Innovate Motorsporsts Portable Air/Fuel Ratio Recorder - Tuner Tech

The snazzy Innovate LM-1 control unit looks like an MP3 player but is actually one of the most accurate in-car tuning devices available.

Everybody is searching for more power, and it usually takes a lot of money and sometimes a truckload of new parts to get the job done. In my experience, many people buy all sorts of things to tune a motor, but in the end it all comes down to the engine management tuning and its ability to unlock all those dollars spent on parts. Working in the tuning industry at Advanced Motorsport (www.advancedmotorsport.com), I've seen people achieve value for money, but I've also seen many disappointed people who lose power or even blow up the engine.

This is why you need to know the engine's air/fuel ratio (AFR). All engines need the proper fuel mixture to run not only well but also clean and safe. Put simply, the air/fuel ratio is the balance of air and fuel that the engine processes during its combustion stroke. When the tuning is just right, you find yourself with a setup that runs efficiently and usually lasts as well.

When operating the LM-1, its LCD screen gives a simple readout, but its accuracy is equal to machines 10 times its price.

Engine tuning can be optimized with know-how and the correct equipment. The purpose of this article is not to provide information on how to tune you engine, but to make you aware of the importance of the fuel system and its limitations. Imagine you upgraded your turbo, for example, and the injectors are now too small to handle the greater demands. How would you figure that out?

Well, you might move to a bigger injector or a new fuel pressure regulator, right? That's great, but how can you be sure you have the correct-sized injector or the right regulator? Oh yeah, because the guy on the other end of the phone said so...

Hmm, this isn't the most reliable way to tune your engine. And it's why the new Innovate LM-1 handheld device can help you in a significant and affordable way. We tested the LM-1 against the auto industry's top lab-calibrated instrument, and to our surprise the difference was only 0.01 lambda.

After our testing we think it's safe to say this is a good AFR recorder. It gives the enthusiast the opportunity to see what the engine is doing and possibly dial-in the tuning. It can also log the data for evaluation at a later date.

The 02 sensor is clamped securely to the tailpipe so you can make real-world measurements on the street, rather than on a dyno.

In the past, this sort of flexibility wasn't possible without spending upwards of $5,000 on equipment that only the automakers and engine builders could access. The LMA-2 Module (available with the LM-1) can provide an interface for up to five extra signals that aid in the development of your engine and its tuning. You might decide to look at rpm, throttle position, injector duty cycle, boost or the mass airflow sensor. It can even work with switched items like a nitrous system.

With its LM-1, Innovate has paved the path to safer tuning by providing a portable wide-band lambda meter with DSP technology and an optional data acquisition expansion module. It's ideal for the intelligent amateur or professional tuning shops that are looking to safeguard a customer's investment by measuring AFR with an accurate and compact device.

LMA-1 Specs:
Logging time: Up to 44min
Sample rate: 12 times per minute
Interface: PC serial port
Power: 12V output or optional AC adapter
Price of LM-1: $349
Price of LM-1 kit as tested: $429

LMA-2 Specs:
RPM measurement
Five analog inputs
For universal use

The full LM-1 kit of parts.

LM-1 KIT (incl. LMA-2) contains the following:
LM-1 unit
RPM converter module LMA-2
Bosch five-wire O2 sensor
10ft sensor cable
10ft power cable
Analog output cable
Sensor bung
Bung plug
CD-Rom PC software
6ft serial PC cable
Quick-start guide

Against predictions, Marc did indeed manage to load the LM-1 with MP3 tracks.

The 02 sensor that makes all this possible. A sturdy piece of equipment, but one that should be treated with great care.

The test subject, one of Advanced Motorsport's Audi S4s.