V70 2.4T software tuning: Results

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Fri 24 Dec 2004 13:56
V70 2.4T software tuning: Results - SjB {P}
Some of you will have read my intentions posted at www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=27...9

Well, here's the result:

Courtesy of a Czech wife, who celebrates Christmas on 24th, Santa Claus just arrived, and after a brief licence key glitch, the PPC tuning from BSR is now installed.

When I was tuning my 1275CC MG Metro from 72 to 90 something horsepower back in the mid Eighties, at great expense and with a lot of time and effort involved, I never would have believed that twenty years later I would plug in a small box, press a button, and two minutes later gain 52bhp and 125NM torque. Well, it really is that easy, now!

I've just taken the car for a run, and WOW, what a difference!

Always quick, there are now huge, huge, reserves of torque that just pick the car up and hurl it towards the horizon. Seriously prodigious acceleration in second gear gave a clue as to what was coming, even with electronically limited torque in this gear to prevent it being spun away. Third gear now delivers the same, if not more, catapult acceleration than second gear did before, but being a taller gear (ie each engine RPM increase gives a greater road speed increase), maintains it for much longer. Imagine second gear levels of acceleration all the way through third gear, and a huge, ever welling, invisible force holding you in your seat. That's what it's like. Seriously impressive, and even more so because it is totally effortless (the engine feels as if it is unburstable) and delivered with the usual Volvo refinement. It truly is now the only gear I actually need, as it will pull from tickover, wake up at 1500RPM, and then charge hard all the way to the limiter at 7200RPM. The thing is though, there are two more gears left to come, and when you grab fourth gear, it's off, again, just as hard, and fifth is a superb, ultra relaxed, overtaking gear.

Apart from being pinned in to the seat, the only driving giveaway of the tuning is a small amount of torque steer in second gear (previously there was none), some turbo whistle (also none, previously), and a change to the throttle pedal action.

The throttle pedal is 'drive by wire', and Volvo programme it so that something like 75% throttle at the pedal only gives 50% throttle at the engine. The idea here is to make the car easy to drive 90% of the time, but the downside is that it is trickier than it needs to be to launch from rest. Backing off the pedal a smidge as grip limits are felt removes a disproportionate amount of torque. Well, it appears that with BSR, the relationship is more 1:1, so a small push on the pedal gives a bigger reward at the engine. This is apparent even when just off boost from tickover, where the car already feels alive and eager, and launching it cleanly and efficiently, without need for DSTC intervention, is now a breeze.

Having had the expected fun and games, it will be interesting to see what it's like tonight when driven in chauffeur mode, which I take pride in, instead of poking it with a stick whilst alone. I expect it to have gone from effortless (which it was) to sublimely so.

No doubt the best 880 Euros I have ever spent.

May you have as happy a Christmas as I! :-)
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Fri 24 Dec 2004 20:48
V70 2.4T software tuning: Results - Brill {P}
(I should be wrapping presents)...

I agree with you re. the standing start throttle response, my V70R has 265 bhp as standard, and yes it will fly when on the move, but the lag when (say) entering a busy roundabout from standstill is dreadful, and made worse being an auto as you can't build the revs and drop the cluch as you can with a manual, it just goes to sleep and takes a second to wake up.

Have you mentioned your updgrade at either:
www.v70r.com
or
www.volvoclub.org.uk (in the performance forum).

Many have tried the RICA (and other) chips on their V70s.
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Sun 26 Dec 2004 19:51
V70 2.4T software tuning: Results - SjB {P}
Hi Brill,

Interesting to read your post, but to be clear, my 2.4T never had a problem with throttle response. That was always excellent, even from tickover. Push the throttle, at any revs, and pickup was instant.

What wasn't my cup of tea in standard trim though was the non-linear relationship between throttle pedal and throttle plate, which made a perfect (maximum attack) launch more difficult than was necessary. Not something I do every day by any means, but when the critical point of tyre breakaway was reached, lifting (feathering) the throttle slightly removed more torque than would happen with a conventional 1:1 setup. This was because operating in the last portion of pedal movement appeared to close the throttle to a greater degree than would otherwise apply. Sure, I could let the DSTC take over, but I like to drive with some mechanical sympathy, even in relative terms when stressing the car.

