(Possible) Product Review: Volo VP12 Performance "ECU Soft-Flash" Chip
03-22-2011, 11:12 AM
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Product Review: Volo VP12 Performance "ECU Soft-Flash" Chip
As I'm typing this, I have a funny little smile on my face... First of all, I'm at the office, eating lunch at my desk. Normally, this isn't a big deal. But today my wife surprized me with a REALLY cool lunch. Today, I'm eating a can of Spaghetti-O's with Meatballs. Now, lemme tell ya, aside from spontaneous and gratuitous nudity, I've discovered that Spaghetti-O's with Meatballs are about the best thing on Earth to brighten a 38-year-old guy's day.
However, they have an odd side effect. They bring back the memories of that 38-year-old guy's early life, when Spaghetti-O's with Meatballs was a staple food item. Problem is, with that set of memories pounding through my head so strongly, it affected something else... my ability to make responsible decisions about things like spending money on toys and candy. It is with that COMPLETE and utter lack of fiscal conservatism that I present to you a new saga. Today, I embark upon a new journey called the "Volo Performance VP12 ECU Soft Flash Chip."
I did a little research on this thing. It appears to be a system that interprets different sensor readings in your vehicle, compares them with a few different pre-programmed injection maps it has stored in its own memory, and then intercepts and replaces the instructions of the ECU in order to allow the engine to operate more smoothly and efficiently. Normally? I look at this explanation and I want to laugh out loud at somebody wanting to sell it to me for $89.00...
...but then I take a bite of Spaghetti-O's... and I think to myself, like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings, huddled in the dark corner of my own repressed 6-year-old emotional flash-back...
"We WANTS it, Precious..."
I gotta tell ya: People either love this thing, or they hate it. I've seen some people in other forums who say that this little dandy helps correct certain trim issues in their vehicles. I've seen some people say that it does nothing for them (specifically, one guy who hooked it up to his newer M5, expecting it to develop a resistance to gravity or something). I've seen some people say that their performance has suffered. Me? I figure it this way... I drive a 12-valve V6. It's an extremely reliable, but under-tuned engine in my opinion. Even when this vehicle was introduced in 1992, it used borrowed technology that could have been considered out-dated. If there ever was a candidate for the kind of "digital tweaking" that this company says their product can do, I think a '98 Cabbie is a PERFECT guinea pig. Besides, I have an Ultra-Gauge hooked up and giving me constant system info, so if this thing causes any issues, I'll know about it before anything really bad happens, right?
As I sit here, with a faint orange ring around the edges of my mouth, and a big napkin still tucked into my collar like a bib, I say to you, my B4 brethren... "I wanna buy it!!!" I look at it this way. I'm going to go into this from a perspective of complete transparency. I'll tell this company who I am (Sean) and why I'm buying this (to review it for the Audiworld B4 Forum). If the company shoots straight with me, I'll allow my inner 6-year-old to grab the wheel (and my PayPal password) and roll the dice. Here's the email I sent (It's 10 minutes later, by the way):
"Good afternoon,
I am interested in purchasing this product in order to provide the members of my Audi Owners' club with a full review of its performance. I own a 1998 Audi Cabriolet with a 2.8 liter, 12-valve V6. The vehicle has 70,000 miles, and is equipped with a more freely-breathing cat-back exhaust system. Now that the exhaust is fully broken in, I'm eager to try your product in order to maximize the amount of performance gain I can receive. I currently run a full-system monitoring Ultra-gauge setup that will allow me to observe and record any differences in trim-mapping, airflow, o2 sensor output, etc. Are you willing to assure me that you have configured your VP12 with the specific ECM variations required to actually cause my vehicle to run stronger? Thanks!"
As you can see, I have asked this company a VERY pointed question about their product, and my specific needs.
We'll see what they have to say... I only hope they reply before Chef Boyardee ends the "Happy Dance" he's doing on my wallet.
Cheers,
LG
However, they have an odd side effect. They bring back the memories of that 38-year-old guy's early life, when Spaghetti-O's with Meatballs was a staple food item. Problem is, with that set of memories pounding through my head so strongly, it affected something else... my ability to make responsible decisions about things like spending money on toys and candy. It is with that COMPLETE and utter lack of fiscal conservatism that I present to you a new saga. Today, I embark upon a new journey called the "Volo Performance VP12 ECU Soft Flash Chip."
I did a little research on this thing. It appears to be a system that interprets different sensor readings in your vehicle, compares them with a few different pre-programmed injection maps it has stored in its own memory, and then intercepts and replaces the instructions of the ECU in order to allow the engine to operate more smoothly and efficiently. Normally? I look at this explanation and I want to laugh out loud at somebody wanting to sell it to me for $89.00...
