Pedal Commander installed....WOW

I have a sprint booster on the way. One issue that drove me crazy for a long time with my Tacoma, was that the lag completely destroyed my shift timing with my 6 speed. I've spent a lot of time in race cars, so I know how to shift, but I literally had to relearn how to drive this thing. Up shifting is bad enough, but downshifting? FFFFFT. I should have done this a long time ago.

 

You can take a nap in between shifts the way the lag and the rev hang is on these trucks.

Toyota needs to take some lessons from Honda, my drive by wire 6 speed accord and f350 feel like a 180 compared to the Tacoma.

 

When I would drive other vehicles like my bosses f150, I would think this thing has so much torque cause the gas pedal is so touchy. But when I floor it, it’s not fast. So it’s actual the program of the drive by wire.

I had my Xrunner ever since 2015 and been racing it ever since. I don’t street race anymore but i like to open her up once in a while and the lag in between shifts always kills me. I’m shifting the fastest I can but still doesn’t “go”. Now with the sprint booster having it a couple month ago solved that issue. Feels touchy like my bosses f150 at certain settings.

So it “feels” torque only cause the throttle is opening up quicker/sooner even if pressed lightly.

My only regret is not getting this device in my racing days lol

 

That being said. For normal driving it’s not necessary but if you want to make it a bit more exciting then this is for you. Coming from a supercharger owner, that feeling of having a good throttle response, makes a world of a difference

 

Exactly. Initially I fought it, but slow and smooth is the only way this truck will shift. Forget about throttle blips, rev matching and all the rest.

 

I don't even bother with the clutch anymore. It's pointless after starting out in first gear...

I use the clutch on downshifts because of the dumb rev hang.

 

Have you ever used one?

 

How many hours have you driven using one?

 

You base this on personal experience or your imagination?

 

I'll tell you the same info as @nd4spdbh and yes I have one. Answer this; how can you add wires and a component to the throttle circuit and yet decrease throttle lag?

 

I have had my Sprint Booster installed for 3 weeks now. I really like it. I set it at Sport 5 then I unhooked the controller and put it away. It now stays at that setting permanently. Haven't had any issues this far.

 

The 'component' does what it is designed to do, that should be obvious. IF you have one and find no differece when using it then you should re-read the installation instructions, you installed it wrong.

 

Yes, and that component "is simply simulate you pushing on the gas pedal further than you are.... Hate to break it to you that is it." You're lying to yourself and others if you claim otherwise. It has a use and convenience, but don't take offense when people explain the "how."

 

FBW is supposed to be an improvement. But now I need to spend $200.00 or $300.00 hundred dollars to purchase & install a new "Throttle pusher" to get throttle back to operating as good as it did before this improvement was put on there. PUT THE DAMN THROTTLE CABLE BACK ON THERE & THROW THIS FBW PIECE OF SHIRT AWAY!!!!!! Please just put the cable back ..... Just my opinion.

 

And you have little to no idea what it is that you are talking about. The effect does not merely simulate stomping on the gas pedal and, if you had one as you say you do, then you would know that. Face it bud, you are typing here in utter ignorance. Those of us who use these devices understand that.

 

If you understood the electrical circuit at play here you would understand why the pedal commander / spirit booster inline pedal things do nothing more than simulate pushing on the gas pedal more or less than you actually are. Its a simple analog circuit, reference voltage in, and the further the pedal is pushed reference voltage increases or decreases (depending on the way the potentiometer is wired) at the same rate. The ecu takes this voltage back and compares it to the reference voltage and calculates how far you are pushing the gas pedal. YOU CAN NOT REPORT BACK A HIGHER THAN REFERENCE VOLTAGE OR LOWER THAN 0...

THATS ALL THE ECU SEES. REGARDLESS OF ANY DEVICES, SWITCHES, ETC PLUGGED INLINE TO THE THROTTLE PEDAL.

You could literally put an on off switch in place of the throttle pedal to simulate 0 to 100% gas pedal pushing as quick as possible and the throttle body would only move as fast as the ecu would let it (which is almost instant unless a traction control event takes place - also do not put a switch in the throttle pedals place).

I dont understand why this is so hard to grasp.


EDIT - Diagram - Two simple sweeping analog potentiometers within the gas pedal assembly.

 

I can only write about my experience with the Sprint Booster, and I'm not here to argue about how it works and I won't pretend to know how it works. As some have said, it simulates mashing on the gas but I personally feel it's not just that...there's a time element involved. I personally like mine, and feel I paid for a better driving experience, much the same as how the intermittent wiper mod made my driving experience better. To each their own. As far as more HP or torque increases...no way. I can see how some people may feel like it does but that is illusory.

 

Some more information for those who actually want to read up on how the throttle pedal works and its simplistic nature of analog cicruits. I digress i was wrong above they are not potentiometers but contactless hall effect sensors... needless to say they go about doing the same exact operation but via a slightly different method....

https://www.safetyresearch.net/Library/Preliminary_Report022110.pdf

Pages 5 and 6 are of value

 

That's good info! Now I don't know much about electronics, but Hall Effect switches are magnetic, right? We use lots of those type sensors at work.

 

Reading all this stuff & trying to understand. It seems fairly simple. If I drive my stock Taco & push the pedal to the floor there is appx 6 sec. lag, will take 6 sec till throttle is wide open. With a pedal commander push the throttle to the floor & it will take maybe 3 sec. depending on the setting for the throttle to be wide open. No doubt it should feel peppier as the throttle is opening quicker. I also see why just mashing the pedal more wouldn't do the same as the pedal commander, no matter how much you push the pedal the computers still only open the throttle as fast as "IT" wants to, the pedal commander makes the computer open the throttle quicker thus the more responsive feel without any increase in HP or torque. Now Back up to post 114, If they still had a cable from the pedal to the throttle your foot would control how fast the throttle was opening, like it did for the past 100 yrs & there would never have been any discussion about Pedal commanders, do they work, do they not work, do I need to spend $300 to get it to run as well as it did with a cable, do they have potentiometers, is it analog, are they snake oil, do they mess up the electronics. Put the cable back & throw throw FBW away....After reading all this I'm now wondering if this is why I was always happy with my old "98", RC, 2.7, 4X4 Taco & have been terrible disappointed with my 2013, RC, 2.7, 4X4 Taco ever since I traded 2 1/2 yrs. ago. If this Pedal commander will make my 2013 feel like my old "98" did it would be well well well worth the cost. Also from the past 6 pages of reading it seems the cheaper ones do about what the expensive ones do. I don't mind spending more if I'm getting more, but I really hate spending twice as much & getting the exact same thing. Any recommendations?