I just recently purchased a 2014 S60 T5 FWD, I'm wondering about the do's and don'ts of modding this car. So far I love this car, already got the muffler deleted she roars like a V10. Just looking for other interesting modifications, if you have something similar to my vehicle or know anything about this cute mf 5cyl please let me know!

 

Really depends on what you want to get out of your mods... Since you have a T5, you should have some options on buying an ECU tune. Usually these come in "stages" where a stage 1 requires minimal additional mods, stage 2 and higher adds boost so then other mods (ie larger intercooler, larger downpipe, cold air intake, bigger injectors etc) are recommended by the tuning vendor. There's also other turbo bits that can also be added (ie an after market boost control valve etc) - these have a specific function so best to read up on what each is supposed to bring to the party as these costs can add up quickly). Outside of adding HP, you can also mod the suspension. Easiest is wheels/tires, best value is seeing if there are larger sway bars for your model. Next is springs/shocks. Bilsteins are a popular upgrade and come in different models ie B6s are designed to go with stock spring heights, B8s for lowering springs. Finally you can do away with both and go to a coil-over which provides a new spring and shock plus has an adjustable spring seat position to let you set the ride height, weight balance each wheel etc. Just keep in mind, lowering springs will alter the suspension geometry so consideration needs to be given to camber adjustment parts. You can also look to stiffen the chassis with a strut brace - this is designed to go between the strut towers to reduce chassis flex under hard driving conditions. Finally with all this go, you can consider upgrading the brakes. Here you can choose different pad compounds that resist fade under hard braking, add cross drilled/slotted rotors to help vent brake gasses (fade happens when the surface of the brake pad "boils" and produces hot gasses that reduce the friction). There are also kits for larger rotors and better calipers (usually adding pistons to better control the pad ). I've done different things over the years but usually started with wheels/suspension/brakes and sound system. IMHO,deleting the muffler sounds good for the first few weeks but then the drone during regular driving gets old and you'll wind up turning up the stereo. What you can do is start building up your bookmarks of aftermarket tuning and volvo friendly parts stores to see what items are available for your model/year.

 

Thanks for your response, I'm very familiar with these modifications. I'm looking to see which modifications to stay away from. All my friends are getting APR tuned on their VW's and they seem to keep getting engine damage. I care more about my engine reliability than a few extra pounds of boost. If the engine can handle just a simple stage 1 tune at 60k miles I'd 100% be interested in this tune, maybe even a stage 2 with an aftermarket intercooler. The car has enough power as it is, but everyone wants to squeeze a little more out, right?

I also will be lowering with B8's and getting an IPD rear anti-sway to help with the body roll. For a FWD mid-size sedan, she handles like a champ as it is. I'm planning on putting P Zero summer tires around some 18" konig impressions as well, as it rarely rains here in SoCal.

 

my personal believe with ECU tuners is that they all pretty much do the same things (and probably copy mappings from one another !) so it boils down to how agressive the tune is and how the tuner packages other bits. When it comes to boosted engines heat is the enemy so getting a bigger intercooler is a good idea, as is a bigger downpipe (to get the hot exhaust out of the turbo faster) even if you decide on a mild ECU tune. After market blow off valves also help release the boost pressure more quickly when you go off the throttle. You can look at product like Water Wetter to help transfer heat out of the radiator and certainly run 93 octane as the car's regular diet. Dunno if the VW's issues are simply related to more boost - or other issues. One common problem is direct injection cars like the VWs (I own a '12 CC) have issues with carbon build up in the intake ports (no fuel in the air to wash off the ports) which can mess with the mixture under high stress conditions and that can lead to detonation etc... or maybe your friends just drive their cars hard. One option you have is to find a tuner who offers the option to retune (upgrade or downgrade) should you start wtih a basic stage 1 and add bits.