Sluggish S60R?!

**Nick0** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 12:54

Hello All,

I haven't been on here for ages, thankfully the car has been reliable!

One reservation I have had since getting the S60R was how quick it was off the mark (particularly compared to my old Saab 9-5 Aero). I read Clarkson's review and he said it didn't feel that quick so didn't worry about it.
However, during a recent drive to the south coast I had some fun with a diesel C350Cdi Merc and I could not quite shake it off in a straight line! I knew something was amiss and did a couple of 0-60 timed runs and it seems to be around 7 seconds, nowhere near the 5.5 book time!

The car is a factory standard S60R manual MY2006, has 51K on the clock, is serviced by Volvo every year (it hasn't had it's plugs changed in a while), has no messages and I only very rarely drive it hard, usually it's pootling around town trying to get the best mpg I can or cruising high speeds on motorways . Also, it uses a bit of oil between services, there is none on my drive (and no sign of leaks, it never smokes and there is no mayo in the water. It feels like the power is there, although my gear change is not the quickest and I am not that adept at it (I only tried the test twice!) so this could be the culprit.

So, my questions are; what basic things to check? what should I be suspicious of, or checking to make sure it should be giving me better performance? also could the ECU be conditioned to my laid back/economical driving so would a battery disconnect reset it?

Yours gratefully as always!
Nick0

**T5RatherAmusin** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:04

Do a good stg0, new tcv and remap!

**T5frankie** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:15

7 seconds sounds right to me to get 5.5 launch it at 5500rpms and those diesels are very quick

**stribo** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:18

Yes the ECU will learn your driving style, my wife says our S60R always feels more eager after I've been driving it( usually because I give it a good ragging ). As above though, change the TCV, less than £50 from Volvo, and vac hoses. Might also be an idea to get the codes read, just to see if there are any other issues.

**Nick0** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:20

thank you - how do I do stg0 and remap and how much / where do I find the tcv (that's a throttle control valve isn't it?). As you can tell I'm a bit of a dunce with all this...

**stribo** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:21

Originally Posted by T5frankie

7 seconds sounds right to me to get 5.5 launch it at 5500rpms and those diesels are very quick

7 seconds sounds anything but right, I could do better than that in my Cougar. He should get low 6's without a full bore start.

**M-R-P** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:23

The ecu can indeed learn to "granny drive" over time so unplugging the battery negative for an hour or so should reset it, then drive it normally for 100 odd miles, then drive like a wally for about 50 or so. it learns to expect sudden foot-on-the-floor situations and will pick up faster.

As suggested, stage - 0 (plugs, filters, fluids, injectors etc) should show some improvement. Oil usage is normal, it shows the PCV system is ok (usually).

A knackered angle gear can cause a loss of power but you say there's no puddles on the driveway so it's probably ok.

**M-R-P** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:24

Originally Posted by Nick0

thank you - how do I do stg0 and remap and how much / where do I find the tcv (that's a throttle control valve isn't it?). As you can tell I'm a bit of a dunce with all this...

Remap is £300+, TCV - turbo control valve - stuck to the side of the air box with 3 small pipes coming off it.

**stribo** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:24

Originally Posted by Nick0

thank you - how do I do stg0 and remap and how much / where do I find the tcv (that's a throttle control valve isn't it?). As you can tell I'm a bit of a dunce with all this...

The TCV (turbo control valve) is under the cover to the left of the airbox. Stage 0 is basically vac hoses, and plugs.

**Nick0** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:25

thanks Frankie. Not sure if I want to launch it at 5,500 rpm wouldn't it murder the clutch or just spin the wheels?
Must admit it's years since I've hammered a car like that so have lost the knack I think. I did wonder if my crap take off was to blame I think this sounds right cos it's brutally quick once it's going, just never felt that quick off the mark.

**V70 Graham** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:29

I had to unplug my battery so the car WOULD learn to be driven as if by a granny !

**Nick0** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:32

Thank you Stribo. Is it best to get the TCV and vacuum hoses from Volvo?

**Nick0** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:33

Originally Posted by stribo

The TCV (turbo control valve) is under the cover to the left of the airbox. Stage 0 is basically vac hoses, and plugs.

thanks again

**Nick0** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:33

Originally Posted by M-R-P

Remap is £300+, TCV - turbo control valve - stuck to the side of the air box with 3 small pipes coming off it.

many thanks MRP

**Nick0** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 13:37

Originally Posted by M-R-P

The ecu can indeed learn to "granny drive" over time so unplugging the battery negative for an hour or so should reset it, then drive it normally for 100 odd miles, then drive like a wally for about 50 or so. it learns to expect sudden foot-on-the-floor situations and will pick up faster.

As suggested, stage - 0 (plugs, filters, fluids, injectors etc) should show some improvement. Oil usage is normal, it shows the PCV system is ok (usually).

A knackered angle gear can cause a loss of power but you say there's no puddles on the driveway so it's probably ok.

Thank you again - I will try the battery disconnect - I am going to convert the car's TV to digital so this would be a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
I'll research the stage 0 - might be best for me to ask Volvo to do it or is this stupid of me?!
My car has the later angle gear and there is no sign of oil leakage around the housing so I am not suspicious of that having been paranoid when I first got it! It does have a very slight clonk in the drivetrain but Lee said that's normal play in the propshaft that they all have from new.

**T5RatherAmusin** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 14:03

Originally Posted by Nick0

Thank you again - I will try the battery disconnect - I am going to convert the car's TV to digital so this would be a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
I'll research the stage 0 - might be best for me to ask Volvo to do it or is this stupid of me?!
My car has the later angle gear and there is no sign of oil leakage around the housing so I am not suspicious of that having been paranoid when I first got it! It does have a very slight clonk in the drivetrain but Lee said that's normal play in the propshaft that they all have from new.

could go to shark for the service and remap in 1 go#theyd make sure everthings as it should be....

**Nick0** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 14:12

Originally Posted by T5RatherAmusin

could go to shark for the service and remap in 1 go#theyd make sure everthings as it should be....

Many thanks for the reply - and sorry for the stupidity of my response...who/what/where is/are shark?

**T5frankie** · Tuesday 25th June 2013, 14:58

Originally Posted by Nick0

thanks Frankie. Not sure if I want to launch it at 5,500 rpm wouldn't it murder the clutch or just spin the wheels?
Must admit it's years since I've hammered a car like that so have lost the knack I think. I did wonder if my crap take off was to blame I think this sounds right cos it's brutally quick once it's going, just never felt that quick off the mark.

no problem mate, those official figures are usually magazines with expert pros at the wheel ragging the crap out of the car