Sprint Booster installed - initial impressions in post #1

Let's start with the install: I would rather do the ignition switch if that tells you anything. It's in under the dash, but is in a more challenging area to contort your arms. Plus I can only get one hand up there. The hardest part was pulling the connector apart because there is only room for one hand. So a pair of long vice grips with a light grip acted as my other hand. Once that was apart, the Booster went in fairly easily. It won't mount in the exact same spot, so I used a few zip ties so it doesn't dangle. No big deal, just another step. It took me about 45 minutes and was 10:45pm by then so I went on a short drive. In the red mode, the throttle is very aggressive and feels very good. The only part I don't like about this is that after about 50% of pushing the pedal down, it's at 100% throttle, so the second half pedal travel is "dead". But to be fair, on Sprint Booster's site, it does say this will happen. In the green mode, it's aggressive, but more moderate. Plus the pedal doesn't seem to go dead until later in the pedal travel which is good. I only did a few heel-toe downshifts, but it seemed to improve the ease of throttle blipping because the initial pedal travel delay is gone! I wish I would have waited a few weeks so I could test it on the track before the 30 day trial (Mid-Ohio April 30th). Anyway I'll drive it in green for a few days, then red for a few days, then go back to stock for a few days. This will tell me if when I go back to stock I miss the more sensitive throttle. At that point I'll make a decision on whether to keep it or not. One more thing. It appears that it must be turned off (stock) because the light stays on when in green or red when the key is pulled from the ignition. I didn't know the accelerator was "hot".

I have it and I love it. Keep it on green most of the time, switch to red for the track.

I had one for my N/A 996, I loved it!

those were manual transmission cars, i assume?

Yup.

So what does this gizmo do? Can you post a link?

Smoother throttle and quicker response. http://www.sprintboostersales.com/de...era&engine=Gas egas only of course

Basically remaps the electronic throttle (like the sport button on a 997) but it doesn't add any more power, just faster throttle tip in.

Thanks for the linky. This is for MY 2000 and up. I have a 99.......nutz

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Mine was a Tip

This is an interesting mod.... I have it on my car with a reasoning that it is a form of the electronic lightweight flywheel. Thoughts on this? Pros cheap for increase response vs lfw Easy install Reversible Map adjustable Can be disabled Heal and toe has better feel (subjective) Rpm doesn't dive as fast as lwf (keeps dual mass) Cons Sucks on the street DD.... Has a tendency to oscillate May decrease tb life expensive for an electronic device.

I'd really like to try this, but seems like a big chunk of change for what it is. Do all you folks who have one, really think it's worth the cost for gain in responsiveness you get?

Yup, cheaper than the RSS plenum or the various CAI kits out there and at least with this mod, I can actually FEEL it work.

I hear doing a DIY Toyota floor mat install does the same thing plus gets you out of tickets.

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Probably just a couple resistors and capacitors like they had on those infamous MAF mods awhile ago. Someone should take one apart and do some reverse engineering but I gotta feeling the creators were smart and removed all the values on the components and expoxied the hell out of it so no one could gain access to the components.

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Redridge - Can you elaborate please? I was just about sold on this until I read your comments.

I imagine all it's doing is sending signals of more throttle input ie if it's playing like it's sportier the thing says you floored it triggers a tips downshift mode instead of the driver having to laborishly move his foot a couple inches downward. Itermitent burst signals of full throttle probably wouldn't be noticed by the driver in either stick or tip where it would at least keep the tip prone to stay in a lower gear. That's about the only good thing I could think of is the tip driver wanting to stay in automatic and the lowest gear. Not even sure if the thing does just that. I'm also not even sure if it's any good for the ECU's control unit to be hitting it with command like that which would keep it's processor running more data ie more heat in its system.

I have one on my tip, and aside from the RoW M030 suspension, it's the best mod I've done so far. I love it. Car is a lot more fun to drive. That's all.

Skiracer - Love those wheels! I have the RoW M030 suspension on my wish list. Have you also done motor mounts?

