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While not the most glamorous project-car task, wiring is crucial to a well-running vehicle. Here’re tips, tricks and best practices to make your next install a breeze.

Of all the unwelcome drama a performance vehicle can inflict on its owner, chasing electrical gremlins is perhaps the most frustrating. Just one little wire improperly installed can cripple a car’s performance if the vital engine functions—such as an O2 sensor—are connected to that circuit.

USB to Serial Adapter by Innovate Adapter for computers without Serial ports. This cable will convert Serial to USB. Hardware drivers included. Compatible with Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista 32, Vista 64, 7 & 8 (with latest driver download). It is a boxed Sewell Adapter with an innovate sticker slapped over the UPC! To make it work I had to install the driver so I paid a visit to Sewelldirect.com and found them selling the same adapter for $12.45, item # SW-1301(Which is on the box BTW). Kind of disappointing to me to realize I just dropped $29.99 on a repackaged adapter. The Z1 Motorsports VQ37VHR Ported Lower Intake Manifold is a stock intake manifold custom modified to produce significant gains in horsepower and torque across the the entire powerband. This is achieved by opening the runners to their largest possible diameter while maintaining their shape for maximum flow.

Innovative Motorsports (IMI) is a former NASCAR team. It was owned by George DeBidart and began racing in the Busch North Series in the mid-1990s, before moving to the Busch Series in 1998.

Innovate Motorsports, which manufacturers industry leading wideband controllers, data acquisition equipment, and both digital and analog gauges, says improperly installing its products could result in inaccurate displays, error codes and false information to the vehicle’s ECU or data logger. So, before any electrical problem triggers new adventures in aggravation and futility, the company suggests taking the time to understand the basics of wiring and electrical circuitry.

Do-it-yourselfers often look for the easiest solutions when installing parts. Such a practice is not always due to simple laziness. Some of this approach is driven by questionable advice from friends. Other times it’s relying on outdated methods that don’t apply to modern, sophisticated electrical platforms—even though the task at hand is simply finding a power source or a reliable ground connection.

“Customers tend to tap any 12-volt source on their vehicle without understanding there are multiple circuits on the car dedicated for specific purposes,” says Felipe Saez, customer service technical at Innovate Motorsports.

For example, the Innovate MTX-L Plus is an advanced, stand-alone wideband air-fuel controller and digital readout gauge. It uses a Bosch LSU 4.9 wideband O2 sensor and is compatible with several different fuels. Upon first glance it appears similar to a conventional sensor and gauge combination designed to give the driver specific information. However, the MTX-L Plus is much more sophisticated than a typical oil-pressure or water-temperature gauge. Remember, a wideband sensor requires a heating element that must be kept at the correct temperature to provide an accurate reading.

Within the gauge is a controlling unit that regulates the sensor’s heater. In other words, you can’t just apply 12 volts to the heating element and let it run. If the heating element isn’t at the optimum temperature for the engine rpm or load, then the feedback to the gauge or to an ECU isn’t accurate.

“The challenge with widebands, as opposed to an oil-pressure gauge, is that we’re heating up that O2 sensor and the power draw is significant,” says Saez. “An oil-pressure gauge may draw a half amp, and that doesn’t fluctuate. You just turn on the gauge and you’re receiving information from the sensor.

“With the MTX-L Plus, we’re heating up the O2 sensor, and the amperage draw changes,” continues Saez. “It changes at wide-open throttle because there is more exhaust flow going over the that sensor. Therefore, the heating has to ramp up. But when you’re cruising around, the draw isn’t that much. But you still need headroom for those changes.”

Now is a good time to refresh memories on the basics of electrical current, which is defined in simplest terms as the flow of electrons through a conductor. Voltage is basically the pressure that pushes the electrical flow. A conventional automotive battery is made up of six 2-volt cells for a total of 12 volts. Some batteries have 2.1-volt cells, for a total of 12.6 volts. Voltage is a potential source of energy for your car, even if the engine is not running and all the accessories are turned off. In other words, if the battery is charged, the voltage is standing by until needed—much like the water pressure is standing by when the outside faucet is closed.

The amount of electron flow is called current, and this activity is measured in amperes, or amps. One ampere is equal to 6.28 billion electrons per second. Using the water flow analogy, think of gallons per minute flowing through a pipe or hose. Now consider a house when a toilet is flushed while someone is taking a shower. Suddenly, there’s a pressure drop with reduced water flow to the shower valve. The cold side of the water flow to the shower head is most affected when the toilet is flushed, and that’s why the shower suddenly becomes scalding hot.

A comparable electrical situation can occur on the vehicle if the wrong circuits are tapped to share current with an Innovate air-fuel gauge. The instructions call for connecting the red wire to a “key on” 12-volt power source that will support a 3-amp current draw.

“One common issue is to tap into the ignition, but your ignition system also draws more power at higher rpm and load,” explains Saez. “So, now you have both the wideband and the ignition system drawing more power. Guess what? The first one that will show symptoms of an issue is the wideband, then you might start seeing ignition misses.”

