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-   -   Volvo S60 - T6 | The Swedish Mr. Hyde (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/286928-volvo-s60-t6-swedish-mr-hyde.html)

So, why buy a 12-year-old Volvo S60 T6 in 2024, especially when it’s got less than 3 years of "legal" life left in NCR? Well, let me first get that out of the way!

• Reason #1: I’d rather have a few heart-pounding, smile-inducing years with a car I love rather than spend a decade commuting in something that feels like a moving couch.
• Reason #2: Six-cylinder engines are becoming extinct. Also, life’s short and might as well enjoy.
• Reason #3: Bucket list car checked off; wallet only bruised - not broken!

Why not a 328i?
Great question! The 328i is a superb car in it's own right, but there’s no six-cylinder option. And in my head, I already decided six cylinders or bust. Sometimes logic just has to take the back seat!

Then why not a 6 cylinder BMW?
Was a possibility, but just didn't happen / stars didn't align.

So, why the S60 T6?

• It’s got six cylinders - check.
• It’s FAST - double check.
• Power & Torque - triple check.
• AWD - another brownie point.
• It’s sneaky. Remove the badges, and people will think it’s a boring Volvo!
• And it’s not your typical German road hog - not as common, which is a big plus in my book.

What’s the Purpose?
It’s not a daily driver or a grocery-getter. This is my weekend fun car - Mr. Hyde for late nights and weekend rides that bring out the mischievous grin. It’s all about pressing that accelerator in Sport mode and enjoying the action. Commuting from Point A to Point B? Na, this car is here for the thrills.

The Great Hunt
Spent two years scouring for the right one. Went and saw one in Mumbai - was abused and a hard pass. A promising one in Delhi? Sold before I could seal the deal. South India had a few, but the stars didn’t align. Then finally, I stumbled upon "the one".

Despite having four previous owners, this car has been like a hot potato nobody could hold onto! The first owner bailed within a year, the second stuck it out for a decade before calling it quits, and the last two - well, they barely had time to get comfortable before they handed it off. But here’s the bright side: they all poured in cash and effort to keep it in tip-top shape. The immediate previous owner had been meticulous with maintenance, so I inherited a quite a few parts and consumables. Plus, it came with fresh oils, belts, and wheel bearings - it’s like getting a care package with my new (to me) car!

Test drove, signed, sealed, and delivered to my driveway in just 24 hours! Ready for round five with me!

What’s to Love?
I’ll spare you the snooze-fest of specs, features, and user manuals - trust me, you can find all that jazz with a quick forum search. Instead, here’s the fun part: the list of what I absolutely love about this car!

• Fast & Feisty: In Sport mode, it’s pure adrenaline. In Drive, it’s a perfect gentleman.
• Interior Quality: Simple, classy and those front seats? Absolute luxury.
• Safety Features: The safety and driver aid package (in working condition) still holds its own against today’s tech-savvy rides - even though this car is practically eligible for a "classic" badge at 12 years old.
• Understated Appeal: Looks like your neighborhood uncle's car but drives like your guilty pleasure. No one in the apartment complex will have a clue about the adventures you’re up to when you’re out in this car!

The Makeover

• Headlights: Restored with a little polish and elbow grease. Almost perfect!
• Alloys: Balanced, repaired & painted. Steering shudder - gone and the looks enhanced to level 5!
• Driver-Side Mirror: Replaced. Now I can actually see who’s trying to tail me.
• Brake Rotors: Resurfaced. A quick spin on the lathe, and now I can trust the braking feel again.

Little Quirks (Or "Character Traits") passed on to me:
Well, let’s face it—when you’re talking about a 12-year-old car with multiple past owners, it’s not exactly going to be showroom fresh! I totally get that it’ll come with its own little quirks, maybe even a few mysteries under the hood. But as long as it keeps rolling along without flashing any major warning lights or pulling any dramatic stunts on the road, I’m good. I can handle a few surprises, as long as they’re more "slight rattle" and less "engine on strike" while I’ve got it! So, here’s my current list of known quirks… for now!

• Driver Aid Systems: ADAS and cruise control? Non-functional, thanks to a wrong windshield put up by one of the earlier owners. But hey, who needs driver aids when you’ve got the "driver" part sorted?
• Sensors and Electronics: Active Bendy headlights? Wonky. Washer fluid sensor? Thinks it’s always thirsty. Meh, these aren’t deal-breakers.
• Cosmetic Nuisance: The info screen is scuffed, and I’ll just pretend its "vintage" for now.