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on the street sprint booster set to hi.... eg, stop and go traffic, the throttle is too sensitive at initial touch of the pedal... the car takes off, so you back off, but slows down to much, back on the throttle, car takes off....etc. then the car starts to oscillate.... in other words, hi setting in traffic makes smooth driving difficult. No big deal though, just shut the booster off to use factory settings. When the car is moving @25mph, hi setting is just fine... ideal on the track IMO. As for lessening TB life.... essentially a sprint booster is a device that modifies (amplifies) the factory signal. The ecu interpret the signals and output another signal to the throttle body stepping motor. In order to have quicker engine response, the throttle body motor takes bigger steps (lower resolution signal) per given time. The original factory signal (higher resolution) turns the throttle body in small incremental steps... hence a slow response, but smoother steps. The change to a bigger step to the throttle body can decrease its life.

Thanks for the explanation.

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Alpine003, There is a misconception on how our operates and how its constructed. While there are some products out there that attempts to mimic Sprint Booster. Our product is far more advanced than you think. Sprint Booster is engineered to enhance the driving experience by providing improved acceleration by eliminating the delay inherent in drive-by-wire accelerator technology. This is accomplished by continuously measuring and converting the digital signal while providing the ECU (Electronic Control Module) with a new and altered signal for much quicker throttle response. The actual device contains electronic circuitry that is installed between the accelerator pedal and the ECU in vehicles equipped with electronic throttle control. Simply put, Sprint Booster analyses what you are doing with your foot (pedal) and provides a throttle signal more in line with what you are actually demanding. No one takes throttle response more seriously than we do. We patented the technology. And continue to make advancements in this field. Sprint Booster USA

How practical is it to mount the control under the dash so you can't see it? That is, is the press sequence such that you can tell what you're doing without seeing the LED? Or is it really better to have the LED visible?

Mine is under the dash by my right knee and I can still see the LED so I know what mode I'm in.

Someone should take a video of the booster in action!!

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Since it is patented, care to show any "under hood" shots of the circuitry? I'm not asking for schematics but just a pic of "under the hood".

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I'm hoping it smooths out the jitteryness of the throttle delivery.

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This is why I didn't go this route. I felt that it would hamper smoothness in street driving. I got rid of the dead spot off idle when I did my Revo flash.

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Bruce, please remind some of us what the Revo flash is. Thanks.

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Unfortunately r1de23, its not something that you can pick up in a video its something that you will full grasp once you install the product. You can ask just about anyone who owns a Sprint Booster. Once you step on the gas, there is no doubt in your mind something is different and you will really start to enjoy your vehicle again.

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There are 3 settings on my unit: off, green and red. Green is what I use 90% of the time and I don't find that the throttle is too sensitive at all in the city. Red is definitely more "hair-trigger" and I only use it at the track. I've had the unit off (factory throttle) maybe twice since I installed the unit in Sept; both times it was because the roads were very slippery and I wanted a little more give when I pressed the throttle.

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I think they used to call it "chipping". A bunch of companies offer rewritten ECU maps. GIAC used to be the favoured brand around here. Essentially, programmers tweak the timing and fuel/air across the range of throttle positions from what the factory decided they should be. The new maps are loaded into the ECU via the car's OBD port. Usually, it's possible to pick up a few low-hanging horsepower this way by removing some of the margin of safety the factory built in for fuel quality and variable octane levels, and by deviating from the settings required to meet the EPA's urban drive cycle standards. The better ones can also change the way the engine responds to throttle (by which I don't mean throttle response) by how they manage fuelling, and my experience was that this helped my e-gas 'flat spot'. Most people find this upgrade expensive or even a waste of money, considering that the butt dyno ROI is pretty negligible. It tends to attract a lot of debate of the "why do they think they're smarter than Porsche?" variety (which is silly. Porsche isn't stupid, they just have to deal with a lot of liability, regulatory and warranty exposure issues that a tuner doesn't). I chose mine to get the most out of my other engine mods - CAI, plenum and exhaust - which most people think is a reasonable excuse to get it done.

