With ModUnlock Flash now adding advanced data logging for almost any P1 P2 or P3 platform Volvo to its armoury I thought I’d give it a go with my V60 and compare the OEM intake to a very expensive SNABB intake.
ModUnlock Flash is a hardware RAM data logger that talks directly to the ECU, it is not generic ODB2.
Hot take…SNABB lost me 3.5 PSI of boost!. But its worse than that.
The details of it…
Having data logged many different “upgraded” intakes over the years, and data logged back to back comparisons, I expected this to be no different and to provide a noticeable downgrade over the stock air box.
So I set about datalogging with my ModUnlock Volvo Data logger.
For consistency I always use the same stretch of road, 2000rpm in 3rd gear, at my favourite tree, floor it until the red line.
(Note, the intake air temperature was not impacted by the open filter, the only change to IAT was the day itself being 4 degrees warmer when logging the OEM airbox)
At 4500 rpm stock airbox was making 20.3Psi of boost and the Snabb 17.26psi
Why? Because the Snabb filter on Maf setup does not provide smooth air flow. Turbulent air over the Maf gives higher than expected readings and unstable flow.
The Snabb MAF housing is actually slight larger than OEM, which should lead to lower Maf readings, but the small difference in MAF housing cant fix the turbulent flow over the Maf.
Higher Maf values confuse the engine into believing its working harder than it actually is (Calculated load).
When the calculated load is too much the ECM closes the throttle blade to compensate.
This can be seen in the table below.
The excess Maf readings can also be seen, Despite lower boost, partly closed throttle blade. The Maf is still higher than OEM! thats how out of whack it makes it.
This can be seen most prominently at 6500rpm.
With the OEM airbox the Boost pressure and manifold pressure are 19.7 and 19.4 psi respectively.
But with the Snabb, the 13% increase in MAF readings caused the ECU to close the throttle blade by 51%!!! and reduce turbo duty by 23%. this lead to a drop in manifold pressure to 16.25psi which continued on to the red line of 6800rpm and 16.1PSI (OEM was 19.6)
As you can see, at almost all points through the rev range the Snabb was down on boost and turbo duty whilst being up on Maf and calculated load.
I implore anyone running a non OEM intake to take some measurements of before and after with a proper data logger like Modunlock Flash to see if the benefits (which might be sound or throttle response) outweigh any negatives.
The results might be different for your car and your turbo, but until you look in detail….you just dont know what going on.
The below spreadsheet shows the comparison between the the two in raw data, whilst the below graphic from the excellent and free “Megalog Viewer” really helps to visualise the differences.
On the Megalog output, Bright colour is the oem, darker colour is the Snabb comparison.
For Sale. Snabb intake, less than 150 miles on it.
