My SprintBooster Review....
01-24-2011, 07:45 PM
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'00 CLK430 & '08 Lexus RX 350
My SprintBooster Review....
SprintBooster w/ Remote stage select for 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 430 (W208)
I certainly won’t presume I can speak for every owner of a CLK 430 (W208) and certainly not for every Mercedes owner out there but I for one love my Benz for what it is! I love it despite the issues I’ve encountered along the way.
I love the car’s looks, I appreciate it’s refinement, it’s German heritage, each and every tiny detail down to the little hook/handle thing that holds up the carpet when you’re accessing the battery and spare.
Yes the car has it’s flaws. I’m sure we can all agree the LED failure in the instrument cluster is maddening for such an expensive vehicle as are the seat motors crappin out and the like. Despite the little downfalls, it’s still a fantastic machine in my opinion.
Nearing 100K on the odo and it’s 11th year as my daily driver, I still get a kick of driving her to work each morning and even the quick jaunts to the grocery store can put a smile on my face. I have fun every time I step on the gas and hear her V8 growl.
So for the last eleven years or so, her power and speed have really fit the bill for me. She’s fast but not so fast, I scare myself (very often). She’s strong and powerful and has seldom let me down when I need to make a move in traffic or make that sprint on the two-lane highway to pass a slow moving line of cars.
The only place I could ever say she kinda dragged was from the dig or when I was cruising and needed a quick blip from the throttle. She just seemed like she wasn’t sure if she was going to comply….had to think about it for a second. In the event, I found myself in the wrong lane and needed to make a quick jump off the line to get out in front, I always knew she was capable but my confidence often wavered. I found myself pensive and jumping in anticipation of the green light. If for some reason the car next to me wanted to jump too, I could either find myself in a precarious position or I just wasn’t gonna be able to safely make the move I wanted to.
Of course I could spend tens of thousands of dollars and buy a quicker car! They’re out there….that’s for certain. I could spend thousands supercharging my ride. I could spend a little less but still a pretty penny on a ECU remap. Not only are these options not in my budget these days, it’s just not where I wanted to go with this car. And need I mention the fact my wife would freaking kill me if she found out I poured that kinda cash into my car?!
As I mentioned before, I still get a charge out of driving her each day since I took delivery nearly 11 years ago. I guess I had chalked it up to it simply not being the nature of the car. I’d get over it.
With that said, it’s probably worth mentioning that I am an active member of a few online communities that are focused on Mercedes Benz vehicles. I really enjoy challenging myself to a DIY project or just reading about other owner’s cars, their projects and the hot new MODs that come to market.
Enter SprintBooster…..Ohhh LaLa! What’s this? A gimmick? Or a small piece of electronic wizardry that might actually make a difference in the area I felt my car suffered the most……throttle response off the line and at speed!?
There are some that say it’s a waste! Just mash your foot down on the pedal faster and harder…same result! And there are others that have the product, use it every day and say they simply would not go back to driving their cars with out it!
I did a bit of my own online research, spoke to a few naysayers, a couple of believers and of course, I came away with a variety of opinions. I figured there was nothing to loose. If it really didn’t do much for me then oh well, it wouldn’t be at a huge expense. At the very least it might be a fun experiment. But if it did improve my car’s throttle response……oh yeah! You can bet I was willing to give it a chance.
Without further babble, here is my review of the SprintBooster for the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 430 (W208)
The Install (See Attached PDF Install Pictorial):
The install is part of the beauty! It took me less then 5 minutes to install the SprintBooster under the hood. I simply unplugged the harness under the hood at the throttle and plugged in the SprintBooster. Zip tied to keep it in place and Presto! It’s off to the races! That's it!!
Remote:
This was the single disappointing part of the product and not b/c it isn’t practical or doesn’t work! In fact it is actually very practical and works very well……it just suffers usability issues on my eleven year old 2000 CLK! You see, SprintBooster’s newest version comes with a 3-stage remote. It was originally manufactured taking into account the SprintBooster’s install location being under the gas pedal, on the inside of the cabin. On my vehicle however, the SprintBooster actually installs in the engine compartment. This is true on very few vehicles. According to the rep the engine compartment location is only on 2-3 cars that he is aware of.
The remote, which allows users to toggle between the off position, the green light or On Position and the third and most aggressive stage with the red light glowing was not intended to withstand high engine compartment temps. Therefore, trying to thread it through the firewall and into the cabin is not an option either.