Hey guys, wanted to chime in here. We have done a ton of ecu maps and sprint booster installs. Typically, someone does one or the other to begin with and then ends up doing both. They compliment each other well. The car is much more fun to drive adding the Sprint Booster and on Turbos, gets a ton more power reflashing the ECU. We offer money back guarantees on both products so that you can try it out in confidence knowing it can be returned. However, be careful if you are not ready to spend the money because we have not yet un-chipped a car or removed a Sprint Booster IMHO, the Sprint Booster is a more noticable upgrade and is half the price of an ECU remap. Stephen

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There is no doubt in my mind that it's more noticeable. I just didn't personally think it was more useful .

Just returned home and it's sitting on my desk in a small box. Will try to get in on tonight or tomorrow and provide feedback.

Impressions on post #1.

why not simply push the pedal harder and faster. does the same thing, and its free.

fwiw, I installed the Sprint Booster on my '03 996 C2 MT yesterday. Yes, I can feel the more aggressive throttle mapping. My early, lighter weight, manually fuel injected 911 seemed eager to accelerate. The 996 merely seems willing. Will try to spend more time out on some back roads to see if I get any of that earlier sense of eagerness again with the SB. I was mostly looking for better low end responsiveness for heel & toe. Often (in stock form), when I roll my foot over onto the accelerator, I get almost nothing. That changed a little -- not much. With a more aggressive throttle slope--the differences are greater, at higher throttle settings. Maybe over time I'll find a sweet spot to get the response I want. Conclusion: It's ok. It's easy to live without, especially at the price. I can see how some like & prefer it. But, it's hardly the amazing transformation that some have claimed.

[QUOTE=RF5BPilot;8357929] I was mostly looking for better low end responsiveness for heel & toe. Often (in stock form), when I roll my foot over onto the accelerator, I get almost nothing. That changed a little -- not much. With a more aggressive throttle slope--the differences are greater, at higher throttle settings. QUOTE] Which model did you get? there is an automatic and manual version. we sometimes interchange them to get more or less responsiveness based on the client's preferences.

I have the "automatic version" from the first week it was available for our cars. There is a manual version? A little jumpy cold out of the hole but throttle response is much better.

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I am wondering the same thing. This product cuts the pedal travel in half right? Why not just double the speed of your right foot input?

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For me, I think the biggest advantage would be in heel/toe and even so only in track conditions where it can really count. I don't know if it's my small feet but I really hate the response I get when trying to heel/toe. I haven't yet tried using alternative adjustable pedals yet though to see if that would have any improvement. I'm still on the fence about this product though as I don't track it enough to warrant the cost/benefit of this item.

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I only try to bring the running RPM around 1K higher going into a lower gear when heel toe as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you buck with too much/little fuel input. Am I missing something?

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Greetings chsu74. This is an incorrect assumption that is made by many. Sprint Booster analyses your pedal inputs and sends a signal to the ECU more inline with what you the driver are demanding. Sprint Booster is patented technology and is far more advanced than products in this field. Sprint Booster will be more responsive and accurate than driving without. While people can explain the feeling of what Sprint Booster does, have a hard time putting it into words. Sprint Booster is just something that you have to experience for yourself.

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Hey guys, this product strengthens the signal from the pedal input. So in a heel/toe situation, when you blip the throttle, the signal actually gets to the ecu quicker and the pedal reacts to your input as you are doing it rather than no input at all. Next time you are driving the car, try this. You can literally modulate your foot on and off the first quarter of the throttle with little or no reactiion. With the unit installed, the car will actually react to the modulations. its not physically shortening the pedal, but it is electronically. It doesnt have anything to do with the force like some people are suggesting. We keep these in stock and have them installed in less than 15 minutes for our local customers to try before they buy. Everyone loves them and most are street guys.