Engine: D52447: Chipping or remapping MY04 XC90 D5 (163 BHP)

[mangoose]

Hi,

I am thinking of chipping/remapping my XC90 and have a few questions:

1) Roughly how much does insurance increase?
2) What are the benefits in performance and acceleration? Does the hesitation problem get sorted out?
3) I have an aftermarket warranty (VGS), before I call them to ask, has anybody had any problems with invalidating warranties?
4) Who do you recommend (I am in North London)?

Thanks

[Beavis]

hi, i don't wish to pinch the thread, but i was also wondering if anyone that has had it done on a 185, can confirm the mpg has increased?

currently only getting 25, so looking for increase in economy rather than performance.

[RT Mechanics]

Originally Posted by mangoose

Hi,

I am thinking of chipping/remapping my XC90 and have a few questions:

1) Roughly how much does insurance increase?
2) What are the benefits in performance and acceleration? Does the hesitation problem get sorted out?
3) I have an aftermarket warranty (VGS), before I call them to ask, has anybody had any problems with invalidating warranties?
4) Who do you recommend (I am in North London)?

Thanks

Hi Mangoose

Please see my answers to your questions below as best as i can :

1) It really depends on the company they do seem to vary alot

2) The Rica PPC will give you a much nicer throttle response over all power and driveability do ask a few more people with our products you will find many happy customers.

3) I have not seen any customers have any problems with any aftermarket warranty after an upgrade

4) US We are the best sellling agent for the Rica products in the uk we only do the volvo models, you would not need to come to us as we can post the PPC to you.

Russ

[RT Mechanics]

Originally Posted by StuT4

hi, i don't wish to pinch the thread, but i was also wondering if anyone that has had it done on a 185, can confirm the mpg has increased?

currently only getting 25, so looking for increase in economy rather than performance.

Hi Stu

I can ask a few customers for you so you can quiz them and not listen to the salesman, I sold a customer with a 57 reg XC90 yesterday so can ask the customer for you once he has tried it out properly,but we do also sell the Rica epower which is a product designed just to lower the emmisions and raise the mpg

Russ

[don kalmar union]

I am not far from you, I suspect, in Mill Hill, NW7.

You can call me on 020 8959 3230.

I can install MTE software in your car which will give you increased outputs of 195bhp/410nm.

If you drive a D5 with MTE software carefully you will undoubtedly gain in fuel economy, if you drive as you have before it would be reasonable to expect a slight improvement, if you go for it you will experience higher fuel consumption.

Best regards, Don.

[shawky]

Originally Posted by mangoose

Hi,

I am thinking of chipping/remapping my XC90 and have a few questions:

1) Roughly how much does insurance increase?
2) What are the benefits in performance and acceleration? Does the hesitation problem get sorted out?
3) I have an aftermarket warranty (VGS), before I call them to ask, has anybody had any problems with invalidating warranties?
4) Who do you recommend (I am in North London)?

Thanks

Hi Mangoose,

I have a 2008 C70 D5 and like you went through the usual hours of threads trying to find the best option. Finally after reading many possitive reports on the Rica PPC and RT Mechanics i took the plunge and gave Russ a call.

After placing my order late afternoon and Russ posting my PPC the following morning, i waited in anticipation for the knock on the door.
It arrived the next day and i set about updating my car. After following the instructions i got the message READ CAR so i did as it said and went into the house to update over the internet. Due to it being a bank holiday in Holland i hadn't been given a login for the update utility and couldn't progress any further.
I gave Russ a call feeling like a kid at christmas that couldn't play with his new toy because it had no batteries

Russ then set about sending an email to the head dude at Rica.nl to get my username and password. I received my details from Russ the next day. Credit all round with it being a Bank Holiday

Following the online update and the longest 5 minute wait ever to update my car, i finally got out onto the road

Its strange how when you drive as many miles as i do you instantly know something is different with your car and I must say that now the car is the most petrol like diesel i have ever driven.

It is alot smoother all through the rev range with it reving well into the red line if you want to. It now pulls like a train from 2k revs until you run out of revs. Having said that i know tend to drive between 2k and 3k revs which gives me plenty of performance when needed. It does over all feel loads quicker with a nice growl for a diesel.

MPG has also increased slightly on standard fuel but up by about 5 MPG on Shell high performance diesel. Having now driven about 2000 miles in the last couple of weeks i found that on a long slow run i can get 50+ MPG with 44 MPG ish on mixed driving and mid 30's when going for a good old thrash.

Over all the best £500 i could have spent on my car backed up with the best customer service i have come across in some time, so would recommend Russ at RT Mechanics if you are going down the Rica route.

