Pedal commander

yes it was

 

Copy that. Hopefully I'll get a no BS answer from PC but you know how that goes. I'm still looking into the Banks to replace my BT version but that will make my SG3 useless as it uses that port. I put the non-BT in the 4R.

 

How would you say the driveability is compared to the PC? Also, do you happen to know which model number you have?

 

@shawn474 @Tundra234 Jay from Banks here. I may be able to shed some light on your Pedal Commander failure. I'll also explain how we prevent the same issue from happening the PedalMonster. You may find it amusing that we patented the solution, preventing Pedal Commander from curing their ills. Before we began R&D on our throttle controller, we purchased every module on the market. I think we have more than 20 throttle boosters in our electrical engineering office... PC, Sprint Booster, Amp, Edge, HyperTech, HikeIt, Roar Pedal, BD, and so on. We noticed they all had a few things in common, ultimately making them unsafe and failure-prone. And before I go any further, I must say that I don't want this to sound like an advertisement. I'll try to stick to just the facts.

All throttle boosters tested draw current from the +5v pedal circuit. This is the connector on top of your pedal assembly. This circuit is designed as a reference only to tell the vehicle's ECM where the pedal is in its range of motion. Think of it like a volume knob on a car stereo. 0 volts is 0 volume. 5 volts is max volume. The pedal circuit works the same way. However, this circuit is not designed to power anything other than the pedal itself. When a device like a Pedal Commander is added to this circuit, it draws current, pushing the circuit to the edge of its available current. When you open the Pedal Commander's mobile app and it connects to the module, the Bluetooth chip inside the module draws more current. This pushes the pedal circuit past its available current. The ECM interprets this current draw as a dead short and reacts by shutting off the pedal and lighting up your dashboard like a Christmas tree. One quick search on YouTube and you'll find plenty of videos that describe this failure.

The solution is to NOT draw current from this circuit. The PedalMonster uses the circuit for reference only. It does not draw any current. It merely measures the voltage being passed through to the ECM in order to know the pedal's position. The PedalMonster's circuitry is powered by the vehicle's OBD port, which has a fused +12v connection directly to the vehicle's battery. Problem solved.

So, what's all this hubbub about Reverse Safety? We found that another complaint about other throttle boosters was that they provide the same aggressive response backward as they do forward... which can be dangerous. Since PedalMonster is connected via OBD, it can read data from the CANBus. It knows what vehicle it's in and it knows what gear you've selected. When you back up, it seamlessly returns you to stock pedal response.

I could into more detail about our ActiveSafety relays but this post would get far too long and even more like an advertisement.

One thing we're up against at Banks is that we're known for diesel performance, engines for defense (JLTV/Humvee), etc. We're not as known in the Toyota world. I'm working to change that. Good engineering is good engineering, regardless of the vehicle brand you're making parts for...

 

Thanks for the info. I did watch the videos posted early in the thread. As I mentioned earlier, I have 2 of the PC's. The non-BT was moved to the 4R and I have the BT version in the Tundra. I have not had any issues myself, but I don't ever want to get to that point either. I'm honestly thinking that the 1st priority is replacing the PC in the 4Runner as it is her daily driver, and then I would tackle the one in my truck. I would just end up losing my ScanGuage3 since it would not be able to work off of a splitter.

 

You would not lose your ScanGauge3 because we designed a provision for it. Simply go into the Banks mobile app and choose "NO OBD" mode in the vehicle selection menu. This will disable PedalMonster's CAN communication thereby allowing your ScanGauge to speak with your ECM uninterrupted. The only thing you'll lose is gear sense. PedalMonster will not know what gear you're in so you'll have the same pedal sensitivity backward as you do forward. So, simply back up with caution as you do now.

 

Well now I feel slightly foolish ripping the pc out because I would be willing to bet it was the blue tooth drawing more then what could be handled and thus doing what jay said in the article and having things just shut down mid throttle and light my dash up, oh well at least I have a much better understanding of it now and maybe I will move to the Banks and see how that goes

 

I bought my 2021 with 4k mi on it. Some kid at the dealer drove it for a bit and put it back on the lot. He tinted the windows, put pinstripes on it and installed a PC.
I've only put 2k mi on it so far and played with the PC a few times but leave it off mostly. It's the BT version. I haven't had any issues with it and it looks brand new, but after hearing how it functions and the issues some have had, I just went and pulled it out.

