Throttle controllers...

[PowerJrod]

So I ended up with the JMS PedalMax since Banks customer service is terrible, plus the Pedal Monster only has a 1 year warranty. It's actually a very good throttle controller...I did a write up on it in a different thread if anyone cares lol

 

[Bluesurf]

I'm really interested in the Banks PedalMonster™Standalone (64330).
Can anyone with first hand experience tell me if I go to the Dealer for whatever, Can I unplug from the ODB, or, must I remove everything? When Arriving at the Houston Dealers the first thing they do is snap in a wireless OBD that communicates with their iPads. I'm not looking to give them a reason to kill my warranty and I hate to get under the dash with my back down. Also; Will the unit disengage (Safety) when I put my truck into reverse?
I appreciate the feedback.

PedalMonster [64330] for many Cadillac, Chevy/GMC, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Nissan

#1 Throttle Booster wakes up your vehicle. Patented safety features. Smart OBD-II connected. Improve pedal response for Chevy, GMC, Dodge, RAM, Jeep.

www.bankspower.com

 

[PowerJrod]

I'm really interested in the Banks PedalMonster™Standalone (64330).
Can anyone with first hand experience tell me if I go to the Dealer for whatever, Can I unplug from the ODB, or, must I remove everything? When Arriving at the Houston Dealers the first thing they do is snap in a wireless OBD that communicates with their iPads. I'm not looking to give them a reason to kill my warranty and I hate to get under the dash with my back down. Also; Will the unit disengage (Safety) when I put my truck into reverse?
I appreciate the feedback.

PedalMonster [64330] for many Cadillac, Chevy/GMC, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Nissan

#1 Throttle Booster wakes up your vehicle. Patented safety features. Smart OBD-II connected. Improve pedal response for Chevy, GMC, Dodge, RAM, Jeep.

www.bankspower.com

From what I found online, the safety feature that returns it to stock in reverse or of the unit fails actually comes from the power that's being fed from the OBD port. So if you unplug the OBD part of it for the dealer to interface with the ECU it will still function. As far as the warranty part...the manufacturers always say it won't void warranty but until one of us actually has a reason to bring our truck into a service center with the throttle controller hooked up..we won't be 110% sure. I fully intend to bring my truck into the service center within the next 2 or 3 months for differential fluid change and I'll keep my PedalMax connected. If they don't say anything about it; I'll ask a few questions.

 

[Bluesurf]

On the Banks PedalMonster Website under Safety:

"Reverse Safety​

PedalMonster returns the vehicle to stock throttle response when in reverse gear (availability varies by vehicle)."

Is the Ram in reverse returned to stock throttle response position? Someone with PedalMonster can say with certainty.
I read online where reverse can be dangerously fast if the feature is not available.
I believe Banks should spell out those vehicle's that cannot have the working reverse feature.

 

[PowerJrod]

On the Banks PedalMonster Website under Safety:

"Reverse Safety​

PedalMonster returns the vehicle to stock throttle response when in reverse gear (availability varies by vehicle)."

Is the Ram in reverse returned to stock throttle response position? Someone with PedalMonster can say with certainty.
I read online where reverse can be dangerously fast if the feature is not available.
I believe Banks should spell out those vehicle's that cannot have the working reverse feature.

it does. Page 3 of this thread...JFCody has the Banks Pedal Monster and he says the safety features work with his RAM. (Reason why he bought the Monster).

 

[Bluesurf]

Ok, I got my answer from Gale Banks Engineering via email.

Q:

On the Banks PedalMonster Website under Safety: "Reverse Safety PedalMonster returns the vehicle to stock throttle response when in reverse gear (availability varies by vehicle)." Is the Ram 1500 (new body) in reverse returned to stock throttle response position ? A: Yes, the throttle is returned to stock position when in reverse.

 

[PowerJrod]

Ok, I got my answer from Gale Banks Engineering via email.

