Author Topic: Review: SprintBooster (Read 14199 times)

spicy3480 · « **on:** March 19, 2009, 11:51:34 PM »

I just finished my install....pretty straight forward. I included and before and after picture. You have to really push the plugs in good. If you don't you'll get throttle sensor codes after you start the car. Disconnect the pink clip that you see in the picture below. After that's out, you can pull the sensor plug out. Connect SprintBooster to the sensor, and then reconnect everything. Make sure it's in tight! Get ready to relearn how to drive your car. Mine is on a Solstice GXP, and the first time you hit the throttle, you're going to realize how sensitive it is. It does not make more power, but it does make the car a heck of a lot more responsive. Throttle is almost instantaneous, and you will get up to higher boost levels really quickly because of that. Passing cars was very fun on the highway, and starting from a stop was a blast. You should take some time to really relearn the sensitivity of the throttle before you go messing around with it. It is a very noticeable difference...definitely more than I expected. I am very happy with it. If I thought it was a waste, I wouldn't keep it on the car. It will not be coming off any time soon.

Again, it will not add any power, but it will get that power to the ground much faster. It is easy to spin the wheels with the TC on from a stop. The only way it would improve 0-60 times would be the fact that you launch faster from the line...the equivalent of an excellent driver. Werks is very accurate with their description of the product, and I can see why they have it on all of their cars. It takes away a lot of the "lag" feeling, which is what most of us Kappa owners dislike about the car from the factory. I am guessing that people with larger turbos that spool up later on the powerband would really benefit from installing this.

Before

After

captain · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2009, 06:34:39 AM »

can not wait to try mine

Ben L · « **Reply #2 on:** March 20, 2009, 06:50:15 AM »

Do not see one listed for the Solstice GXP on their site. Which model did you purchase?

sol_man · « **Reply #3 on:** March 20, 2009, 07:04:23 AM »

Again, this place is the best for finding out about stuff I never heard of! Thanks for the post!

spicy3480 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 20, 2009, 10:42:10 PM »

Quote from: Ben L on March 20, 2009, 06:50:15 AM

Do not see one listed for the Solstice GXP on their site. Which model did you purchase?

They just released the one for the GXP. My box actually said Corvette Z06, and I was told it was the correct one. Contact Performance Autowerks. There is a group buy going on over on the Solstice Forum...check it out.

snaponbob · « **Reply #5 on:** March 20, 2009, 10:48:47 PM »

Did I see THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE DOLLARS ?!?!?!?!?! A Westers tune is only $200 more and has great throttle response. WTF, huh?

tazz · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2009, 01:01:20 AM »

If a person has a Westers tune would there be any benefit to use in conjuction with the Westers tune? If not why spend the $$ for little or no return if you have a Westers tune?
Also I would assume that the TR is modulated by the ECM in which case couldnt Westers if they already havent done so Isolate the TR in the ECM tune and change the modulation so there is no Throttle lag?
Just seem to me it could be done with the tune instead?

2kwk4u · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2009, 03:12:35 AM »

I'm glad you're happy with it. I'm curious about one thing, though... I'd be interested in a side-by-side comparison with another GXP/Redline that doesn't have the sprint booster. What I want to know is if you are in neutral and stab the gas pedal and let off as fast as you can (think like .05 seconds), is there any difference between the two.

In other words, does the sprint booster actually get that signal through the system faster somehow, or does it just command the throttle body to open wider when the signal gets through?

Go-N Def · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2009, 04:07:51 AM »

Instead of a side by side comparison, you could do it in the same car with the same driver using HPTuners. The module seems easy enough to pop in and out. Simply run a scan with HPTuners with the module out and then one with the module in.

Compare the two and, Wha Lha!

Morfious · « **Reply #9 on:** March 21, 2009, 04:13:11 AM »

My understanding of how it works is that is does nothing to get the power to the ground faster it only increases how quickly the pedal is pushed to 100%. The speedbooster acts like a signal amplifier. The computer and everything else in the chain is still taking the impulse from the pedal and converting it to speed. That process happens at the same rate. The rate at which you can reach 100% throttle is decreased though.