 

Wow....I didn't know that was an option to turn it off. So the universal splitter that you have would work fine for that?

 

Yes, here's our splitter. It will work with any OBD device. https://bankspower.com/products/sensor-accessory-63735-universal-obd-ii-splitter

 

Got it...thanks. What part # Pedal Monster is for the 2020 Tundra? Thanks

 

They will be careful as to not admit their product is faulty. You'll get some boiler plate legal approved answer.

 

Yeah you're probably right. Now that I know I can run my SG3 with the Banks, I think I'm going to switch over.

 

Thanks for that ; and it doesn’t sound like an advertisement. It sounds like a lot of R&D went into a superior product which is why I bought it. The PC was fine for the same end game of better throttle sensitivity, but after it lit up my truck and left me in limp mode three times I was done with it and won’t go back.

 

I just ordered one for the truck and one for the 4Runner. Having the ActiveSafety is piece of mind especially with her hauling the kids. From the videos it seems like the driveability is better than the PC as well.

 

I think I might do the pedal monster with the idash super gauge the more I'm looking at it

 

Nice. I didn't do the gauge since I have the SG3 and he said that it will work in the NO OBD mode.

 

Oh ok good

 

The response from PC.....

Greetings,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Based on your message, we would like to inform you that the operating system of the Pedal Commander units with Bluetooth is the same as the non-Bluetooth versions, except the Bluetooth feature is added. Accordingly CEL and Limp mode issue are not related to the Pedal Commander is having a Bletooth feature.

The Check engine light / limp mode happens if there is a misconnection in the signal strength. To avoid any issues with the connection we recommend reading the instruction manual and following the proper installation. We also recommend changing the modes of the PC unit ( Eco, City, Sport, or Sport+) while your foot is off the accelerator or while cruise control is disengaged. Doing this will prevent any CEL or EPC lights from coming on and put your vehicle into limp mode. Each of our modes has different signal strengths so we say to do this as a preventative measure.

Please let us know if you have any further questions

Kind Regards,

Ahmet Kilic

Customer Service Representative

 

I followed instructions to a T; NEVER had an issue. After a year and a half it started throwing codes and putting the truck in limp mode. Never touched it in that year and a half. I call BS.

 

I hear ya. That's why I ordered replacements last night.

 

Well, I've got the BT PC and haven't had a single issue but I never use the BT option. Ever. I also don't change settings when I drive. It's been the same setting since the day I found what I liked. It seems as though everything is fine as long as you don't use BT or change anything while hammering down.

That being said, would there be a possibility of getting a group buy going @ToyFan ? If not, how bout a forum code for a little incentive to buy?

 

I think that the issue is that at some point the BT pushes the circuit over the 5 volt limit. The Bluetooth is always powered up whether you use the app or not. Some people wouldn't be as concerned if the PC had a failsafe option, but a dead pedal would be a no-go for many. They do have a military/first responder discount.

 

monkey a matter of time in my opinion; seems like a lot of these have an arbitrary shelf life and give out with no warning. I never once changed setting s without being stationary and in park. And I don’t think you can turn the Bluetooth off of these units. Maybe I am wrong

 

I don't think you can turn it off either. They didn't answer that question in my email.

 

Just going off what Jay said and since they R&D'ed the competition, I'd say they'd know:

 

Told you.
Problem exists between seat and pedal.
It isn't the product it is the user.

 

That would solve the issue. If it wasn't available when they designed the BT PCs they can look at BT LE it may alleviate the current draw

 

how exactly is it the users fault?!?! There is an obvious problem with the unit that they aren’t taking responsibility for…….read up on the amount of users who have had issues (it isn’t isolated). I installed mine and didn’t touch it or have a problem with it for almost two years. Never changed settings unless I was sitting in the driveway in park. That is a software issue period. There is a finite shelf life for these units. It isn’t user error in my opinion.

 

Read the company's response. That is essentially what the response is getting at.
Wasn't properly installed. Instuctions were properly followed. Not our fault yo' shite messed up.