The good news is, after lifting the hood and toggling between the three stages during my testing of the SprintBooster, I found that I will likely always be in the Red Light or most aggressive setting. For those that install under the gas pedal in the cabin, you’ll have that added luxury of stage selection at your fingertips!
Accelleration & Responsiveness:
Without a doubt, my vehicle is far more responsive, even in the second stage. In the third stage (Red Light) my cars throttle response is not only noticeable but substantially improved! If you are looking for more HP or higher top end, this is not the product you are looking for. But if your vehicle suffers off the line or when you need that quick throttle response, this is the product! I’m sure many of us will agree that our drive by wire vehicles are just downright sluggish.
Before SprintBooster, when I tried to jump from a light and finally hit that sweet spot in my pedal, the car seems to finally “catch” or seems to finally get the message! But with the SprintBooster installed, I actually have to watch how much gas I give her! In the beginning, I was squeekin my tires pretty good and that’s with the ETC on. There really is more life right off the bat!
The fact this product is such a simple install, is adjustable, affordable to most and so simple to use, I believe it should be one of the first MODs anyone performs on their vehicle. Now that I have installed my SprintBooster, that factory lag….it’s just not there anymore. Many naysayers have posted that I could achieve the same result by smashing down the accelerator. I simply don’t find this to be true. There is more to this product than a heavy foot can recreate.
Gas Consumption:
At first, I think it’s quite possible I was burning a bit more fuel than normal. I am an aggressive driver to begin with, it took some time to acclimate myself to the new found responsiveness and I was really putting it through it’s paces in the first few days. Now that it is part of the car’s nature, it’s behavior is something I’m now becoming more accustomed to. I don’t believe there has been any increase in fuel consumption what so ever.
Pedal Sweet Spot:
When I first installed the SprintBooster it was a bit like driving a car for the first time in regard to the throttle response. It was completely different from the car I had spent 11 years driving every day. Far quicker and more responsive. I actually liken this experience to that of renting or borrowing a car and spending the first few drive hours getting used to how the car moves, how it brakes, how it accelerates, how it handles, and what kind of passing power it either has or hasn’t. I had to pay a little more attention to finding that “sweet spot” in my gas pedal that after eleven years had become second nature. It took a bit, but eventually I found it and from there was able to pilot my car more smoothly. If I switch to another stage using the remote that sweet spot then moves a bit respectively.
The X factor:
The “X Factor” as I call it, is what I love most. Even though I’ve been driving my vehicle now for roughly 3 weeks with the SprintBooster employed and I seem to have found the pedals new “sweet spot” and mastered the new responsiveness, it will still, in the heat of the moment, at the last second, in fast and furious traffic of the Atlanta Interstates, surprise me!
Aside from knowing I have a more responsive car, it still catches me off guard. I find myself having even more fun in my 11 year old car than I thought was possible outside spending thousands of dollars for a quicker car or MODs that could cause a rift in my marriage!
So after driving the car for a week or so with the SprintBooster I asked my wife if she wanted to drive to dinner. I turned off the SprintBooster so she could recall the original feeling and power of my car, which she already loves coming from a RX 350. After spending the better part of our dinner conversation trying to explain just what she’d experience, I lifted the hood, plugged in the remote and turned it to red. She started the car, made her way through the parking lot and looked over as though she thought I was crazy. “Hmmm” she murmured. But when she pressed the gas to pull into traffic and make a quick dart across 3 lanes to the freeway entrance, she squeeled the tires, gripped the wheel so tight I thought she’d break nails! She ripped across the street and down the ramp….“Holy Sh#t”, she shouted with a huge grin on her face, “That’s so awesome!”
It’s my feeling that anyone who tries the SprintBooster with have the same or similar reaction! It’s fun, it’s simple, it’s affordable to most and most importantly….it works! Check it out for yourself! http://www.sprintboosterusa.com/
- Matt Minton / 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 430 (W208)
I certainly won’t presume I can speak for every owner of a CLK 430 (W208) and certainly not for every Mercedes owner out there but I for one love my Benz for what it is! I love it despite the issues I’ve encountered along the way.
I love the car’s looks, I appreciate it’s refinement, it’s German heritage, each and every tiny detail down to the little hook/handle thing that holds up the carpet when you’re accessing the battery and spare.
Yes the car has it’s flaws. I’m sure we can all agree the LED failure in the instrument cluster is maddening for such an expensive vehicle as are the seat motors crappin out and the like. Despite the little downfalls, it’s still a fantastic machine in my opinion.
