never had a fast Volvo

**julek780** · Friday 18th May 2012, 19:58

Hi Guys i'm not very happy with the performance of my 98 v70r awd auto, compared to my 2.0 ltr saab 270bhp it is not as fast.
I've had over 50 Volvos mainly auto , 740, 760, 780, t5, t6, turbos but they never seem to be fast, is it that the auto is much slower than the manual?
The car at present has a full 3inch sports cat exhaust , a IPD boost controller, and a HLM 304 ecu remap, and it just can't equal the Saab for performance, it seems to have a lot of top end power when you use the power, the wheels never spin.
I don't want to start any arguements, will the car respond better with the traction switched off?
I have never adjusted the wastegate, will that help?
Regards Julian

**Harvey** · Friday 18th May 2012, 20:05

The auto bit I think will be the hardest problem to get over.

**LiamT4** · Friday 18th May 2012, 20:17

Its more the weight and extra drag of the awd, rather than the box.

Having both awd and an auto means that you have the heaviest version of the v70r, with the highest power losses to the wheels.

**Wobbly Dave** · Friday 18th May 2012, 20:21

The big auto AWD is not fast in comparison to other T5 variants, IMHO. You have 1 torque converter for the auto box & a viscous coupling (effectively another Torque converter) for the AWD - takes some shifting.

What you loose in speed/acceleration you gain in status, rarity & comfort. So just chill out & enjoy.

**1260pete** · Friday 18th May 2012, 20:44

I was actually quite surprised with mine as even though it doesn't feel massively quick it did still perform very well against my mates 330d beemer last night and he has over 700nm of torque and is seriously tuned but there really wasn't that much in it, all mine has is a remap done by him and fly by wire throttle response but thats all.

**t5_monkey** · Friday 18th May 2012, 21:06

don't confuse smooth with slow

**1260pete** · Friday 18th May 2012, 21:23

Originally Posted by t5_monkey

don't confuse smooth with slow

so true,,, these §§§§§§s don't even feel fast until ya try and slow down lol

**Kingsford G** · Friday 18th May 2012, 21:31

Wiv t5 engine u wanna manual box and mapped and guarrantied smile on yr face.

**T5frankie** · Friday 18th May 2012, 21:39

yeah manual and front wheel drive if you want a massive smile on your face, why would you want to spin the wheels on an awd? unless you want a new clutch every week

**Kingsford G** · Saturday 19th May 2012, 02:42

Originally Posted by t5frankie

yeah manual and front wheel drive if you want a massive smile on your face, why would you want to spin the wheels on an awd? unless you want a new clutch every week

Yep fwd all the way.

**JUDGENINJA** · Saturday 19th May 2012, 03:06

The 4cyl FWD vs a 5cyl FWD will seem different. I just drove from Guidford to Sheffield.. It didn't seem fast, but with out going into too many details most things got out of my way and I didn't even notice.. mpg wasn't good!!

**julek780** · Saturday 19th May 2012, 08:18

Does turning off the traction control make the car feel faster, do i need to adjust the waste gate?

**T5frankie** · Saturday 19th May 2012, 08:22

Originally Posted by julek780

Does turning off the traction control make the car feel faster, do i need to adjust the waste gate?

get a boost guage fitted and see what boost your running before making any adjustments

**1260pete** · Saturday 19th May 2012, 08:23

Originally Posted by julek780

Does turning off the traction control make the car feel faster, do i need to adjust the waste gate?

I can't see you losing traction on a awd especially with it being auto,, get it remapped mate

**Dangerous Dave** · Saturday 19th May 2012, 08:41

The traction control isn't really that good. It's just an extension of the abs unit to brake a wheel that's spinning, it doesn't make a huge difference TBH.

**cherry1809** · Saturday 19th May 2012, 09:38

Can't compare the Saab with Volvo, Saab can handle much more boost lower down the revs. My brothers 9000 is at around 280 with huge pull from very low revs. But he still can't lose me

**MattM** · Saturday 19th May 2012, 09:43

Yea the low down torque will make the saab 'feel' like a rocket ship.

**julek780** · Monday 21st May 2012, 07:36

Hi Guys went to the Southern yesterday and on the way back gave the car a fast run down the country lanes, which required some fast overtaking.I noticed a marked improvement in performance.
Does the ECU have to relearn once the battery has been disconnected.
I use the car a few times a month , so disconnect the battery to save it going flat.
Julian

**glock19** · Tuesday 22nd May 2012, 08:53

In abit of the way - yes. It's adaptive to your driving style. Boot it all the time and in a day or two, the gearbox change (kickdowns) will respond better to your spirited driving character. ECU load indeces too.