The real problem isn’t wide-open throttle. It’s the lazy, filtered feel built into modern drive-by-wire throttle during normal driving. That’s where Banks PedalMonster changes the truck. It sharpens torque response in the part-pedal range, so launches, merges, and everyday acceleration feel more immediate instead of delayed. What separates it from a generic throttle box is how it’s built. Banks PedalMonster is OBD-connected, so it uses vehicle communication for added safety logic, including stock throttle response in reverse. It also takes power through the OBD connection instead of leaning on the pedal circuit alone, which helps avoid the pedal-related faults some simpler modules can trigger. And if the unit sees an internal fault, it bypasses and returns the truck to stock response. Set correctly, the result isn’t fake power. It’s a truck that responds more like you expect when you move your foot.
The video begins with the owner of a 2.8L Duramax Chevrolet Colorado revisiting a recent iDash installation. That earlier video drew enough attention that Banks Power contacted him for permission to share it on the company's YouTube and Facebook pages. During that exchange, Banks also asked whether he had tried the PedalMonster. He had not, largely because he assumed a throttle-response device could not add anything his right foot could not already do. In his view, if he wanted full throttle quickly, he could simply press the pedal harder.
What changed his mind was Banks' explanation that PedalMonster is difficult to understand until you drive a vehicle equipped with one. That comparison persuaded him to test the product firsthand rather than dismiss it in theory. The rest of the video documents that evaluation, beginning with how modern electronic throttles work and why a device like PedalMonster changes the driving experience.
To explain the product, he first outlines the basic operation of a modern drive-by-wire throttle system, which most manufacturers adopted roughly 15 to 20 years ago. Instead of a direct mechanical cable between the pedal and the throttle, the pedal uses a potentiometer, similar in concept to a household dimmer switch. Pedal position is converted into an electrical signal and sent to the engine control module, or ECM. The ECM then interprets that signal and commands the throttle accordingly.
According to his explanation, manufacturers use this arrangement in part to improve fuel economy. Because the ECM controls the relationship between pedal input and throttle output, it can deliberately soften the response. For example, a 50 percent pedal input may not produce a full 50 percent throttle command. It might produce something lower, such as 45 percent, depending on the calibration. That built-in mismatch is what gives many modern vehicles their delayed or muted throttle feel compared with older cable-operated systems.
PedalMonster works by intercepting the signal coming from the accelerator pedal and modifying it before it reaches the ECM. In effect, it presents the ECM with a different pedal value than the driver is physically applying. The ECM then responds to that altered signal and commands the throttle based on the revised input. The amount of change depends on the selected PedalMonster mode, such as City, Sport, or Track.
He notes that many throttle boosters on the market operate on this same basic principle, but he highlights several features that Banks uses to distinguish PedalMonster from competing modules. One of the main differences is power supply. He says some competing products, especially the Pedal Commander, draw power directly from the ECM. In certain applications, that can be a problem because the ECM may only be provisioned to power the pedal itself, not an additional module. He states that this can lead to throttle-related issues, including check-engine lights or complete loss of pedal function.
Banks addresses that by powering PedalMonster with a 12-volt feed from the OBD-II port rather than relying on the ECM for module power. The OBD-II connection also gives the unit access to gear information. That matters because the system can avoid adding excessive throttle sensitivity in reverse, which is especially useful when backing up to a trailer or maneuvering a boat down a launch ramp. He presents that as a practical safety advantage. He also explains that if PedalMonster experiences an internal fault, it bypasses itself and allows the pedal signal to pass straight through to the ECM as though the module were not installed. In contrast, he says some competing units can leave the driver without pedal control if the module fails.
The truck in this video already has a Banks iDash, so he is using the iDash-compatible version of PedalMonster. The kit includes a wiring harness that plugs inline with the factory accelerator pedal, and an additional lead connects the module to the iDash. He also points out that Banks offers another version for users who do not have an iDash.
For drivers without the gauge display, Banks provides a smartphone app that performs the same control functions. The app layout mirrors the iDash interface, with City, Sport, and Track modes along the bottom and adjustable intensity levels on the side. He emphasizes that buyers need the correct part number depending on whether they plan to control the unit through an iDash or only through a phone.