Nearing 100K on the odo and it’s 11th year as my daily driver, I still get a kick of driving her to work each morning and even the quick jaunts to the grocery store can put a smile on my face. I have fun every time I step on the gas and hear her V8 growl.
So for the last eleven years or so, her power and speed have really fit the bill for me. She’s fast but not so fast, I scare myself (very often). She’s strong and powerful and has seldom let me down when I need to make a move in traffic or make that sprint on the two-lane highway to pass a slow moving line of cars.
The only place I could ever say she kinda dragged was from the dig or when I was cruising and needed a quick blip from the throttle. She just seemed like she wasn’t sure if she was going to comply….had to think about it for a second. In the event, I found myself in the wrong lane and needed to make a quick jump off the line to get out in front, I always knew she was capable but my confidence often wavered. I found myself pensive and jumping in anticipation of the green light. If for some reason the car next to me wanted to jump too, I could either find myself in a precarious position or I just wasn’t gonna be able to safely make the move I wanted to.
Of course I could spend tens of thousands of dollars and buy a quicker car! They’re out there….that’s for certain. I could spend thousands supercharging my ride. I could spend a little less but still a pretty penny on a ECU remap. Not only are these options not in my budget these days, it’s just not where I wanted to go with this car. And need I mention the fact my wife would freaking kill me if she found out I poured that kinda cash into my car?!
As I mentioned before, I still get a charge out of driving her each day since I took delivery nearly 11 years ago. I guess I had chalked it up to it simply not being the nature of the car. I’d get over it.
With that said, it’s probably worth mentioning that I am an active member of a few online communities that are focused on Mercedes Benz vehicles. I really enjoy challenging myself to a DIY project or just reading about other owner’s cars, their projects and the hot new MODs that come to market.
Enter SprintBooster…..Ohhh LaLa! What’s this? A gimmick? Or a small piece of electronic wizardry that might actually make a difference in the area I felt my car suffered the most……throttle response off the line and at speed!?
There are some that say it’s a waste! Just mash your foot down on the pedal faster and harder…same result! And there are others that have the product, use it every day and say they simply would not go back to driving their cars with out it!
I did a bit of my own online research, spoke to a few naysayers, a couple of believers and of course, I came away with a variety of opinions. I figured there was nothing to loose. If it really didn’t do much for me then oh well, it wouldn’t be at a huge expense. At the very least it might be a fun experiment. But if it did improve my car’s throttle response……oh yeah! You can bet I was willing to give it a chance.
Without further babble, here is my review of the SprintBooster for the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 430 (W208)
The Install (See Attached PDF Install Pictorial):
The install is part of the beauty! It took me less then 5 minutes to install the SprintBooster under the hood. I simply unplugged the harness under the hood at the throttle and plugged in the SprintBooster. Zip tied to keep it in place and Presto! It’s off to the races! That's it!!
Remote:
This was the single disappointing part of the product and not b/c it isn’t practical or doesn’t work! In fact it is actually very practical and works very well……it just suffers usability issues on my eleven year old 2000 CLK! You see, SprintBooster’s newest version comes with a 3-stage remote. It was originally manufactured taking into account the SprintBooster’s install location being under the gas pedal, on the inside of the cabin. On my vehicle however, the SprintBooster actually installs in the engine compartment. This is true on very few vehicles. According to the rep the engine compartment location is only on 2-3 cars that he is aware of.
The remote, which allows users to toggle between the off position, the green light or On Position and the third and most aggressive stage with the red light glowing was not intended to withstand high engine compartment temps. Therefore, trying to thread it through the firewall and into the cabin is not an option either.
The good news is, after lifting the hood and toggling between the three stages during my testing of the SprintBooster, I found that I will likely always be in the Red Light or most aggressive setting. For those that install under the gas pedal in the cabin, you’ll have that added luxury of stage selection at your fingertips!
Accelleration & Responsiveness:
Without a doubt, my vehicle is far more responsive, even in the second stage. In the third stage (Red Light) my cars throttle response is not only noticeable but substantially improved! If you are looking for more HP or higher top end, this is not the product you are looking for. But if your vehicle suffers off the line or when you need that quick throttle response, this is the product! I’m sure many of us will agree that our drive by wire vehicles are just downright sluggish.
