02, 09:27 AM
  #2  
Senior Member

iTrader: (2)
 
cblake3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Plainfield, IL
Posts: 453
Received 18 Likes on 8 Posts
That is exactly how mine reads which is normal from what I have been told.
Old 05-09-02, 09:37 AM
  #3  
Engine, Not Motor

iTrader: (1)
 
Aaron Cake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 29,789
Likes: 0
Received 108 Likes on 91 Posts
Sounds right to me.
Old 05-09-02, 09:38 AM
  #4  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
PraxRX7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Alberta
Posts: 660
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
well in that case I am very pleased.

I am quite happy with it if that is the case...took me 3 hours to install my Gauge Pod, Boost Gauge, and A/F gauge...to much wiring...yarg.
Old 05-09-02, 09:54 AM
  #5  
Despise Enmity

 
Josepi's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 2,420
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Do you have auto seat belts?
Old 05-09-02, 09:55 AM
  #6  
Senior Member

 
turbotwista's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Atlantic Beach Florida
Posts: 363
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Mine reads about the same except at idle it just reads lean all the time and when I get into it at 4k it goes from 1st bar to of the scale lean. I think my secondaries are not kicking in or something (also get a gas smell when this happens) But the wierd thing is if I lift then smash it again it goes back to where it is supposed to be. Well I guess I should stop with my problems just hoping some one out there had the same prob and could tell me where to look.
Old 05-09-02, 10:01 AM
  #7  
Senior Member

 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NY,NY & ORLANDO, FL
Posts: 350
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
HOW DID U GET THE PILLAR MOUNT ON RIGHT?? BECAUSE MOST OF MY FRIENDS WIT 89-91'S HAVE PROBLEMS BECAUSE IT WAS MADE FOR 86-88'S... I WENT THROUGH THE SAME WIT MY 91.... AS FAR AS THE AIRFUEL GAUGE... MINES DOES THA SAME..WHAT DOES URS READ AT IDLE?
Old 05-09-02, 10:02 AM
  #8  
Just Call Me Terminator!

iTrader: (4)
 
vosko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NJ
Posts: 7,848
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i would rather have a water temp gauge than A/F
Old 05-09-02, 10:18 AM
  #9  
Senior Member

 
turbotwista's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Atlantic Beach Florida
Posts: 363
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
well a dremal and sometime and two screws and it worked out great just mounted it so that the pod was below the track for the seat belts. I could take a pic and post it sometime today if you like.
Old 05-09-02, 10:28 AM
  #10  
Senior Member

 
Grimlock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Miami, Fl.
Posts: 628
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
my 7 at idle reads 1-2 bars green and works its way down slowly. if i let it idle long enough she will go to middle yellow (about 15 minutes of idling). the bouncing back and forth (closed/open loop, i forget which one) has stoped. i always get a steady reading. i have my safc leaned out to -12 at idle (1000rpm) and she idles smooth but still reads rich, it trips me out! how can you tell the oxygen sensor is going bad, i would assume when the reading is sluggish. as soon as i left of throttle the gauge reacts instantly so it seems like my sensor is good. i think i need a better a/f gauge.
Old 05-09-02, 10:30 AM
  #11  
Lives on the Forum

 
RETed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: n
Posts: 26,664
Likes: 0
Received 16 Likes on 15 Posts
Re: '89 Turbo II Autometer A/F Gauge Question!

Originally posted by PraxRX7
The gauge when starting the car reads LEAN and then works its way slowly up to semi-rich at idle (heating up the sensor I am assuming).
That is correct.&nbsp 3- and 4-wire heated O2 sensors get up to temp a lot quicker.

When Driving at cruise control, the gauge light bounces between the top part of stoich and the bottom part of lean (crossing into rich somtimes).
This is the ECU going into closed-loop mode:&nbsp the ECU constantly self-adjusts the fuel devliery to run closest to stoic and give you the best gas mileage.


At WOT it is RICH which is a good thing
This is the most important thing.


But when I let off the gas the light disappears into the lean section and comes back on when I give it more throttle (straight to the rich section).
That is correct.&nbsp On decel, the fuel injectors are cut off totally - this helps the revs drop as fast as possible.



