We are not 100% ready, but we feel we are close enough now to release detailed information to assist you in choosing the performance solution that best meets your needs. We’ll be following up to this post in a few days with a link to a new website dedicated to our new softloader. The new site will have some dyno charts, updated application information for specific years and models and more performance related FAQ’s. Also to clarify, the softloader is simply a tool that allows you to load our existing performance software into your Volvo vs. our current method that requires the ECU to be sent to us for upgrading. We have not changed the quality or performance of the maps themselves, so the performance specifications are unchanged form those we currently publish in our catalogs and website. We are launching with 1999 to 2006 model coverage with 2007 models to be released in April.

BTW- We started this new post so we can keep all your questions and feedback in one place. A handful of highly respected SS members has already participated in helping us answer some of the many questions that we inevitably overlook in the process (thanks guys!). We’re sure there will be more questions and as a vendor on Swedespeed, this open forum for nearly instant feedback is one of the most valuable aspects of Swedespeed to us.

So without further ado---

After 18 months of development, testing, negotiation, blood, sweat and tears we are excited to announce details about our forthcoming Softloader program. The development of this entirely new technology came from our desire to provide the best delivery solution of our existing performance ECU tunes for Volvo turbocharged models.

It is generally agreed by the Volvo performance community that our software tuning, co-developed with our Swedish tuning partners at MTE, is the best in the business. When it comes to power under the curve, there is no comparison; our upgrades simply outperform the competition. A smooth, linear power delivery provides maximum torque within safe limits.

Our direct flash tuning method had one drawback, it required our customers to send their ECU to us for upgrading, which put their car out of commission for 2-3 days and also added $150 to $200 in overnight shipping fees to the upgrade cost. We wanted to provide a solution that allowed our customers to experience the superior performance of our upgrade without the inconvenience and additional cost of sending their ECU to us. So began the quest to develop the solution that we are ready to release for sale.

The basic details are as follows:

•Our new Softloader hardware allows you to flash our software upgrades directly into your car using the OBD II diagnostic port for access in about 10-15 minutes.

•Requires a USB equipped laptop or PC running Windows 98+. If you don't have an e-mail account, our software files can be transferred by disc. Please note that the softloader must remain connected to the laptop /PC during the file transfer process.
•The Softloader upgrade comes supplied with cables that terminate with USB on one end and OBD II on the other. In between will be a communication / adapter device that allows your PC to communicate with your Volvo.

•The hardware is driven by a free software interface that you can download from our website and is also included on CD with the hardware.

•The hardware can be used on multiple cars, so you’ll only need to purchase the software after the initial purchase.

The first step of the upgrade process is to read the software and hardware details from your car and then forward those files to us so we can provide you with calibrations developed specifically for your car. We realize that this may sound cumbersome, compared to some other similar solutions currently available (where this step is skipped). There is a significant difference in performance that comes from our method, and that is why we have developed this superior solution.

Once we receive data from your car, we can usually provide 24-hour turn around on the creation of the performance calibrations specific to your model, and return these back to you via e-mail to be loaded into your Volvo’s ECU. We could bypass this step and provide a more generic tune for the base engine family, but our testing has proven that our wide scope calibration method provides the ultimate in long-term, trouble free performance.

The base software interface is a very simple menu driven application developed for ease of use.
•Open the softloader application on your PC,

•Plug the cable into the OBD connector on your car and the system will guide you through the brief process with clear, easy to understand screen prompts.

•We have also developed fully functional scan tool software that allows you to read and reset check engine codes as well as providing access to other diagnostic information from the ABS system, the climate control system, safety systems etc. The diagnostic software includes a cross reference database that provides a detailed description of the OBD II generic codes as well as the Volvo specific codes. Only top of the line pro level scan tools costing upwards of $2500 have this capability.

•We also developed data logging software that allows you to select from multiple OBD II monitored inputs and enhanced outputs such as boost, intake charge temp, ignition angle, knock sensor activity, etc that standard OBD scanners can not access. These inputs can be displayed in real time or recorded to a file for later playback.