Before SprintBooster, when I tried to jump from a light and finally hit that sweet spot in my pedal, the car seems to finally “catch” or seems to finally get the message! But with the SprintBooster installed, I actually have to watch how much gas I give her! In the beginning, I was squeekin my tires pretty good and that’s with the ETC on. There really is more life right off the bat!
The fact this product is such a simple install, is adjustable, affordable to most and so simple to use, I believe it should be one of the first MODs anyone performs on their vehicle. Now that I have installed my SprintBooster, that factory lag….it’s just not there anymore. Many naysayers have posted that I could achieve the same result by smashing down the accelerator. I simply don’t find this to be true. There is more to this product than a heavy foot can recreate.
Gas Consumption:
At first, I think it’s quite possible I was burning a bit more fuel than normal. I am an aggressive driver to begin with, it took some time to acclimate myself to the new found responsiveness and I was really putting it through it’s paces in the first few days. Now that it is part of the car’s nature, it’s behavior is something I’m now becoming more accustomed to. I don’t believe there has been any increase in fuel consumption what so ever.
Pedal Sweet Spot:
When I first installed the SprintBooster it was a bit like driving a car for the first time in regard to the throttle response. It was completely different from the car I had spent 11 years driving every day. Far quicker and more responsive. I actually liken this experience to that of renting or borrowing a car and spending the first few drive hours getting used to how the car moves, how it brakes, how it accelerates, how it handles, and what kind of passing power it either has or hasn’t. I had to pay a little more attention to finding that “sweet spot” in my gas pedal that after eleven years had become second nature. It took a bit, but eventually I found it and from there was able to pilot my car more smoothly. If I switch to another stage using the remote that sweet spot then moves a bit respectively.
The X factor:
The “X Factor” as I call it, is what I love most. Even though I’ve been driving my vehicle now for roughly 3 weeks with the SprintBooster employed and I seem to have found the pedals new “sweet spot” and mastered the new responsiveness, it will still, in the heat of the moment, at the last second, in fast and furious traffic of the Atlanta Interstates, surprise me!
Aside from knowing I have a more responsive car, it still catches me off guard. I find myself having even more fun in my 11 year old car than I thought was possible outside spending thousands of dollars for a quicker car or MODs that could cause a rift in my marriage!
So after driving the car for a week or so with the SprintBooster I asked my wife if she wanted to drive to dinner. I turned off the SprintBooster so she could recall the original feeling and power of my car, which she already loves coming from a RX 350. After spending the better part of our dinner conversation trying to explain just what she’d experience, I lifted the hood, plugged in the remote and turned it to red. She started the car, made her way through the parking lot and looked over as though she thought I was crazy. “Hmmm” she murmured. But when she pressed the gas to pull into traffic and make a quick dart across 3 lanes to the freeway entrance, she squeeled the tires, gripped the wheel so tight I thought she’d break nails! She ripped across the street and down the ramp….“Holy Sh#t”, she shouted with a huge grin on her face, “That’s so awesome!”
It’s my feeling that anyone who tries the SprintBooster with have the same or similar reaction! It’s fun, it’s simple, it’s affordable to most and most importantly….it works! Check it out for yourself! http://www.sprintboosterusa.com/
- Matt Minton / 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 430 (W208)
Last edited by MMM430; 01-24-2011 at 07:51 PM.
01-24-2011, 10:10 PM
#2
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Excellent review. You are spot on with the transformation that the Sprintbooster makes.
The factory should have this built into the vehicle from day one I find it to be that good.
The factory should have this built into the vehicle from day one I find it to be that good.
01-24-2011, 10:37 PM
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2000 CLK430
MATT!! Bad *** review bro! 
It had me smiling ear to ear man..I was leary of this product but I seriously want one now. We have the exact same car and I understood each and every point you made regarding our cars. Thanks for the great writeup
It had me smiling ear to ear man..I was leary of this product but I seriously want one now. We have the exact same car and I understood each and every point you made regarding our cars. Thanks for the great writeup
01-24-2011, 11:31 PM
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01-25-2011, 08:05 AM
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'00 CLK430 & '08 Lexus RX 350
Thnks for the feedback on the review all. I'm really having a good time with it! If you don't have the SprintBooster installed, I'd suggest you give it a shot. It'll surprise you!
Perhaps it's worth mentioning, but for those of you that don't know me from the boards, or may think I'm a rep for the product, I assure you I'm not. Just an everyday car guy looking to squeeze a little more from the ride!
If you have your own feedback on the product, please post it here! I find I often realize potential or characteristics I may have missed initially in having a conversations with other users.