...but then I take a bite of Spaghetti-O's... and I think to myself, like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings, huddled in the dark corner of my own repressed 6-year-old emotional flash-back...
"We WANTS it, Precious..."
I gotta tell ya: People either love this thing, or they hate it. I've seen some people in other forums who say that this little dandy helps correct certain trim issues in their vehicles. I've seen some people say that it does nothing for them (specifically, one guy who hooked it up to his newer M5, expecting it to develop a resistance to gravity or something). I've seen some people say that their performance has suffered. Me? I figure it this way... I drive a 12-valve V6. It's an extremely reliable, but under-tuned engine in my opinion. Even when this vehicle was introduced in 1992, it used borrowed technology that could have been considered out-dated. If there ever was a candidate for the kind of "digital tweaking" that this company says their product can do, I think a '98 Cabbie is a PERFECT guinea pig. Besides, I have an Ultra-Gauge hooked up and giving me constant system info, so if this thing causes any issues, I'll know about it before anything really bad happens, right?
As I sit here, with a faint orange ring around the edges of my mouth, and a big napkin still tucked into my collar like a bib, I say to you, my B4 brethren... "I wanna buy it!!!" I look at it this way. I'm going to go into this from a perspective of complete transparency. I'll tell this company who I am (Sean) and why I'm buying this (to review it for the Audiworld B4 Forum). If the company shoots straight with me, I'll allow my inner 6-year-old to grab the wheel (and my PayPal password) and roll the dice. Here's the email I sent (It's 10 minutes later, by the way):
"Good afternoon,
I am interested in purchasing this product in order to provide the members of my Audi Owners' club with a full review of its performance. I own a 1998 Audi Cabriolet with a 2.8 liter, 12-valve V6. The vehicle has 70,000 miles, and is equipped with a more freely-breathing cat-back exhaust system. Now that the exhaust is fully broken in, I'm eager to try your product in order to maximize the amount of performance gain I can receive. I currently run a full-system monitoring Ultra-gauge setup that will allow me to observe and record any differences in trim-mapping, airflow, o2 sensor output, etc. Are you willing to assure me that you have configured your VP12 with the specific ECM variations required to actually cause my vehicle to run stronger? Thanks!"
As you can see, I have asked this company a VERY pointed question about their product, and my specific needs.
We'll see what they have to say... I only hope they reply before Chef Boyardee ends the "Happy Dance" he's doing on my wallet.
Cheers,
LG
Last edited by Loudgoldwing; 03-24-2011 at 11:10 AM.
03-22-2011, 05:02 PM
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When I got home, I discovered that I had a reply:
“Yes, The Vp12 will work with your vehicle. However if this setup you have hooks into the ECU then the Volo Chip will not be compatible if the setup sends data to the ECU. The Volo Chip is designed to drop communications in the event any signal is sent into the ECU. This is to comply with federal laws.”
I ended up sending 2 messages in response. This one, I sent back through the ebay message system:
“I understand about the signal interruption completely. My setup is designed only to monitor ECU output. It doesn't send out any signals unless you use it to clear a trouble code in order to switch off the "Check Engine" light. I would like to ask a few more questions before I order, if I may. If you would prefer that I do so through ebay, I don't mind. But if there's a direct email that you check more frequently, I would be happy to send my questions there. Thanks! Sean”
And then after a bit more research, this one to the sales email address of the company directly (after copying to them the contents of the entire conversation so far):
"Obviously, I found this website earlier today, so I’m sending my (hopefully) final questions here. For the sake of transparency, I want to make sure you understand that I’m sharing this dialog with the other members of my group. The specific discussion in this forum is located at https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho...1#post24120141. The last issue I’d like to address is really picky, I admit. But the way I see it, you have a pretty good opportunity to shine with your product if it does what you say it will do. So, here goes… You say that the VP12 will not be compatible if my Ultra-gauge sends data to the ECU. From what I understand about the Ultra-gauge, it reads only. It doesn’t transmit. But that’s where my picky question comes in:
When I receive the VP12, I’ll watch your YouTube video and follow the instructions to attach its 4 wires to the appropriate 4 wires behind my OBD port. My Ultra-gauge plugs into the OBD port itself, so physically there isn’t any “one unit can’t plug in when the other unit is running” type of situation. But I’m concerned about your comment that the VP12 shuts down automatically when it senses a signal being sent. The ECU sends signals for a living, know what I mean? How can the VP12 know to allow the ECU to keep the car running, but tell the difference and shut down when it “hears” a different device? In my situation, everything is connected to the same wires, and obviously “speaking” the same language, or else the car wouldn’t run.