•These add-on enhancements are available for only $100 each or at a discounted package price when purchased together with the hardware and ECU upgrade.

We haven’t organized all of the details such as dyno graphs, model specific HP and torque improvements etc, but we are putting the final touches on a website dedicated to our new softloader ECU upgrader and will follow up with the link to it soon. You can also get detailed information by calling us at 1-800-444-6473. Please ask for Ken, Lucky or Scott as the rest of our staff is still being trained on this new product.

The Softloader with upgraded software is priced at $1145, and $1295 if you add both the diagnostic and data logging software packages, a $50 savings on the enhanced functionality.

We plan to offer an introductory special good through Jan 31st for pre orders * with your choice of either $100 off of the $1145 price or a free upgrade to include both the diagnostic and data logging features at the $1145 price ($200 savings). Once the softloader is in stock, we will lower the price of the flash to $895 from the current $995 for those that don't want the soft loader functionality, basically the same product we offer now where you send the ECU to us for upgrading. If you want to do a stage upgrade, say from a stage 1 to a Stage 3, the price is $450 at this time.

* Preordres will not be charged until they ship, which we estimate will be Mid March.

ipd's Temporary Soft Loader page

Frequently Asked Questions
We have several Volvos in our family, do we need to purchase softloaders for each car?
No. You’ll only need to purchase the software upgrade file which is $895. The hardware is locked to a single car, but when a file for a second car is purchased, the cable will become functional for both cars. The files themselves are encrypted and serialized to limit functionality to only the car it was written for based on the initial read out process and is also cross checked against Volvos immobilizer coding which is unique to each model.

I already have the ipd ECU upgrade, if I purchase the softloader will it work on my car?
Yes. You can purchase the necessary hardware to allow softloading for $395

What's going to happen to my factory warranty?
Bottom line, we don't want you to get the impression that there is no risk involved. These types of upgrades produce significant power increases and depending on how hard you drive your car, there could be reductions in the longevity of drive train components. It is possible that if you had a situation arise where a major drive train part failed, Volvo could deny coverage. The way US laws are written, your rights to use after market parts and upgrades on your car are protected by the Magnusson Moss act, but it is not a guarantee of warranty coverage. Basically the act states that you have a right to use non-original parts on your car and still retain the factory warranty. However, if there is a failure and the manufacturer (VOLVO in this case) can show that the failure was caused by the non-original part, they can deny coverage.
The important thing is that your dealer cannot VOID your warranty just because the part is on the car. We have heard of cases where a dealer would tell a customer that their car had no warranty because it had an after market exhaust. Granted, the exhaust is not covered, however the rest of the car is still under the normal warranty. The last thing we want for you to experience is a serious engine or drive train problem and we have designed our upgrades with this in mind. It is easy to get more power by running at higher boost levels, but extensive testing has shown that longevity quickly drops and drive train components are overloaded. For most Volvo owners, the Volvo is also the family's main vehicle. Volvo owners also rate longevity as one of the main reasons they bought their Volvo. We'd like to keep it that way. If you have more questions about this, please visit the link below.
http://www.sema.org/warranty

What are the effects on long term durability?
As we mentioned above, your driving style and maintenance practices have the biggest effect on this. We've been offering these upgrades since 1994. We know of one case where a customer bent a connecting rod while drag racing the car. This car was also running with the waste gate adjusted beyond the factory spec. We have heard from customers that have over 200,000 miles of service since making the upgrades on their early 850 turbos with no drive train problems. Our experience shows that you should get normal service from your car by keeping the engine oil, spark plugs and transmission oil fresh. Details are included with the ECU upgrade. Also, keep in mind that the amount of time that your car sees full throttle loading where the upgraded calibrations are most noticeable is relatively small in comparison to the relative life of the car.