Q:

On the Banks PedalMonster Website under Safety: "Reverse Safety PedalMonster returns the vehicle to stock throttle response when in reverse gear (availability varies by vehicle)." Is the Ram 1500 (new body) in reverse returned to stock throttle response position ? A: Yes, the throttle is returned to stock position when in reverse.

You got lucky there ...when I emailed them they didn't respond to any of my questions after a week and a half. I don't trust Banks for anything. Especially since most of their products (including the Pedal Monster) only has a 1 year warranty.

 

[Bluesurf]

I'm going to buy American! Chicom's can go to-Hell! Everything I purchased in the last few months is already broken. Even their wireless dongle is trash for real money. I can't wait for our Country to get back into Made in the USA. I'll purchase the unit with my American Express and that will double the warranty.

 

[WhiteLaramie2020]

If anybody is interested I have a sprintbooster for sale in the buy/sell/trade section. Pm me an offer if interested. Sprintbooster Sale Thread

 

[jfcody3962]

Update to the comments above- the pedal monster reverse safety feature DOES NOT work with my 2020. It just says feature disabled. When you run thorugh the setup procedure there is no selection for the 2019-20 Ram 1500. Only the HDs. Bummer. I have mine set pretty mild, only #3 or #4 on the city mode so it is not real aggressive. It is not an issue with reverse. It would be nice if Banks would release an update so this would be fully compatible with our trucks (since they claim it is when you buy it!)
And to the question above about unplugging the OBD connector when taking the truck in for service- the PM will return to stock without power...so no worries there.

 

[PowerJrod]

I'm going to buy American! Chicom's can go to-Hell! Everything I purchased in the last few months is already broken. Even their wireless dongle is trash for real money. I can't wait for our Country to get back into Made in the USA. I'll purchase the unit with my American Express and that will double the warranty.

Lol if only it worked that way. But I agree...need more American made items. America needs to export more than just vehicles.

Update to the comments above- the pedal monster reverse safety feature DOES NOT work with my 2020. It just says feature disabled. When you run thorugh the setup procedure there is no selection for the 2019-20 Ram 1500. Only the HDs. Bummer. I have mine set pretty mild, only #3 or #4 on the city mode so it is not real aggressive. It is not an issue with reverse. It would be nice if Banks would release an update so this would be fully compatible with our trucks (since they claim it is when you buy it!)
And to the question above about unplugging the OBD connector when taking the truck in for service- the PM will return to stock without power...so no worries there.

Ah ok...thought you mentioned that all the features worked when you bought it...my bad lol. This is what is getting at though in regards to Banks customer service...they tell you one thing and then do the opposite it seems...smh.

 

[kevinjones1997]

I'm going to chime in on this thread. I installed the Vitesse around April 2020. Everything had been working great until one time this summer, just as I had packed up the family to go on a weekend trip, the dash lit up with check engine, service ignition, service this, service that, and the truck went into limp mode. I pulled over, shut it down for a minute, and then started it back up. The codes went away and the truck started right up in normal mode, albeit with the check engine light still on. However, it ended up going away later that day, and I thought nothing of it.

Fast forward to yesterday when randomly while going around a curve to merge onto a highway onramp - same situation. Dash lit up exactly as before and truck went into limp mode. So once again I pulled over and shut it off, waited for a minute, and turned it back on. Once again, the codes went away but the check engine light remained. Drove it on home, and right as I was pulling down my street the codes all reappeared again and I limped it into the garage. Since I was home, I thought I would just park it and check again this morning. This morning when I started it up, no codes but still have the check engine light.

As much as I love the Vitesse, I think I may take it off for a while. I had a Sprint Booster on my last vehicle and never had one problem. Maybe I am getting what I deserve for going the cheap route with the Vitesse.

