Pedal Commander vs Tuner: Which is Better Option for Your Truck?

Pedal Commander vs Tuner. Do you want your vehicle to have more power and quicker throttle response, but you can’t decide between a pedal commander and a tuner? The best options for improving fuel efficiency and acceleration are these two.

And when it comes to adding throttle speed-up and control, both of them are great. Since most truck owners are confused for this reason, I’ll provide you with a thorough comparison of the two before letting you make the final decision.

What Is Pedal Commander?

A very effective throttle response controller is Pedal Commander. Bypassing the actuator will make your engine react faster. That’s not all, though.

You may use it to modify the sensitivity of your gas pedal as well. As a result, you can adjust your car’s acceleration to suit your preferences and driving style.

So how does it function? Today’s automobiles use a throttle-by-wire system. A positioning sensor keeps everything in working order without using any mechanics. The computer receives data regarding the foot pressure from this sensor, which is part of the acceleration system. In response, the computer extrapolates the data and instructs the engine to produce the required amount of power.

You should now be aware that the Pedal Commander acts as a bridge between the sensor and the computer now that you have that figured out. It effectively tells the computer that you hit the gas pedal differently than you actually did by altering the information from the sensor.

As a result, your car will accelerate faster with less pressure on the gas pedal, depending on your chosen setting.

There are four main modes available on Pedal Commander:

1. Eco
2. City
3. Sport
4. Sport +

The choices and what they do are listed below:

Eco Mode

Reduces power by up to -40% to below stock levels. As the name implies, this mode saves you money on gas while also dramatically reducing the amount of power your truck’s engine can produce.

City Mode

This option increases your car’s response time by up to 50%. As the accelerator becomes much more responsive—without the typical latency that you experience in stock mode—your truck has a lot more kick.

It has been compared by several to earlier cable accelerator systems. It is a fantastic daily driving setting that provides just the right amount of extra power without making you look like you’re doing burnout.

Sport Mode

With this choice, you can increase your acceleration’s power or response rate by up to 75%. Sport Plus Mode: When selected, the onboard computer that controls acceleration receives 100% more voltage.

You’ll feel the biggest kick, and all lag is fully removed. Long, open swaths of land and highways are more suitable for this approach.

The only thing that will probably change on the car when you install a Pedal Commander is the voltages that are sent from the accelerator. It follows that installing and using it won’t invalidate your warranty.

Sport+ Mode

Out of the four modes, this one is the strongest. If you’re not a very experienced driver, don’t worry about it. Before attempting it in traffic, you can spend some time practicing driving with it in a clear location.

Sport+ mode is very selective and will give you full engine power at roughly 30% of the depressed position of the gas pedal. As a result, use it with extreme caution at first and try to use it on a clear road.

Pedal Commander: Pros and Cons

Pedal Commander benefits include:

• Four distinct modes, each with a sensitivity setting
• Ready-made for usage right out of the box
• Easy to install
• No lagging

Pedal Commander drawbacks:

• Never increase the horsepower
• Modes like Sport and Sport Plus may use a lot of fuel.

What Is Engine Tuning?

Engine tuning involves fine-tuning your car’s engine to increase performance, improve power delivery, and reduce fuel use.

The brain of an engine. Cars have increasingly more potent iterations of these computers, known as the engine control unit, or ECU. The timing of the engine’s ignition, the amount of air and fuel blasted into a cylinder, turbocharger pressure, and many other factors are all controlled by an ECU.

Engine tuning, also known as an ECU remap or engine chipping, entails the installation of new ECU software in order to change an engine’s performance characteristics.

So what exactly is a tuner?

By hooking into the diagnostic port, an engine tuner essentially recalibrates the computer settings of your car. As a result, you may maximize the performance of the engine, the transmission, and probably even the fuel economy, though as you’ll see later, that one can be a little tricky. The tuner primarily impacts the truck’s transmission, fuel, and spark.

When you install a tuner, it will start altering the air-to-fuel mixture at open throttle, which boosts the car’s power and improves performance. This occurs without affecting the cruise and air-to-fuel ratio, so for added safety and optimum fuel economy, you’ll leave the factory settings in this one. Additionally, you’ll get a better and tighter spark timing, which occurs across the throttle band and improves throttle response and power.

Tuner: Pros & Cons

Benefits of using an engine tuner:

• Increased horsepower: 10 to 40 HP for gas engines and 75 to 200 HP for diesel engines
• Online updates
• More responsive throttle
• Utilized for performance evaluation and engine diagnosis

Cons:

• You won’t save money on fuel
• The vehicle’s lifespan will be shortened.
• Alter the engine’s settings
• Lagging issue

Pedal Commander vs Tuner

Truck owners utilize them both to increase engine acceleration and lessen the low speed-up difficulty.

Pedal Commander doesn’t increase horsepower; instead, it just improves the signals that the electronic throttle system sends out. The engine is not harmed throughout this process. Pedal Commander is not a performance tuner chip, despite the fact that it provides significant performance advantages.

Can I use a Tuner and the Pedal Commander Together?

Yes, you can. Even after tuning, there will still be some lag, which the Pedal Commander can eliminate. When properly set up, tuning and the Pedal Commander have both been shown to increase fuel efficiency. It is advised that you first conduct the appropriate study on how to use your particular brand in conjunction with a Pedal Commander if you are purchasing a tuner and completing the process yourself.

Conclusion

The battle between the Pedal Commander and Tuner is fierce. You can easily choose one ideal choice by simply asking yourself, “what do you want to achieve in the end.” Choose the Pedal Commander if you want your truck to have basic throttle control, response, and instant speed with no lag. But be aware that you must forgo the horsepower and torque because the Pedal Commander is unable to do so.