Pedal Commander help

[Eric1976]

I’ve had my pedal commander for two years and never had a problem with it..........and now it sets off the engine light and goes into limp mode more often than I’d like it to
It’s the only modification I’ve done to my truck and I really dig it
Driving my truck with the pedal commander is like when your parents would go out for the night and leave the kids at home with a questionable older sibling in charge. Now, driving my truck......it feels like my parents are always home

I vaguely remember a post on here about a specific sequence to follow when plugging in the pedal commander so that it doesn’t set off the engine light.
Does that sound familiar to anyone.....or did I just pull that thought out of thin air?

 

[indept]

I had one in my 2017 for about a year when that started. I got the throttle error and almost got me killed on the highway twice. Took it out and won't ever pit it back. Others have had the same issue. There's no fix that I've seen to fix it. Use at your own risk. It's not worth getting into an accident or killed.

 

[Scottly]

AI. it exists in the ECM, although sometimes slow...But it finally caught up to you. Throw the PC into the trash....And push the pedal quicker...same thing.

 

[mikeru]

AI. it exists in the ECM, although sometimes slow...But it finally caught up to you. Throw the PC into the trash....And push the pedal quicker...same thing.

Doesn't matter how fast you push the pedal, the throttle plate only moves as fast as it's programmed to open. Pedal controllers change how quickly the throttle plate opens.

I vaguely remember a post on here about a specific sequence to follow when plugging in the pedal commander so that it doesn’t set off the engine light.
Does that sound familiar to anyone.....or did I just pull that thought out of thin air?

I seem to remember something about that too, but I don't remember what that sequence was. I just installed ours with the truck off, then started the truck normally. No CEL's on our truck since it was installed almost two years ago.

 

[Scottly]

Doesn't matter how fast you push the pedal, the throttle plate only moves as fast as it's programmed to open. Pedal controllers change how quickly the throttle plate opens.


I seem to remember something about that too, but I don't remember what that sequence was. I just installed ours with the truck off, then started the truck normally. No CEL's on our truck since it was installed almost two years ago.

Please help me understand how a pedal controller makes a throttle plate open quicker. The throttle plate is controlled by the ECM. The pedal sends a signal to the ECM. That signal tells the ECM what position the pedal is at. The ECM is going to open the throttle plate faster when it receives a signal telling it that the pedal has been pushed farther or faster. When it is being told that the distance and time to distance are more than that pedal motion would normally produce, it responds accordingly.

 

[swine]

I had mine installed for 4 years with no issues and then suddenly on a road trip it threw an error code and wouldn't allow the truck to shift any higher. I had slowed down for a construction zone and was in third gear at the time. I had to pull off the side of the highway and unplug it to get going again. Haven't plugged it back in since.

 

[indept]

I've seen many arguments about it can't change response but it DOES make a difference. Can't really make the case for or against until you know the communication structure between the pedal & the ECM.

 

[mikeru]

Please help me understand how a pedal controller makes a throttle plate open quicker. The throttle plate is controlled by the ECM. The pedal sends a signal to the ECM. That signal tells the ECM what position the pedal is at. The ECM is going to open the throttle plate faster when it receives a signal telling it that the pedal has been pushed farther or faster. When it is being told that the distance and time to distance are more than that pedal motion would normally produce, it responds accordingly.

You're making assumptions without full knowledge of how the system works. I'd like to help you understand how it works but I do not have enough knowledge of how pedal controllers work to explain it to you. I just know they work.

I can tell you that I was skeptical too until I saw a live demonstration of a throttle body with and without a pedal commander. The speed that the throttle plate opens is definitely affected by it. The throttle plate almost snaps open when set to the most aggressive settings. Having owned them I can tell you that they definitely make a difference that pressing harder and faster on the gas pedal can't duplicate.

 

[Jeepwalker]

There's most likely factory-preset "smoothing" going on. Protect people from ...well, whatever they need protecting from ...too much power I guess.

Most car radios have that too, where if you turn or bump the volume knob super-quick, it doesn't increase the volume proportionally or hardly at all. But turn it slow and the volume increases.

 

[indept]

They most likely do it to increase mpg and keep the Cafe gods happy.

 

[CanRebel]

Please help me understand how a pedal controller makes a throttle plate open quicker. The throttle plate is controlled by the ECM. The pedal sends a signal to the ECM. That signal tells the ECM what position the pedal is at. The ECM is going to open the throttle plate faster when it receives a signal telling it that the pedal has been pushed farther or faster. When it is being told that the distance and time to distance are more than that pedal motion would normally produce, it responds accordingly.

When you push the pedal, it sends a signal to the ECM, which opens the throttle.
Pedal Commander sends a higher or lower signal which opens the throttle at higher or lower % than "normal"
Example. Push the Pedal to 50%, throttle will open 40%. Pedal Commander takes that signal before it goes to ECM. 50% Pedal, now changes the signal to 60% (depending on the mode)

As you see below, in Sport mode, at 10% Pedal, Throttle is opened to 85%.

Now question is it worth to you and/or do you actually need it. But it does work, if that is what you are looking.