I haven't asked about the warranty as i intend to remove the remap before it goes in for any work.( beauty of having the PPC unit)

My insurance has gone up by about £10 a month but then i do have it on business insurance with about 40k miles a year.

If you are near Derby and want to feel the difference let me know


Hope this helps.

Paul

[mangoose]

Thanks for the replies all

Russ and Don, I'll give you both a call for a chat - if the kids let me have a chance!

[ckp]

Originally Posted by StuT4

hi, i don't wish to pinch the thread, but i was also wondering if anyone that has had it done on a 185, can confirm the mpg has increased?

currently only getting 25, so looking for increase in economy rather than performance.

Hello all,

I have a 2008 D5 185 with RICA 226bhp chip, fitted from new as I have driven the 163 and 185bhp models which had poor take off, and couldn't cope with it. I order on spec, without a test drive, so I only have my memory of the 163/185 models to refer too!

Acceleration from rest: Improved, but you still get a 'slight' hesitation - sorry but just being honest.
Acceleration from 30/50+ : Very good, much improved ... even sporty.
mpg: town 22mpg!!!!!! mixed 26, long runs at 60-75mph 32-34mpg. All from tank to tank measurements as car computer is +4mpg high.
Insurace: 40% increase
mileage: 15K and going well, I am hoping the engine will free up a bit with another 10K.

IMO, there is no way a chipped car wil give you better mpg ... because if you do manage to get it better, you will be driving it soooooo carefully, it would negate the point of chipping in the first place!

Overall, I would say go for it.

[theonlyone]

Mangoose,

I went to RTMechanics a few months ago for the RICA PPC upgrade for my MY05 XC90 D5 SE. The remap was straightforward and took me about 5 mins.

The increase in performance was obvious, and was characterised by the need for a lighter foot on the accelerator to achieve the same performance up to 70-ish, and the effortless ability of the XC90 to then propel itself far beyond that point. (I hadn't told my wife that I'd done the upgrade, but shortly afterwards she commented that it now seemed just 'go like a train'.

Fuel economy does improve (2-3 mpg?) and this gain is not lost by the occaisonal 'blast'. The 'hesitation' is a myth as far as I am concerned (so the upgrade does not 'fix' it) - It's a question of the driving style and the nature of the vehicle. I have always found that a steady application of power is what is needed and flooring the accelerator is simply the wrong way to drive these heavy vehicles.

I used the RICA to upgrade my V70 140BHP classic (to 180) a few years ago and was similarly impressed. I still have it.

Who would I recommend? RT Mechanics - no question.

Regards,

[RT Mechanics]

Originally Posted by shawky

Hi Mangoose,

I have a 2008 C70 D5 and like you went through the usual hours of threads trying to find the best option. Finally after reading many possitive reports on the Rica PPC and RT Mechanics i took the plunge and gave Russ a call.

After placing my order late afternoon and Russ posting my PPC the following morning, i waited in anticipation for the knock on the door.
It arrived the next day and i set about updating my car. After following the instructions i got the message READ CAR so i did as it said and went into the house to update over the internet. Due to it being a bank holiday in Holland i hadn't been given a login for the update utility and couldn't progress any further.
I gave Russ a call feeling like a kid at christmas that couldn't play with his new toy because it had no batteries

Russ then set about sending an email to the head dude at Rica.nl to get my username and password. I received my details from Russ the next day. Credit all round with it being a Bank Holiday

Following the online update and the longest 5 minute wait ever to update my car, i finally got out onto the road

Its strange how when you drive as many miles as i do you instantly know something is different with your car and I must say that now the car is the most petrol like diesel i have ever driven.

It is alot smoother all through the rev range with it reving well into the red line if you want to. It now pulls like a train from 2k revs until you run out of revs. Having said that i know tend to drive between 2k and 3k revs which gives me plenty of performance when needed. It does over all feel loads quicker with a nice growl for a diesel.

MPG has also increased slightly on standard fuel but up by about 5 MPG on Shell high performance diesel. Having now driven about 2000 miles in the last couple of weeks i found that on a long slow run i can get 50+ MPG with 44 MPG ish on mixed driving and mid 30's when going for a good old thrash.

Over all the best £500 i could have spent on my car backed up with the best customer service i have come across in some time, so would recommend Russ at RT Mechanics if you are going down the Rica route.

I haven't asked about the warranty as i intend to remove the remap before it goes in for any work.( beauty of having the PPC unit)

My insurance has gone up by about £10 a month but then i do have it on business insurance with about 40k miles a year.

If you are near Derby and want to feel the difference let me know


Hope this helps.

Paul

Hi Paul

Many thanks for the very detailed report so glad your happy with your Rica product and even though we had a small delay your still happy

Enjoy your car thankyou for your business.

Russ