I am REALLY hoping you can reply with a good answer to this, because I’m excited to try your product and prove to people that there are a few companies out there who can actually ACCOMPLISH what they promise to do for a customer. I’m doing this because I want your product to work. If it does, I can say without a doubt in my mind that I will likely write the BEST testimonial in your company’s history. But I really need you guys to “bring the heat,” here. So please, tell me (and the rest of my group) what the VP12 actually does in order to teach my car how to run better, without blocking or reprogramming the ECU.
Thank you for your patience. I hope you can understand the significance of this conversation.
Sean"
Now, I am a skeptic by nature. I usually agree with guys like Andy when it comes to stuff like this. That's why I said what I did about the guy with the M5 thinking WAY over the standard level of expectations for this product. Granted, Volo probably shouldn't have advertised their product as something that could improve upon a system that was as highly refined as the M5's was already, right out of the box.
But our 12-valve's are just different animals. It has been explained to me locally that all of our 2.8's, upon importation into the US, were required to adhere to CA emission standards as a money-saving production technique. Everything was built to the same standard, in order to do so quickly and efficiently. CA has the most stringent emission standars, so if it passes in CA, it will pass in WI, too.
So it seems logical that the way the ECU was programmed at the factory has a little wiggle room, as well. For $89? Hell yeah, Andy. I'm probably going to do this. Because I want you to know the truth for real, instead of saying "Moo" with the rest of the non-believing cows out there. Everybody can look at a discussion and find 50 people who say "It works" and 50 people who say "It sucks." I simply hold myself to a higher standard. The standard of "Yeah, I'm the Jack-*** who actually bought this piece of gold/crap."
But hey, at least I did some learning along the way, right?
“Yes, The Vp12 will work with your vehicle. However if this setup you have hooks into the ECU then the Volo Chip will not be compatible if the setup sends data to the ECU. The Volo Chip is designed to drop communications in the event any signal is sent into the ECU. This is to comply with federal laws.”
I ended up sending 2 messages in response. This one, I sent back through the ebay message system:
“I understand about the signal interruption completely. My setup is designed only to monitor ECU output. It doesn't send out any signals unless you use it to clear a trouble code in order to switch off the "Check Engine" light. I would like to ask a few more questions before I order, if I may. If you would prefer that I do so through ebay, I don't mind. But if there's a direct email that you check more frequently, I would be happy to send my questions there. Thanks! Sean”
And then after a bit more research, this one to the sales email address of the company directly (after copying to them the contents of the entire conversation so far):
"Obviously, I found this website earlier today, so I’m sending my (hopefully) final questions here. For the sake of transparency, I want to make sure you understand that I’m sharing this dialog with the other members of my group. The specific discussion in this forum is located at https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho...1#post24120141. The last issue I’d like to address is really picky, I admit. But the way I see it, you have a pretty good opportunity to shine with your product if it does what you say it will do. So, here goes… You say that the VP12 will not be compatible if my Ultra-gauge sends data to the ECU. From what I understand about the Ultra-gauge, it reads only. It doesn’t transmit. But that’s where my picky question comes in:
When I receive the VP12, I’ll watch your YouTube video and follow the instructions to attach its 4 wires to the appropriate 4 wires behind my OBD port. My Ultra-gauge plugs into the OBD port itself, so physically there isn’t any “one unit can’t plug in when the other unit is running” type of situation. But I’m concerned about your comment that the VP12 shuts down automatically when it senses a signal being sent. The ECU sends signals for a living, know what I mean? How can the VP12 know to allow the ECU to keep the car running, but tell the difference and shut down when it “hears” a different device? In my situation, everything is connected to the same wires, and obviously “speaking” the same language, or else the car wouldn’t run.
I am REALLY hoping you can reply with a good answer to this, because I’m excited to try your product and prove to people that there are a few companies out there who can actually ACCOMPLISH what they promise to do for a customer. I’m doing this because I want your product to work. If it does, I can say without a doubt in my mind that I will likely write the BEST testimonial in your company’s history. But I really need you guys to “bring the heat,” here. So please, tell me (and the rest of my group) what the VP12 actually does in order to teach my car how to run better, without blocking or reprogramming the ECU.
Thank you for your patience. I hope you can understand the significance of this conversation.