What's going to happen to my fuel economy?
Again, this depends on your driving habits. If you're a lead foot you're going to use a lot more gas. If you are making more power, you are using more fuel. Typically we find that most customers will notice a slight drop in economy for the first week or two when they are playing with the new power, but economy should return to within a mile or two per gallon of what you've been getting. When cruising on a long trip in a situation where you might use the cruise control, fuel economy will usually be the same as stock. Generally speaking, most of the ECU calibrations for the upgrade software are only accessed when the throttle pedal is at over 60% input, so most of the time you are operating on the factory calibrations unless you have your foot in it!

Can the performance software be detected during normal service and diagnostic procedures?
No. A technician would have to temporarily install a boost gauge and drive the car under load to see that it was operating at a higher boost levels than stock. Very unlikely, but possible. One way to avoid this would be to use your softloader to flash the car back to stock whenever it is in for dealer service. There have been concerns about whether or not Volvo would be able to see a log record showing file transfers. This is visible to Volvo, but it is not information that can be used to determine if the car has been modified. The reason this is not an indicator of modification is that Volvo had to open up access under federal law to allow independent service shops to load software drivers into the cars, which is necessary when replacing network components such as power window switches, electronic throttle modules etc.

What happens if my Volvo Dealer updates or over writes the performance software in my ECU for some reason?
This is possible, but not very likely. Usually it takes a major software recall for this to be a concern. If it does happen, you can re-flash the car with your upgraded calibration file, however we recommend that you contact us first with information on why the car was flashed by the dealer as it may be a desirable improvement that we would like to integrate into our base upgrade. Depending on the nature of the factory re-flash, we may have a short delay before we integrate the factory update into our performance calibrations. This is usually only a concern on cars that are 1-2 years old as most factory software upgrades occur during this time.

Is it possible for the software to become corrupt, revert back to stock or a lower output level on it's own?
No. Occasionally we get calls from customers that are experiencing reduced power after several months or years of upgraded performance. The software does not go bad! Usually what we find is that a peripheral component such as the Turbo Control Valve (TCV) or Mass Air Flow (MAF)
Meter is failing and providing intermittent performance. Worn spark plugs is another common problem. The higher boost levels can dramatically shorten the life expectancy of the spark plugs, especially if the car is tracked, dyno'd or subjected to towing at or near the max GVW rating for extended durations. When spark plugs get badly worn, the ignition can misfire under load and performance will be reduced to a level that prevents the mis-firing. BTW, we highly recommend the use of Irridium plugs when running an upgrade ECU. We stock Iridiums for most Volvo applications) We've also seen a few fuel pumps that did not provide proper output on high loads, these will usually register a diagnostic trouble code, but can sometimes be right on the border of not providing enough fuel for high output operation, but plenty of fuel under normal loads. These are rare instances, but the point is that the software does not degrade over time. If you are experiencing reduced performance, it is because the car has either been flashed back to stock by your dealer or there is an issue with engine management hardware. Faulty or intermittent sticking of the TCV is the #1 cause of reduced or sporadic fluctuations in performance.

Other tuners alter the throttle mapping and market it as a performance improvement. Does the ipd/MTE upgrade offer this feature?
Some Volvo tuners provide very aggressive “throttle mapping” that makes the car feel snappy off the line, but this also makes it very difficult to control the throttle in low traction / low speed maneuvers. Throttle mapping does not improve performance, it simply increases the rate of throttle plate opening in relation to how far the throttle pedal is pressed. For example let’s assume that the stock throttle mapping is linear, so when the throttle pedal is pressed half way down, the throttle plate is open half way. Aggressive throttle mapping alters this so that ¼ throttle equals ½ throttle plate opening and 1/2 throttle pedal input opens the throttle plate 100%. Throttle pedal movement from ½ to full does nothing! The throttle becomes very touchy and difficult to control in some situations. Initially you may get the feeling that the car has more power as it jumps out from under you when you barely touch the throttle, but it becomes tiring real fast. Even Volvo used this tactic to make the under powered 5 cylinder XC90 feel like it had a bigger engine, but owners complained so much that Volvo offered free reflashes with more linear throttle mapping. We do revise throttle mapping to provide smooth linear power delivery that is useable and controllable.

