Mine is still basic logger capable single display, OB2 version. No expansion add-on yet. Soon it will be expanded.
Dual display holder, ready for 2nd display unit non logging. Probably early next year.
Crappy suction cup's rubber material, June 2021 arrived from USA ( stock age I do not know ) and yesterday the rubber crumbled...LOL
No big deal.
The good :
01. Very powerful, fast and almost no lag. Hardwired not bluetooth to car OBD2 connector.
02. The Data Monster model can do logging to at least 32GB micro SDHC card, so data keeping is unlimited.
03. Auto activated by RPM signal, when logging is choosen, auto logging will automatically happen within 3-4 seconds.
04, Insane expansion capability : https://www.bankspower.com/c-70-prod...cessories.html
05. Albeit small display, text and resolution is amazing.
06. Can be programmed to show 5 custom pages and each page with 8 data PID of your choice.
The BAD :
01. AFR ( Air Fuel Ratio ) data is error, it is opposite value. Rich becomes lean and vice versa.
For reason unknown and Banks themselves simply claimed that it works with US cars but cant assist me on a Mercedes type of AFR used ( Bosch LSU4.9)
Not professional their reply is, because their website showed compatibility and AFR data from a Mercedes 4.7L engine of 2014 BIDS (bankspower.com)
Banks reply : The current firmware works for US market vehicles. In order to make it work for this European format of AFR, we will need a vehicle to implement a mechanism that can dynamically identify whether it needs to use the US format or the European format; in order to do so we will try to get access to a vehicle that outputs the European format, but at this time we do not have access to such a vehicle and may not be able to ever? At this time we do not have a way of changing this and at this time there is nothing more we can do.
At minute 0:55 is when I started to WOT and see the AFR goes 15.8 to 15.9 which means lean and not enriched, but in actuality fueling is being enriched
At minute 1:01 is when release throttle and coast the car, see AFR goes to 7.xx which means very enriched, but in actuality fueling is super lean, I believe
injector cut off occurred here.
AFR chart below for those who does not understand it. Gasoline engine using normal fuel, 14.7 is the perfect AFR or stoich
Lambda is another way to describe AFR, but it uses 1.0 as stoich and can represent different types of fuel same 1.0 as stoich
Below is from stoich to RICH
Below is older video using Torque APP.
It is probably not super accurate but at least it shows rich when indeed fueling is being enriched and vice versa.
Torque App shows both Lambda and AFR.
However, Lambda with single digit after zero ( 1 decimal point ) is rather useless.
A lambda of 0.9 is too low a resolution to show a 0.85 to 0.89 actual.
The BAD :
02. No option from Banks to insert /add GPS module for clock , date and GPS speed + coordinate inserted into the log file
When on long run like now Jakarta to Bali and soon Bali to Jakarta, the Banks will auto reset at every fuel stop or engine kill.
So I get many small files. I have a hard time keeping track of which files goes to which video of the Viofo dashcam.
I need the video to see what is going on around the car visually and audio wise, while the data is being viewed in real time inserted
into the video itself. Having a video with engine data overlay helps a lot in understanding what is going on.
This is like a low cost racing car telemetry
03. When set to do auto logging, failure to place a memory card into its slot will cause the gauge to not wake up itself aka a seemingly DEAD unit.
They should improve the firmware where if no memory card in the slot, gauge should still be activated but simply show a warning of no memory card and resume normal monitoring.
04. The male OBD2 connector they designed is so tight fit, on purpose I guess because some of their gauge is part of their special throttle controller
called PEDAL MONSTER https://www.bankspower.com/i-3076-pe...l#!year%3D2015
It is so tight fit for safety, BUT removing the OBD2 connector is a bietch. Also at times I think due to this extra friction of the connector plastic, the gauge sometimes failed to wake up ( maybe not so good insertion at its copper contact points) upon receiving RPM signal of a running engine and hence I need to unplug and then plug again the OBD2 male connector to wake up the gauge.....and is a bietch
Well, overall I am VERY happy with this Banks Data Monster , albeit its shortcomings.
If the 1st and 2nd 4th bad-s can be sorted-out or improved...dang this is one SUPER awesome tool.
I hope Mr Banks get hold of this post, he is one **** engineer who really love making good products and is hands on, even at his age.
I respect the know-how of Mr Banks a great deal.
Is the Banks AFR reading from the MB O2 sensors or one they supplied? If from the MB it should be correct, but it clearly isnt. Most of those aftermarket AFR sensors use a Bosch 4.9 sensor. The conversion of the data is just a -5 to 5 V table Most likely the data has been inverted incorrectly Try swapping the axis voltages for the display...
There is nothing I can do on Banks Gauge for its OBD2 data PIDs, it can't be customized like I can do with its other modules.
Too bad AFR on Banks belongs to its OBD2 section.
I am not suprised though, Bosch LSU 4.9 probably protocol is not in Banks radar yet. They don't care much on European engines.
They are very big with diesels, US version.
Overall I still find Banks Gauge amazing for its expansion capability and simplicity to install.
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