Sean"
Now, I am a skeptic by nature. I usually agree with guys like Andy when it comes to stuff like this. That's why I said what I did about the guy with the M5 thinking WAY over the standard level of expectations for this product. Granted, Volo probably shouldn't have advertised their product as something that could improve upon a system that was as highly refined as the M5's was already, right out of the box.
But our 12-valve's are just different animals. It has been explained to me locally that all of our 2.8's, upon importation into the US, were required to adhere to CA emission standards as a money-saving production technique. Everything was built to the same standard, in order to do so quickly and efficiently. CA has the most stringent emission standars, so if it passes in CA, it will pass in WI, too.
So it seems logical that the way the ECU was programmed at the factory has a little wiggle room, as well. For $89? Hell yeah, Andy. I'm probably going to do this. Because I want you to know the truth for real, instead of saying "Moo" with the rest of the non-believing cows out there. Everybody can look at a discussion and find 50 people who say "It works" and 50 people who say "It sucks." I simply hold myself to a higher standard. The standard of "Yeah, I'm the Jack-*** who actually bought this piece of gold/crap."
But hey, at least I did some learning along the way, right?
Last edited by Loudgoldwing; 03-22-2011 at 06:55 PM.
03-23-2011, 05:07 AM
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And this morning, I received a reply to that question as well:
"As far as the Volo Chip dropping communications, we are referring to Title 42 USC Sec. 7521. This is mainly concerned about chips that override the OBD port which prevents garages from identifying problems with the catalytic converter, O2 sensor, etc. Apparently there are some chips out there that will emulate a healthy catalytic converter when it has been illegally replaced by a test pipe.
Since we are utilizing the OBD2 port, recognized as an emissions component, the Volo Chip had to be designed with current federal regulations in mind. In order to comply with federal law, a drop-out routine has been implemented to the Chip so as to hand control over to another OBD2 device if two way or emissions test communication was detected. This prevents interference with federal and state emissions testing. During use of the Volo Chip, actual vehicle emissions will remain unchanged, or in some cases, improve slightly.
The Volo Chip reads the ECU and only the ECU's calculated fuel delivery and timing values are altered within the ECU's temporary memory.
If I missed a question or you have any more, just let me know. Thanks.
Kevin
Sales & Installation
www.VoloPerformance.com"
This Kevin guy who is answering my questions actually seems like an educated person. Under normal circumstances, I would expect the person who is answering my questions to be a poor typist, tardy in their response, and not particularly well-rounded in terms of "car-speak." I'm absolutely NOT disappointed by any of these answers I've received. Am I thinking that this little piece of technology is some kind of automotive miracle? No. It's $89. But I DO think that this company might be on to something, especially considering the age and relative inefficiency of some of our engine management systems. So, if any of you guys has any PERSONAL experience with one of these units causing harm to your vehicle, please post it and let me know now. If not, I will be ordering this unit by day's end.
One last question, and this is aimed at you guys, my fellow forum members:
Does the ECU in a '98 Cab have an area for "temporary memory?" If our system has an adaptive learning ability, it needs a temporary memory area to store what it has learned, right? Maybe that's what this VP12 does... It does the teaching, instead of allowing the car to figure stuff out for itself. This would provide a solution for all of the people on here who talk about how happy they are when they unplug the battery and "reset" their system... It also makes what this company is selling... wait for it... PLAUSIBLE.
Ummm... between you and me??? I think I'm stuck somewhere between cautiously optimistic and car-boner delusional at the moment. If I end up absorbing ridicule about this thing because it fails to live up to its claims, I'm going to be royally pissed.
Of course, if any of you has any questions, you can post them here and I can copy them as an email to the Volo website. Sorry I didn't think of it before.
"As far as the Volo Chip dropping communications, we are referring to Title 42 USC Sec. 7521. This is mainly concerned about chips that override the OBD port which prevents garages from identifying problems with the catalytic converter, O2 sensor, etc. Apparently there are some chips out there that will emulate a healthy catalytic converter when it has been illegally replaced by a test pipe.
Since we are utilizing the OBD2 port, recognized as an emissions component, the Volo Chip had to be designed with current federal regulations in mind. In order to comply with federal law, a drop-out routine has been implemented to the Chip so as to hand control over to another OBD2 device if two way or emissions test communication was detected. This prevents interference with federal and state emissions testing. During use of the Volo Chip, actual vehicle emissions will remain unchanged, or in some cases, improve slightly.
The Volo Chip reads the ECU and only the ECU's calculated fuel delivery and timing values are altered within the ECU's temporary memory.
If I missed a question or you have any more, just let me know. Thanks.
