D5 Auto - Acceleration lag when pulling off

Just caught up with the thread - my box sounds like it was even easier to fit than Steve's. Simply unplug connector on end of common rail - plug in the cable for the box - run the cable out of the way - I used cable ties - plug in the tuning box. End of story - only trouble I had was getting the plug the right way round - sounds crazy but it took me 2 hours to figure out that the "right" way was in fact the "wrong" way - I reckon that you could have done the whole job inside 15 mins.

[ojock]

Mike,

Any more info on the box you have, where from, prices, etc?

I bought mine on eBay from this guy.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Volvo-40-60-70...QQcmdZViewItem

He also has a web site http://www.autotechnik-saretz.de/

eBay was cheaper!

You need a tuning box plus the Bosch cable - mine was Euro 79 plus Euro 39 for the cable adapter and Euro 10 postage - delivery was fast and the guy was really helpful. I think that it worked out to a tad under £90 all in. Tuning box has a 1 year warranty - I emailed him (in English) with a few questions beforehand and he responded quickly - would recommend him.

Regards

[ojock]

Mike, that's a great price for the kit compared to approx £400 for the kit Steve above has fitted.

If you're happy with it and haven't encountered any other issues, I may well go for that one instead.

[StevePritchard]

I had seen that one too, and it does look to be a great price. I was just a bit put off by the lack of engine warranty. After just having a number of days-worth of work done under warranty, I wasn't prepared to lose my warranty so I'd have to cover those costs myself.

I notice that their "High End" tuning boxes are in the same ball-park, pricewise, as the Steinbauer unit.

Cheers,

Steve.

[siggi757]

I have an automatic 2005 model XC90 D5.

The acceleration is OK for such a big car but I have this same annoying problem with the automatic transmission.

When, for example, I stop at a red light it is very obvious that the transmission switches from Drive to Neutral after the car comes to a complete stop and I hold down the brake pedal for more than 1 or 2 seconds.

In theory the car should switch from N to D when I release the brake pedal. Sometimes it happens flawlessly but all to often the transmission take 1 to 2 seconds to switch to Drive. I guess it only takes me about a third of a second to move my foot from the brake pedal to the gas pedal.

The resulting "KLUNK" sound and the car lurching is extremely annoying and you would think that it is not very healthy for the car.

I've read on the internet that this "feature", which is supposed to reduce the wear and tear of the gearbox, can be turned off by the dealer by the hooking the car up to a computer. Can anyone confirm that this problem has been fixed on their car.

I have an appointment for my XC90 with the dealer in about a month from now (not the fastest service). I tried to describe the problem on the phone but it seems the technician was not familiar with the problem.

Having looked through this thread i'm keen to see if there is a 'definitive' answer to this topic.

I get the same lag on my 2006 185 D5 SE auto and the car often leaves me standing for longer than planned at junctions and traffic lights. (which is not a very nice experience)

Before talking to the dealer any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Tim

[patl]

Hi Tim,

That seems strange ... my 2006 D5 185 SE is OK off the line. It doesn't have any lag. I thought I read that the gearbox learns from you driving style and I certainly am heavy footed with mine. I thought about the RICA tune to take it up to 228 bhp, but for the £490 I don't really think I need it (if petrol was cheaper I would have the V8). If I hold it on the brake with my left foot I can wheelspin it off the lights if I really want to ... not bad for a heavy diesel 4x4. If your 185 seems bad, ask the dealer to try a demonstrator to see if there is a problem with yours.

Regards,
Patrick.

Patrick

Thanks for your feedback - maybe I should be more brutal with it - the characteristic is similar to those mentioned in earlier postings, you get the lag from a standing start ie. foot on brake then onto accelerator - but no problem when starting with foot already on gas and presumably gearbox fully engaged.

Either way its going to the dealers.. mind you an extra 43bhp does sound tempting.

Regards

Tim

[siggi757]

Got my 2005 XC90 D5 (164bhp) today after being serviced at the dealership.

The problem with the automatic transmission, that I mentioned in my previous post here above, seems to be completely fixed.

The funny thing is that I hadn't realized how carefully I was treating the autobox until I got the car back and starting to test how the autobox was behaving. Seems that this transmission didn't adjust to my driving style... rather it was me that adjusted to the transmission.

The dealer had the software for the transmission updated (his words) and he changed the transmission fluid which he said looked really bad. All done under warranty as well as silencing some squeeky panels that were driving me crazy.

The technician I spoke with said this transmission never had the "free-gear" option (switching automaticly from D to N when stopping at red light and back to D when releasing the brake). I find that hard to believe as this was exactly what the car was doing even though it was doing it rather badly.

I am happy to say it runs fine now.

Cheers,
Siggi