rica ecu or re map?

[si850r]

Hi there, I might have the chance to buy an rica ecu...Am I to believe this will take my 850r without a remap to 310 bhp? If so is it just a straight swop with my old ecu?? If not would a remap on my standard ecu be better? Again cheers for any info...

[Al115]

Quick answer - no it won't...

[Jamest5r]

Sorry mate look here for what you might get from a remap...250 ish, HLM maps are copies from the original Rica files so the same.

http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/showthread.php?t=32512

[T5frankie]

What people have to realise is there old volvo wont be pushing out the claimed manufacterers horsepower figure some no where near. if you was to get a before and after figure on a rolling road you will be much happier than only thinking your car has made 10 horsepower or so and the figures james gave you a link to are power at the wheels not flywheel

[Flatout Phil]

No, no remapping in the world will give 310 bhp on a factory R - there are others with true expertise on here, but at a minimum you would be putting an 18T, a meaty 3" exhaust, and probably bigger injectors to get that. However, you will not be disappointed with a Rica or similar map, even on a standard car - but would recommend a panel filter and a cat back 2.5" like mine.

Also just replugging, and doing a basic service will help.

And yes, it is literally plug and play, whip out the old one and insert the new - takes about thirty seconds.

[si850r]

so at a rough guess what would a standard r be putting out??? mine has just had a complete engine rebuild and every thing is standard.....

[T5frankie]

No, no remapping in the world will give 310 bhp on a factory R - there are others with true expertise on here, but at a minimum you would be putting an 18T, a meaty 3" exhaust, and probably bigger injectors to get that. However, you will not be disappointed with a Rica or similar map, even on a standard car - but would recommend a panel filter and a cat back 2.5" like mine.

Also just replugging, and doing a basic service will help.

And yes, it is literally plug and play, whip out the old one and insert the new - takes about thirty seconds.

you still wouldnt get that look at my horsepower figure 262bhp with all those mods you mentioned and with the boost turned up to 20psi

[Flatout Phil]

you still wouldnt get that look at my horsepower figure 262bhp with all those mods you mentioned and with the boost turned up to 20psi

I agree, but assume you are talking wheel not flywheel bhp? If you add a rule of thumb 50bhp for transmission loss, you get 312bhp I think?

[BruceT]

Transmission losses won't be as much as 50hp.

My car made 215 crank and 195 WHP standard
Hamish put one of the ECU upgrade on and I got 230WHP and 251 crank.

[Jamest5r]

Loss is around 10 ish %, but this point has been argued to death on many occasion's lol, for the record mine made 286bhp and 268whp on the same rollers

[T5frankie]

I agree, but assume you are talking wheel not flywheel bhp? If you add a rule of thumb 50bhp for transmission loss, you get 312bhp I think?

no thats flywheel power mate, try the link james posted all those figure are with remapped cars and power at the wheels, all this 225 240 250bhp as standard is rubbish in our old volvos most with mega miles

[Flatout Phil]

In a way, the issue is this, a RICA map always using VPower will make a car go faster than a standard map. Whatever the subjectivities of the power output - bhp is a very odd concept anyway - as has been pointed out, torque is often the more relevant issue - get your remap and you will be happy.

Promise. :)

[John Dexter]

Good morning.
I note that one of the contributors to this link has mentioned "V Power".
In the literature that accompanied the upgraded chip in my car it states that one should never use supermarket fuel, even if it is the higher octane unleaded.
There are Shell garages near me that sell fuel almost as cheaply as the big supermarkets but what is about their fuel that makes it something to be avoided?

[gmain1967]

Good morning.
I note that one of the contributors to this link has mentioned "V Power".
In the literature that accompanied the upgraded chip in my car it states that one should never use supermarket fuel, even if it is the higher octane unleaded.
There are Shell garages near me that sell fuel almost as cheaply as the big supermarkets but what is about their fuel that makes it something to be avoided?

Much has been written here and elsewhere surrounding supermarket fuels, and the comments of a tanker driver summed it up.

The fuel comes from the same source (a refinery), but supermarket fuels do not have the additives that the likes of V Power have. These additives clean the engine and prevent build up of deposits. Over time, even if you have only used higher octane supermarket fuel, the engine will have more deposits than with the likes of V Power, with the associated problems that this can and does bring.

V Power only for me in the T5. There was an issue with a guy with a T4 recently which had suffered a burnt valve and required an engine rebuild, and that had been run ONLY on poorer grade fuels prior to him getting it. He ran it on V Power, but the damage had already been done.

[John Dexter]

Thank you for that info. Now that I have needed to re-fuel I have used Shell V-power.