Sprint Booster Discussion

[technopato]

Here we go again.... LOL!!!!

[Corey_R]

lol... that didn't take long did it.

I just last night placed an order for the Sprint Booster, however just as of today came across this article on The Sprint Booster http://peony888.com/VS/SprintBooster.pdf

Yeah, I pasted a link to that whitepaper in the other thread before it was closed, I'm not sure if anyone read it, but it was closed before they could comment on it.


Again, I think that this modification is good for those who are seeking reduced pedal travel, but people should understand what it is and what it isn't.

There are some people who have made claims about it changing the way the gearboxes work or that it's improved their acceleration times by 1/2 a second and things like that. It's not only because this device changes the pedal sensitivity so much that it makes the car feel more urgent etc, but because the "amplified pedal values" cause "adaptive programs" in the ECU and gearbox electronics to think you're always driving more aggressively, therefore using the "sportier adaptations" than you'd normally receive from the minor pedal inputs you're providing. This seems to make people think that the Sprintbooster is doing much more than it really does - more than even the company that makes them say it does. More than things like this whitepaper have proven they do.

This of course is all available to you already, because you can't have "110% throttle" etc, you still just have a maximum of 100%. The pedal mechanism is still the same, so any "delay" which might be within it is still there. The ECU is still the same, as is the data path between them, so any delay which comes through that is still there. But the amplification provided by the Sprintbooster makes it feel much more responsive.


I'd really love to see someone do this as a DIY modification. I guess the hardest parts would be sourcing the "plugs" so that it would be removable rather than having to be soldered in place or something.


As for the sucker comments... I missed where that came from. But as it turns out, it was MasterKevin in the first post of the Group Buy thread over at vwgolf.net:

Sprint booster Group Buy

Hey guys since everyone is rocking this thing lately. Would be cool to know where to get this sucker?

And maybe a group buy?

Kevvvv

lol...


Anyway. I've merged this thread back with the previous one, renamed it, and placed it in General Discussion as this product is suitable for any "Drive By Wire" car, and I don't believe it fits in the Tuning and Performance forum

Please respect the opinions of members, the technical facts provided by Sprintbooster.com and be nice to each other!

As Sprint Booster themselves say "Sprint Booster is not for everyone."
But then again, neither are any of the options or accessories available for our cars which offer such a wide range of customisation and individuality.

Thanks.

[Blitzen]

So, from what I have read so far, this is like a sugar pill for your car??

[Corey_R]

So, from what I have read so far, this is like a sugar pill for your car??

No, it's an amplifier for your electronic accelerator pedal so that less pedal input is required to get the car moving. Similar to the buttons available in some cars ("M" button in BMW M models, "Sport" button in newer Audi RS models, the SI Drive in Subaru's etc) which increase the throttle sensitivity in a similar fashion.

[PAPA GTI]

No, it's an amplifier for your electronic accelerator pedal so that less pedal input is required to get the car moving. Similar to the buttons available in some cars ("M" button in BMW M models, "Sport" button in newer Audi RS models, the SI Drive in Subaru's etc) which increase the throttle sensitivity in a similar fashion.

Yep, that is it, all agree...its all feel good.... in short....it's an amplifier for your electronic accelerator pedal so that less pedal input is required to get the car moving. Cars mentioned have it as a standard, then it must be a gizmo that makes it all worth while!
Looking forward to the feel good pedal....

[worx]

I was talking to a Mate with a R32 about this product. He has bought one. He was going on about how it is quicker throttle etc.. I was like "eh I'm not worried, I just slam my boot to the floor when I want full throttle."

I know a bit about throttle mapping and so on. This unit is a placebo, noting wrong with a placebo! If you want full throttle before you get to push your peddle all the way down it is up to you. Personally I would put the money towards geting the DSG flash or the DME flash.

[QIK-R]

im sorry but what is the point of bringing the 100% acceleration point up higher? why not just do something really easy and.....


put your foot to the floor? want the car to feel faster, hit the pedal!

seems like a waste of 300 for me, after reading the site...

[PhilMart]

Double checked my car today and found that the accelerator is hinged on the floor. As such, it moves through an arc to get to the fully depressed position. Using my high school geometry I found that I could adjust my throttle response by moving my foot up and down the accelerator pedal. If I have it right at the top and press down I should be able to "flatten" it at 133% compared to my normal foot position. If I press closer to the base of the accelerator pedal I can get full throttle response at close to 60% of what my normal foot position allows.

So depending on my driving mood ie am I feeling sporty today or not, I should be able to modify my throttle reponse accordingly. Give it a whirl. I tried it on 60% and although a little uncomfortable with my foot in an unusual position, it felt a lot more responsive.