His first road test starts cautiously with the PedalMonster set to Stock while leaving his neighborhood. Once on the road, he begins increasing sensitivity and immediately notices a stronger response. In City mode, turned up to roughly the upper range, the truck already feels eager to accelerate. Moving into Sport mode at about the midpoint makes the effect even more pronounced. He describes the truck as wanting to pull with only a slight touch of the pedal.
He then tries Track mode at maximum intensity from a stoplight. The result is dramatic enough that it physically shakes the camera. His conclusion is that Track at level 10 is excessive for normal street use. The truck reacts so aggressively that even a small pedal movement produces a disproportionately large response. At that point, he is still searching for the setting that best replicates what he really wants: the immediate, linear feel of an old cable-operated throttle rather than an exaggerated performance setting.
One of the more useful demonstrations in the video is the iDash display itself, which shows the difference between actual pedal input and the modified signal being sent to the ECU. In Stock mode, the display reflects the normal relationship. Once PedalMonster is enabled, the disparity becomes visible. He says his preferred setting eventually lands at City level 10, where the truck feels more responsive without becoming difficult to modulate in traffic.
On the display, one bar graph represents his physical throttle input while the other shows what PedalMonster is commanding to the ECU. At his chosen setting, the gap between those two values is already substantial. At maximum Track mode, the difference becomes much larger. He gives an example in which he is only applying roughly 30 to 35 percent pedal, while PedalMonster is commanding about 80 percent. That visual explanation helps clarify why the truck feels so much more immediate.
He also demonstrates an operational safeguard built into the interface: settings can only be changed when his foot is off the accelerator. If he applies throttle and then tries to adjust the mode or intensity, the system will not allow it. He considers this useful because it prevents mid-acceleration changes that could make the vehicle unpredictable.
A major advantage of PedalMonster, in his view, is that it is not a fixed hardware modification like an intake or another bolt-on part. Because it can be switched on and off while driving, the driver can compare stock and modified throttle behavior in real time on the same road, under the same conditions. That makes the effect easier to evaluate than a conventional part that must be installed and then judged from memory.
After experimenting for several days, he settles on City mode at level 10 as the best fit for his Colorado. Going beyond that makes the truck too abrupt for his use, and he even mentions that his sheepdog in the back seat gets carsick if the response becomes too sharp. For him, City 10 feels the most natural and best matches the responsiveness he thinks the truck should have had from the factory. He also notes that the ideal setting will vary by vehicle and by how much throttle lag that vehicle has in stock form.
The tuning range is broad: three modes-City, Sport, and Track-with 10 intensity levels in each. That gives the driver considerable flexibility to tailor the response rather than being locked into a single aggressive calibration.
To see whether the effect is obvious to someone else, he brings in his father, who also owns a diesel Colorado. The plan is simple: let his father drive while he changes PedalMonster settings from the phone app without announcing exactly when the adjustments are made. The goal is to find out whether the driver can detect the change from the seat without being prompted.
His father notices the difference almost immediately. Under normal acceleration, the truck responds more quickly with less pedal movement, and he identifies that the pedal sensitivity has clearly been increased. He comments that the truck takes off better and sees practical value in situations such as merging onto the highway, towing, or making quick moves in traffic. That reaction serves as an informal confirmation that the change is not subtle or imaginary, even to someone who was not actively watching the settings being altered.
By the end of the video, he says his original assumption about PedalMonster was wrong. He had initially thought of throttle response only in terms of wide-open throttle, where a device like this would seem unnecessary because full pedal already commands full output. After driving with it, he concludes that the real benefit appears in part-throttle operation, which is where most driving actually happens. Pulling away from a stoplight, merging onto the highway, and maintaining normal road speed all involve partial pedal input, and that is exactly where PedalMonster changes how the truck feels.
He stresses that the device does nothing at idle and is not especially relevant at wide-open throttle. Its value lies in everything between those extremes. In those conditions, he finds the truck noticeably more responsive and more immediate than it was in stock form. He also acknowledges that many people, like him, may initially assume the effect is placebo. His takeaway is that the difference becomes obvious once you drive with it and compare it directly against stock mode. For his 2.8 Duramax Colorado, PedalMonster does not add power in the traditional sense, but it significantly changes how quickly and naturally the truck responds to the driver's foot.