Things to Watch Out For

• Low Clearance: potholes, broken tarmac, and speed bumps are all potential arch-enemies.
• Expensive Tires: 18-inch beauties look good but fear potholes like vampires fear daylight.
• No Spare Tire: Don’t ask. Just don’t.
• No Android Auto: I’ll slap an aftermarket screen on the dash if needed.
• Volvo Service: Sadly, they’d rather be happy changing oils in new age Volvo's rather than tinker with a T6.
• Spare Parts: Getting parts is like a treasure hunt where the treasure is overpriced and may or may not exist!

Driving Experience
In a word: addictive. This car loves the open road, taking the long route, and accelerating like there’s no tomorrow. The suspension is firm and thanks to low profile tyres one can feel all road imperfections at all times. The steering is delightfully weighty, and doing Zero to 100 in Sports mode again and again? Yes, please! Thanks to AWD, this thing launches like a rocket—no wheel spin, no drama, just pure "hold on to your hat" acceleration. It hooks up so well, you'd think it’s glued to the road! However, with over 60% of its weight up front, this one's a real nose-diver!

Future Plans
Arranging money to buy a petrol bunk or an oil field, Reading up on everything Volvo, VIDA, DiCE, VDASH, p3tools (I’m on the way to becoming a full-on Volvo nerd now). DIY diagnostic & mod tools so I can give it the TLC it deserves

So that’s the story! From here on out, it’s all about enjoying the ride, getting hands dirty with few mods and tunes, embracing the quirks, and relishing every mile with my undercover speed demon.

Here’s the lowdown on what I am learning on tuning a Volvo (using only software tools and no hardware changes).

First off, Volvo’s got a bit of a possessive streak: most of their car modules come with security codes / numbers that are hardcoded to the car’s ECU (Engine Control Unit) and CEM (Central Electronic Module) like a stubborn tattoo. The ECU and CEM constantly check if all the parts match up, and if you try to slip in a new replacement from aftermarket or from a donor car, they throw a fit. So, if you think replacing LCD screen of the infotainment module or some other part is as simple as plug-and-play, think again. Unless it’s an "authorized module" from Volvo, the car’s going to sulk.

Rumor has it that in the EU, the service center folks won’t even look at your car until it’s "as factory fresh as a newborn" from an ECU/CEM perspective. They’re like, "Nope, take it back, remove the mods, and only then we’ll talk!". Now, Volvo says this is all about preventing theft, blocking fake parts, and adding a little security. But it’s also a cunning way to keep you coming back to their service centers and paying for their pricey parts and labour.

But there are ways to outwit this setup. Just prepare to dive into a world of terms that sound like the names of alien gadgets: VIDA, vDASH, DICE, SuperJ2534, P3Tools, ModUnlock can be your new best friends. Here are some of good resources to get one started on this wild ride:

• D5T5
• VolvoDiag
• Matthews Volvo Site
• SVDNS
• Swedespeed

and, here’s a glossary of the magic wands you’ll need:

VIDA (Vehicle Information & Diagnostics for Aftersales): Think of it as the Rosetta Stone of Volvo diagnostics, letting you read your car's secrets. It gives you access to your car’s inner thoughts (at least until 2014 models, after which it’s gone full cloud mode).


DICE (Diagnostic Communication Equipment): This is like a "phone cable" for your car; you plug it into the OBD port on one end, and your laptop on the other, so VIDA and your Volvo can gossip. These things are tough to find and even knockoffs cost a pretty penny.


SuperJ2534 / Mongoose Cable: This is like DICE’s more affordable, reliable cousin, if you can dodge the knockoffs. It’ll get you hooked up to VIDA and keep things running smoothly.


vDASH: This Czech-based tool can charm your Volvo’s ECM and CEM into dropping some of their security. They offer remote remaps too (think Polestar tuning without the steep bill) and lots of other online services.


p3Tools: This one’s all about tweaking car features and unlocking the CEM pin, perfect if you’re ready to unleash hidden abilities in your Volvo.


CEM Pin Unlocking: And yes, for the main event - unlocking the CEM pin. This takes about 8-12 hours of babying your car: you’ll need to keep the battery charged, keep the car online, and probably tuck it in with a warm blanket. Once the CEM and ECM pins are free, you’re finally ready to tune.

So, if you’re feeling brave (or just deeply stubborn), the Volvo universe is yours to tweak - just prepare for a few surprises on the way!