 

[PowerJrod]

I'm going to chime in on this thread. I installed the Vitesse around April 2020. Everything had been working great until one time this summer, just as I had packed up the family to go on a weekend trip, the dash lit up with check engine, service ignition, service this, service that, and the truck went into limp mode. I pulled over, shut it down for a minute, and then started it back up. The codes went away and the truck started right up in normal mode, albeit with the check engine light still on. However, it ended up going away later that day, and I thought nothing of it.

Fast forward to yesterday when randomly while going around a curve to merge onto a highway onramp - same situation. Dash lit up exactly as before and truck went into limp mode. So once again I pulled over and shut it off, waited for a minute, and turned it back on. Once again, the codes went away but the check engine light remained. Drove it on home, and right as I was pulling down my street the codes all reappeared again and I limped it into the garage. Since I was home, I thought I would just park it and check again this morning. This morning when I started it up, no codes but still have the check engine light.

As much as I love the Vitesse, I think I may take it off for a while. I had a Sprint Booster on my last vehicle and never had one problem. Maybe I am getting what I deserve for going the cheap route with the Vitesse.

I hear that man. I was looking at the iDrive and Vitesse...but they both seemed like cheap Chinese knockoffs (no insult intended towards you). That's why I narrowed the list to JMS PedalMax, Banks Pedal Monster or Sprint Booster. I really like the PedalMax for sure with the analog control knob and being American made. No issues so far.

 

[Bluesurf]

I'm really interested in one, I want the best one. Is it PedalMax or PedalMonster? Does PedalMax connect into the OBD?

​

 

[PowerJrod]

I'm really interested in one, I want the best one. Is it PedalMax or PedalMonster? Does PedalMax connect into the OBD?

​

No, the pedal monster is the only one that connects to the OBD port. But after seeing what JFCody said about the reverse safety features not working in his new Ram...not impressed. That and I had a terrible experience with Banks lack of customer service. Also...the Pedal Monster only comes with a 1 year warranty.
I really like the JMS PedalMax. The analog dial seems to give you the ability to fine tune the response. Plus with a 3 year warranty and great customer service (what I experienced). I highly recommend it.

 

[Bluesurf]

No, the pedal monster is the only one that connects to the OBD port. But after seeing what JFCody said about the reverse safety features not working in his new Ram...not impressed. That and I had a terrible experience with Banks lack of customer service. Also...the Pedal Monster only comes with a 1 year warranty.
I really like the JMS PedalMax. The analog dial seems to give you the ability to fine tune the response. Plus with a 3 year warranty and great customer service (what I experienced). I highly recommend it.

Thanks for your experience, I've been checking around and found a few comments on PedalMonster. I guess all of the controllers have some bad feed back.
These I got this on Amazon.

Amazon Customer​

1.0 out of 5 stars PERFORMED AS PROMISED............THEN NOT SO MUCH​

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2019​

Verified Purchase​

I installed the Pedalmax in my 2016 Lincoln Navigator in literally 5 minutes. Zero issues and worked as soon as I reconnected the battery and started it up. No check engine light as some have reported and cruise control is fully functional. Does exactly what it says it does..........makes throttle response virtually instantaneous with no lag. What I really like is that it's still easy to modulate the pedal and tip-in is very linear so it's still easy to drive smoothly. it DOES NOT turn the throttle into an on/off switch. You just have a lot more juice a lot sooner in the pedal travel. Because it opens the throttle plate further with less pedal input, transmission kickdowns happen much faster without any delay. It was slow to kick down before, especially between 35 and 50 mph. I really don't want to install a tune in this car and this gave me a noticeable difference in performance without modifying the vehicle or its computer. This was hugely important to me as my Lincoln warranty is fully intact and I intend to keep it that way. I am going to add the Boostmax next to eliminate the turbo lag and gain more power and top end response. I'm completely satisfied with this product. I will update this review if I encounter any issues over time.​

