Ard Tuning

[MattyXXL]

Not to get in to the bull cause I wrote this off as a loss almost a year ago and dont have anything ARD anymore but.......

4.3 White tune w/ rear o2 delete:

Constantly threw the rear o2 no response code. I was told i need to keep the rear o2 plugged and screwed in cause the ecu will still reference it. I put it back in, now I had a rear o2 too rich code (no cat). He suggested the nonfouler trick, that never worked. Why would the rear o2 be pulling data or even need to be plugged in?

Ran well for about a month then...

Supposed to have fuel cut removed, kept hitting fuel cut at 14 psi

Ran at 13.5 AFR at WOT and backfired between 300 and 3500 rpm.

Got rid of it and upgraded to green

4.3 Green tune w/ rear o2 delete:

Same issue with the rear o2

Overboosting and spiking to 21 with low 14 AFRs

12's AFRs at Idle

No response after about 4 emails

Sold it and moved on.

Il just leave it at that

if you choose to purchase a tune and it is NOT right do NOT give up until you get what you paid for.

[xjflexer]

'96 855R with manual swap. VERY happy customer here.

I got a 4.4 white tune mainly because of my manual swap. The customer service I have recieved from Lucky was always professional. As a matter of fact, about a year-ish after recieving my tune, he e-mail me asking how me and the tune were doing. That was great customer service.

Since I have had my tune, I have upgraded to a 3" downpipe, cat delete, RIP kit, N/A throttle body, ARD TCV. I would like to upgrade to Orange and will use Lucky and ARD to do so. I don't feel the need for Green myself for the type of driving I do. My car is quite fast as it is.

[DAYWALKER]

4.4 green tune auto = overboost problem from day one. bent my rod. never figure it out. now i know why.

4.4 blue tune manual = overboost problem from day one. trying to rig the system up to make it work for now until better option come along. i even use a stock wastegate actuator with 165,000 mile and turn it all the way out but still overboost. i think if i didn't upgrade my rod before i would probably bent it over and over.

update. my overboost problem is cause by a defective wastegate actuator. the tune itself is not to blame for the overboost problem i been having. i don't have a wideband so i don't know if the tune is running too lean or too rich.

[rmorse]

update. my overboost problem is cause by a defective wastegate actuator. the tune itself is not to blame for the overboost problem i been having. i don't have a wideband so i don't know if the tune is running too lean or too rich.

Thanks for the update, and glad you found the issue! Would you mind editing your original post so people can see that it was a mechanical issue and not an issue with the ARD tune?

[Ol' Dirty Noodle]

My experiences with Lucky have been fine to date. It started last December when I began enquiring to him about tuning my 01 S40, at the time he hadn't played with the Siemens EMS2000 system but said he'd be more than willing to give it a go if I sent him an ECU. We didn't communicate for a while as I was finalizing my decision on the manual swap and future setup and goals, Lucky reached out to me though and asked me if I'd test one of his pulleys on my 4cyl, it was a success and I wrote a review here and on 30forty50. When I asked Lucky for his paypal info and the price he said don't worry the review is payment enough. Since then he's also helped me determine the other 5cyl compatible parts and has been working to crack the Siemens ECU so I can have a proper manual tune. He was honest in letting me know that it would be very expensive to flash tune because he didn't have the equipment but he could use the desolder method which he was for obvious reasons less fond of, don't have the ECU back though so I can't comment on the tuning aspects

[S8ET6]

I've done business with Lucky twice. The first time I need him to clone a ECU for me. My original one had an internal short and wouldn't/couldn't set readiness on the O2 circuit and I couldn't pass emissions testing without it.

IIRC, I sent it to him on a Monday and I had it back in my hands on the following Thursday evening. I plugged it in, completed the drive cycle on Friday and successfully passed emissions testing and renewed my plates on Sat.

Afterwards, I plugged in my IPD softloader and checked to see if the IPD tune was still installed - it was.

Last year I purchased a custom tune from him. I plan on trying it out next spring when the weather breaks and I can complete my build. I'll reports back then

[DScottM]

Car: 98 T5M

Mods: 18T, Full Exhaust, Snabb TCV, Snabb Intake, Snabb FMIC, etc etc etc.

Ran an ARD Blue tune for a year and a few months until i totaled the car. Had some issues building full boost and Lucky was quite helpful in pointing me in the right direction. After replacing some other keys boost related components (CBV, Wastegate actuator, IC hoses, etc) the problem disappeared. Still had a small fade issue but it could have been multiple things. Car pulled great. No issues as far as strange idling or anything. I noticed no practicality loss vs stock tune...

Overall i have had 0 issues with the company or the tune... All shipments have been quite prompt and the service good. Will i buy from them again? Hell yes....

[Matty Moo]

I've had two ARD tunes...one in my 96 Platinum and another in my current 98s70, no issues with either.

I had contacted Lucky in September of 2011. I needed some sort of unit to test and diagnose 2002 and newer Volvo BCM's in real time. I wanted this for three reasons.