Have a great week everyone!
Perhaps it's worth mentioning, but for those of you that don't know me from the boards, or may think I'm a rep for the product, I assure you I'm not. Just an everyday car guy looking to squeeze a little more from the ride!
If you have your own feedback on the product, please post it here! I find I often realize potential or characteristics I may have missed initially in having a conversations with other users.
Have a great week everyone!
Last edited by MMM430; 01-25-2011 at 08:08 AM.
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01-25-2011, 08:53 AM
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'05 C200K SS, '05 Kleemann CLK500K, '08 Hummer H3 & '92 Z34 5sp (track car in Canada)
Good review. I just installed mine last week and love it, I leave it on the green setting, or moderate, just to get rid of the lag - and it does just that. Money well spent.
01-25-2011, 07:17 PM
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2012 C63
Great write up and I couldn't agree more on your observations. I've had mine in for about 2 weeks now and wondered how I put up with the lag before that. It's the best $300 money could buy!
01-26-2011, 10:41 AM
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01 CLK430
Wouldn't it make more sense just to remove the DBW from the factory spec rather than add it then disable it with Sprintbooster.
Thanks for the review, it was quite helpful and I'm almost ready to click buy on it. Are there any adverse effects on the car over long term use?
what does maps to mush mean?
Thanks for the review, it was quite helpful and I'm almost ready to click buy on it. Are there any adverse effects on the car over long term use?
what does maps to mush mean?
01-26-2011, 09:18 PM
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CLK55 / E350 Coupe
Wouldn't it make more sense just to remove the DBW from the factory spec rather than add it then disable it with Sprintbooster.
Thanks for the review, it was quite helpful and I'm almost ready to click buy on it. Are there any adverse effects on the car over long term use?
what does maps to mush mean?
Thanks for the review, it was quite helpful and I'm almost ready to click buy on it. Are there any adverse effects on the car over long term use?
what does maps to mush mean?
01-27-2011, 12:52 PM
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w208 CLK430, w212 E350, w221 S550
Nice! I've been waitin for your review I have to get one now! Thanks for the greatly detailed report bro. One quick question since u guys all seem to have 430s here. Are u guys car driving aroundwith it's thermostat at 80-95 degrees?
01-27-2011, 07:57 PM
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w208 CLK430, w212 E350, w221 S550
highpass: ok cool thank you, i guess its way more common than i thought, thanks for checking and chiming in!
gundo: count me in bro! maybe we can start with us 2 for sure and get a larger group and PM them since SprintBooster is on our forums anyway
gundo: count me in bro! maybe we can start with us 2 for sure and get a larger group and PM them since SprintBooster is on our forums anyway
01-31-2011, 03:47 AM
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99CLK320,
Are there any adverse effects on the car over long term use? NO! All it does is amplify the throttle signal to the computer. More than likely, you will use more gas. First of all, you can't remove drive by wire. the gas pedal has a wire cable the goes up to a throttle sending unit under the hood near the firewall on the drivers side that measures input or throttle response from the pedal that then has a electrical cable that runs to the ECUcomputer that tells the throttle body how much gas to give the injectors and advance the spark etc., etc. the gas pedal is much more sensitive, the motor responds quicker. the transmission downshifts quicker all due to less input from your foot but more input from the Sprintbooster. If you don't like driving fast don't get it or learn to be very sensitve with your foot input or chose the lower setting.
Last edited by dlbehrns; 01-31-2011 at 03:51 AM.
02-01-2011, 02:25 AM
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2012 C63
Sprintbooster won't make your car go any faster off the mark. It just makes the throttle more responsive when you need to drop down a gear or two when driving/cruising.
02-04-2011, 04:25 PM
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02-13-2011, 04:21 PM
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CLK55 / E350 Coupe
lol Red mode which was non AMG setting on old sprint booster. I was always curious about this setting.
Is freakin crazy
not a good setting to try stoned. Im so gonna get another speeding ticket and wasted tires.
Thanks again for the linky Mel!
Is freakin crazy
not a good setting to try stoned. Im so gonna get another speeding ticket and wasted tires.Thanks again for the linky Mel!
11-10-2013, 01:45 PM
#25
Good review. Good product. I had one installed on my E350 coupe. Had a Eurocharged tune and SB. Got my ECU back from Eurochg, big change in HP and Tq... the very next day installed SB... very noticable on top of the ECU tune. A whole different overall with the combined mods. Thinking about tuning my '13 C63 AMG
