[the dude]

Hi folks... first... nice site!
I'm curious to what sort of performance you folks are getting out of your S60's? Specifically the turbo model. More to the point, how fast are they stock and can you chip it? Are there aftermarket chips out for these yet? 0-60 mph, and 1/4 mile times?

Also, how is the suspension? Are you guys upgrading the suspensions?

I currently drive a VW Passat 1.8T... and I have upgraded my wheels and tires (16" Borbet B with 225/50 RE730's) as well as chipped from Garret (200 hp/245 lbs. torque) She's very peppy, just not off the line... but on the highway...watchout! I also need to upgrade the springs and shocks as they come mushy from the factory (they think we all like the Caddy ride here).

I am seriously considering the turbo'd S60 as my future hotrod... er, car. But I want something I can tweak a bit.

Thanks!
| the dude

 

[cys]

I asked basically the same question...a couple of times. This does not seem to be a site that is big on modifications. Let me know what you find out. I'm currently driving a modified S4 and was looking to do the same with the T5. I just would like to know the vendors to avoid as well the tuners who are good. The links all seem geared to the 850 and older models. Hearing about someones experiences would be great though. As a turbo'd car, you would think it would be very easy to chip and get monster hp/torque and I would be intersted in finding a comfortable suspension set up that will improve on the factory set-up.

 

[Green Goblin]

Guys,

I asked Wetterauer the same thing and they said they haven't been able to crack the latest ECU code for the S60.
Then I have heard from an extremely reliable source that www.UPsolute.com has just cracked it, and already has a program for the S40. They probably use the same ECU's in the S40 and S60 - See "chips" in the S40 forum. Shouldn't be long now for the 2.4T or T5.

 

[ijahman]

quote:

Originally posted by the dude:
Hi folks... first... nice site!
I'm curious to what sort of performance you folks are getting out of your S60's? Specifically the turbo model. More to the point, how fast are they stock and can you chip it? Are there aftermarket chips out for these yet? 0-60 mph, and 1/4 mile times?

I have seen 0-60 range from 6.43 to 6.8 for the manual T5 model. 1/4 mile at about 14.8 at 98 mph. The car pulls like hell, that will be the first thing you will notice. It puts my 1.8T jetta to shame with the nuespeed chip/exhaust/filter. The car seems to always have power. Chips can be gotton from a hand fill of companies I have listed
www.rica.nl www.heicosportiv.de www.kalmar-union.com www.bilsport.ch www.samsteffansson.se/ http://www.sct-tuning.com/

Check out each site most of these chips will give at least 290 HP add exhaust,filter you could break 300 hp. I will be going with SAM I feel they have the best prices and will respond to emails ASAP.

Also, how is the suspension?
Get a T5 with the sport suspension $250, and 17" wheels $500 (ge rid of the Pirelli P6 tires I have Toyo T1 on my car and its like night and day driving this car now. The P6 has some quality problem, one pothole will destroy a P6 and it does not have to be a New Jersey pothole) . This gives you a smooth ride

Are you guys upgrading the suspensions?

This is the biggest problem I have. I have tried every shock company in the world and no one has plans to make a sport shock for this model. Maybe Koni will, they said if enough people called or wrote in the would make a set based on demand. I will do a post on the shock problem we all have to get support to get a shock made for this car.
Now, Bilsport does have a set it lowers the car 25mm and it will run you almost 1400.00 usd and it will have to be shipped from europe.
SAM is testing a full suspension and states it will be released early 2002(jan/feb)(this is the route I will take)
Heico claims to have one but will not respond to your emails on the subject.
KalMar states on its site it will have a kit in 2002 will be a race type coilover system.
all of these companies offer spring sets

I currently drive a VW Passat 1.8T... and I have upgraded my wheels and tires (16" Borbet B with 225/50 RE730's) as well as chipped from Garret (200 hp/245 lbs. torque) She's very peppy, just not off the line... but on the highway...watchout! I also need to upgrade the springs and shocks as they come mushy from the factory (they think we all like the Caddy ride here).

I am seriously considering the turbo'd S60 as my future hotrod... er, car. But I want something I can tweak a bit.

