E-Class (W211) 2003-2009

Throttle response, or lack there of.

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Old 01-29-2014, 11:02 AM
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Throttle response, or lack there of.

Let me start off by saying I love my 2009 E350. What I don't like is The lack of throttle response. Anyone here use a Sprint booster to fix this problem? Is it worth the $300 they are asking for it?
Old 01-29-2014, 06:09 PM
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It doesn't necessarily improve the response but instead it only shortens the length of travel your foot takes. I definitely "noticed" a difference after installation but once my foot got familiar with it, I kinda forget it's there sometimes and the throttle response issue comes back.
Old 01-30-2014, 12:04 AM
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If you think you're having sluggish throttle response, it may be more related to the transmission not kicking down fast enough. Try a TCU reset but in my opinion a sprint booster is kind of a gimmicky product, others will disagree, but LemonSqueezy explained it well.
Old 01-30-2014, 09:17 AM
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I have tried the tcu reset by holding down the pedal, bla bla. It goes back to sluggish after a few days. Is there a better way to reset the tcu?
Old 01-30-2014, 09:33 AM
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a sprint booster does make a difference, it reduces the lag in the drive by wire... its like driving an old car with a loose throttle cable, a sprint booster essentially "tightens" up that throttle cable. no gains in power but you give it gas and it goes, it gives that feeling of more torque.

$300 is a lot, i bought a first gen one on here when i first got my 211 for about $45. it was def a noticeable difference, took some time getting used to the pedal but my money was well spent.
Old 01-30-2014, 09:46 AM
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Thanks. Mine is set to arrive tomorrow. Guess only one way to find out if it's going to do what I want it to. Try it out and see.
Old 01-30-2014, 09:50 AM
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the older sprint boosters don't have an option for race, economy, etc. so maybe mine is set to "race" all the time? no idea honestly but mine def helped. after i went to the NGK iridiums the pickup got even better
Old 01-30-2014, 11:32 AM
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Sounds good to me. Mine also is going to live permanently in race mode. And I really would appreciate the part number for those iridium plugs. Thanks!
Old 02-03-2014, 12:39 AM
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Been using the sprint booster for 2 days now and I totally love it. Car seems to downshift faster will less pedal press. All around better throttle response. I have it on green light (medium) setting and it's a world of different. Red (race) setting seems to be a bit too aggressive for city driving. But money well spent IMHO.
Old 02-03-2014, 12:52 AM
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Glad to hear it worked out
Old 02-03-2014, 01:09 AM
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Mine permanently lives in green setting but honestly, I think the throttle response you're feeling is all psychological. With sprint booster, it's something like 50% throttle with it on = 100% without. You still haven't gotten used to your throttle input with sprint booster yet so when you kickdown, if you used to press down 20%, you're now pressing down 40% without realizing it, giving the illusion that you're shifting/response is better, or at least this is how I feel since installing it over 2 years ago. For that $300 you could try a tcu tune which to me, actually looks a bit more promising.
Old 02-03-2014, 03:21 AM
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I'm with Lemon on this one, I think that it really just changes the threshold of your throttle and thus how soon you kick down a gear or get a decent amount of acceleration. I think you're really limited by the transmission itself and the software. I would definitely try the TCU tune.
Old 02-03-2014, 09:09 AM
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Who does a good tcu tune?
Old 02-03-2014, 12:59 PM
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My bet is with Eurcharged. If you send it to them directly and are able to leave your car inoperable for 2-3 days, you'll end saving a lot of money as opposed to going to an authorized dealer nearby and paying full retail. Might also want to consider an ecu tune as it'll give you a wider power band and a couple more ponies.
Old 02-03-2014, 09:07 PM
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Thanks. Will look into it.

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