You push the gas pedal down 50% the car thinks it's being pushed down 75%.
You push the gas pedal down 75% the car thinks it's being pushed down 100%.
You push the gas pedal down 100% the car still thinks it's being pushed down 100%

I'm sure the car does not know what to do with 110% throttle so you do NOT get more power. You just get a faster ramp up from 0-100%. Here is a graph from their website showing the voltage sent to the computer comparing stock to boosted levels.

tazz · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2009, 08:45:37 AM »

Since we actualy have a drive by wire system the TB doesnt have a plate that can open or close as in a typical setup. The pedal feeds a signal to the ECM to adjust everything thus eliminating the need for the TB plate/
Or am I wrong?

snaponbob · « **Reply #11 on:** March 21, 2009, 09:01:32 AM »

Since it is a passive piece of hardware, are we looking at a $300 resistor pack? If it were not so expensive, I would love to get one and cut it open.

tazz · « **Reply #12 on:** March 21, 2009, 09:06:48 AM »

/\/\
That's what I was thinking.
But who knows?
I still think the throttle response can be controlled more/less by ECM programming so really whats the point unless none of the tuners have been able to do this via ECM programming.

Critterman · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2009, 11:46:52 AM »

There is a throttle place int the throttle body. It is electronically controlled, this appears to change the signal being received increasing the plate opening

tazz · « **Reply #14 on:** March 21, 2009, 12:14:04 PM »

I was wondering about how the heck that was possible.
I was talking to a guy but not sure if he knew what he was talking about and he had said that there was no throttle plate. I just sratched my head but I thought maybe?

spicy3480 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 21, 2009, 08:49:32 PM »

It is hard to explain, but it works...I am telling you, and I would not lie after everything I have done to my car, the response it night and day more instantaneous with pressing the throttle. Basically, slightly depressing the throttle is like pressing it half-way without the SprintBooster...except the response is also instant.

Imaj · « **Reply #16 on:** March 21, 2009, 11:03:26 PM »

Be very careful when installing the sprint booster!

KWhale · « **Reply #17 on:** March 21, 2009, 11:54:19 PM »

Quote from: Imaj on March 21, 2009, 11:03:26 PM

Be very careful when installing the sprint booster!

Becuuzzzz?????

Duck1313 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 23, 2009, 06:25:27 AM »

Quote from: tazz on March 21, 2009, 08:45:37 AM

Since we actualy have a drive by wire system the TB doesnt have a plate that can open or close as in a typical setup. The pedal feeds a signal to the ECM to adjust everything thus eliminating the need for the TB plate/
Or am I wrong?

Wrong. You need a plate to control air flow. BOV would never work without it since it activates with pressure variances on opposing sides of the T-body.

Critterman · « **Reply #19 on:** March 23, 2009, 07:26:20 AM »

See picture, standard and DDM large Throttle body

lil goat · « **Reply #20 on:** March 23, 2009, 07:30:48 AM »

I also had the knee jerk reaction to say it wouldn't work, but after reading and listing to Spikey. I am quite sure it works, this is digital not logical. The sprintbooster is taking out what GM designed in. They make our cars for a broad range of tastes so they intentionally don't make the car have a hair trigger. I do still wonder if there is a way to adjust thiese levels with the ECM programming. This may need a look by the great one, oh Lyndon is it still snowing up there. It maybe be an adjustable parameter in the ECM programming or not. I have read that the sprintbooster uses fuzzy logic, and controlled feedback loops, err OK.

snaponbob · « **Reply #21 on:** March 23, 2009, 08:47:25 AM »

Last month I asked Lyndon "can the throttle response curve within the ECM bad addressed to respond they way I would want it to?" and he said no. I droppped the subject. I wonder. Personally I wish the response curve was more linear from closed to 50%. With the stock tune the quicker response would be nice, but with the tunes there is such a big increase in low end torque that power mudulation is more difficult. Assuming that the earlier posted chart is reasonably correct I now have a better understanding of why the engine responds to input the way it does.

Hey, cool, I may have learned something for free. Maybe I'll hook up the HPT and take a look at what the computer is seeing from the gas pedal input.

spicy3480 · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2009, 11:06:56 AM »

I can tell you that with the Westers tune, the car has a lot of torque that is now utilized more quickly with the SprintBooster. Since this is a mod that can but installed and taken out within 3 minutes, I don't see it being an issue in the snow. I don't really know how it works, but it does what it claims to do, and even better than I expected. I am awaiting some other reviews, as I know that their group buy is growing by the day.

Imaj · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2009, 11:12:30 AM »

It has to have a tight fit. You may notice that the sprint booster clips in but may still move around. That means it is not tight enough. I broke a pin inside the sprint booster trying to fit it. For some reason, I could never get it to fit snug. Also, make sure you take off the plastic panel under the dash. It will make the change a lot easier.

spicy3480 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 23, 2009, 12:45:19 PM »

Mine still moves around a little bit, but has been working fine. I made sure that if I gently tugged on it, it would not come apart. Taking the plastic panel off makes it easier, but is not necessary. Imaj is correct. Werks has just posted an install how-to on the SF for the SprintBooster.

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Author Topic: Review: SprintBooster (Read 14199 times)

Ben L

lil goat