​

12/10/2019 UPDATE​

It worked flawlessly for a week and I was really happy with its performance as I wrote above. Then after about 10 days of being installed I started my Navigator one morning like normal and it went straight to 4,000 RPM and would not come down. Tapping the accelerator didn't solve the issue. Fortunately I installed the optional power knob with my kit so I was able to turn the knob to the off position and normal cold idle was restored. I turned it back on and it went right back over 3,000 RPM as I rotated the dial, so I immediately turned it off again. I called JMS about the issue and they recommended that I disconnect the battery, unplug everything and plug it all back together again to reset the computer and the throttle position sensor. I did as recommended and after reconnecting the battery I started the engine again and it seemed to idle fine for about 20 seconds then started revving again all on it's own. I turned it off again and thought maybe the adjustment knob is faulty, so I disconnected the battery, unplugged the adjustment knob from the JMS harness, reconnected the battery and started the car again. Same thing, idled normally for about 10 seconds then revved right up to 4,000 RPM again. While I understand this is supposed to open the throttle plate more at any given input to increase throttle response, it IS NOT supposed too rev the vehicle on its own with zero throttle input from me. Obviously there is an equipment problem here as it worked flawlessly for about 10 days before it began to malfunction. I don't know what the issue is. JMS couldn't provide any details, insight or solutions, so at this point it's coming back out of my Navigator and going back to Amazon for a refund. I don't need to have a huge vehicle like a Navigator accelerating on it's own in traffic. This could not only be dangerous, but a potential catastrophe if it takes off and I can't stop it. Thankfully it did it at idle before I ever put it into gear and I was able to disable it because I installed the adjustment knob. Could have been a very different situation if I couldn't turn it off and it happened in traffic.​

9 people found this helpful​

Can anyone say this kind of stuff can happen on PedalMonster?​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/a...JIBDE6PVQ4EUQ/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_gw_btm?ie=UTF8
Scott
1.0 out of 5 stars Buyer beware!
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018

I bought the PedalMax for my 2012 Ford F-150 and it was very to install and I seen the difference in my throttle response immediately. Gas mileage not at all. It is getting a 1 star because after 10 months it no longer works. When I am going 90-95 mph I lose throttle response totally. (I am not doing this on roads, but on closed courses) I have contact JMS and they ran the serial number I believe and come to find out I received a used or old unit. So buyer beware if you were going to order do so through JMS's website or keep your invoice.

Maybe these comments are only a minority. Wondering if PedalMonster is the safest to use of the bunch?

 

[PowerJrod]

Thanks for your experience, I've been checking around and found a few comments on PedalMonster. I guess all of the controllers have some bad feed back.
These I got this on Amazon.

Amazon Customer​

1.0 out of 5 stars PERFORMED AS PROMISED............THEN NOT SO MUCH​

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2019​

Verified Purchase​

I installed the Pedalmax in my 2016 Lincoln Navigator in literally 5 minutes. Zero issues and worked as soon as I reconnected the battery and started it up. No check engine light as some have reported and cruise control is fully functional. Does exactly what it says it does..........makes throttle response virtually instantaneous with no lag. What I really like is that it's still easy to modulate the pedal and tip-in is very linear so it's still easy to drive smoothly. it DOES NOT turn the throttle into an on/off switch. You just have a lot more juice a lot sooner in the pedal travel. Because it opens the throttle plate further with less pedal input, transmission kickdowns happen much faster without any delay. It was slow to kick down before, especially between 35 and 50 mph. I really don't want to install a tune in this car and this gave me a noticeable difference in performance without modifying the vehicle or its computer. This was hugely important to me as my Lincoln warranty is fully intact and I intend to keep it that way. I am going to add the Boostmax next to eliminate the turbo lag and gain more power and top end response. I'm completely satisfied with this product. I will update this review if I encounter any issues over time.​

