Honda Throttle Controller: Keep Your Car in a Better Driving Condition

As of lately, all kinds of electronic systems have been introduced in vehicles, especially those coming from Asian car manufacturers such as Honda. One of these advanced systems is called drive-by-wire. This system controls the throttle by sending electric impulses that help regulate the amount of fuel being added into the mixture in the engine. This complex system is what makes a vehicle have a smoother acceleration and better fuel efficiency. But there’s one downside to these systems – throttle lag.

Throttle lag is the small delay it takes for the throttle assembly to open when you press the accelerator pedal. This happens when the drive-by-wire system takes longer to determine the amount of fuel inserted into the chamber. This can be quite problematic if you’re venturing off the beaten trail or when towing heavy loads, in which case you need the extra throttle response to get your Honda going.

What Does a Throttle Controller Do?

These devices are used to make your Honda’s throttle more responsive, or in other words – sharpen it up. With a throttle controller, you can either fine-tune your Honda’s throttle response or set up the device to do it automatically. A quality Honda throttle control device modifies the voltage signal sent from the pedal assembly to the ECU.

Is a Throttle Controller Worth It?

In most vehicles, the throttle response delay is there from the get-go as a way to ensure smooth acceleration and optimal fuel consumption. However, sometimes that delay is unwanted, which is why many people get a throttle controller. Just make sure whatever controller you’re buying is not a knockoff product. Buying from an official distributor or the manufacturer themself is best. Since your Honda will be more fuel-efficient and perform better than usual there no reason not to purchase a throttle controller if you feel like you need it.

Installing a Throttle Controller

While a Honda electronic throttle control unit seems like a “too good to be true” accessory, it isn’t. Even installing it is quite easy, and you can remove it just as easily should you decide you don’t need it.

1. The first step to installing a Honda throttle control device is to ensure that your vehicle is off and parked on flat ground. Then, you need to unplug the factory harness cable that’s connected to the accelerator cable and plug in the one from the throttle controller.
2. Next, you need to plug the factory cable into the socket of the throttle controller piggyback adaptor and mount the device on the dashboard. Make sure to mount the throttle controller where it won’t impede any controls. Once mounted, you can set up the device yourself or just leave it on automatic control mode. This way, the device will automatically determine how much fuel needs to be used when you press the accelerator. The amount of fuel the system will send into the chamber will determine your driving style and how hard you need to press the accelerator.

Tips for Driving More Fuel Efficiently

Speeding

The number one reason why your Honda might be using more fuel than the usual is speeding. When you speed you tend to burn more fuel – this is a no-brainer. Further, when you speed you tend to use the brakes more aggressively which leads to more excessive brake wear.

Idling

When idling, you make your Honda use more fuel since the car is not propelled by anything and it still needs to be working. The engine is basically working to keep the car running without moving. It’s not that you shouldn’t let your Honda idle, but just don’t do it for too long.

Acceleration

Accelerating too fast uses a lot more fuel than it does when you accelerate at a steady rate. While sometimes this is needed so you can enter from a junction, it is not always a wise decision.

Traffic

When there’s a traffic jam or even traffic that is moving slowly, your Honda uses a lot more fuel than it does when driving on the motorway. There’s not much you can do here except to avoid going into heavy traffic.

Coast

One good thing you can do to prevent your Honda from using up too much fuel is to coast. This shouldn’t be done at high speeds though. It’s best to coast when driving in slow-moving traffic.

AC

The AC can make your engine work a lot more in order to make the car run and keep you cool at the same time. I’m not saying you shouldn’t turn it on, but make sure when you do it is when you actually need it.

Weight

Loading your Honda with heavy stuff can make it a lot heavier and this means the engine needs to work extra to make the wheels turn. In other words, your engine needs more fuel so it’s able to propel your vehicle.