Upgrading an S60 T5

Im in the process of buying a 2001 T5 SE.

Q: Is there anyone who has modified thier car in any way, ECU, Wheels, Exhaust ect...?
Q: Can you reccomend a VERY GOOD specialist in / around Essex, i work in hoddesdon, and live in Maldon, near chelsmford, Essex.
Q: Any qurkiness lurking aroud the corner..?
If theres anyhting else you can think of, please let meknow.

Kind Regards,
Mark

mld@fitzpatrick.co.uk

[Simon Linton]

I'd start at Kalmar Union, and go on from there - I don't know any Volvo specialists in the Essex area and "one size fits all" tuners are unlikely to give a satisfactory result.

"One size fits all" is not actually possible on an S60 T5, or for any Volvo after 1999. I also agree that it doesn't get the right results on the earlier models either, even though they may run ok at idle.

Adam.

[foggyjames]

Adam said:
>"One size fits all" is not actually possible on an S60 T5, or
>for any Volvo after 1999. I also agree that it doesn't get the
>right results on the earlier models either, even though they
>may run ok at idle.

Excuse my ignorance Adam....but a "One size fits all" what?! I'm guessing you're talking about something specific, but I can't figure out what!



For ECU upgrades, Don (Kalmar Union) and Adam (Volvo Tuning UK) seem to be the folks to talk to. Most folk these days seem to be plumping for a RICA re-map, but as a result the competition doesn't get much publicity.

An ECU remap, a low-restriction exhaust system, and a few other odds and ends are normally enough for most people.

Alloys...there are a number of tasty factory choices available, but if you want quality wheels (whether aftermarket or original), it's gonna cost a lot.

cheers

James

James,

I presume by "one size fits all" Simon meant "one generic ECU chip that fits all". As nice as this would be, it's simply not possible, and if you tried it on an S60 T5 the car wouldn't even start. You can sort of get away with it under certain circumstances on the older cars like the 850, but even then you need to remap every ECU individualy for best results.

Adam.

[foggyjames]

Ahh...I see! Naturally...for a start its got one too many cylinders for a 'typical' chip!!

I'm guessing when you say its simpler with the 850s (etc) that is because of the absence of ECU controlled boost and fly-by-wire throttle, etc? In other words, the simpler ECUs function more or less like the NA ones, whereas in the newer engines, the ECU does a fundamentally more comprehensive job, hence the incompatibility?

cheers

James

The 850 does have full ECU controlled boost. The difference in the older cars is down to physical things such as injector sizes and turbo sizes, lambda sensors, etc as well as having minor ECU variations. Although the car may run, it still may not perform as well.

On the later models, the software is different in each car, with immobilisation built in etc, VIN coding, VVT, fly-by-wire, and loads more complex stuff such as CAN bus comms with other on board computers etc, meaning that it's impossible to even start the car if you try and use a generic chip.

Adam.

[foggyjames]

Thanks for the info Adam! I didn't realise 850s has electronic boost control - you learn something new every day!

All very clever until it goes wrong ;) The only computer on the 360 is the Renix Ignition module, and I have a spare of that and a crank angle sensor in the boot...hopefully that'll stop me needing to be trailered away! Now if I tried the same on a S60, I'd need half a spare car :)

cheers

James

>All very clever until it goes wrong ;)
>
>cheers
>
>James

Maybe so, but the flip side is that it's invaluable in terms of diagnostics, because the ECU will give you all the clues as to where to look and what is wrong. With experience, you can find and fix the fault very quickly. It also means you can extract better and safer performance, and it's certainly the only way to meet modern emissions requirements.

Unfortunately, it's not so good for the DIY mechanic from a tuning or repair point of view. This is probably why you enjoy your 360.

Adam.

ps. We have a 340 as a loan car!!! :)

[Dan F]

My 360 never went wrong (unless you count the time I connected a 'spare' spade connector under the bonnet to the renix module and blew it up (literally! Bits flew everywhere)!! That taught me a valuable lesson!! If it ain't broke......... lol.

Anyway, newer cars need to be more strictly controlled so emissions are kept in check. That is mostly what it is all about. Although electronic control does have the added benefit of being able to wring every last ounce of power from a particular engine setup that physical tuning alone couldn't match.

Also if a 360 DOES go wrong, the fault will be mechanical as the electronics are non existent. So diagnostics are down to a proper mechanics judgement on a car such as the 300 series.

Later,
Dan.