Other circuits to avoid include the stereo, ECU, lighting or fuel pump. Obviously the power source can’t be directly off the battery or the gauge and sensor will be on all the time and drain it. One option is to tap off an unused power source that doesn’t compromise any other electrical system on the vehicle. For example, the fuse box may have a connection for a power sunroof even though the vehicle doesn’t have that option. The installer would likely need a service manual for the vehicle to trace the proper connection.

A better course of action is to create a stand-alone circuit just for the wideband sensor and gauge using a standard automotive relay.

“Then the power source is directly from the battery but you’re going to trigger the relay to turn off and on with any switched ignition source,” says Saez.

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A relay is a basically a device that allows a low amperage circuit to switch a high amperage circuit on or off. As an illustration, a horn has a rather high amperage draw and requires a thick wire to support such a high current flow. But vehicle designers don’t want to run a thick wire from the battery through the firewall to the horn button on the steering wheel, and then return that wire through the firewall again up to the horn mounted on the core support. Instead, they run a small wire from the horn button to a relay that triggers the horn.

Innovate suggests using a 12-volt Bosch/Tyco relay that supports 30 amps. They’re readily available at any auto parts store for just a few dollars.

Every Innovate device also requires a solid ground connection through the black wire on the part’s harness. Again, old-school techniques, such as a dash mounting bolt to the body, may not be effective. “Avoid situations where noise coupling could be an issue,” cautions Saez. “It’s always best to get the ground from a battery negative terminal. Your battery acts like a filter. When in doubt, that’s the best place.”

The next-best location would be the engine block, but avoid bolts that support other ground connections. When contact patches between the different connector lugs stack up, then resistance can build up at that connection. If multiple devices share the same ground connection, the additional resistance can lower the voltage available to each of the devices

Running a ground connection from the Innovate device to the negative side of the battery requires at least 18-gauge wire. Saez also suggests using soldered connectors as opposed to crimp style connectors.

“Are there guys who wire up the entire ECU with crimp connectors and don’t have a problem? Sure,” says Saez. “But when a gremlin does surface, that’s exactly the place you want to start looking.”

Even when an installer finds that the ignition circuit can support a wideband sensor and gauge without compromise, noise or electromagnetic disturbances from that wiring can still be an issue that disrupts the wideband’s efficiency.

“The ignition system creates electronic noise or interference through its wires,” says Saez. “All of a sudden you’re getting error codes or the display is going from one extreme to another. Issues with noise are often difficult to troubleshoot because not all symptoms are the same and some ignition systems are noisier than others.

In some extreme applications, routing wires too close to an ignition circuit can cause issues. “Remember, it’s a wideband controller. It’s not just a gauge,” sums up Saez. “An oil gauge interprets the signal from the senor but it doesn’t control the sensor. You have to treat the wideband more like an ECU in a sense as it’s controlling the sensor.”

Nissan's legendary family of sports cars — often referred to as the 'Z' — have a heritage dating back to the late 1960s when the S30 240Z first arrived on US soil. This affordable sports car with its L24 inline six-cylinder engine proved popular with enthusiasts. As they became more affordable on the second-hand market, fans of 'American Iron' discovered the Z chassis were good candidates for engine swaps. Before long, American small-block V8 engines were wedged between the shock towers, transforming the Z into a straight-line rocket.

Fast-forward to the year 2002, and Nissan returned to this sportscar segment with the 350Z. This machine, chassis code Z33, filled the void left by the 1996 300ZX Twin Turbo six years earlier. Since its release, the Z33 enjoyed significant popularity during its production run (2002-2008), resulting in widespread embrace by both enthusiasts and the aftermarket.

For those interested in swapping, there are plenty of LS cores on the used market, as well as a plethora of crate engine options. For this application, Mark Gearhart sourced an LS3 engine, harness, and ECU for the 350Z project. With loftier-than-stock performance goals in mind, a brand new LS3 with forged internals and a Paxton NOVI-1500 supercharger, backed by an ECS C6 Corvette bracket system was built. To complete the long block assembly, higher flowing DART aluminum cylinder heads replaced the factory units atop each bank of cylinders.

Since the LS3 shares nothing in common with the VQ35DE, everything from the engine mounts to the wiring harnesses and engine management must be swapped out in order for the new engine to function in a Z33 shell. This further leads to much of the factory Nissan electronics being rendered useless, even the gauges and instrumentation — a major problem with over 700 horsepower on tap. To solve that issue, Gearhart turned to Innovate Motorsports for a set of their multifunction gauges (MTS line) to measure boost, ethanol content (for the E85 he plans to use) water temp, oil temp, air/fuel ratio, oil pressure, and fuel temperature.

Because the 350Z interior has three, neat pods mounted in the center of the dash, the Innovate gauges will find a clean home, replacing the factory instrumentation.

Innovate Motorsports offers a broad selection of Modular Tuning System (MTS) electronic gauges to monitor and datalog (when connected to a datalogging recorder) engine vitals and various tuning parameters. Offered in a user-friendly 52mm diameter, these gauges can be customized to complement your interior color scheme (gauge faces and/or interchangeable bezels) while delivering important information about your vehicle in an easily read and interpreted format.

