Rica for my '94 Turbo- Problems?

[DuncVolvoTurbo]

I am thinking about getting one of HLM's Rica upgrades for my 1994 Volvo 850 Turbo, 5sp manual, 108k miles with part service history. I'm not really looking for anything too rapid (I'll only go and get myself banned), so was considering the 280 version.

My questions are;


Should I do this?
Are there any problems people have encountered (a fews down the line, I do plan on keeping this car for a very long time)?
Is there any problems with getting it mail order, and fitting it myself (I am rubbish at mechanical things)?

For the price of £150, I feel I should do it, but I don't want to if it is going to cost me far more down the line in worn parts, or other problems.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

[matt_t5]

if it was going to cause major problems i think it may come with a disclaimer. plus not that many people would be having it done

[T5-TEZ]

Its the same as anything else when you start upping the power anything can break at any time even on standard cars.

[Alan M]

Its easy enough to remove the ECU from your car. Just make sure you get hold of a spare so you can use your car while the ECU is off in the post.

[Mrsmopp]

Personally, if I was going to go the mail order route I'd be sending the car for a good service first and asking a garage to give the car a good check over first.

I've had all my T5's mapped over the years and so far *touches wood* no ill effects - I did 60k in my last mapped car with nothing more than routine maintenance and new parts.

x

[DuncVolvoTurbo]

My car is a 1994 850 Turbo, manual, without air-con. But I have the chance to buy a used 304 Rica ECU from an Auto 850 with Air-Con - Would this work?????

Help Please!

[T5-TEZ]

Yes it will work.

[volvolised]

I know the manual to auto thing isn't a prob but i thought the aircon bit wont make the interchangeable...

[T5-TEZ]

I know the manual to auto thing isn't a prob but i thought the aircon bit wont make the interchangeable...
You can use an ecu with aircon in a non air con car but not the other way round because the air con wouldn`t work.

[volvolised]

sorted :B_thumb:

[Bluefin]

You can use an ecu with aircon in a non air con car but not the other way round because the air con wouldn`t work.

Also another thing to no if if by chane you buy second hand"

1) make sure its an "off the shelf ecu your buying exp,not one thats been custom maped to another engines modifications..

2) A Tez says" You can use an ecu with aircon "no pobs" but if again your buying second hand, allways make sure its from a manual!..I no auto' can use manual Rica manual remaps,but not the other way round?

It would also be a good idea toi have the car "Stage 1 tuned" ie Plugs/rotor/dizzy cap/leads/oil filter/feul filter/injectors flowed/Q Jonathon" and all your boost hoses checked,or better still replaced and use all oem volvo parts Q Ruff"

[Bluefin]

You can use an ecu with aircon in a non air con car but not the other way round because the air con wouldn`t work.

Also another thing to no if if by chane you buy second hand"

1) make sure its an "off the shelf ecu your buying exp,not one thats been custom maped to another engines modifications..

2) A Tez says" You can use an ecu with aircon "no pobs" but if again your buying second hand, allways make sure its from a manual!..I no auto' can use manual Rica manual remaps,but not the other way round?

It would also be a good idea toi have the car "Stage 1 tuned" ie Pluss/rotor/dizzy cap/leads/oil filter/ffeul filter/injectors flowed/Q Jonathon" and all your boost hoses checked,or better still replaced.

[Jod T5]

I no auto' can use manual Rica manual remaps,but not the other way round?



This is not correct, a manual remap cannot be used as the auto ECM will not be able to recognise the manual map and will illuminate the gearbox warning arrow...
Op as i stated elsewhere if you are purchasing the unit direct from HLM you should be fine, only issues you will have is when purchasing through a middle man who does not understand the relevences..
Cheers
Jod

[DuncVolvoTurbo]

With all that has been said regarding the Rica and HLM's bargain £150 deal, I have decided against it. I can't afford to risk ruining my car by putting in an ECU that may or may not be what I expect to buy.

I have seen a Superchip-ped ECU that is quite cheap that I may go for. I know it doesn't give as much power as the Rica or MTE, but I am not after a super-sonic road rocket (I would like to keep my licence, lol). However, a 30bhp increase (estimated), plus my Jetex exhaust and Pipercross panel filter, will hopefully make it just a little bit more exciting.

I know that hardly anyone has a Superchip ECU, mainly because of the £ per BHP ratio being far more than the Rica or MTE, but surely a large company like Superchips must make a good product - don't they?

[pangster]

With all that has been said regarding the Rica and HLM's bargain £150 deal, I have decided against it. I can't afford to risk ruining my car by putting in an ECU that may or may not be what I expect to buy.

I have seen a Superchip-ped ECU that is quite cheap that I may go for. I know it doesn't give as much power as the Rica or MTE, but I am not after a super-sonic road rocket (I would like to keep my licence, lol). However, a 30bhp increase (estimated), plus my Jetex exhaust and Pipercross panel filter, will hopefully make it just a little bit more exciting.

