Should I get my car Rica'd?

[sholtby]

Those are good figures that your customers have told you of. I'm not looking to show you up if the dyno figures aren't around the 300 mark. But if they were around 275 I'd wish I'd bought a cheaper chip.
A good reading from the 'butt dyno' is what I'm after but it would be interesting for Don and myself to get some figures. By the way I'm not on anyones side here! So if you are planning to buy a chip keep an eye on this thread.
I wont be able to bring the car to you Adam, its too far. So it would be unfair to dismiss Rica if I'm not happy as I wouldnt have given you chance to examine my car for faults. The car is though running sweet as a nut at the moment, uses almost no oil, recent plugs fitted, turbo replaced 20k miles ago, vacume pipes replaced today.

Simon

It should be close to 300 bhp. If you're not satisfied, full refund as promised, since we won't be able to fix it for you.

Adam.

[foggyjames]

Adam:
>It's not a 740 turbo - it's an 850
>T5 and it's complex.

Well absolutely. Most of all, its an 850 T5 which is a car I know almost nothing about!! That's the main reason I'm trying to understand what is actually done.

Is what you're saying that an MBC causes the turbo to spool earlier, which confuses the stock ECU, as its detecting too much boost for the RPM point? Sounds like a step backwards in ECU design to me! With the more 'basic' system, it doesn't make it spool any earlier, it just boosts harder when it does.

Very good point about the emissions business. In the 700 series turbos, the Americans got the later watered down B230FT (cat), while we kept the hotter B230ET (better head, hotter cam, no cat). These were two engines built from the parts bin with components that already existed, but I can fully understand why Volvo didn't bother to design a different engine when they started out knowing they were going to be selling the whiteblock to meet California smog laws.

cheers

James

It's not a step backward, but a step forward. It means you can produce a flat torque curve by setting the boost based on calculated load. It means that the ECU can control how aggressive or smooth the power delivery is. It means that the ECU can lower boost if it needs to, for example when knock is detected. It also means that the ECU can run limp-home boost, ie a preset very low boost level if it detects a problem severe enough to warrant restricted boost in order to prevent engine damage.

The later models are even more complex, because there is no distributor and no throttle cable. This means that the ignition is far more precise, and it means that the ECU can shut the throttle if it needs to, which it does during overboost detection for example if it can't cut the boost using the boost control valve. That's why on the later cars, bleed valves don't work because the ECU can simply shut the throttle because it knows there is an air leak in the boost control pipework. As a driver you have no direct control. You simply use the accelerator pedal as a "request signal to open the throttle". The ECU then decides how much to open the throttle, not you!!!

Adam.

[foggyjames]

Big Brother is in control!!

It's all very clever stuff I agree...and most conveniently requires reprogramming by an expert before anything much can be altered ;) As with so many things with modern cars, I'm tempted to buy, use, and don't fiddle. I'll leave the fiddling to the older cars!

I was reading the thread the other day about installing a hands-free kit in a new Volvo. You need some interface module, and a *software update* to use the phone mute!! Mental...

It can all get too clever - the most powerful Volvo car engine I know of isn't a whiteblock, and I'm fairly sure that's because its so much cheaper (and easier!) to get big power from a redblock.

I must admit, I had rather wondered how they achieved the 'magical' flat torque curves - presumably to preserve gearboxes and engine internals?

cheers

James

The flat torque curve is there to provide the nicest driveability, so whatever rpm you're at, you will have the same torque and therefore the same kick in the back.

Funnily enough, one reason why Volvo makes the cars so complex is so that people can't meddle with them, and that includes tuners!!!!

Adam.

When I got my V70 R AWD chipped it was no where near 300bhp. At Power Engineering it produced 267 bhp and that was with RICA chip and cat back exhaust and filter.

Later when I had 19T turbo fitted and remap it produced 290bhp.

Before we have the rest of the cr*p it was a very well maintained car (45,000 miles) and everything was spot on.

The 290 bhp power run was performed first thing in the morning (so no raised ambient temps). It was also a booked test not one of these day out jobs.

Don was with me when the tests were carried out.

And yes all upgrades will look really good in the first week.

Karl

[foggyjames]

So your (half) exhaust, air filter, and RICA chip gained you 17 (peak) BHP?!

I'm hoping for Adam's sake that that is a measurement error!!

cheers

James

That is what came out of the dyno.

On this occasion there were lots of Volvos being dynoed and mine was not the highest.

That was why I went for the 19T etc, etc and had it back on the dyno.

Karl

[sholtby]

Karl,

I assume you are the guy Don refered to earlier with the disappointing dyno figures? Was the modest power gain hardly noticable then over the stock car? Have you contacted Adam to discuss any problems with the Rica software?
After reading a lot of comments on this and the american sites about Rica you seem to be about the only person who hasnt been extremely pleased with their upgrade.
What I haven't yet found though is anyone else who has had their car dynoed and verified Ricas figures. But its not something a lot of people do.
I'm expecting my Rica ecu tommorrow. But may be out due to commitments when the delivery guy comes. I'll post my opinion when I get it.

Simon