You will find it hard to find products for this car. You drive a VW now with a endless list of tuners and parts. It will not be easy but if you were to go the T5 route and tune it you will be the only one on your side of town with one. I have my 1.8T Jetta but my T5 is the one I wish to tune to the max. I say one I get done i will have at least 350-375 Hp i just want enough to keep the engine together and see a M3 in my rearview a full throttle. i have some more tuning sources
If you want 19" rims
heico,sam,axis,radius thats it....
Volvo has and odd bolt pattern 5 by 108 shared with the Ford Taurus of all cars. It wont be like buying rims for you VW!
Check out MS Design for a slick spoiler kit. www.msdesign.com

Thanks!
| the dude

I hope that gets you the info you need I will be building a S60 T5 based webpage so I can put all the information I have gained about these cars in one place for all to see and read

Chris
2001 S60 T5

 

[the dude]

Great post Chris.... I really appreciate it!
Like I said, I really want to buy an S60 and mod it. Volvo's make great cars, it was actually my first choice, but too expensive for me at the time. These cars have great tuning poetential, not to mention a classic look/style... especially the T5 as you've noted. I'll do some more research for the basic S60 though, as these also have great tuning potential. By the time I'm ready to sell my Passat, I should be able to afford a used one.... maybe even a T5, and hopefully the tuners will also have picked up on this as well.

Thanks again to everyone who responded!

| the dude

 

[dog1961]

Originally posted by the dude:
Hi folks... first... nice site!
I'm curious to what sort of performance you folks are getting out of your S60's? Specifically the turbo model. More to the point, how fast are they stock and can you chip it? Are there aftermarket chips out for these yet? 0-60 mph, and 1/4 mile times?
...

Interestingly enough I owned a Passat 1.8T (2000) just before my new S60 T5. The Passat was not prepped in any way but I used to get just a little under 9secs from 0 to 100km/h, two people in the car. The S60 is just under 7secs, same conditions, but you have to rev it seriously (seems the engine is slower to respond at lower revs than the 1.8T) - whic doesn't bother me a lot but takes some dirving style adjusting

over 2500rpm there's no comparison, the T5 is quite a rocket and at 3000+ it's hasta la vista ...
I did not chip the T5 yet although I have found guys who do it. SCT asked me to send the ECU to Sweden for a software upgrade ... well, we'll see
The suspension is fine by me, since the roads I drive are quite bumpy, any stiffer will not make me happy.

If anyone already chipped their car please post some info. I'm curious ...

 

[T5 Dave]

I sent e-mail to Steffannsen in Sweden & asked about the USA version of the T5 ECU & they replied it was an easy thing to do, as long as you send them the ECU (in Sweden) for reprogramming! I haven't tried it yet, but they only charged about $621 for it which is much cheaper than the local folks.

See http://www.samsteffansson.se/samindex.html for more info.

Good luck.

 

[Kai]

quote:

Originally posted by T5 Dave:
I sent e-mail to Steffannsen in Sweden & asked about the USA version of the T5 ECU & they replied it was an easy thing to do, as long as you send them the ECU (in Sweden) for reprogramming! I haven't tried it yet, but they only charged about $621 for it which is much cheaper than the local folks.

From what I was told by IPD, they also have their version ready now. And seems like there's a trend of lowering their prices to be more competitive. If you ask me, to deal with an overseas company that is thousands miles away...the shipping, custom, and the waiting time for both goods and communication is just not worth my effort.

I'm pretty sure SAM is just as good, but nothing beats that you can simply picking up the phone and call to talk to someone.

Also, I'm not sure how reliable this information is...people on BB were talking about that SAM's using nothing but the Superchip. For those who know about them or heard about their chip upgrade before would think twice before purchasing.....

But that could be just a rumor.

 

[Johann]

You can tune your butt off but the 0-100 only improves a few tenths of a second on the S60T5.
Somehow the power is not available in 1 and 2.
In 3, 4 and five it's a rocket.

S60T5 with 3" freeflow exhaust and downpipe with sportcat , Rica tuning.

 

[bfavre4]

But from the Upsolute site, the price is only $300 for chip and $70 for installation and it has many branches here in the US. That sounds very tempting, how reliable is Upsolute? What are some of the good chip tuners in the US?

 

[daswede]

Hi guys,

Fun to see that there are true enthusiasts in the States.

I'll let you in on some history and basic truths about chiptuning your volvos.

Most if not all of the chips or (s/w upgrades) naturally originates from sweden. And here (in Sweden) one very simple rule applies. You get what you pay for!

