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I decided to purchase a throttle controller from Beat-Sonic for my LC since it feels a little sluggish at times. I've heard some people say that they do nothing, and others say that the difference is very noticeable. Apparently, both sides do agree that the 0-60 times don't really change.
The unit arrived today, and the weather was perfect, so I decided to install it right away. It took about an hour to get the unit plugged in and tucked away neatly under the dash. Very easy to do, but be warned that you must be flexible enough to lay on your back while underneath the steering column to access the wiring above the accelerator pedal. The connector was a huge pain to get disconnected for some reason, but after multiple attempts with a few breaks in between and a lot of cursing under my breath, it finally came loose. The unit can be controlled via an app on your phone and also by an illuminated wired button. There's an install video online for the LC500, and the installer decided to place the button next to the start button. I wanted it to be a little more incognito from the passenger's view, so I ran the wire with the button to the left of the steering wheel.
I just came back from a test drive trying out all of the settings, and all I can say is wow! I honestly didn't expect such a huge difference in the acceleration feel. I started off on the lowest setting and gradually moved up to the highest setting. The car felt like a rocket ship off the line. I was actually a little shocked using the highest setting. Most people don't understand how much these car manufacturers electronically throttle back the accelerator pedal feel to get higher mpg numbers. I couldn't be happier, and if any of you are on the fence and want a livelier feeling, I say give it a go. Money well spent in my opinion.
I got a pedal commander for my Rav4, and the sport settings are almost undriveable even in a SUV - borderline comical in how aggressive it gets. Knowing how it works on a beater I didn't want to bother putting one in the LC -I don't need any further help in getting the traction control to activate, lol.
But it's not that the manufacturers limit the throttle input, it's that the pedal controllers manipulate the signal so the 0-100 percent of the pedal can be varied rather than always be the full travel of the pedal. Depending on driving style they can be extremely useful, glad you're enjoying it!
Here's a good graph from Pedal Commander in how the signals get changed:
I actually found the eco mode most useful for road trips, heavy snow driving, and hauling the furbeast since it severely limits the throttle. Basically turns it into a 4banger.
Does your controller have an eco mode? Did it turn it into a slug? Could be good for valets or when someone needs to drive your car!
I got a pedal commander for my Rav4, and the sport settings are almost undriveable even in a SUV - borderline comical in how aggressive it gets. Knowing how it works on a beater I didn't want to bother putting one in the LC -I don't need any further help in getting the traction control to activate, lol.
But it's not that the manufacturers limit the throttle input, it's that the pedal controllers manipulate the signal so the 0-100 percent of the pedal can be varied rather than always be the full travel of the pedal. Depending on driving style they can be extremely useful, glad you're enjoying it!
Here's a good graph from Pedal Commander in how the signals get changed:
I actually found the eco mode most useful for road trips, heavy snow driving, and hauling the furbeast since it severely limits the throttle. Basically turns it into a 4banger.
Does your controller have an eco mode? Did it turn it into a slug? Could be good for valets or when someone needs to drive your car!
Yes, it has an eco-mode but I didn't try it. It also has a valet mode that limits the accelerator to 30% and a lock mode that disables the accelerator pedal completely. If someone tries to steal it, the accelerator pedal won't work at all. Cool feature to have.
Even though you stated in the original post that 0-60 times wouldn't likely change, your description of how it feels seems to indicate that it might be faster? What are your thoughts on that now that the controller is installed?
With these devices having Bluetooth, there's really no need for the button to be exposed. I keep my Pedal Commander controller under the dash.
The wired button isn't needed on the product I bought. If the consumer doesn't want to use it, it's as simple as pulling out a plug on the module. I just don't like using my phone to control things all the time while I'm driving, so the button is convenient in that regard. I can easily unplug it if I change my mind.
Even though you stated in the original post that 0-60 times wouldn't likely change, your description of how it feels seems to indicate that it might be faster? What are your thoughts on that now that the controller is installed?
Reposting as I'd truly like to get your sense of whether it does actually improve 0-60 times. I understand it might be purely subjective unless you ran some pre-install 0-60 times to compare. While there's no power increase, the change in the acceleration input might have an impact?
But, more importantly, looking tat their website, the systems comes not only with a valet mode to limit acceleration but also a LOCK mode which completely disables the accelerator pedal. Also, it seems to imply that simply approaching your car with your phone and mobile app running will turn off the LOCK feature. There are a few posts about security and "kill switches" with some (in my opinion) not so ideal solutions. Could this product kill two birds with one stone? Better 0-60 times and throttle response PLUS a kill switch??????
Even though you stated in the original post that 0-60 times wouldn't likely change, your description of how it feels seems to indicate that it might be faster? What are your thoughts on that now that the controller is installed?
After the test drive yesterday, I can't comprehend how 0-60 times aren't faster. Maybe it's just a placebo effect but it felt like a different car. On the more aggressive settings, when you tap the gas pedal the car just takes off.
After the test drive yesterday, I can't comprehend how 0-60 times aren't faster. Maybe it's just a placebo effect but it felt like a different car. On the more aggressive settings, when you tap the gas pedal the car just takes off.
These things don't change anything in regards to engine output. No HP nor torque changes. It does not change 0-60 times at all. All it does is change the amount of pedal travel for the same outcome. In other words, where you normally would press the pedal down with 1" of travel to take off at the rate you desire, now it only takes 1/4" of pedal travel. You are simply not needing to press the pedal down as far as before to get the same effect.
These things don't change anything in regards to engine output. No HP nor torque changes. It does not change 0-60 times at all. All it does is change the amount of pedal travel for the same outcome. In other words, where you normally would press the pedal down with 1" of travel to take off at the rate you desire, now it only takes 1/4" of pedal travel. You are simply not needing to press the pedal down as far as before to get the same effect.
After looking at the graphs, that's exactly what I was thinking. It merely changes the modulation of the pedal.
Throttle Controller