I know that hardly anyone has a Superchip ECU, mainly because of the £ per BHP ratio being far more than the Rica or MTE, but surely a large company like Superchips must make a good product - don't they?

most of the stirring you are referring to appears to have been caused on VOC by Joules (appropriately named Nusiance on VOC and known as Sir Drivel-alot.. sorry Sir Drivealot on T5D5).. if you look at any of his posts on T5D5 or VOC you'll get an idea of why anything he says in relation to this topic cannot be balanced or unbiased.

I'm not saying you should buy the ECU or not - that's your decision to make. All I know is that the people who have purchased these have reported good results and all have been happy with them. I don't think you can go far wrong with any off the shelf map to be honest be it BSR, MTE, Rica, SAM, Autologic etc - i've never seen anyone post up after an off the shelf remap that they didn't like it! lol!. The only problems I've seen tend to be related to when these maps are customised.

Keep us posted on how you get on with the Superchip remap. Glad to see someone trying something new/different! :)

[Ed.]

I think Justin has tried a superchips remap in the past and had disasterous results. There maybe some info about it if you use the search function, or perhaps it would be best to get in touch with Justin to check.

Ed

[y2blade]

very interesting thread

i'm in much the same boat as you and still dont know what to go for re-map wise for mine


i look forward to hearing what you opt for :)

[t5 pete]

i have had my remap 304 done at HLM and i cant fault it mynes been on now over a month also you have the chance to have this product removed if you decide you dont like it.
The only problem you would get is if your fraping your car all day and very poor maintainence will lead to parts going down sooner.

[t5 pete]

P.S. you will have a very big smile on your face when its been done

[Rob_ioClean]

P.S. you will have a very big smile on your face when its been done


What are you boosting at?

[readview]

I have had a rica fitted by hlm to my ecu and have had no issues at all.The car is standard engine wise apart from an oil cooler(it's an auto) and an itg panel filter.It is decidedly quicker and represents good value for money.My car has 167K on it.

[t5 pete]

15-16psi and a peak of 18

[BigV]

With all that has been said regarding the Rica and HLM's bargain £150 deal, I have decided against it. I can't afford to risk ruining my car by putting in an ECU that may or may not be what I expect to buy.

I have seen a Superchip-ped ECU that is quite cheap that I may go for. I know it doesn't give as much power as the Rica or MTE, but I am not after a super-sonic road rocket (I would like to keep my licence, lol). However, a 30bhp increase (estimated), plus my Jetex exhaust and Pipercross panel filter, will hopefully make it just a little bit more exciting.

I know that hardly anyone has a Superchip ECU, mainly because of the £ per BHP ratio being far more than the Rica or MTE, but surely a large company like Superchips must make a good product - don't they?

Hi, I had my car done with a Rica map at HLM for £150 last week, I haven't blown up my car yet, it is a 98 C70 T5 with 90k and I have certainly noticed a big improvement, the car now takes off like a rocket......... I dread to think what the more aggressive 304 map would be like!

I can understand why you feel that way as I was also worried about something going bang. All I can really say is there is a lot of mud slinging going on at all three of the forums, I haven't been able to work out who has what agenda or who is telling the truth etc.......

I came to the conclusion that any decent off the shelf map (Rica, MTE, BSR, Superchips etc) should be safe when set up properly and used as intended......... I think when you go down the route of custom maps and spending more money then basically you are taking a chance with these older cars.

I hear that superchips actually install an MBC or bleed valve and a chip to get the power, and that they aren't as good as the other big 3, although they do probably have the biggest network / most recognised brand?

Personally I would get the £150 deal, but then I am bias as I have just had one fitted, but basically whoever you go with don't expect to achieve the claimed power figures, or at least that is what I was told..............and to be honest I never bothered paying the £50 to have it dyno'd because as far as I can see it only gives you a vague figure you can use down the pub......

[y2blade]

Hi, I had my car done with a Rica map at HLM for £150 last week, I haven't blown up my car yet, it is a 98 C70 T5 with 90k and I have certainly noticed a big improvement, the car now takes off like a rocket......... I dread to think what the more aggressive 304 map would be like!

I can understand why you feel that way as I was also worried about something going bang. All I can really say is there is a lot of mud slinging going on at all three of the forums, I haven't been able to work out who has what agenda or who is telling the truth etc.......

I came to the conclusion that any decent off the shelf map (Rica, MTE, BSR, Superchips etc) should be safe when set up properly and used as intended......... I think when you go down the route of custom maps and spending more money then basically you are taking a chance with these older cars.

I hear that superchips actually install an MBC or bleed valve and a chip to get the power, and that they aren't as good as the other big 3, although they do probably have the biggest network / most recognised brand?