Here is example from them.


As for the people above. with issues. If you go to their webpage. and look at trouble shooting.
It is likely the reason for your check engine, and they explain what to do. And to avoid doing.
It's also possible it's damage

 

[Docwagon1776]

When you push the pedal, it sends a signal to the ECM, which opens the throttle.
Pedal Commander sends a higher or lower signal which opens the throttle at higher or lower % than "normal"
Example. Push the Pedal to 50%, throttle will open 40%. Pedal Commander takes that signal before it goes to ECM. 50% Pedal, now changes the signal to 60% (depending on the mode)

As you see below, in Sport mode, at 10% Pedal, Throttle is opened to 85%.

Now question is it worth to you and/or do you actually need it. But it does work, if that is what you are looking.


Here is example from them.
View attachment 507122

As for the people above. with issues. If you go to their webpage. and look at trouble shooting.
It is likely the reason for your check engine, and they explain what to do. And to avoid doing.
It's also possible it's damage

Right. Can't go over 100%. Literally no spot on the graph that can't be replicated by simply pushing the pedal further. PC gives you more or less granular response, which can be useful, but doesn't open the throttle quicker, etc because it isn't communicating to the throttle except through the same middle man your pedal already does.

 

[Scottly]

Right. Can't go over 100%. Literally no spot on the graph that can't be replicated by simply pushing the pedal further.

Exactly. As I stated...Please help me understand how a pedal controller makes a throttle plate open quicker. It doesn't. It's a GIMIC.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

No gimick, I takes the lagg out of the pedal response, It boost the signal to the ECM by what percent i don't know, again when you change modes on the pedal commander are you stopped with your foot off of the accelerator and other foot on the brake, possible if you change it on the fly it can sent a code, In which case the company will troubleshoot it and send you a new one it there is a problem, I've had mine for 3+ years with no problems.

 

[Docwagon1776]

No gimick, I takes the lagg out of the pedal response, It boost the signal to the ECM by what percent i don't know

It's not a set percent, depends on setting, see chart above. It can't go over 100%, so signal boost is simply recreating pushing the pedal further. What it does is give you more or less granularity (more for 'eco' settings and less for 'performance' settings) in the response. If 10% of the pedal sweep now recreates 50% of the pedal sweep, of course it's quicker and less 'laggy' at 10%. It's like you instantly stabbed the pedal to 50%. Easing into the pedal is easier than stabbing to 50% (and actually hitting 50% vs 75% or flooring it) so you get that 50% take off much easier due to reduced granularity. 100% is still 100%, though, which is why flooring it is the same with or without and there's no "opens throttle blade quicker" occurring.

 

[mikeru]

Exactly. As I stated...Please help me understand how a pedal controller makes a throttle plate open quicker. It doesn't. It's a GIMIC.

Instead of trying to sift through people's opinions in a forum about how they work, if you really want to know how throttle controllers work, the best thing would be to research them on your own. There's plenty of information out there. Throttle controllers are not a gimmick, they do work. The thing I notice most is there is no initial throttle lag the truck has with no throttle controller.

 

[Crawgator59]

Had one on my 2017 Rebel for 4.5 years with no issues. All of a sudden goes in limp mode and wouldn’t shift to higher gear. Removed the PC and no issues since.

 

[Jeepwalker]

I wonder ....is there any way a throttle device could keep a vehicle going (can't stop)? The GMC pickup started gaining speed and couldn't be stopped (according to reports and video). The P/U looks fairly heavily modified, what kind of things could cause that?

Reports say the brakes stopped working. Will a GMC's computer prevent a pickup from being shifted out of D and into N while moving? Or maybe an ABS goof-up? Some of the pick-ups in that parade were pretty heavily modified.

 

[mikeru]

I wonder ....is there any way a throttle device could keep a vehicle going (can't stop)? The GMC pickup started gaining speed and couldn't be stopped (according to reports and video). The P/U looks fairly heavily modified, what kind of things could cause that?

Reports say the brakes stopped working. Will a GMC's computer prevent a pickup from being shifted out of D and into N while moving? Or maybe an ABS goof-up? Some of the pick-ups in that parade were pretty heavily modified.

What GMC pickup are you referring to?

I can't say whether a throttle device could do that. I have an inherent dislike of throttle by wire systems anyway. I miss the days of the throttle cable direct connection, and the absolute control I had over the throttle plate. A throttle controller is the next best thing so It's a necessary evil for me.

 

[Jeepwalker]

What GMC pickup are you referring to?

The tk which lost 'control' pulling the Xmas Float in Raleigh, NC. Slow moving, gained speed, couldn't stop. Initial reports were it gained speed. But after watching the video, and aerial video probably just rolling down a grade and picked up speed from the trailer weight. Several of the pickup trucks were modified. Maybe just a blown hose or something(??). Details have been slim. It's a tragedy for all those involved.

Raleigh Christmas parade accident: Video shows moments before out-of-control truck collides with girl

Aerial footage shows the terrifying moments before and after a truck towing a float lost control at a Christmas parade in Raleigh, North Carolina.

www.foxnews.com