My experience with ARD and the 'orange' ECU flash - GREAT results!

[sikbrik]

I just wanted to share this with this community because I figure it might help a few folks enjoy their cars just a little bit more.

I recently upgraded my 01 XC with an ARD tune. You can see my review on the actual product site - I'm not affiliated with ARD in any way other than being a satisfied customer. http://ardideas.3dcartstores.com/ARD...ME7_p_34.html#

I'm extremely pleased. Lucky worked out a tune based on his orange tune that is sort of a 'hybrid' with an 'eco' tune he's been working with. So now I have increased power, better driveability, and 10% to 15% increases in fuel economy. My XC sees 35 mpg highway now. No joke!

I'm not going to push it but I just wanted to mention it in case anyone is interested. It's a great price for a tune just for the power (my car is otherwise stock.) Getting the fuel economy along with it is paying for itself well within a year for me at the rate I drive at today's gas prices.

Have fun!
Mike

[Astro14]

Call me a skeptic...but I find it hard to believe that a tune would net a 40% increase in MPG...My XC gets about 25MPG...going to 35 MPG would be a 40% increase...

How is the power/throttle response?

[JRL]

IMPOSSIBLE to get 35 MPG

[howardc64]

I guess gas mileage is on most people's mind these days

On pure highway (trigger mileage calculation only when car is on highway). I've seen 29-30 on my 01 T5 and 30 on my 01 V70XC at about 65-70mph in a 200 mile run with some hills. But it drops really fast if you include any city driving at all. Normally around my suburbia short drive to and from work with a couple of big hills to climb and only a few stops, I only see 19-20mpg on the V70XC and 20-21 on the T5. I know on my Prius, going 60mph saves quite a bit of fuel compared to 70mph (seems like 5mpg or better). Haven't done 60mph highway runs on these Volvos yet so not sure how much gain there is.

ARD's website shows 2-3mpg gain. Not sure what strategy they deploy to do that. Hard to imagine you can get power + fuel savings without cylinder deactivation on highway and/or reducing fuel during deceleration. It would be interesting to find out what the strategy is.

http://ardideas.3dcartstores.com/ARD...-ME7_p_34.html

Perhaps OP drove 60mph and measured mileage only on highway segments? Seems possible to get above 30 in this controlled environment where fuel consumption is at the optimal? Granted, this isn't a viable only driving pattern for most people

[Pennhaven]

I agree it's extremely unlikely that changing the ECM maps could deliver this kind of fuel economy at typical highway speeds. The only time I ever got 35 MPG on the "highway" was by deliberately keeping to 45 MPH on a back country road.

[JRL]

Only way you will see anthing over 30-31 is DOWNHILL foot off the gas.
I've done several runs on level ground with the cruise control on V70Rs, XC's all years with different mileage, etc.
Stock AND flashed and the best I ever saw on any of thse was at at a flat 60 mph (you will get run over at 60 mph) for 10 miles and that was 31 on an ECU flashed V70R, 6 speed MANUAL in 6th gear!

[sikbrik]

Call me a skeptic...but I find it hard to believe that a tune would net a 40% increase in MPG...My XC gets about 25MPG...going to 35 MPG would be a 40% increase...

How is the power/throttle response?

I knew that was coming but my XC previously got 30.5 on long pure highway trips (we're talking flat PA turnpike with no traffic) and now gets 35+. Your choice to believe that or not but it's my personal experience.

The highway increase is exaggerated because of the low rpm (i drive with cruise at 60mph) and you can see that my in town is "only" up 2mpg.

[sikbrik]

Put aside the mpg talk - the power delivery is smoother, idle is smoother (that stupid little plastic document clip used to rattle at idle...no more) Transition off idle is smoother, car accelerates silky smooth, and there's more top end there if I need it. That alone is worth it to me.

Back to the skeptics:

Jim, you're close enough to come do a ride along with me if you must . You guys are funny. Read the whole thing. 2 3 mpg in normal driving. I'd venture that most of you get around 20, which I used to. Is that part unbelievable to you? I do normally run between 40 and 42 psi in my tires. At stock pressure (and stock tune) I was getting 27 mpg on this same highway route. This is calculated with onboard, additional obd2 monitoring, and calculating my fuel used. Maybe not scientific enough but it's close.

35mpg is at 40 psi (cold) in tires and controlled highway only (from the on ramp to the gas station at 60mph.). I'm also not talking about a 1 mile trip here. I'm talking sustained 60 mph (sometimes 65 for light passing duty...believe it or not, other people go slower than 60 sometimes!) for ~100 miles.

Controlling the maps to use less fuel can produce more power. Let's be clear...if I'm using the pedal, it's going to eat large quantities of fuel. Ever heard the phrase "lean is mean"? Less fuel can produce more power in some environments. It's just a known tuning fact but that's not what's giving me the majority of increases here. It's the reduction of fuel by about 6% (as I understand it) on average down low in the rpm/load range.

In fact, the tune is based on factory volvo press car maps that were engineered to offer increased economy down low in the rpm range, light load, etc.

[howardc64]

Hey Mike:

Your explanation is interesting. Your description shows you are using typical hypermiling tricks to get mpg short of driving behind a 18 wheeler to reduce the wind resistance (Did that once on our Prius and got like 75mpg for a 20 mi stretch. Not safe of course, was just curious)

Sent an email to the ARD owner (looks like its Bob Lucky from iPD) and it would seem many people would be interested if the gains are real and consistently reproduceable. I don't doubt you. Would be more interested if we aren't getting used to the 50mpg in the Prius :P But really cool to think this is possible. ARD website shows a remote upgrade option will be available soon. Curious about the price and upgrade method

[giorgio]

Usually when someone install tuning software for increase the power at first believe have decrease the fuel consumption because the instrument of the car say it . But when you go to buy gas you have the surprise .
If you drive slowly the consumption is the same but if you use the increase of power the consumption is bigger !
In Italy and in Europe too the most drive diesel engine but is the same.
Here gas and oil are more expensive and there a lot of people ( me too ) who joke to be an hipermiler........
My consumption normally is 30 mph and only one time i have drive 560 miles at 80 miles per hour all in one day with only 15,85 gal.My record 35 mph.