-Ted
Old 05-09-02, 10:32 AM
  #12  
Senior Member

 
Grimlock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Miami, Fl.
Posts: 628
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
hey ted maybe you can explain somethin to me

my a/f gauge doesnt bounce back and forth at all anymore. does this mean my ecu is not in closed loop mode anymore to?
Old 05-09-02, 10:36 AM
  #13  
Lives on the Forum

 
RETed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: n
Posts: 26,664
Likes: 0
Received 16 Likes on 15 Posts
Re: hey ted maybe you can explain somethin to me

Originally posted by Grimlock
my a/f gauge doesnt bounce back and forth at all anymore. does this mean my ecu is not in closed loop mode anymore to?
Yep.&nbsp It runs in closed-loop under light throttle and light load conditions.&nbsp It will also not work if the secondary fuel injectors are triggered - this means the revs has to be below 3,800RPM on the tach.&nbsp I'd say anything over 15% throttle input will cause it to disengage closed-loop mode.

Unless you're running a Haltech?



-Ted
Old 05-09-02, 10:38 AM
  #14  
Round&Round not Up&Down

 
jimmyv13's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 2,805
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My friend's A/F gauge bounces back and forth at idle, from extremely lean to extremely rich. It never stays put at idle, is there something wrong?

BTW, this is on a SC '96 Mustang Cobra.
Old 05-09-02, 10:38 AM
  #15  
"Just Looking".......

 
FEDREX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Posts: 521
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sounds normal - mine does the exact same.
Old 05-09-02, 11:22 AM
  #16  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
PraxRX7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Alberta
Posts: 660
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
hmmm...

Thanks Ted for the awesome followup.

no auto seat belts...its a Canadian Turbo II =) I never did like auto seat belts.

It was a 97% perfect fit...it looks great and is super solid...I followed the instructions roughly from the fc3s.org site.

I hit 10 PSI last night...no fuel cut...strange...and still running rich

I now hit 7 PSI in 1st gear, 10 PSI in 2nd gear, 8.5 psi in 3rd gear, and I haven't really tested the upper gears to their full extent because I know that fuel cut is there some where... (The car has SO much more power and acceleration in the lower gears, thank goodness for no catalytic converter!)

It was the 89-91 specific autometer gauge pod...but you can't put it just anywhere you want without some modification to it, I had to dremmel one hole bigger too because the boost gauge was not the smaller type..ooops...1 size bigger, but it still fits nice.

You have to put the gauge to where it looks like it is flowing with the contours of the a-pillar (nearer the bottom). If you get it just right you won't have to do any modification.

Its great, I'll post some pics in a few weeks.

Last edited by PraxRX7; 05-09-02 at 11:30 AM.
Old 05-09-02, 12:52 PM
  #17  
Senior Member

 
Grimlock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Miami, Fl.
Posts: 628
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
thanks ted!
Old 05-09-02, 02:20 PM
  #18  
Super Raterhater

iTrader: (6)
 
SonicRaT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: NY, MA, MI, OR, TX, and now LA or AZ!
Posts: 10,624
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
I installed the 88+ pillar gauge cluster on my 89, go search for a thread on gauge cluster (look for one started by rico5) and you'll see our entire discussion on it.
Old 05-26-02, 09:25 PM
  #20  
I'm a boost creep...

 
NZConvertible's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 15,608
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
Originally posted by chris-reed
When you start the car it is not in lean like everyone else but in rich, and slowly works toward lean...
Ignore the gauge until the sensor has had time to reach operating temp, usually about 5 minutes. If you mean at idle, some cars do idle rich, especially if you’ve taken your emissions gear off.
then i just keeps going untill it cuts out completely. No leds at all..... but when you give it gas, like ted said you do get leds...
No pedal, no fuel, no reading.
...but when you let off since i have open air bov i get a rich burst, then nothing
You get a rich “burst” because of your open vented BOV. That released air has been metered by the AFM so its fuel gets injected. But since the air’s not there, you get a momentary rich condition. Then since you’ve let off (just like above), the injectors shut off, so the gauge reads nothing.

Most of this was answered earlier in the thread y’know...
Old 05-26-02, 10:15 PM
  #22  
I'm a boost creep...

 
NZConvertible's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 15,608
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
Originally posted by chris-reed
Could, [anychance] the autometer guage be bad...
Where did you connect the signal wire to? If it's at the sensor (and not the ECU) then that's probably the problem.
Old 05-27-02, 12:05 AM
  #24  
I'm a boost creep...

 
NZConvertible's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 15,608
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
The O2 sensor cable has an earthed braided shield around it to protect it from EMI. If you pierce this wire to tap into it, it’s hard not to contact the shield too, effectively earthing the whole circuit and screwing everything up.
I haven’t got S5 wiring diagrams so I can’t give you pin info. But if your new DMM has a continuity tester, you can probe all the ECU wires until you find it. Easy.


Quick Reply: '89 Turbo II Autometer A/F Gauge Question!



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:37 PM.