1. Xemodex could do it.

2. It's money.

3. I had a competitor that said it's complete bullshit, not possible and it doesn't exist. The same guy also said he's the only one with the cars to test ABS modules when i had the same cars.

Lucky said he could do it and actually offered more than I initially wanted, which was only 2002 and newer. We went forward with a unit that could read, test and diagnose any 99 to the present ABS/BCM module with the exception of the DSTC units used on some of the 2001 s80's that aren't repairable. The unit also had the capability to be tied into any other module on any 99+ car, but I passed being that I only stick with one thing. I messed with ETM's but didn't want to deal with the support side of those.

Now...I never contacted Lucky for this because I thought he was some sort of super fucking dude. I only contacted him because I wasn't getting anywhere with any of the local test labs. Being in Michigan, which is the automotive capital of the world one would expect that that one of the hundreds of engineering firms and test labs would be able to pull this off, but none of them could or would for less than a shitload of money. A shitload being $10k or so figured. Things like this are readily available for more common cars, but not the regular Volvo.

So....over the course of about 14 weeks Lucky made what I call the "3 cars in a box". P80, P2 and then 2004+. The ability to read and test in real time with real readings without the worries of being mated via the ECU. You can't do this stuff on a 2002+ like you can with the 96-2001's. I sent him a check then waited. Was I worried? Fuck yes I was.

We only had two issues when it was finished. One was a power supply issue which Lucky fixed in under a week, and a wheel speed sensor reading issue that I fixed in 30 minutes with a multimeter and some wire. I also added an extra vent which I can only blame on myself for the amount of time it gets used. I've had power issues since, but those have been mostly my fault.

I can screen out core returns that have permanent faults just by hooking them up for 15 seconds and scanning them using either my Autel eu702 or Vida. I can also test units that have software faults that are based on time rather than distance, temperature, voltage or even model. Some faults exist that show up on a set schedule rather than environmental forces like heat/cold. I've been able to diagnose and screen out brand new OEM Volvo modules that had software faults right out of the box. In the end, it made my life easier. I can now show somebody an actual fault with actual proof other than saying it doesn't work without an actual explanation. I still use actual cars to test and always will, but we all know that the more tools available means you can get more done.

I'm not posting this to be some sort of Nutswinger, those of you that have been around me know that I have less than zero tolerance for bullshit in general. I haven't had any problems with Lucky.

[aus850t5]

Car: 98 C70 T5A

Mods: Mechanically stock

Tune: Green

Purchased late 2012, communication was great and the car feels much better to drive, hits 17psi every time.

[mattwebb502]

1996 855R, all stock (automatic, etc)

100k miles at tune purchase (11/2012), 108k miles now.

Green tune w/Motronic 4.4 ecu.

Very pleased. Car does exactly what I was told it was going to do. It's been a fun year.

Fuel economy no different.

Always very good communication; I can tell he's a busy guy -- might be a few days before you hear back, but you always hear back. ...and I can tend to be a "needy" info hungry customer.

I'm honestly perplexed by the negative reviews posted.

I wish all the best to this entrepreneur that works hard to supply our grocery-getter-family-car brand with go fast parts.

[Brickbox8398]

Car: 98 C70 T5A

Mods: Mechanically stock

Tune: Green

Purchased late 2012, communication was great and the car feels much better to drive, hits 17psi every time.

I've got a 98 S70 T5M. Same scenario and can agree with what you said. I also have the rear O2 and SAS delete and have not had a single issue with that, unlike what others say. Had one issue (slight backfire under full boost), Lucky pointed me in the right direction. (I failed to replace ignition components at stage 0). After doing so problem solved. Later purchased his TCV and am happy with that as well. I can also say he and his wife were very helpful with other support questions I had even though they obviously had more important things to do. Although now that some people mention being "disappointed" with the actual "internal" changes in the tune I'm curious how a Viva or IPD tune would actually compare.. :/ Either way I'm happy and my car is still running strong.

And one more thing. Not exactly sure what's going on in "Lucky's world" right now, but being involved with a small family business I can say I have "feels" for the $hit he has to go through. Whether it's being over-booked for the size of your business, making the occasional mistake, and getting testy with customers that sit behind a computer and give bad reviews without actually knowing what they're talking about. Whatever it may be, the point is its easy to point fingers, and we're all human. I'm curious what the final outcome of this might be.

[rbbugbitme]

In my opinion ARD sucks when it comes to business philosophy and treating the customer well. I would consider going to them for physical items that Lucky isn't designing himself, only reselling, if their policies weren't so ****ty. Alas, I've been fighting through my CC to get my Carbon tune refund after ordering it on cyber Monday and requesting to cancel it later that week because of all the negative reviews that popped up that very week. I of course offered an alternative I thought was very fair and would cost me a lot of money in numerous dyno runs and datalogging.

