Throttle Controllers – yay or NAY?

Do I really need to modify my throttle?

Modifying your vehicle is more popular than ever. These days, countless companies offer ways to upgrade your car from stock standard to a bigger, tougher, more capable rig. Engine tunes. Oversized tyres. Major suspension lifts. Even cutting the back off a wagon to turn it into a ute.

Plenty of companies get these upgrades right. But some don’t. One common modification that often misses the mark is the throttle controller. In many cases, the issue comes down to incorrect use or a poor understanding of what the mod actually does.

Modern transmissions are highly electronic and rely on various inputs to decide when and how to shift gears, and how much pressure is required to do it smoothly. If you change one part of that equation, you risk upsetting the balance and accelerating wear.

For example, when you install a throttle chip, the vehicle may think you’re using 100 percent throttle when you’re really only using 50. The car might then respond as if you're overtaking, dropping a gear or disengaging the torque converter lock-up to give you a boost, even if it wasn’t necessary.

What else might you be compromising?

We often see customers with throttle controllers reporting that their A/T OVER TEMPERATURE light is coming on. This is usually caused by the torque converter unlocking more often, or failing to lock up at all. Again, the transmission is reacting to throttle input that is no longer accurate.

Torque converter lock-up is when your engine and transmission are directly connected. This is when your transmission is most efficient. Temperatures stay lower because fewer components are moving. If the vehicle is confused by inconsistent throttle input, it may fail to lock the converter properly, causing higher transmission temps and more wear.

Before fitting a throttle controller, make sure you:

• Do your research

• Know exactly what benefit you’re trying to achieve

• Understand that moving away from factory settings is not always a win

• Consider what other systems may be impacted