Basically you have to choose from SCT, SAM & TME (=ipd). Both SCT and SAM use soldering techniques (big risk of ECU damage in the long run). TME uses flash technology which leaves the HW intact (better). SCT & SAM have had fairly good programs for 850 and SVC70 up to 98, but driveability/reliability is better if you choose TME. In 99 when the new Engine management system (ME7) was introduced every tuner was stunned. The new system was so complex that they just could not crack it. After a while Superchips came out with a chip that promised the whole world but delivered just about nothing! SAM started to sell this chip and they still sell successors of it (so there's a confirmation of that, yes SAM = Superchips, I actually dissasembled a SAM ECU and I could read "Superchips" on the sticker under the "SAM" sticker). SCT chip hold about the same (poor) standard as SAM. Even TME (they are usually the most proffesional tuner) didn't know what to do. The result was that many really poor chips entered the market AND they are still around - so be aware. About a year ago TME announced they were finally ready to release their first ME7 upgrade and now they are unbeatable in driveability and performance. Therefore they (TME/ipd) are also more expensive

If you think about it for a while though it might actually be more economic to choose the high quality and more expensive upgrade anyway!

Experiences in sweden, by both me and poeple I know and have heard of, have proven that going with a cheaper upgrade that is soldered in sometimes provide good power but poor driveability OR ok driveability but no power increase (almost stock) but never have one provided both at the same time! With their latest tech TME was the first to provide both good driveability and significant performance increase at the same time.

On top of this I have also learned that the soldered in type not seldom refuse to start, lights the check engine light, runs on only 4 cans for longer periods of time etc.etc. This doesn't happen every time with a soldered in chip but how does one know if it's going to happen on my precious volvo or not?! If this happens one will have to spend three or four times the money that was saved buying the cheaper upgrade on things as new ECU, insurance liability, towing etc. etc. Most people that have had this experience get so tired of it that they simply decide to go back to stock or go with a TME type upgrade instead.

I guess that this may sound like commercials for ipd/TME but it's not. I just wish to share the experiences we've had in sweden since we're a bit ahead of you in this jungle and I've become so dissapointed my self from poor chips that I've wasted money on. It's just a fact - there is only one sure bet when it comes to SW upgrades for Volvo turbos - and that is TME/ipd.

I'm riding an R AWD 2000 with a TME upgrade and I'm pulling even with the 400hp BMW M5 on the quarter mile, thanks to enormous torque and AWD. (It's fun to dissapoint a bimmer owner)

I could go on and on about this, but this post already got a lot longer that I intended it to be, so I'll just say good luck with your selection of chip and remember to doubt the torque/hp number that the tuners promise you.

 

[S.R.]

daswede,

Welcome to Swedespeed!

Excellent post! I always had a feeling that TME/ipd made supurb products from the start. It seems as if they really take their time doing reseach when the bring out a new product.

BTW, you might want to put that message in a new post (General Volvo Discussions) section, I am sure others from all the forums would be interested in reading it.

-Drew

 

[Evolvo]

That's interesting. I had no idea SAM used the Superchips chip.

Welcome to the jungle

.

 

[bfavre4]

So IPD/TME is the same company? Exact same chips? IPD is US branch, TME is swedish branch or something? Anyway, I went to IPD's site, they don't have the S60 listed on the performance upgrade. So does anyone know the increase in torque and HP of the S60 2.4T and how much does it cost? (when will IPD put the S60 info on their site?)

 

[[email protected]]

IPD is a US Volvo tuner/accessory company that sells TME ECU upgrades and exhaust systems.

They just announced info on their new offerings. You can find them here.
http://www.swedespeed.com/main_news/ipd_ecu.html

Or just go to our main page and you'll see it as one of the main articles on the cover currently.

Pricing was announced as follows:

Prices & Package savings

ME7 ECU Upgrade
All 1999-2001 S70, V70, S60 & S80 Turbo Models MF8700* $995.00
* Be sure to include your VIN number when sending your ECU.

Siemens ECU Upgrades
All 2000-01 40 series MF8400* $895.00 (sport exhaust required)
* Be sure to include your VIN number when sending your ECU.

Purchase as a Power Pack (shown on the next page) which includes ECU upgrade, sport exhaust
and K&N air filter, and save up to $200.00 off of the price of the parts purchased individually.

New ME7 and Siemens Power Packs for 1999-2001 models

K8774 S70 1999-2000 Individually $1746.00 / Package Price $1550.00
8700 ECU Upgrade
2101SS Sport Exhaust
332670 K&N Air filter

K8774 V70 1999-2000 Individually $1746.00 / Package Price $1550.00
8700 ECU Upgrade
2101SS Sport Exhaust
332670 K&N Air filter

K8770 V70 2001 Individually $1746.00 / Package Price $1550.00
8700 ECU Upgrade
5041 Sport Exhaust
332176 K&N Air filter

K8776 V70 AWD/XC 1999-2000 Individually $1846.00 / Package Price $1650.00
8700 ECU Upgrade
2190 AWD Dual Sport Exhaust
332670 K&N Air filter

