Get an Idea of What Throttle Controllers can do For Your Vehicle
Modern trucks and cars are constantly evolving, especially when it comes to the advancement in the electronics departments. This allows vehicles, including my Volksgwagen Tiguan, which was previously controlled by mechanical hardware, to now be run by computers with incredibly powerful processing power. When applied in the right manner, this processing power can wring out higher levels of my Tiguan’s built-in responsiveness and power, without making a physical engine upgrade. These VW Tiguan aftermarket accessories are now commonly found on fuel-injected models in the form of electric throttle controllers.
The electronic throttle control removes the need for the conventional mechanical cable that’s attached to the throttle body assembly at one end and your gas pedal at the other. The throttle body assembly is mounted below your hood between the intake manifold and air cleaner, and it controls the airflow into the engine through a butterfly plate or valve that opens and closes based on the position of the accelerator pedal. On older trucks and cars with cable setups, the cable pulls the throttle plate or valve open when you press the pedal.
Modern vehicles with electric throttle controls have the cable replaced by an electrically controlled system that takes advantage of advanced sensor chips, electromechanical actuators and highly precise potentiometers. This means there’s no cable attached to the pedal any more, just a sensor that determines how far the pedal is pushed. The throttle position sensor sends the information to the vehicle’s computer, the ECU (electronic control unit). The ECU takes that info and commands an electric motor to open or close the throttle valve or plate. At the same time, the electric control unit increases injector pulse width to improve fuel flow accordingly.
The standard settings for electric throttle control systems are slower in response time when compared to conventional cable setups. Throttle responsiveness is a measure of how quickly an internal combustion engine can raise its power output from low RPM to more powerful RPM in response to the driver’s input on the gas pedal. While a faster response is associated with more power, the true throttle response is just a measurement of the time necessary for a change in power output. While modern vehicles that are under pressure to yield great fuel economy ratings, the throttle responsiveness is intentionally programmed to be sluggish.
And this is exactly why many people like myself buy these VW Tiguan aftermarket accessories. The aftermarket throttle controllers override and bypass the factory electronic throttle control setting and eliminate the time delays. These controllers get the information right from the accelerator pedal position sensors, manipulate the numbers in a high-speed circuit, and send the new signal to your vehicle’s electronic control unit. They bypass checks that may cause errors and confusion when a final signal is sent to open the throttle valve or plate. Once the controllers are connected to your vehicle’s ECU, they can also make useful revisions to ignition timing and air/fuel mixture to increase horsepower and torque on top of speed of responsiveness.
Most throttle controllers come in easy plug-and-play installation, many levels of adjustment, auto control for set and forget use. One such throttle control is the iDrive Throttle Control, which includes an automatic control function which changes the level of throttle performance based on the pressure you apply to the pedal. So if you’re in traffic and accelerating slowly, the iDrive will choose setting 1. If you’re accelerating quickly to overtake or are towing a heavy trailer, it will choose the setting 9. It’s one of the smoothest control modules on the market, and it features an ECO mode, ultimate mode and automatic control mode.
Another great controller is the Weapon-R I-Throttle Controller, that comes with 16 different settings that you can choose from with the push of a button. 9 of those settings increase the throttle opening speed for a tailored response of just the right amount for performance driving. It also offers 7 economy settings if you’re just cruising and want a better mileage. The JET Stage 2 Power Control Module is made for performance enthusiasts who already have bolt-on modifications like an aftermarket exhaust system, performance air intake assemblies, upgraded mass air flow sensors and other upgrades.
There are also throttle controllers that perform a variety of other functions as well. Some come with built-in video display screens, while others provide information using a few lines of text only. These are usually known as power programmers or power tuners. As aforementioned, connecting and setting up a throttle controller is extremely easy as most units are either plug-and-play into your vehicle’s OBD II port, or only require a simple interface connection to modules below the hood. But with greater power comes greater responsibility, so the controllers come with built-in fail safes to avoid check engine light glitches, ensure smooth operation and prevent your car from accelerating out of control.