Exchanging the factory MFD, Oil Pressure and Voltmeters for multi-talented gauges from Innovate Motorsports increases the number of variables you can monitor. Rather than losing the use of three gauges, you're actually gaining five or six. The MTX series of electronic gauges are equipped to display two different features on the gauge face. To replace the oil pressure gauge, the MTX-D Oil Pressure and Temperature gauge (P/N 3913) covers both variables by displaying the oil pressure on the digital display in the center, while the oil temperature is represented by a ring of colored LEDs. This gauge relies on its own oil pressure sensor and temperature probe, ensuring accurate readings. By using Innovate Motorsports' free LM Programmer PC software (LogWorks), the gauge can be programmed for either Fahrenheit or Celsius. It can also be configured to read pressure in either PSI or BAR. Warning levels can also be set, along with minimum and maximum temperature values.

To continue monitoring battery voltage, an MTX-D Water Temperature and Battery Voltage gauge (P/N 3853) was also installed. This gauge displays water temperature on the digital display in the center of the face while battery voltage is represented by the ring of colored LED lights. Like the other Innovate Motorsports MTS products, this gauge is configurable by way of the LM Programmer software. Minimum and maximum voltage values, temperature displayed in either Fahrenheit or Celsius, and warning alarms when critical levels have been reached are completely user-programmable. The included water temperature probe has a range of 120-to-280-degrees Fahrenheit (49-to-138-degrees Celsius). Battery voltage is measured from 6-to-25 volts DC.

Output targets for this LS3 engine reside in the neighborhood of 600-plus horsepower at the wheels, thanks to boost from the blower. Knowing the boost pressure is imperative to ensure that the system is functioning properly, as well as for diagnostics in the case of a malfunction. The obvious solution was the Innovate Motorsports ECB-1 multi-function gauge (P/N 3906). The ECB-1 easily outperforms the factory multi-function display since it not only measures boost pressure, it also monitors ethanol content, fuel temperature and the air/fuel ratio.

The included 4 BAR boost sensor taps into any ancillary vacuum line and measures manifold pressure from 29 inHg vacuum up to 43.5 PSI boost pressure. This is paramount with the Paxton supercharger installed on Gearhart's LS.

E85 offers race fuel performance but costs less than regular unleaded pump gas. It's becoming more widely available at the pump, giving enthusiasts a performance option for much less money. Unfortunately, E85 (ethanol 85 percent) standards at the gas pump can vary from as little as 53-percent ethanol to as much as 85-percent, which can impact the calibration of the engine management system. Knowing the ethanol content in your tank is imperative for proper tuning of the ECU. The included ethanol sensor relays the ethanol contents as well as the fuel temperature. This sensor makes the connection to 3/8-inch SAE quick disconnect fittings or to -6AN lines by way of -6AN adapters (sold separately.) If you're running an aftermarket ECU capable of providing flex fuel calibration, this sensor can provide the signal necessary for the ECU to properly scale for any mixture ranging from pure premium unleaded to 100-percent E85.

Finally, a Bosch LSU 4.9 wideband oxygen sensor samples the exhaust gasses and relays the air/fuel ratio data to the ECB-1. The display can be set to show one, two, or all four metrics simultaneously. While most settings can be accomplished with the two buttons located on the gauge face, employing the LM Programmer software permits more specific setting of alarms as well as a host of other features. Given its versatility, and broad variables monitored, the ECB-1 proved the ideal solution to replace the stock multi-function display in the third gauge pod.

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Like all Innovate Motorsports' MTS products, these gauges can be daisy-chained together and datalogged for troubleshooting or analysis. To record the data reported by the gauges, Innovate's extremely compact PL-1 Pocket Logger is used, positioned discreetly in the convenient storage compartment below the gauges in the center console.

Since the datalogger starts and stops recording at the press of a button, this location offered an ideal and discreet mounting location for the PL-1 while placing it within easy reach of the driver. If your application doesn't happen to have a convenient hiding place for your PL-1, Innovate Motorsports offers an optional remote trigger to make locating the start/stop trigger more convenient. Using the included 2GB SD memory card, up to 580 hours of data (up to 32 channels with a sample rate of 12-times-per-second) can be recorded. The logs can be downloaded and analyzed using Innovate Motorsports free LogWorks PC software.

GETTING FIRED UP

Just hearing the roar of the 350Z's LS3 engine swap at first firing elicits a feeling of anticipation and excitement. Being able to scan the trio of dash-mounted Innovate Motorsports gauges for engine vitals adds satisfaction to the sensory overload. Stepping on the throttle for the first time releases a surge of adrenaline that will keep you coming back for more.

GAUGE LINEUP
Part	Part Number	MSRP
ECB-1	3906	$499
MTX-D Battery/Volt	3853	$159
MTX-D Oil/Water	3913	$219
Pocket Logger	PL-1	3875	$99

Drivers metapace printers. MORE PROJECT LS350Z

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