"Pedal box" - (Not an actual pedal box)

[DannyVTS]

Evening guys,

Not to start an arguement here, but a well known "chip" type tuner (the type that doesn't remap a cars ECU, but sends you a box to plug into your car), has started selling a "Pedal Box" device for around £180.

Now what is claimed is a faster, better to drive car. When the seller brought the car to the forum, they made some false claims (that it and a tuning box made a Vectra diesel run under 14s 1/4 miles) which were blamed on a customer lying to them or something. Anyway it seems a few of these have sold and people using them are claiming that they can now overtake and get a full power feeling at only half power...

What are your theories on how this is working? IMO its making the pedal travel shorter (since it only works for electronic throttle cars) So the computer thinks you are putting down full throttle. So the people reporting positive might find a nice increase in fuel bills?

I find it quite hard to belive something that plugs into the pedal loom will increase the cars performance at all, but at the price tag, and the reputation the company has, I'm not sure what to think.

What do you think? Hopefully that has made sense.

-Danny

P.s sorry for anyone that was expecting me to talk about a proper pedal box, in the meaning of the word.

[NHK244V]

As far as i can see all it can do is make the throttle open more for any given movement of the pedal (only on cars with a fly by wire throttle) , save the money and push the pedal down firther with your foot

[Mattt]

Well known trick for remaps - just makes the car feel quicker without actually doing a lot.

[Paul_M3]

Yep, it will just change the amount of throttle applied for any given pedal travel.

i.e. 25% pedal movement will suddenly give 50% throttle and people think the car is quicker and more responsive.

For some reason I'll never understand BMW fitted this as standard on e46 M3's, and called it a Sport button. Pointless.

[DannyVTS]

Ahhh so it's just like a sport button which is permanently on then ?

[Paul_M3]

DannyVTS said:

Ahhh so it's just like a sport button which is permanently on then ?

In a nutshell, yep.

[DannyVTS]

Paul_M3 said:

In a nutshell, yep.

Interesting, because the way the seller and people who have tested it have responded, you would think that its the same sport button that's found on the E60 M5!

[Paul_M3]

DannyVTS said:

Paul_M3 said:

In a nutshell, yep.

Interesting, because the way the seller and people who have tested it have responded, you would think that its the same sport button that's found on the E60 M5!

Doesn't surprise me at all mate. It's a very good physcological trick. I'm sure there are hundreds of e46 M3 owners who believe that the Sport button gives them more power.

I use M3 forums too (or used to) and I've seen people describe how they press the Sport button in preparation for an overtaking move. They don't understand that simple flooring the throttle is identical in both Normal and Sport. (100% pedal is always 100% throttle!)

[Globs]

Mattt said:

Well known trick for remaps - just makes the car feel quicker without actually doing a lot.

Used a lot on small cars by the factory..

[.:ian:.]

Would certainly work on my S60, you really need to mash the pedal into the shag pile to get it to take off like a scalded cat (well a 1.6 tonne oil powered scalded cat anyway)