ECM changes

[Nwcid]

I found this old thread, 

 but could not find anything more current or in the resource guide.  

 

I have a 2014 VNL 630 that is going to a dealer at the end of the week.  While there I want them to do at least remove the speed limiter from the truck.  No I do not plan on speeding, but I also find it a safety issue not bing able to have "full speed".  My truck does not have an idle limit on it.  

Are there other things I should consider changing while they are in there?

I have also seen some ads for tuners or ECM programs.  Are those worth it for our application?

[Phil D]

24 minutes ago, Nwcid said:

Are there other things I should consider changing while they are in there?

Most dealers do what the "Cat house" in Kansas City did for me when I took my T2000 in shortly after I bought it.  Typically they "dump" the ECM to check the current configuration of all of the programmable parameters, since you're not the original owner and have no idea of how everything is set, then discuss their findings with you to determine what you'd like done.  The tech will often make recommendations, if you ask.

[Nwcid]

13 minutes ago, Phil D said:

Most dealers do what the "Cat house" in Kansas City did for me when I took my T2000 in shortly after I bought it.  Typically they "dump" the ECM to check the current configuration of all of the programmable parameters, since you're not the original owner and have no idea of how everything is set, then discuss their findings with you to determine what you'd like done.  The tech will often make recommendations, if you ask.

Interesting and good point.  I will call the dealer tomorrow and see if they offer something like that.  

I did read some things that said dealers can only pull what is current and if you want performance upgrades that is has to come though Volvo and takes a few days.  

[RandyA]

Greg was at the ECR shortly after I made the above post.  He has a friend at "Volvo Central" that he called for me with my question.  As it turns out, on the Volvo engine EECM major programming changes have to be done by the dealer shop connecting to the main Volvo server.  Changes are reviewed by an engineer at Volvo before being allowed.  We were told that there were certain features that they would NOT disable or change in the EECM - one of them was the maximum speed limiter.  They cited safety and liability issues.  Another was the dreaded shut down and spring brake lock-up when the engine overheats, loses oil pressure or air pressure.  This so called safety feature was outright scary to me because it could leave you sitting with your brakes locked up in the traffic lane of a 2-lane road with no shoulder to pull off and a blind curve to boot.  Another is the "secret" load based torque control which does not show up on a program dump.  Again, to keep one from applying full power all at once and breaking something in the process. These issues are not ones the driver can over ride with the esc button on the right stalk.  Changing the power from 465 to 500 is a matter of reprogramming the fuel injection at a specific boost pressure.  Apparently this may have been done on my engine before I bought the truck as my PC software has shown 500 HP on several hard pull situations.  This reading is a "computed value", not something the EECM provides, that takes into account acceleration, load and RPM - maybe more.

[Nwcid]

Thank you for the lengthy reply.  

I talked to the dealer previously and I just dropped off the truck last night.  At no time did they say anything about not being able to take the speed limiter off.  While they did not outright say it, I got the impression they do it frequently.

I guess I will find out tomorrow......

 

[Parrformance]

Randy was referring to the MAX-speed limiter.  The speed limiter set by many carriers can be removed.

I know the Volvo will just keep pulling, I have not found the Max-speed yet, doubt I ever will. My good sense to slow down sensor goes off before the truck runs out of the power to go faster.

[Nwcid]

That makes sense. 

Again I have intentions of doing 80, 90 or even faster.  I would like to be able to actually pass though.  I don't want to take 10 miles to pass another truck that is going 1-2 MPH slower than I want to go.  Or needing/wanting to pass in a passing zone on a 2 lane and running out of top end.

Of course they do not get up to speed like my last bike that would do 70 - 140 mph in under 5 seconds. 

[Parrformance]

Once the fleet limiter is off, passing with our light loads can be done safely, even going up Monarch Pass💪👍

[Moresmoke]

I believe the “max speed limiter” is 87 mph.

I had the dealer take off the 65 mph fleet limit when they programmed my truck for the premium shifter. I have since had it reset to 65+13 mph driver rewards to satisfy the Canadian rules, just to be safe.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

While I don't have an electronic max speed limiter, mine is more phyics...  I can run MAX RPM in 10th gear in Montana and just break the interstate car speed limit (80) but stay within what a trooper will actually pull you over.  Now the "Truck" commercial limit is still 70.  But I'm a RV ...... and that's my story and I'm stickin to it.

 

[Nwcid]

My truck was limited at 70.  I do not know what it will do now.  I will test it out on the highway on my way home Monday. 

I have the 12 speed Ishift so I do not know how that will effect anything. 

 

Moresmoke did you add the premium shifter or did it come on the truck?  I am looking at adding it to mine.  I do not think I really need it for most of my driving but we do some "off road", Forest Service/BLM/etc stuff where I think manually shifting would be real nice.  How often and how do you use yours?

[Moresmoke]

19 minutes ago, Nwcid said:

My truck was limited at 70.  I do not know what it will do now.  I will test it out on the highway on my way home Monday. 

I have the 12 speed Ishift so I do not know how that will effect anything. 

 

Moresmoke did you add the premium shifter or did it come on the truck?  I am looking at adding it to mine.  I do not think I really need it for most of my driving but we do some "off road", Forest Service/BLM/etc stuff where I think manually shifting would be real nice.  How often and how do you use yours?

I added the premium shifter. Bought a used shifter, installed it and had the dealer do the software.

General highway driving I never use it. Where the premium shifter shines is slower speeds. Pull in the yard and it wants to stay in 5th gear until you pile on the brakes enough to stop, then it shifts to neutral. I like to coast down to a crawl and then be able to power to my parking spot in 1st gear. Or if you are trying to drive up to something and not run into it. Truck tries to do everything in 3rd gear, hard to inch up to something in 3rd.

Premium shifter solves these problems. If I remember right, the shifter was $200 and the software $300. That was an update where the dealer had to contact Volvo and get the build information changed.

 

[Nwcid]

Thank you for that info.  In my truck I can start in 1st with the manual mode or lock into the current gear.  That is what works in my driveway.  It is not practical for the "off-road". 

I keep looking at used shifters but they have migrated up to ~$400, of course then the dealer programing.  Under $500 would be much easier to pay than $600-$800.  Not sure there is enough value at that price for me. 

[noteven]

I'm kind of rusty on driveline stuff but I'm thinking rule of engineering thumb is limiting driveline rpm to 3500...which is a factor in truck speed. 

This factor may be incorrect due to atmospheric conditions and lack of coffee.  But there is a limit.