I've now driven a couple of hundred miles with the BSR software installed, and am pleased to say that this characteristic has been banished completely.

To give a short running report, when in cruise mode the car is every bit as smooth and effortlessly swift as I hoped for. Third is a crushingly quick gear, and fifth gear roll-on behaves as if a large magnet is somewhere in front with a decreasing gap. Pure, inexorable, acceleration, with the engine barely audible in the background. Interestingly, having just completed the same journey that I have done countless times before, where fuel consumption was always between 27.0 and 29.1 MPG (dashboard display) on the occasions that I measured it, this time I obtained 30.8 MPG. Sure, early days, but it looks like the findings of friends with this software are valid in terms of slightly improved fuel consumption. Shame I won't drive the car again for two weeks!

Thinking about your auto V70, my brother has a V70 D5 auto, and this too takes a split second to wake up from a standing start, especially if idled in Drive long enough for neutral control to kick in. The solution is to left foot brake when at rest, and as a gap is about to appear, push the throttle with the right foot just enough to raise the revs slightly. Now, when the footbrake is released, the car will react immediately because the torque converted is already loaded and the neutral control disengaged. Incidentally, with a bit more right foot, and higher revs, this is a superb way of smoking away from rest. Use sparingly though, as the latter antics put huge torque through the drivetrain (especially as you have 4WD and are unlikely to spin away any excess), and a lot of heat in to the torque converter.
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Sun 26 Dec 2004 21:39
V70 2.4T software tuning: Results - SjB {P}
Thanks for thinking to comment, HJ. I'll be doing both of these things now, having before only done the first (simmer after a run). I'm actually lucky that where we live entails a cross-town start to most journeys that I make (so it's easy to allow the car to wake up gently), and the converse applies on the way home, with a couple of miles of 30MPH running. On top of this, I've also always let the engine idle whilst opening the garage door, or for twenty seconds or so after pulling up on the driveway if not.

Oil changes to date have been to the book, but I'll now switch to a six monthly (will be about 5,000 miles) regime and continue using the Shell Helix Ultra full synthetic that I've used to date.

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Mon 27 Dec 2004 09:56
V70 2.4T software tuning: Results - nick
Out of interest, how much did this increase your insurance premium? You did tell them, didn't you?......
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Tue 15 Feb 2005 13:03
V70 2.4T software tuning: Results - SjB {P}
Insurance cost changed from £430 pa with £250 excess (Tesco) to £557 pa with £320 excess (NU via Adrian Flux specialist brokers because NU Direct can't handle modified cars). Both policies are fully comprehensive and include business use for me and my wife, and protected NCD.

In fact, no 'direct' insurer would quote, so I turned to specialist brokers. Of these, Adrian Flux were extremely professional and helpful, quickly establishing the level of risk, and giving me the quote immediately. All other brokers either declined to quote when they heard the Adrian Flux quote, or quoted between £600 and £700 with high excesses.

Interestingly, the Adrian Flux rate for my modified 2003 V70 2.4T SE is actually less than the cheapest quote I could find for a 2003 V70 T5 SE. This despite the trim level and chassis setup being identical between the two cars, horsepower being almost identical (my car 252, standard T5 250), and my car having massively more torque (410NM v 320NM) over a wide rev band. In fact, I am more glad than ever that I went for the easy going 2.4T instead of the frantic T5, because I saved a hill of money at purchase time, now have cheaper insurance, and have a car that is both quicker outright and more relaxed with it than a T5. Average fuel consumption has also improved by just over 2mpg since applying the BSR software.

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Tue 15 Feb 2005 17:40
V70 2.4T software tuning: Results - cheddar
Warranty must be effected though where as a T5 would have full warranty?
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Tue 15 Feb 2005 17:55
V70 2.4T software tuning: Results - SjB {P}
Warranty must be effected though where as a T5 would have full warranty?

No. I saved over six grand by personally importing from the Netherlands, the trade off to which was only receiving a two year warranty. This is just about to expire, hence waiting until now to install modified software.
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