First Report on Sprint Booster

[Rey]

I just installed a Sprint Booster. It transformed my Genesis 4.6. Throttle response is "right now." The transmission also downshifts at anything more than a slight throttle increase. My complaint before was that the transmission downshifting was so delayed and sloppy that I downshifted often in a manual mode. Now the transmission downshifts as I think it was designed to do, quickly and without drama. The car seems really frisky and sporty now.

I also tested it with cruise control on a hilly area to see if it might overcorrect because of the increased throttle sensitivity. I saw no faults with cruise control. It is as steady as ever.

I don't think the Sprint Booster is for everyone. I am a geezer and was taught to drive long before cruise control was invented. One thing my instructor(s) taught was "smoothness", and the ability to drive continuously at a stated speed without large corrections and overcorrection. This requires a very light throttle foot, just above resting pressure. Many drivers today cannot do this without cruise control. That's why manufacturers have chosen to dull throttle action. The result is that those with heavy, jerky throttle feet are able to drive more smoothly with no extra effort. So, be prepared to be driving with a very light throttle touch.

One place where one wants a comparatively dull throttle is driving on ice and snow, particularly trying to start on an icy upgrade. Sprint Booster has more or less addressed this issue by coming out with a "3-speed" booster. The first speed is OEM no boost, second is a moderate boost and the third is the full Monty. I know this model is available for BMWs presently, but don't know if it is available for the Genesis.

My research concludes that the Sprint Booster is a simple signal amplifier that multiplies the signal from the accelerator electronics Sprint Booster is made by a small Greek company: www.boulekosdynamic.com. No doubt there is a huge price/profit markup in this device. One commentator estimated manufacturing cost as less than $25. Nevertheless, Sprint Booster uses factory connections, which connectors are often hard to find and buy. Yet, Sprint Booster has done the R&D for which they expect a profit. If you think it is priced too high then don't buy it.

Installation is really easy. You need to unbolt the accelerator pedal. There is a hidden 10mm bolt at the bottom of the pedal which is covered by a plastic tab. Once the bolt is removed slide the pedal downward as the top of the assembly is held to the floor with a simple spade-type connection. Then just remove the factory plug. This is the hardest part as these factory plugs do not release easily. You must squeeze both sides of the plug to release it. Then plug in the Sprint Booster. It is on about a 4" cord. I did not try to tuck into the carpeting this excess cord.

 

[PINGGOLF]

ok...i want one!

Great job Rey!

Tell you what...send me yours and Ill pay you $50 S&H to try it out for a week. I promise I will return it!

My only concern is my wife driving the car. She practically peels out every time she gets in it...HA!!

Thanks again!

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

It's not for me, especially since OEM in snow is "fun" enough, but thanks for the writeup. One question:

How much gas mileage are you sacrificing with this?

 

[Rey]

More on the Sprint Booster: There is no way this affects gas mileage. Air/fuel ratios remain the same at all speeds. Nothing is changed except accelerator response. BUT, you are likely to use the enhanced response a bit more, which means more aggresive acceleration and hence reduced gas mileage. If you can keep your foot action to only what is truly needed there will be no change.
Now an important note - I bought mine on eBay; and the seller sent me a model intended for a manual transmission. There is a model for an automatic transmission. I contacted the seller to determine if this was a fatal mistake. He advised me that they had been selling the auto transmission model, but had received complaints that the changes were not dramatic enough. The manual transmission model is more aggressive. I do like the manual transmission model - a lot and would not trade it.
I note that sales from www.sprintbooster.us/ have a 30 day trial period.

 

[ahurst]

As a BMW owner, I can say the BMW users of the SB claim it does work. Check out bimmerfest.com and do a search.

 

[Disaster]

IMHO, the "Sprint Booster" is a bad idea.

It does NOT increase performance...only changes the acceleration signal vs. amount of pedal depression. You can get the exact same performance by pressing the pedal further yourself.

What you can't get back, with the Signal Booster, is the loss of modulation control. A car with the Sprint Booster will be more difficult to control at low, creeping speeds and more difficult to launch in slippery conditions.