​

12/10/2019 UPDATE​

It worked flawlessly for a week and I was really happy with its performance as I wrote above. Then after about 10 days of being installed I started my Navigator one morning like normal and it went straight to 4,000 RPM and would not come down. Tapping the accelerator didn't solve the issue. Fortunately I installed the optional power knob with my kit so I was able to turn the knob to the off position and normal cold idle was restored. I turned it back on and it went right back over 3,000 RPM as I rotated the dial, so I immediately turned it off again. I called JMS about the issue and they recommended that I disconnect the battery, unplug everything and plug it all back together again to reset the computer and the throttle position sensor. I did as recommended and after reconnecting the battery I started the engine again and it seemed to idle fine for about 20 seconds then started revving again all on it's own. I turned it off again and thought maybe the adjustment knob is faulty, so I disconnected the battery, unplugged the adjustment knob from the JMS harness, reconnected the battery and started the car again. Same thing, idled normally for about 10 seconds then revved right up to 4,000 RPM again. While I understand this is supposed to open the throttle plate more at any given input to increase throttle response, it IS NOT supposed too rev the vehicle on its own with zero throttle input from me. Obviously there is an equipment problem here as it worked flawlessly for about 10 days before it began to malfunction. I don't know what the issue is. JMS couldn't provide any details, insight or solutions, so at this point it's coming back out of my Navigator and going back to Amazon for a refund. I don't need to have a huge vehicle like a Navigator accelerating on it's own in traffic. This could not only be dangerous, but a potential catastrophe if it takes off and I can't stop it. Thankfully it did it at idle before I ever put it into gear and I was able to disable it because I installed the adjustment knob. Could have been a very different situation if I couldn't turn it off and it happened in traffic.​

9 people found this helpful​

Can anyone say this kind of stuff can happen on PedalMonster?​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/a...JIBDE6PVQ4EUQ/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_gw_btm?ie=UTF8
Scott
1.0 out of 5 stars Buyer beware!
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018

I bought the PedalMax for my 2012 Ford F-150 and it was very to install and I seen the difference in my throttle response immediately. Gas mileage not at all. It is getting a 1 star because after 10 months it no longer works. When I am going 90-95 mph I lose throttle response totally. (I am not doing this on roads, but on closed courses) I have contact JMS and they ran the serial number I believe and come to find out I received a used or old unit. So buyer beware if you were going to order do so through JMS's website or keep your invoice.

Maybe these comments are only a minority. Wondering if PedalMonster is the safest to use of the bunch?

I actually saw these reviews on Amazon and had the same concerns. But I noticed the exact same type of reviews for some of the other throttle controllers like the Sprint Booster and pedal commander. What those reviews stated that the JMS reviews didn't....is that they actually bought the wrong throttle controllers for their specific vehicles. So they might have worked for a little while and then suddenly the signal being sent to the ECU was not fully "compatible" with that specific ECU. Don't buy something like this from Amazon. Buy directly from JMS so that you know what you're getting is the exact part made for your vehicle. Amazon doesn't have the best track record with selling vehicle parts... especially electronic ones.

 

[Bluesurf]

Here is a really good detailed video on Banks PedalMonster......

 

[PowerJrod]

Here is a really good detailed video on Banks PedalMonster......

Eh...can't adjust on the fly...can't use it without picking up and playing with your phone. Personally...I actually use my Android Auto so having to mess with my phone to change settings was a deal breaker for me, along with the other reasons I've mentioned. But if you don't mind that...I guess you can't go wrong with either the JMS or Banks.

 

[c3k]

Eh...can't adjust on the fly...can't use it without picking up and playing with your phone. Personally...I actually use my Android Auto so having to mess with my phone to change settings was a deal breaker for me, along with the other reasons I've mentioned. But if you don't mind that...I guess you can't go wrong with either the JMS or Banks.

I do NOT have a horse in this race. But I have been looking at these devices. I don't know about JMS (haven't looked), but Banks sells the standalone, which was shown in that video, and it needs a smartphone. That's their base model. Every other model has a control module that mounts on the truck dash or A-pillar. It's a dedicated controller, so you don't need your phone, unless you opt for the lowest priced model.

FWIW.