Does ipd offer Hi Octane mapping for use when running 92-93 octane fuel?
Yes. And it is included in each and every one of our upgrades absolutely free! Some tuners offer low octane tunes and charge more for a high octane tune and sell them separately. This is the result of narrow scope tuning. It is much easier and cost effective to develop a tune that works well within a narrow range of octane levels. It’s much more involved and time consuming to develop calibrations that allow the engine management system to operate safely across a wide range of octane levels using factory algorithms like we do. Our upgrades will provide maximum safe performance on 89-93 octane fuel. There is no need to have two different programs or limit the flexability of your performance by having to choose a low octane or hi octane tune.
Granted, when operating on our wide scope calibrations the engine management system will adjust the amount of torque and HP developed when running on a lower octane fuel, but performance will always be in accordance to the fuel quality available within the range of commonly available pump fuels. The BOSCH ME7 and ME9 engine management systems that Volvo uses have excellent ignition management algorithms that allow us to provide optimum performance and reliability across a wide range of fuels and load conditions.
Our wide scope tuning also allows the engine management system to adapt to additional air flow improving upgrades such as a larger downpipe, sport exhaust or air intake system. Gross changes to the air flow, such as that provided by a turbo upgrade do require custom calibrations, which we do have available for some models.

What happens if I'm not happy with the upgrade?
All ipd ECU upgrades come with a 90 Day 100% satisfaction guarantee. We will gladly work with you to ensure that the products are performing properly and providing optimum performance. If you still are not happy with the results, we will provide a full product refund upon receipt of the parts in question. In the case of an ECU upgrade, depending on the year and model you have we will exchange the upgraded ECU for a non modified stock unit, reflash your ECU back to stock or for softloader customers arrange a refund upon receipt of the softloader and original software files.

Modified by Scott Hart at 12:40 PM 1-13-2007

Modified by Scott Hart at 12:41 PM 1-13-2007

Modified by Scott Hart at 4:05 PM 1-24-2007

Modified by Scott Hart at 10:07 PM 1-24-2007

Modified by Scott Hart at 10:07 PM 1-24-2007

Modified by Scott Hart at 10:08 PM 1-24-2007

Modified by Scott Hart at 11:06 AM 7-9-2007

Modified by Scott Hart at 11:25 AM 7-9-2007

introductory period is how long?

http://www.phuzzymotorsports.com

2006 S60R 6MT, Black Sapphire/Nordkap, 18" Graphite Pegs, Sport, Premium, Climate, FMIC, 3" PhuzDP, 3" Phuzzy Exhaust
2006 S40 T5 AWD, 6MT, Electric Silver
1993 S13, 2JZGTE 12.4 @ 120mph

Quote, originally posted by phuz »

introductory period is how long?

Doh!

Jan 31st for now.

Your plans to provide power curves on your new site is welcomed news, as not all tuners post verifiable results. Similarly, the IPD solution, which does not resort to the "cheap trick" of throttle remapping, speaks volumes on the integrity of your approach.

Developing this product has taken a great deal of time -- including nights, weekends and holidays. I'm sure that, at an appropriate point, you'll treat yourself (and Sue) to a vacation. When this occurs, let me know if you'll be using Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal as a way-point. It would be great to see you and Sue again.

Cheers & congratulations,

Paul

Get the inside track at: http://forums.swedespeed.com/z...59114

Moss-Magnusson is a wonderful thing but are you willing to spend legal $$$ to fight if necessary? That may be the question.