So, where am I in this Volvo-tuning saga after spending weeks swimming in a sea of Volvo forums?

First step towards figuring out what's ticking (and not ticking) under the hood of my car was to kit myself out with a few diagnostic tools.

• VIDA from https://volvodiag.com/ was my first stop, and it came bundled as a Virtual Machine for 5 USD -- download, install, and voila! It’s like Volvo sent me its top-secret blueprints.
  
• VDASH from https://d5t5.com/ , a desktop / cloud-based tool from D5T5 for some decoding magic for your engine and central electronics modules. For 299 Euro, you get unlimited configuration changes, engine optimization/remaps, module clones and the works.
  
• P3Tools from https://dapp.auxadapter.se/faq.html , a desktop / server tool created by a software developer who’s a garage wizard. For 50 Euros equivalent crypto payment, the tool will allow you any kind of config changes. It won't do any tuning magic, though. Now, the challenge is paying in crypto. I’m still figuring out how to pay this developer the 50 Euro equivalent BTC.

So, why 3 different software tools and not just one of the above?

• VIDA is like that super smart friend who can tell you exactly what's wrong with your car, walk you through checking every part, and even give you a step-by-step guide to fix it, has all reference part numbers/diagrams etc. But here’s the kicker: it’s not the friend who’ll let you tweak or tune anything. Want to mess with the car's configuration? VIDA says, "Sorry, pal, no fun allowed here!" So, yes, it’s a must-have software for anyone wanting to keep their car running smoothly—but if you're a true auto enthusiast with a taste for mods, VIDA’s like a great appetizer without the main course!
  
• VDASH is like that friend who’ll tell you, "Hey, your car’s throwing some tantrums, and here’s which modules are acting up." But if you’re hoping for a "How to Fix It for Dummies" guide? Nope, VDASH isn’t spilling any secrets there! Now, what it will do is let you play around with configurations, clone modules to dodge Volvo’s security like a high-tech ninja, and even decode those elusive security pins (but don’t expect it to share the answers). The real treat? It’ll let you spice up your Volvo with tune maps that’ll give you Polestar-level performance at discount prices. So yeah, it's like a mischievous little toolkit for anyone with a rebellious streak and a Volvo!
  
• P3Tools is like VDASH's slightly sneakier cousin—it’ll help you tweak configurations (but no ECM tuning), sync your Volvo with aftermarket parts, and slip right past that pesky CEM security like it’s no big deal. But here’s where P3Tools shows off: it’ll actually tell you your CEM security PIN, instead of pulling a VDASH move and saying, "I know it, but I’m keeping it to myself." So, if VDASH is a bit secretive, P3Tools is the straight-talking buddy who hands you the keys and says, "Go ahead, have some fun!"

So, after loading up on all this software, I faced the ultimate irony: I had all the digital tools, but no cable to connect them. Finding a DICE/SuperJ2534/Mongoose cable in India? Might as well have been searching for a unicorn. After what felt like a cross-country rally, I finally ordered one from Order2India. Many weeks later, the cable arrived, and I was ready to plug in and play mechanic.

First move? Hooking up the cable and doing a deep dive -- a Volvo X-ray if you will. VIDA, VDASH, and P3Tools all confirmed my suspicions about some pesky FSM and HCM modules.

VIDA gave me the official "doctor’s note", but nothing that I did not know earlier.




Hooking up P3Tools




Config Options in P3Tools




Health report from P3Tools




The legendary superj2534 cable and the VDASH setup, in all their glory! This dynamic duo is here to zap your car’s secrets into your laptop faster than you can say "check engine light"!



Well, VDASH had to throw in a note about emissions being on a higher side, hinting that my O2 sensor and catalytic converter might need a tune-up. Thankfully, I’ve got a legit PUC valid till June 2025, so I can safely dodge Greta’s judgment for now.

Step one: decode the CEM PIN. Sounds simple, right? Just sit back and wait… and wait… for somewhere between 6 to 8 hours. Oh, and it could take up to 24 hours if the PIN is buried deep down which the brute force method of cracking the PIN will take its own sweet time to reach

So, armed with enough patience, I settled in for a long stare-down with the computer screen. But then, out of nowhere, boom! Thirty minutes later, the PIN was decoded! I stared at the message, utterly skeptical, thinking, "Is this real? Did I just hit the jackpot of automotive patience? "



Just to be sure, I hit "decode again," and it ran for a few seconds before again saying, "Decoding complete." The sense of triumph? Immeasurable. Ah, the small joys of waiting around and getting lucky with decoding!