Furthermore it adds one more point of complexity that has the potential to fail, hopefully not in a way such that can produce a full throttle signal when the operator does not want it to.

 

[Rey]

There is one item of performance which is definitely changed with the Sprint Booster. Stock, the transmission downshifts reluctantly requiring a lot of throttle. With the Sprint Booster downshifts seem much quicker.
As for "loss of modulation control", there is no "loss", it is just more sensitive. I do not find the car difficult to control at low speed, creeping speeds or any speed.
I'm a geezer who drove very powerful cars in Minnesota winter ice conditions - cars like Jaguars, Corvettes and Shelbys. They all had lineal throttle controls. No worries, they just required a delicate throttle foot on ice. The same held true for slug cars I drove like a '52 Buick. Ice and snow always require light control pressure. But if you have a sloppy throttle foot this product is not for you.
As for failure mode, think about it. Is it possible for an electronic amplifier to fail in such a way that the signal is increased (full throttle)? Seems more likely to me that a failure would result in a loss of signal, which means no throttle.

 

[ASHDUMP]

I put out feelers in another thread about a group buy. Would anyone want to try this? I'm really looking for better throttle response from my 4.6 and it just isn't there. My 01 Olds Aurora had waay better response.

When I pull on the highway with other cars going 75 to 80mph I want to slide right in. Right now I have to "rocket" in then hit the brakes! I have great foot control so I think this product is for me.

 

[ASHDUMP]

I just hopped on ebay and found the adjustable version for the coupe. Did you get the booster for the coupe (manual), and it works great?

 

[Rey]

Ashdump: my Sprint Booster box is marked "coupe manual". I like its performance, but if I had the option I would certainly choose the adjustable model - with the "manual" option as the "manual" is the more aggressive mode.

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[Disaster]

There is one item of performance which is definitely changed with the Sprint Booster. Stock, the transmission downshifts reluctantly requiring a lot of throttle. With the Sprint Booster downshifts seem much quicker.
As for "loss of modulation control", there is no "loss", it is just more sensitive. I do not find the car difficult to control at low speed, creeping speeds or any speed.
I'm a geezer who drove very powerful cars in Minnesota winter ice conditions - cars like Jaguars, Corvettes and Shelbys. They all had lineal throttle controls. No worries, they just required a delicate throttle foot on ice. The same held true for slug cars I drove like a '52 Buick. Ice and snow always require light control pressure. But if you have a sloppy throttle foot this product is not for you.
As for failure mode, think about it. Is it possible for an electronic amplifier to fail in such a way that the signal is increased (full throttle)? Seems more likely to me that a failure would result in a loss of signal, which means no throttle.

Addressing your comments one by one.

1. "With the Sprint Booster downshifts seem much quicker."

The downshifts can not be quicker from this device. The only thing that can happen is the pedal to output ratio changes so a smaller push on the pedal causes a greater change in output...directing a shift with less pedal travel. You can do the exact same thing by pushing the pedal further.

2. "As for "loss of modulation control", there is no "loss", it is just more sensitive. "

That is what is meant by loss of modulation....increase in sensitivity to foot movement. Anytime you make a device more sensitive to input and the input device doesn't become more accurate, you lose modulation. Unless you got a more sensitive foot at the same time you bought the device, you lost a bit of throttle accuracy.

3. "But if you have a sloppy throttle foot this product is not for you."

Way to spin a negative connotation to wanting more low power accuracy. You don't have to have a "sloppy foot" to like more pedal modulation. You just have to like control. The ideal system has lots of control on the low end so you can apply power in small increments and control creep speed accurately (like when maneuvering into a car wash, wheel channel), and less at the full throttle side when you need more throttle change (like when passing at highway speeds.)

4. "As for failure mode, think about it. Is it possible for an electronic amplifier to fail in such a way that the signal is increased (full throttle)?"

I don't know that answer and I doubt you do either. But any failure mode of the throttle is bad, for example if you pull out in front of a truck and then the throttle goes to zero.

 

[ASHDUMP]

I'm guessing anything can happen. It has been known here on this forum of the Genesis shutting down without any warning on the open road. With all the computers talking to one another something is bound to fail at some point. I'd really like to get this product, but I might wait until summer. I have a lot of things planned when the weather gets nice!

