D5 Tuning Chips - are they really any good?

[JimG]

Originally Posted by dera

Removing the torque limitation on low gears isn't a problem at all. This is controlled solely by the ECM, TCM doesn't send any torque reduction requests to ECU apart for gear change.

Low gear torque reduction isn't there just to protect the gearbox, but its there to make the car smoother to drive with less wheelspin. Its not even active on all engine/software revisions.

You lost me from here...

So you would recommend the MTE upgrade and do away with the torque limits for the lower gears? And you're quite sure it couldn't damage anything?

[The Painter]

If you remove the torque limiter on an XC90 you will damage the gearbox and differential, torque limiters are there to save the components, Mercedes make cars with in excess of 700lb ft of torque, unlimited in the lower gears that torque would simply break something, even the Bugatti Veyron has a limit in the first 3 gears, it has nothing to do with smooth driving, that is down to your right foot.

[Beavis]

Originally Posted by JimG

You lost me from here...

So you would recommend the MTE upgrade and do away with the torque limits for the lower gears? And you're quite sure it couldn't damage anything?

The MTE torque limiter removal only removes the limiter in 3rd and up. The limiter in 1st and 2nd remains. When i Remapped mine, i queried this with MTE, and they replied as follows: "everyone else goes without trq lim, you have the stronger 6spd auto. it is you choice and responsibility but track record is good. This one is with a medium variant allowing 400Nm in 1st , 450Nm in 2nd , and 500+Nm in 3-6th gear”.

Have a look on T5D5 site, as there are many more people with their D5 remapped on there.

To date (touch wood), i have not had any problems with the remap, and i would do it again.

http://forums.t5d5.org/topic/14440-r...t/page__st__20

[dera]

Originally Posted by The Painter

If you remove the torque limiter on an XC90 you will damage the gearbox and differential, torque limiters are there to save the components, Mercedes make cars with in excess of 700lb ft of torque, unlimited in the lower gears that torque would simply break something, even the Bugatti Veyron has a limit in the first 3 gears, it has nothing to do with smooth driving, that is down to your right foot.

I've never seen an Aisin box from an XC90 being damaged by excess torque on low gears. Mechanically that gearbox can take huge amounts of torque.

The limitation is there on some manual cars as well, and its not always active on automatics either.

Anyways, any decent tuner can either remove or alter the torque limitation values and can advise on what would suit customers driving style the best.

[Blue693]

After i had a polestar upgrade on my 185 d5, i contacted polestar directly here in Sweden and asked how they could up the torque to 450nm when aisin warner clearly say the maximum recommended torque limit on the 6 speed auto is 440nm.....polestar said volvo would cover any gearbox damage that happened as a result of the upgrade as they approve each installation.....

I am sure if you check on the polestar web site, 450nm is the highest they increase the torque to on any volvo d5 auto.....they also test each individual model for 15,000 miles on all newly developed engine mods, hence there is no polestar upgrade yet for the new spec 200hp d5.

With all the problems in the US concerning the early t6 gm gearbox being over torqued (not that volvo ever admitted this was the cause), i think you need to consider the risks carefully before installing any upgrade that removes the gearbox torque limits.....

[dera]

Originally Posted by Blue693

After i had a polestar upgrade on my 185 d5, i contacted polestar directly here in Sweden and asked how they could up the torque to 450nm when aisin warner clearly say the maximum recommended torque limit on the 6 speed auto is 440nm.....polestar said volvo would cover any damage that happened as a result of the upgrade as they approve each installation.....

I am sure if you check on the polestar web site, 450nm is the highest they increase the torque to on any volvo d5 auto.....they also test each individual model for 15,000 miles on all newly developed engine mods, hence there is no upgrade yet for the new spec 200hp d5.

With all the problems in the US concerning the early t6 gm gearbox being over torqued by the volvo engine (not that volvo ever admitted this was the cause), i think you need to consider the risks carefully before installing any non volvo approved upgrade that removes the gearbox torque limits.....

Well, 440Nm at 5000rpm is 308hp... And they also say its "sealed for life"...

Always talk to the tuner and discuss the options and your requirements. A decent tuner can always advise on the best course of action for your specific car, and can happily provide a lower torque map if thats required.

One example that springs to mind. I tuned a TF80SC immediately when they came out 6 or 7 years ago. That car was a taxi in Finland, and the last I heard a couple of years ago it had done 440'000km with about 490Nm of torque, and no problems whatsoever.