Later that day, I got adventurous and started tweaking some settings. First on the list? Reducing the service interval from 30,000 KM to a much more reasonable 10,000 KM.



Did few more "just for the sake of it and to test" config changes and, just to make sure I hadn’t taken my car too far down the road of my creative customizations, I did a CEM restore a few days later. You know, just in case I needed to hit the "Oops, never mind" button and pretend none of this ever happened!



VDASH has this slick trick for bypassing Volvo’s security: it basically makes "clones" of your car’s modules, so if you ever swap out a stock part for an aftermarket one that’s coded to resist change, VDASH can just sneak in the backup software. (okay, a simplified version of what actually happens). So, naturally, I cloned a few critical modules—just in case for backup.

With the CEM config appetizers out of the way, it was time for the main course: tuning the ECM. And, of course, that meant decoding the ECM PIN -- another process that could take up to 24 hours. Given my lucky streak with the CEM PIN, I was certain the lady luck wouldn’t cut me any more slack, so I braced myself for another endless screen-staring session.

But then, out of nowhere, a "Premium AI Decoding" option popped up! Turns out, there was an AI-assisted option that promised to run for 10 minutes, collect some data from the car, work offline and notify me when it was done -- in about 48 hours! I figured, why not?



Well, turns out my luck wasn’t just holding -- it was doubling down and in 2 hours I got the message that ECM PIN is decoded. That AI came through like a VIP valet for ECM decoding!



Now, with both the CEM and ECM PINs cracked, it’s like VDASH has thrown open the doors to an amusement park of settings! A full-on roller coaster of tweaking, redoing, and then tweaking some more.



First up on the thrill ride? 246 kW of power and a torque boost to 480 Nm optimization in the next few days.

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage tomorrow :thumbs up

Lovely car. Finally glad to see an adrenaline pumping thread on here. I resonate with the analogy of the moving couch.

Your writing style makes this thread all the more enjoyable!

Enjoy the beast for many a joyous mile before bidding farewell! :)

Congrats on the purchase!

I am curious about one thing, was the car you saw in mumbai a red one? An influencer has a red T-6 with an MH plate. This car has 1lac+ kms on the odo, but the engine seized due to a faulty timing kit according to the influencer.

What a way to start the weekend! Absolutely beautiful machine. I am obsessed with Volvos and whenever I see one, I ensure I follow them (at a safe distance) just to take a good look at them.

The best part is most bolly-tolly-kollywood scriptwriters can learn from it.

Wishing you more adrenaline rushes and looking forward to reading from you more. Keep us hooked!!

What an absolute beauty! As you mentioned, it doesn't scream for attention, and for any non-enthusiastic eyes, it'll just look like a boring Volvo!

I just took a look at your garage and "My Car / Bike" section in your profile and it screams enthusiasm!:Cheering: Looking forward to the ownership experience in the thread.

Superb post. Filled with enthusiam and useful information. Will follow your page from now on.

All the best for the beast.

I myself want to buy a Volvo as my next car.

@khan_sultan with his tools and blueprints to hack Volvo

Fantastic thread. Loved the part where you explained what those 3 tools are for. Even a school kid can understand clearly after reading it. Very clear.

Add to that, the crisp writing with a tint of humor - perfect for a Friday morning boost at office. LOL.

Wishing you great miles with your S60. Enjoy the life. :thumbs up

:Cheering: Yes yes yes... let us show those BMW boys what real cars, with real V6 engines are supposed to do!

Brilliant thread, the way you have put down very complex stuff into an easy do it yourself narrative is awesome!

I saw this car in person in delhi last month and it is rather mint for its age! like Khan has mentioned, the previous owners have really invested some money which is a huge plus despite having multiple owners. Exterior is as good as it gets and interiors apart from some very minor wear and tear is still as good as new. And what a build, the doors are like tank! And the elegance that a Volvo is.

Oh and congratulations! wishing you many happy kms and then when you get bored you can send it to your good friend in BLR. :cool:

Congratulation, you bought a nice sleeper! Surely, its one of an underrated car in India.

There was a TN registered S60 T6 owned by Nalli Silks for sale with low odo at reasonable price. I thought of buying it for weekend fun, but then I don't have much experience with this Swedish brand in my known circle and I was afraid of its maintenance, then I decided to let it go.