The Story Behind PedalMonster

Here’s the story behind the PedalMonster. Throttle boosters have been available since the advent of drive-by-wire. In other words, as soon as guys figured out that they could manipulate throttle sensitivity by altering the voltage of the pedal circuit, they did. These modules have been available in various forms for decades, mainly in the sport-compact and European tuner markets. However, it wasn’t until three-quarter and half-ton diesel pickup truck owners discovered them that they exploded in popularity. Many of today’s diesel pickups, are slow to respond. One particular throttle booster brand was the beneficiary of this explosive word-of-mouth. Scrolling through a diesel enthusiast Facebook group, posts about throttle boosters was unavoidable. It was clear, throttle boosters were the solution to a real problem or two. Slow response and the dreaded “dead pedal” where a portion of the range of pedal motion appears to have no effect on throttle response.

Out of sheer curiosity, we bought a few to try. The first was the one that looked like a miniature can of RockStar energy drink. The module did exactly what it said it would do. It put a smile on the face of anyone who drove with it. But that smile turned to a frown the moment the check engine light appeared. It was then that we stopped and asked the question, “Do these guys have any safety features?” After all, you’re messing with the single most important input on the vehicle. We then purchased more than a dozen throttle boosters, cracked open their plastic housings and inspected every circuit board.

This was the moment of reckoning. Not a single throttle booster had any sort of failsafe. We also discovered that nearly all of them drew 5 volts from the pedal circuit to power their own circuitry. This is the reason that so many of these modules throw check engine lights. The pedal circuit is not designed with enough current overhead to power a circuit other than the pedal itself. The vehicle’s computer seems an abnormal voltage drop and throws a check engine light or worse, disables the pedal entirely. 

PedalMonster was born in response to poor electrical engineering. Frankly, we were embarrassed for our industry. Connecting a module, that could easily fail, to your throttle pedal, is unimaginable and unforgivable.

PedalMonster puts a smile on your face every time you step on the pedal. It’s powered by a safe 12 volts from the Onboard Diagnostics Port (OBD), where there’s ample overhead. PedalMonster has Active Safety health monitoring circuitry. If it detects an internal or external failure, it seamlessly returns the pedal to stock. And, thanks to its OBD-connectivity, PedalMonster has features no other throttle booster on the market can offer: Reverse Safety and Adjustable Low Speed Trim. When you put your vehicle in reverse, you don’t want it to be twitchy. That’s why PedalMonster returns to stock throttle response when backing up. And because PedalMonster senses speed and gear, you can reduce the amount of added sensitivity below 10 mph, which allows you to keep it in your favorite mode even while towing.

PedalMonster’s patent-pending technology has effectively rendered all other throttle boosters obsolete. We didn’t set out to kick everyone’s ass. It’s just what happens when you care more than they do.