Kevin
Sales & Installation
www.VoloPerformance.com"
This Kevin guy who is answering my questions actually seems like an educated person. Under normal circumstances, I would expect the person who is answering my questions to be a poor typist, tardy in their response, and not particularly well-rounded in terms of "car-speak." I'm absolutely NOT disappointed by any of these answers I've received. Am I thinking that this little piece of technology is some kind of automotive miracle? No. It's $89. But I DO think that this company might be on to something, especially considering the age and relative inefficiency of some of our engine management systems. So, if any of you guys has any PERSONAL experience with one of these units causing harm to your vehicle, please post it and let me know now. If not, I will be ordering this unit by day's end.
One last question, and this is aimed at you guys, my fellow forum members:
Does the ECU in a '98 Cab have an area for "temporary memory?" If our system has an adaptive learning ability, it needs a temporary memory area to store what it has learned, right? Maybe that's what this VP12 does... It does the teaching, instead of allowing the car to figure stuff out for itself. This would provide a solution for all of the people on here who talk about how happy they are when they unplug the battery and "reset" their system... It also makes what this company is selling... wait for it... PLAUSIBLE.
Ummm... between you and me??? I think I'm stuck somewhere between cautiously optimistic and car-boner delusional at the moment. If I end up absorbing ridicule about this thing because it fails to live up to its claims, I'm going to be royally pissed.
Of course, if any of you has any questions, you can post them here and I can copy them as an email to the Volo website. Sorry I didn't think of it before.
Last edited by Loudgoldwing; 03-23-2011 at 05:20 AM.
03-23-2011, 10:13 AM
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I am going to place the order for my own unit after work today. After I do that, I will post your question. I want to make sure Volo understands that I'm not just a talker, but that I'm making an actual purchase before throwing questions at him that aren't even mine.
03-23-2011, 10:51 AM
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Ahh... screw it. The wife made me a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for lunch today (I wonder if she's trying to tell me something?).
Anyhoo, I jumped the route and placed the order. Crazy, I asked your question also.
"OK Kevin, my order has been placed. It's for 1 item#: 320563827798, a VP-12 for a 1998 Audi Cabriolet. The order should have come in to you at about 1:40 PM Central time.
I have also received the first inquiry from one of my fellow members. He would like to know if you carry a chip for a 1993 Audi 90CS Quattro? It's an OBD1 diagnostic setup, so I wasn't able to find anything on your site one way or the other. Let me know when you get the chance, and I'll post your reply.
Thanks!
Sean"
Anyhoo, I jumped the route and placed the order. Crazy, I asked your question also.
"OK Kevin, my order has been placed. It's for 1 item#: 320563827798, a VP-12 for a 1998 Audi Cabriolet. The order should have come in to you at about 1:40 PM Central time.
I have also received the first inquiry from one of my fellow members. He would like to know if you carry a chip for a 1993 Audi 90CS Quattro? It's an OBD1 diagnostic setup, so I wasn't able to find anything on your site one way or the other. Let me know when you get the chance, and I'll post your reply.
Thanks!
Sean"
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03-23-2011, 01:53 PM
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Crazy: Here's your answer. I give this guy credit for his honesty on this.:
"The Volo Chip requires OBD2 compliance to function properly. If you can find a diagnostic port pinout diagram we may be able to connect. Thanks.
Kevin
Sales & Installation
www.VoloPerformance.com"
I'm curious how your ECU mapping looks compared to mine. I know that the 12-valve V6 went through some evolution over its lifespan. Do you think the ECU in your car even "speaks" the same way as mine?
Having a pinout diagram is one thing... knowing how to manipulate a mapping dialog, that might be an issue. But hey, I have no clue what the differences are, if any, between your ECU and mine.
"The Volo Chip requires OBD2 compliance to function properly. If you can find a diagnostic port pinout diagram we may be able to connect. Thanks.
Kevin
Sales & Installation
www.VoloPerformance.com"
I'm curious how your ECU mapping looks compared to mine. I know that the 12-valve V6 went through some evolution over its lifespan. Do you think the ECU in your car even "speaks" the same way as mine?
Having a pinout diagram is one thing... knowing how to manipulate a mapping dialog, that might be an issue. But hey, I have no clue what the differences are, if any, between your ECU and mine.
03-23-2011, 01:57 PM
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As for system monitoring:
www.ultra-gauge.com
My wife got me this thing for Christmas. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. There are a lot of other units on the market like it, but I can use this one in any of my 3 vehicles with a minimum of configuration to switch it.
www.ultra-gauge.com
My wife got me this thing for Christmas. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. There are a lot of other units on the market like it, but I can use this one in any of my 3 vehicles with a minimum of configuration to switch it.