K8776 V70 R 1999-2000 Individually $1846.00 / Package Price $1650.00
8700 ECU Upgrade
2190 AWD Dual Sport Exhaust
332670 K&N Air filter

K8775 C70 1999-2001 Individually $1746.00 / Package Price $1550.00
8700 ECU Upgrade
2188SS dual tip Sport Exhaust
332670 K&N Air filter
-Continued-

K8760 S60 2001 Individually $1746.00 / Package Price $1550.00
8700 ECU Upgrade
5042 Sport Exhaust
332176 K&N Air filter

K8780 S80 T6 All Individually $1846.00 / Package Price $1650.00
8700 ECU Upgrade
6011 dual tip Sport Exhaust
332152 K&N Air filter

K8740 2000 S/V 40 Individually $1600.00 / Package Price $1400.00
8400 ECU Upgrade
4011 Sport Exhaust
332763 K&N Air filter

 

[PK]

Daswede or George:

Do you know if the TME/IPD chip addresses the apparent problems with throttle response on the 2001 S60 T5?

I (and many others) have noticed the delay in throttle response--which reportedly was solved with a new engine management system on the 2002. Throttle delay is especially problematic with a turbo which also has a lag!

 

[Scott Hart]

It's my understanding that if you make enough noise, your dealer will make arrangements for your car to be re-flashed with updated calibrations that take care of this problem. Our upgrades also have this factory update integrated. We went through this with one of our long term test cars and the factory update made a significant improvement in throttle response and torque production at low rpm / hi-load. This was before we had begun testing and development of our upgrades with TME for the North American market.

 

[Kai]

Yeah, Scott..
You should of joined this board long time ago. We have many IPD loyal customers here. Good job on the new ECU, I'm glad that it has finally come through.
Good luck~!

Kai

 

[bfavre4]

Hey, will there be any differences in the 2002 S60 chip upgrades from IPD? The engine is the same. Why the ETA in June 2002?

 

[Scott Hart]

The 2002 models have some minor software changes, in discussing it with TME's calibration specialist, he said that the '02's have a new version of ME7. I can't remember if he called it ME7.1 or ME7.01. TME has several '02 cars upgraded already, but the fine tuning process is time consuming. Plus we've got to access all of the drivetrain versions to confirm functionality. If the changes to this new version of ME7 are large scale, we may run into the same situation as with the '99 models. If you read our introduction notice, you'll see that we are still unsure about some '99 models. The reason for this is that when Volvo introduces a new engine management system as they did when they switched from Motronic 4.4 to ME7 in '99, they go through a fairly rigid development and calibration process right up to the point where cars are coming of the assembly line. In theory all cars should hit the market with the finalized version, however it's our understanding that this isn't always the case. So far we've seen 8 different versions for model year '99. We assume that Volvo must have records of what is in each car and if everything was perfect they would contact the owners of cars with early versions and get them in for a flash to the final version. We understand that, there have been cases in the past where Volvo had to flash upgrade a significant amount of cars in the field. We wait several months before announcing upgrades on new models, in hopes of preventing overwrites due to a situation as described above. If an overwrite occurs, we always offer no cost re-flashes. Sometimes it may take us a few weeks to integrate the factory revision, but we keep extensive records and notify customers that we know may be affected, sometimes before Volvo contacts them! This happened on some 1998 models that were involved with an unofficial re-flash campaign for a problem we called "skip and dip". The symptom was a momentary stall on deceleration. When decelerating in gear, the injectors are shut off until a certain rpm is reached. In this case, the rpm level was too low and gave the impression that the car was going to stall even though it didn't. Once we integrated the factory fix, we contacted all of our customers that had models involved and re-flashed their ECU's to the new version n/c. These upgrades are very sophisticated and the amount of time we have involved is far beyond what most people would imagine. At one point about a year ago, we became so frustrated with the amount of time it was taking to develop the flash upgrading software that we flew in a competing European Volvo tuner to consider using a soldered in socket solution. The results were disastrous. The test car showed more boost being produced than the stock software, but the 0-60 times were 1/2 a second slower than stock. A few weeks into the testing of the socketed version, we began to get intermittent critical engine malfunction messages on the dash display. Shortly thereafter the car began stalling and ultimately got to the point where it would not run any longer, validating our concerns about reliability of a socketed / soldered upgrade chip solution. We never did get an answer as to why the performance was below stock levels. Anyway, sorry for the long post. Just wanted to follow up to a good question and take the opportunity to share some information. As time allows, we will attmpt to participate more on these forums. We get extreme amounts of e-mail at the office, perhaps we can reduce that by posting here and sharing information with a larger audience.