Personally I would get the £150 deal, but then I am bias as I have just had one fitted, but basically whoever you go with don't expect to achieve the claimed power figures, or at least that is what I was told..............and to be honest I never bothered paying the £50 to have it dyno'd because as far as I can see it only gives you a vague figure you can use down the pub......



thanks for the info


is your car still drivable in the lower gears? do you have to run optimax all the time now?


thanks

[pangster]

I came to the conclusion that any decent off the shelf map (Rica, MTE, BSR, Superchips etc) should be safe when set up properly and used as intended.

I think that about sums it up.. the rest of the crap flying about is just tuners/tuners supporters etc having pot shots at one another or trying to attack their competitors products etc which detracts from the discussion a bit - although given some of the strong personalities involved I doubt we'll ever see a proper thought out discussion on this subject. It always opens up a can of worms any time it's discussed (and has done for as long as I can remember! lol!).

I think it'll be good if we have one test bed car (i.e. healthy bone stock T5) where the various off the shelf maps can be independently run with PROOF provided in forms of dyno plots for straight back to back comparisons. Then maybe the maps will sell on their own individual merits/characteristics - not through rumours or bum dyno's or Chinese whispers.

I'm sure they probably all have slightly different characteristics and depending on your style of driving one might suit better than the other - the issue we have at the minute is there is not really any anecdotal evidence to allow people to make an informed choice.

[y2blade]

I'm sure they probably all have slightly different characteristics and depending on your style of driving one might suit better than the other - the issue we have at the minute is there is not really any anecdotal evidence to allow people to make an informed choice.


that is what i'm trying to find out :) once i know what will suit me best i will be making my purchase

[BigV]

thanks for the info


is your car still drivable in the lower gears? do you have to run optimax all the time now?


thanks

Hi, sorry I can't really answer that as mine is an auto, although it is far more responsive now, you don't need to wedge the loud pedal to the floor to get moving anymore.

I had the 280 map, so I don't run the super unleaded petrols, my understanding is that both maps will perform slightly better with the expensive petrol, but with the 280 you are safe to use normal unleaded, even the nasty supermarket crap.

I believe the 280 is meant to give a more driver friendly car (more torque/ power low down) where as the 304 has more power up the top end? Others can verify this hopefully.

[t5 pete]

big v what psi are you running with the 280 or how much into the white gauge does it go
to

[y2blade]

Hi, sorry I can't really answer that as mine is an auto, although it is far more responsive now, you don't need to wedge the loud pedal to the floor to get moving anymore.

I had the 280 map, so I don't run the super unleaded petrols, my understanding is that both maps will perform slightly better with the expensive petrol, but with the 280 you are safe to use normal unleaded, even the nasty supermarket crap.

I believe the 280 is meant to give a more driver friendly car (more torque/ power low down) where as the 304 has more power up the top end? Others can verify this hopefully.


mine is a auto too but i can still describe how the car drives in the lower gears...if you see what i mean

thanks for the info regarding fuel rating

[BigV]

big v what psi are you running with the 280 or how much into the white gauge does it go
to

I will hook my boost gauge up tomorrow and find out......... C70 doesn't have a stock gauge and I haven't got around to fitting my one yet.

Uhm, as for the lower gears thing..... I dunno, maybe I am just ignorant here, but it just picks up much better, much more responsive and my mother even commented the car feels much smoother from the passenger seat (it must be good if she noticed)........

Also, having driven it in the wet to day, strange as it sounds, it actually seems harder to light up the tyres than before the remap, it mean in that respect it doesn't compare to the MBC I had on my old 850, which just shredded the tyres, even in the dry.

Obviously it goes without saying it is a lot faster too :B_steerin

[y2blade]

...........................

Uhm, as for the lower gears thing..... I dunno, maybe I am just ignorant here, but it just picks up much better, much more responsive and my mother even commented the car feels much smoother from the passenger seat (it must be good if she noticed)........

Also, having driven it in the wet to day, strange as it sounds, it actually seems harder to light up the tyres than before the remap, it mean in that respect it doesn't compare to the MBC I had on my old 850, which just shredded the tyres, even in the dry.

Obviously it goes without saying it is a lot faster too :B_steerin


sounds good :)

thanks for the info

[BigV]

big v what psi are you running with the 280 or how much into the white gauge does it go
to

According to the gauge I rigged up this morning it is peaking at 18psi at WOT, dropping off to about 14.5psi (ish) when you get above 65mph...... Temperature according to the trip computer was 9c outside, so fairly cool, that might add something?

Not sure if that is standard for the 280map? Must admit I was a bit surprised to see 18psi in both sport and economy mode, no wonder it feels fast!

[pangster]

not sure if anyone saw this?:

http://forums.t5d5.org/index.php?showtopic=4389

looks like Don and Sir Drivel-alot(T5D5) (aka Loadsasmiles (VPC)/Nusiance(VOC)/Joules)and Co will need to start retracting their unproven allegations on VOC and elsewhere after all.. :P (that's if any of them have an ounce of savvy or any back bone... which i doubt)

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=58836

http://gabesguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/clueless-excuse.jpg

so much for their Rodger Cook like investigation...