I am willing to move forward with the Carbon tune and compressor wheel I purchased along with the free rebuild you offered ($350 service including parts and labor as per your email on 12/2/13) as long as you can agree to the following.

1) I will have my car dyno'd prior to sending you my turbo or ECU.

2) I would like to avoid mixing upgrades and complicating any possible trouble shooting issues so I want to have the turbo rebuilt first. I will install it and make sure everything is running properly for a week or two. I will be providing a Forge CBV and Viva upgraded wastegate for the rebuild that I already purchased on Cyber Monday.

3) Once I know I'm mechanically sound with the rebuilt turbo, then I'll send the ECU to you for the Carbon tune. If after a few days I don't see any issues I will re-dyno the car and hopefully have something to rave about on every review thread currently active on swedespeed.com and volvospeed.com as well as my own build thread which should see significant traffic as I am the only person to begin offering an upgraded collar gear and will be test fitting new Penske dampers shortly among other things. The point being this tune, good or bad, will be very visible.

If you think after the follow up dyno run you can tweak the tune, let me know what data you need and I will hold off on posting any reviews until after the improvements are made.

I hope this path forward is agreeable.
Ryan M.

I misunderstood what Nick was offering and there was no free turbo rebuild if I kept the tune and my offer was immediately turned down. I think if your customer hasn't even removed his ECU to ship it to you, you can't hold his money hostage as store credit for a store that barely has any other products. Without the free rebuild incentive there was no reason to continue dealing with them. There are plenty of other tunes available so there is no reason to take the risk of using their product.

[DScottM]

In my opinion ARD sucks when it comes to business philosophy and treating the customer well. I would consider going to them for physical items that Lucky isn't designing himself, only reselling, if their policies weren't so ****ty. Alas, I've been fighting through my CC to get my Carbon tune refund after ordering it on cyber Monday and requesting to cancel it later that week because of all the negative reviews that popped up that very week. I of course offered an alternative I thought was very fair and would cost me a lot of money in numerous dyno runs and datalogging.

I am willing to move forward with the Carbon tune and compressor wheel I purchased along with the free rebuild you offered ($350 service including parts and labor as per your email on 12/2/13) as long as you can agree to the following.

1) I will have my car dyno'd prior to sending you my turbo or ECU.

2) I would like to avoid mixing upgrades and complicating any possible trouble shooting issues so I want to have the turbo rebuilt first. I will install it and make sure everything is running properly for a week or two. I will be providing a Forge CBV and Viva upgraded wastegate for the rebuild that I already purchased on Cyber Monday.

3) Once I know I'm mechanically sound with the rebuilt turbo, then I'll send the ECU to you for the Carbon tune. If after a few days I don't see any issues I will re-dyno the car and hopefully have something to rave about on every review thread currently active on swedespeed.com and volvospeed.com as well as my own build thread which should see significant traffic as I am the only person to begin offering an upgraded collar gear and will be test fitting new Penske dampers shortly among other things. The point being this tune, good or bad, will be very visible.

If you think after the follow up dyno run you can tweak the tune, let me know what data you need and I will hold off on posting any reviews until after the improvements are made.

I hope this path forward is agreeable.

Ryan M.

I misunderstood what Nick was offering and there was no free turbo rebuild if I kept the tune and my offer was immediately turned down. I think if your customer hasn't even removed his ECU to ship it to you, you can't hold his money hostage as store credit for a store that barely has any other products. Without the free rebuild incentive there was no reason to continue dealing with them. There are plenty of other tunes available so there is no reason to take the risk of using their product.

Trying to figure out your logic for thinking ARD owes you $350 dollars worth of labor and parts for you not doing some market research before you pulled the trigger on one of their products. I think that ball lands squarely in your court if I'm not mistaken...

[Piston Slapper]

Trying to figure out your logic for thinking ARD owes you $350 dollars worth of labor and parts for you not doing some market research before you pulled the trigger on one of their products. I think that ball lands squarely in your court if I'm not mistaken...

Reading comprehension failure. They offered a free turbo rebuild with tune promotion as a "$350 Value"... it wasn't something he was randomly demanding out of the blue. The real problem is them holding money hostage as "store credit" for a product that was never even produced much less provided.

How would you feel if you ordered a tune, weren't able to have your car down long enough to send off your VIN matched ECU and they wouldn't refund you for work they haven't even done? You'd be livid.

[Piston Slapper]

First of all, if the deal was a free turbo rebuild with the purchase of the tune, which seems like it was not rather it was a misunderstanding, why would they send him a rebuilt turbo before he committed to actually buying the tune. He could just take the turbo and say "K thanks, bye"

Overall it sounds like the whole deal was shitty, and the OP was kinda screwed over.

But before you start criticizing others reading comprehension, you should check your own.

Except he'd already paid for the tune... which is why he's now mad they won't refund him. If he said "K thanks, bye" after the turbo rebuild then he'd have just overpaid them for the turbo rebuild since they already had (and apparently still have!) his payment for the tune.