Drive by wire sucks a big one and if there is anyway to make it seem more like the traditional pulley thing I'm down for it.

 

[ahurst]

Rather than speculate, actual users over at bimmefest for the most part like it...it does do what it says...and if you enjoy the results, who cares that it only tricks the computer.

 

[Rey]

There are always going to be naysayers who firmly believe in keeping their vehicle bone stock as the factory intended. God bless them. They are certainly entitled to express their opinions.
Then there are the iconoclasts, like me, who do not believe that any factory has ever delivered the best performance, gas mileage, drivability, suspension compliance, etc. that is reasonably available. We too are entitled to express our opinions
There is no "right" in these arguments. It all boils down to matters of taste and preference.
For me, I have changed and modified every vehicle I have ever owned. I have made some mistakes along the way, which I have corrected. I have accepted the cost of these mistakes. To me it has been part of the "game." Now that I am 70 and can look back on over 50 cars that I have owned - I have no regrets. I would do it again and again. To me it is part of a challenge to make cars better than OEM.
Respecting the Sprint Booster, let me be clear - it is not for everyone, particularly those who believe that Hyundai, with it infinite wisdom, has produced a product that should not be tampered with. Just don't try to tell me or imply that an aftermarket technique, product, or engineering is no good or useless without a clear demonstration of facts, studies or simple physics to support your notion. Do not imply or suggest that it will fail unless you know this to be true and can support your thesis with at least some testimony.
The Sprint Booster has been around for a while. Check out the BMW forums as it seems to have first appeared with BMWs. Also check out the Mercedes forums. I did, and I found no instances of failure reported, particularly failures with unintended acceleration or no throttle at all. It appears to be a reliable product with simple solid state components. Everything that man has ever built has a finite life; and this product is no different, just as our Hyundais are no different. This product has a warranty, but behind the warranty is a comparatively small entity, which is probably judgment proof in face of a large verdict. This means there is more economic risk than a warranty from Hyundai.
Lastly, please do not get personal with your arguments and try to tell me and others what you think I know or do not know. This serves no purpose.

 

[GripperDon]

I was going to buy one and then saw the PRICE! GAD $300 that's horible IMO more like $70 to $100 max.

Jumpin gee hosiphats talk about over priced stuff. Think I'll have to do without. Compared to NAV TV the amount of electronics involved is nothing and I thought the NAV TV on the Go was over priced. I guess they think all Genesis drivers are Bank CEO's. Give me some decent schematics available or the codes to get into the control pages of the engineering programmer and I'll post how to do it for practically $25.

 

[Disaster]

There are always going to be naysayers who firmly believe in keeping their vehicle bone stock as the factory intended. God bless them. They are certainly entitled to express their opinions.
Then there are the iconoclasts, like me, who do not believe that any factory has ever delivered the best performance, gas mileage, drivability, suspension compliance, etc. that is reasonably available. We too are entitled to express our opinions.....

Respecting the Sprint Booster, let me be clear - it is not for everyone, particularly those who believe that Hyundai, with it infinite wisdom, has produced a product that should not be tampered with. Just don't try to tell me or imply that an aftermarket technique, product, or engineering is no good or useless without a clear demonstration of facts, studies or simple physics to support your notion.

I'm not against changing things that truly improve performance. I've added boost chips, modified suspensions, ported exhausts, changed intakes...etc.

However, it is simple Physics to know that the Sprint Booster doesn't improve the vehicles performance. You can't change the performance by just increasing pedal signal. All you are doing is making it so a smaller amount of pedal travel causes a larger amount of pedal travel signal. This makes the car "jumpier" and might give the false impression of added pep...but it does nothing for real performance. It doesn't improve shift times. It doesn't improve acceleration. You can get the EXACT same results by just pushing the throttle down further.

If you want to spend your money on real performance enhancements, I can think of much better places to start with your $300.

 

[ASHDUMP]

The one thing I hate is when you press the pedal down about 1" and you get "I'm and idiot consume who doesn't know how to drive" delay.