As a matter of fact, out of the maybe 200 or 300 cars I've tuned with that gearbox, I've never seen a broken one that wasn't due to a design "flaw" of the gearbox (read: blocked oil filter)

It really is a very strong gearbox.

btw, bor du i Halland?

[Blue693]

Hej Dera....ja, jag bor i halland!

Thanks for the info about the various upgrades....i went for the polestar just to keep whats left of my lousy swedish warranty intact.....and its been a pain in the backside.....

Sorry if this is not the right area to post this, but since the upgrade, i've got a sort of spring/creak type noise from the front left side as the gears change up between 1st and 4th....usually when the car gets warm and not all the time....more so when light throttle and on a dead flat and straight road. Its been back to the dealer and they can't find anything wrong....the last they said was that the polestar may be causing a release of over pressure from the turbo (i guess the wastegate) and thats what i can hear....not sure i believe them as you can feel it in the throttle pedal a little...and it sounds to me like something is physically moving...they updated the software, but no difference...

Ever heard of a remap causing this type of problem?

Btw Kan du talar svenska?

[dera]

Originally Posted by Blue693

Hej Dera....ja, jag bor i halland!

Thanks for the info about the various upgrades....i went for the polestar just to keep whats left of my lousy swedish warranty intact.....and its been a pain in the backside.....

Sorry if this is not the right area to post this, but since the upgrade, i've got a sort of spring/creak type noise from the front left side as the gears change up between 1st and 4th....usually when the car gets warm and not all the time....more so when light throttle and on a dead flat and straight road. Its been back to the dealer and they can't find anything wrong....the last they said was that the polestar may be causing a release of over pressure from the turbo (i guess the wastegate) and thats what i can hear....not sure i believe them as you can feel it in the throttle pedal a little...and it sounds to me like something is physically moving...they updated the software, but no difference...

Ever heard of a remap causing this type of problem?

Btw Kan du talar svenska?

Jag är finsk so jag har läst svensk i skolan för ett par år, men har glömt nästan allt!

Was that sound there before you got the Polestar upgrade?

Wastegate is not the culprit, your car does not have one. The only way the ECU could release pressure back to the intake would be to close the throttle valve, which it only does if there's something fundamentally wrong in the way the ECM is mapped or a serious physical problem with the car.

When you say the sound comes from the front left side, it means it comes from the air filter box I would think (unless its a physical problem within the gearbox, which I dont believe.) That happens if ECU thinks its boosting too much and cant control the torque during gearchanges within its normal settings, and has to close the throttle valve to prevent flare on gearchanges.

Air always moves from high to low pressure, and in this case, with the throttle valve partially closed, the lower pressure is back to the intake, which is heard as a distinct sound coming out of the airbox.
This is not good for your turbo (there is a huge pressure blowback to the compressor wheel when air flows back through it "the wrong way")

This is my theory about it without seeing/hearing it. I'm in Malmö sometime next week, if you happen to be anywhere near I'd be more than happy to do a quick test drive to confirm if this really is the case.

[Blue693]

Thanks a lot for the info....it's been back to the dealer 4 times now in the five weeks since i had it...

Cant say if it was there before the polestar was done....the car had 2 bad rear bearings making a real noise and i took it back a couple of days after i got it and had those done and the polestar at the same time....

The noise feels like its low down on the left - as i said, much more noticeable with gentle acceleration in the low gears. Harder acceleration and its not there...it isn't regular at all. You can sometimes feel a slight hesitation/jerk through the pedal as well

The dealer said they checked everything and tightened the front end up and can't find a physical problem....The car had 30000 kms, so i'd be really urprised if it was the gear box...

Many thanks the offer of a test drive...i am a couple of hours from malmö, so let me know which day you are there and i'll try and get down....it would be much appreciated!

[dera]

Originally Posted by Blue693

Many thanks the offer of a test drive...i am a couple of hours from malmö, so let me know which day you are there and i'll try and get down....it would be much appreciated!

I'm driving from Copenhagen to Stockholm then, if I have a few spare hours (which I think I will, I'll let you know in a few days), I can drive up via yours as well and then Gothenburg and E20 from the northern side of Vättern.
A bit longer, but I have time, and that would avoid me the MISERY of E4