[johnw]

Double checked my car today and found that the accelerator is hinged on the floor. As such, it moves through an arc to get to the fully depressed position. Using my high school geometry I found that I could adjust my throttle response by moving my foot up and down the accelerator pedal. If I have it right at the top and press down I should be able to "flatten" it at 133% compared to my normal foot position. If I press closer to the base of the accelerator pedal I can get full throttle response at close to 60% of what my normal foot position allows.

So depending on my driving mood ie am I feeling sporty today or not, I should be able to modify my throttle reponse accordingly. Give it a whirl. I tried it on 60% and although a little uncomfortable with my foot in an unusual position, it felt a lot more responsive.

That's exactly what I do with heel at the hing for "sensitive" and heel on the carpet for "normal" (effort wise, not travel). The travel on the floor hinged pedals are already short enough compared to the top hinged ones (MKIV)

Modify the signals in the most sophisticated computer in the car instead, the driver's brain

[Justin Fox]

Got to admit I've been pessimistic about these kinds of modifications ever since I was hired to market one of them back in 2007 (at the time they were more expensive and we literally had to give them away for free in order to get reviews).

The reviews were good though, and over the months many Japanese aftermarket performance companies jumped on the same bandwagon and released similar products.

I've been biting my tongue a little over the past few days in regards to this product. I find it a little strange that it's hitting the Australian VW community so hard right about now.

I've said a few words already (yesterday) not based on experience and I'm a little embarrassed by that. Being someone who loves trial and error (despite this process hurting the wallet the most) I've decided to jump in on the group buy (I've only just made it by the looks of it). I suppose I'll review it when I get it.

[prise]

I assume this device sits between pedal assembly and the ECU and recreates the signals from the pedal assembly. I'd be concerned about the safety implications as it must be modifying the signal from both pedal sensors. Does it use independent circuits for each sensor signal? Has the software been through the appropriate level of analysis and testing? Has a failure modes analysis been done? These are all things an OEM has had to do to ensure the safety of a drive by wire throttle so plugging a bit of third party kit into the signal path is risky IMO. Sure you can override it with the brake and the ecu will cut the throttle after a couple of seconds, but in a parking situation with pedestrians around it could be fatal.

Toyota copped a lot of grief in the US over the unintended acceleration issue due to not having as many failsafes as the other makes.

[Buller_Scott]

last time i saw, FAB R clocked 4.37 0-100kmh, pre sprintbooster.

i never checked - did his times improve WITH the sprintbooster, and no additional mods?

[Justin Fox]

My early review:

Car

MKV GTI DSG

Pros and cons

Easy installation, especially if you do not decide to try and hide the controller (Sprint Booster remembers what setting you choose last so you can set it on red, or green mode and just unplug the controller altogether forever).

On first drive there is instantly a definite difference (in red mode), albeit it's nothing radical. In my situation that initial little bit of lag on a MKV GTI is still there (I didn't expect this to go away of-course).

I can feel that I'm not pushing the accelerator pedal down as much as I used to in order to get from mid to higher revs. Whether this is a good thing or not I'm not too sure though. I almost feel as if I'm robbed of the feeling of pushing in the pedal harder and faster in order to gain the acceleration I'm looking for if that makes any sense.

What's more concerning to me is that damn click at the end of the pedal which makes the car drop a gear (or 2 or 3). I'll come up with a solution for that tomorrow which in turn should really work well with the Sprint Booster as I assume I'm now hitting WOT much before the last pedal click (perhaps a slab of rubber under the accelerator pedal to prevent that last little click). This would prevent the car automatically shifting down mid corner on the fish hook at Wakefield for example, yet I'll still be at 100% throttle thanks to the Sprint Booster.

[Maverick]

What's more concerning to me is that damn click at the end of the pedal which makes the car drop a gear (or 2 or 3). I'll come up with a solution for that tomorrow which in turn should really work well with the Sprint Booster as I assume I'm now hitting WOT much before the last pedal click (perhaps a slab of rubber under the accelerator pedal to prevent that last little click). This would prevent the car automatically shifting down mid corner on the fish hook at Wakefield for example, yet I'll still be at 100% throttle thanks to the Sprint Booster.

It's the detent switch and there is a part you can buy online that clips onto that so you don't press it. The throttle is at 100% before you touch the detent switch. Can't remember where I saw the part for sale but it's on a few of the smaller VW online sellers for around $20 and enables you to easily remove it unlike most other pedal mods.

[Maverick]

Toyota copped a lot of grief in the US over the unintended acceleration issue due to not having as many failsafes as the other makes.

But what can it do about getting smarter drivers behind the steering wheel? Oh did you mean some other failsafe? Because there isn't anything you can do to prevent a moron from pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor thinking it's the brake pedal and after having an accident claim the car accelerated madly out of control. There is no production car that can overpower it's brakes, all the inquires could have been saved if the people initiating them understood this basic fact.