Quote, originally posted by Scott Hart »

Can the performance software be detected during normal service and diagnostic procedures? No. A technician would have to temporarily install a boost gauge and drive the car under load to see that it was operating at a higher boost levels than stock. Very unlikely, but possible. One way to avoid this would be to use your softloader to flash the car back to stock whenever it is in for dealer service. There have been concerns about whether or not Volvo would be able to see a log record showing file transfers. This is visible to Volvo, but it is not information that can be used to determine if the car has been modified. The reason this is not an indicator of modification is that Volvo had to open up access under federal law to allow independent service shops to load software drivers into the cars, which is necessary when replacing network components such as power window switches, electronic throttle modules etc.

Actually, the answer is "could be". If a failure would occur and the ECU log is checked and found to have flashes not on Volvo's records, the customer MAY have to provide information to support the flashes.

Mid March? No sooner?

Will you also offer the Valet, race, etc. modes?

2,004 S60 R. MT. Titanium, Atacama. Stage II ECU by IPD's softloader, F.M.I.C., 3" DP, Sport Exhaust, Aquamist, Okada Proyects Direct Coils, C.A.I with High Flow Air Filter, Ported O.T.E. Pipe. Poly bushes, Eibach Springs, IPD S.B. & endlinks. Boost gauge, Evolve 18" H5 Wheels.

We're trying the "Under promise over deliver" method, so we'll see how it works-

Valet mode has turned out ot be more of a challenge than we thought. We may still do it, but to keep the check engine lamp off, it requires almost as much calibration work as a perfomance tune. We'll post updates here.

We will have race gas tunes and stage tunes available as we get feedback and prioritze development.

Also, do you already have my base flash information then at IPD or will I need to flash back to stock, go through the process of reflashing back to stage 2 to get all the data/files, etc. in synch.

PLEASE do not take any of these questions as negative, just curious and ready to pounce on the softloader!

Also, my apologies if I missed the answers in the thread already.

-Ben

Unfortunately no. Our process and files are signifincalty different. Our file size is way too large for the PPC resident memory.

You could still use our upgrade by flashing yours back to stock and beginning the process from there.

Stage upgrades are $450.

Since this particlular upgrade is fairly common and I don't think the development time was too bad, I'll check with Marco at MTE to see if we can set this stage upgrade at a lower more reasonable cost. Maybe $150 to $200. I'll follow up here.

Hi Ben,
You are correct, the softloader hardware for our customers that already have our flash is $395.

I discussed this situation with Marco from MTE and my understanding is that we can access the original read out from your ECU when we originally flashed it. So you will be able to skip the read out process and we'd ship the hardware to you including the prepared upgrade version of the software as well as a copy of the stock software so you'd have copies of both to use as you see fit.

Modified by Scott Hart at 11:58 AM 1-14-2007

1 year and it is built using all heavy duty professional grade materials, so it should last a lifetime for this application.

Great News Scott!!
As I am always confused about this, let me ask one question about stage 1, 2, and 3 tune this time.
As a GT owner, I understand that stage 1 is just ECU upgrade WITH torque limiter. Stage 2 is ECU upgrade WITHOUT torque limiter and it is for those who upgraded their downpipe and exhaust. Stage 3 would be ECU upgrade for those who has a bigger turbo along with upgraded downpipe and exhaust. Am I right?

My R has upgraded downpipe and exhaust with IPD stage 2 tune(one WITHOUT torque limiter). I am confused because someone mentioned that stage 3 is got something to do with downpipe. If I ever want to upgrade my car any further, since I have upgraded downpipe, do I need to get a stage 3 tune?

Please clarify this for me scott
MJ

Thanks for the great news! Scott, what should I do if my ECU was modified by SVR-Powerchips? I was under the impression that they “flash” the ECU’s. But now I know that they physically change the internal chip (I am not sure, but I think Evolve does the same) Do you know if these ECU’s can be flashed back to stock? What is the Volvo’s part number to perform a “forced download”? (My car is a S60R-GT 2004)

Finally, I am seriously considering installing a BIC FMIC when available. (Please see http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=71885 ) Will you offer a modified software upgrade to accommodate for this or similar improvements?

Thanks a Lot

Volvo S60R GT '04 Titanium Gray / Gobi, 18" Pegasus. Euro-Specs.