would be awesome if it existed!

but i haven't heard of such a thing

 

I've heard of some aftermarket chips that will "fool" the computer by adjusting the signal input that comes from the pedal.

It makes the computer think you are pressing the pedal faster. It doesn't affect what the computer thinks the pedal position is, just the rate of change of the pedal position.

Supposedly improves responsiveness.

 

Ididnt realise this was a problem with the 5 speed Pat ???Is this normal ?? or maybe there is a TSB out for it.

 

I was just going to make a new thread for this but read this one first, so I will post it here. JP Magazine did a write up about how to quicken the throttle response for the '07-present Wrangler. They first thought it was electronic snake oil but decided to try it out anyway. To their surprise it actually worked. They also mentioned that it was available for the Compass and Patriot. They don't have a article for this on their website yet.

Sprint Booster

 

A little on the expensive side, but not as expensive as rolling back and hitting the car behind you! LOL Not to mention the embarrassment.

 

As Ken said, JP magazine just did a feature on the Sprint Booster on a JK Wrangler in their November 2009 issue. They give it a thumbs up on the Wrangler, i'd imagine it would be the same for a Pat. It would seem that it will not work on models with the CVT (per the website).

 

Not sure whether we're all referring to the same phenomenon, but the K&N CAI seemed to eliminate the 1st gear hesitation in my Compass 5-speed...

 

If I had a 5 spd patriot, I would definately get this. I would hate that lag when trying to start off on a hill.

I really dont notice it anymore with the CVT tho. Its there, I've just gotten used to it. Its not worth the price on the CVT.

 

I really notice it when I'm rolling down a hill in neutral and I want to match speed before I shift back into gear. Even with no load I push on the accelerator and I watch the tach.....and wait, and wait and oops! there we are up the 5 grand!

I'm going to get one of those. I'll report back on the performance.

 

I'd be very curious about your findings on this, good luck.

 

love to get rid of the lag but i dont have the cash for that.

 

Hmmmm interestring. I have not noticed any delay/lag with my Pat. In fact I have to watch myself because I find I can chirp the tires so easily even with ESP on.

EDIT: Mine is a 2.4L 4x2 with the CVT.

 

Maybe it is just a manual thing, because I have not noticed any delay or lag with my pat either.

 

Dont Notice

I do not notice any lag either on my 08 4x4 FDI 5-speed.... any reason why you guys might be getting lag on your 5-speed and i am not?? I bought it used with 20,000 miles on it and everything is running great.(knock on wood)

 

Well, I'm singularly unimpressed with computerized vehicles. I can't tell if it is programmed correctly and I'm powerless to do anything about it. The dealers seem to know nothing about testing the programming and care even less. That's why I decided to try the aftermarket fix. I'm sure mentioning it to a dealer would get that familiar look like a dog waking up from a nap. Dealers seem unable to distinguish between works, and works correctly.

 

... I'm sure mentioning it to a dealer would get that familiar look like a dog waking up from a nap...

:smiley_thumbs_up: :smiley_thumbs_up:

 

Jepstr, didn't someone post up a procedure for recalibrating the pedal? I thought it was similar to resetting the change oil but you did it three times or something like that...AH! here it is: http://www.jeeppatriot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11796&highlight=reset+tps

Give that a try first.

 

I've done that several times over the course of 38000 miles. It doesn't seem to help the lag. It does iron out other performance or economy issues. I haven't done it lately. I will try it again. Thanks for the reminder.

 

WOW

thanks to all i just did the reset and WOW what a big change..i know some may think it wont work but it did for me and i have a 5 speed.

 

Sprint booster works!

I received the Sprint Booster today and I got it installed tonight. Long story short, it works.

It amplifies the throttle signal so it responds sooner. If you are skeptical, search out and read some reviews. They are all positive and rightly so.

They do say it isn't for everyone. Admittedly there will be a learning curve. I'm revving way too high on starts and shifts now but that is because I'm used to the previous lag and lack of instantly available power.

I tested it out on a few hills near my house and I am very pleased. The power is right there just like my old linkage driven carbureted vehicles. It is somewhat like going from a one barrel to a 2 barrel carb with an advanced accelerator pump.

Sprint booster is a good investment.:smiley_thumbs_up:

 

Good to hear. I bet it would take some getting use to after having the lag. I wonder if it will effect mileage at all. Thanks for the input.

 

...Also what was installation like?

 

It was simple. The pedal has a plug plugged into the top of it. Pry on it until you break part of it off, then yank on it some more until you are really mad. Then take a small breather, while you obtain a 13mm long body socket. Remove the 3 nuts that hold the pedal assembly to the fire wall. once the pedal assembly is loose and dangling by the wire, the plug can be removed easily.

The sprint booster is just a double ended plug about 2" long that fits between the original plug and the pedal assembly.

It may be possible to skip some of the above steps, but that is how I did it. Even with the additional first frustrating steps, it only took me about 20 minutes to complete.

In driving a little more, I'd say I can let the clutch out 30% sooner without fear of stalling the engine or exceeding 3000 rpm. I'm always light on the foot, so if you are more into speed and acceleration, you might really have some fun with this!!! On the other hand, if you are a more aggressive driver in the first place, you may not need it. I don't like to rev the engine up too much which I have had to do up to this point.

My past method was to either rev the motor a little first and wait to hear it before letting the clutch out. Now I can just do both at the same time like any "normal" car because I know the power will be there.:smiley_thumbs_up: Very Happy!!

 

can this be done for a cvt tranny patriot with a 4x2?

 

They claim to make one for it. I can't say what the results might be like with the CVT. The link to their site is higher up on this thread where someone posted it.

 

Seriously, somebody else buy one of these so we can compare.

 

Sounds like we need a "wide band" throttle position sensor.

 

i saw the prices on the sprint booster site. its pretty expensive.

 

Drawbacks of the sprint booster

I have been driving with the sprint booster for several weeks now. For the most part I like it. The power is right there on acceleration from a stop on an uphill slope. However for my miserly feather foot driving it is too sensitive for regular accelerations. I tend to over rev before letting the clutch out. If I learn to let the clutch out faster It iwill really perform. It is just more learning but It did cure the problem I was having.

 

Here is the Sprint Booster for the CVT (which they call automatic): http://www.sprintboosterusa.com/c-317-at.aspx

The price is high ($329.99), if I didn't have a long wishlist for my Wrangler I would get one of these for the Patriot. Someone with a CVT has to try it.

 

I'm getting better with it, but it is devilishly hard to get good mileage with it installed. From a constant 28MPG, in average driving, I'm down to 23 MPG. I have not been watching my RPMs like I was when gas was $4 a gallon. I'll have to really try for a tank sometime to keep RPMs under 2k like I was when I was getting the better mileage.

I is much quicker. I'm curious what the computer "learns" having this installed.

I would really like an on off switch for it.