Then when the car finally says to itself, "Hey this guy really wants to go quick" the car shoots like a rocket ship. It f'n sucks!

I'll deal with it for now, but will be buy the sprint booster... I just hope it is cracked up to be a throttle enhancer!

I can understand why some consumers wouldn't care.... but for a V8 this thing should act like one.

 

[Rey]

"Disaster" is absolutely correct when he states that the Sprint Booster does not make more power, either torque or horsepower. Assuming you drag race the car with the throttle mashed to the floor the entire 1/4 mile, the Sprint Booster will not change your time or speed.

The throttle body has a flap/butterfly-type air valve. It opens 90 degrees from completely shut to completely open. The OEM throttle curve is comparatively insensitive at light throttle settings. BUT, then in order to open fully to 90 degrees the OEM throttle curve must open much more rapidly at higher settings. This is why some people complain that very little happens with moderate throttle movements, but then pressing down just a bit further causes the car to drop down to the lowest possible gear and surge forward abruptly - there seeming to be no middle ground.

While the Sprint Booster is much more sensitive at low throttle settings, it is also more sensitive to moderate throttle increases. One can with a moderate throttle downshift one gear and accelerate briskly without the big surge of wide open throttle. Push down a little further and it will drop down another gear (provided it is still in range). So, what you gain is more throttle control on the upper end.

Sprint Booster claims to have a thirty day trial period; and I urge anyone considering a trial to confirm in writing the terms of the trial, like who pays return postage and from what date is the period measured.

Also, I have the "first generation" model, which is not adjustable. There is now available a "three speed" which has an OEM mode, a moderate mode and a full-on mode. I recommend the three speed over the first generation as it does give one more options.

There also seems to be a fair amount of web research and forum chatter on this product, which I found interesting.

 

[Disaster]

The one thing I hate is when you press the pedal down about 1" and you get "I'm and idiot consume who doesn't know how to drive" delay.

Then when the car finally says to itself, "Hey this guy really wants to go quick" the car shoots like a rocket ship. It f'n sucks!

I'll deal with it for now, but will be buy the sprint booster... I just hope it is cracked up to be a throttle enhancer!

I can understand why some consumers wouldn't care.... but for a V8 this thing should act like one.

The Sprint booster can't change the delay because it only multiplies the signal. In order to change delays you need a ECU reprogramming. What it can do, is act like you pressed the throttle half way, when you only pressed it one inch. The computer will then expect that you want to accelerate harder and it will command more air and fuel. Of course, you can do the exact same thing by just pressing the throttle half way instead of one inch.

 

[namorbrowneyes]

"Disaster" is absolutely correct when he states that the Sprint Booster does not make more power, either torque or horsepower. Assuming you drag race the car with the throttle mashed to the floor the entire 1/4 mile, the Sprint Booster will not change your time or speed.

The throttle body has a flap/butterfly-type air valve. It opens 90 degrees from completely shut to completely open. The OEM throttle curve is comparatively insensitive at light throttle settings. BUT, then in order to open fully to 90 degrees the OEM throttle curve must open much more rapidly at higher settings. This is why some people complain that very little happens with moderate throttle movements, but then pressing down just a bit further causes the car to drop down to the lowest possible gear and surge forward abruptly - there seeming to be no middle ground.

While the Sprint Booster is much more sensitive at low throttle settings, it is also more sensitive to moderate throttle increases. One can with a moderate throttle downshift one gear and accelerate briskly without the big surge of wide open throttle. Push down a little further and it will drop down another gear (provided it is still in range). So, what you gain is more throttle control on the upper end.

Sprint Booster claims to have a thirty day trial period; and I urge anyone considering a trial to confirm in writing the terms of the trial, like who pays return postage and from what date is the period measured.

Also, I have the "first generation" model, which is not adjustable. There is now available a "three speed" which has an OEM mode, a moderate mode and a full-on mode. I recommend the three speed over the first generation as it does give one more options.

There also seems to be a fair amount of web research and forum chatter on this product, which I found interesting.

Thank you for your help and information. You are wise. You confirmed my wanted results for the V3 sprintbooster on my '15 Genesis. I will most likely post about my findings in the respective forum.