Am I the only one who hates drive by wire?

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RamFan

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Am I the only one who hates drive by wire and would much rather have a [censored] throttle cable!?!?!?

I simply hate the hesitation at WOT on my Charger. When I stomp on it I need it to take off instantly! Stomp on it..wait for it..wait for it...boom take off, simply does not work for me.

Rant over
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Maybe I'm used to it, but mine is pretty responsive to my input. I'll have to pay more attention to it. But i think the type of shoe I'm wearing has more affect on the pedals responsiveness. I have a pair of snug fitting sneakers and they are the most precise. Flip flops give me the throttle response you're talking about.
 
Absolutely! I rented a pontiac, G-something (new grand am) with ecotec.

It was very obviously programmed to become more peppy at the same pedal position at 25, 35 and 45.

I held my foot steady while accellerating through 45 and it actually downshifted!

It was also treacherous entering traffic, as it basically acted like it had spazzed out traction control not moving with all horses in first gear.
 
I have a 2011 Ford Mustang GT with the new Coyote 5.0 liter engine. From the factory it makes a lot of power but it has lots of lag and ho-hum throttle response, particularly when you let off the throttle. It just won't slow down without using the brake pedal.

I picked up a Ford Racing Performance Parts tune for the car. It raises the octane rating to 91 and adds a few horsepower. The throttle response is fabulous. Quick on both acceleration and deceleration, and good fuel economy. If a dealer installs it it doesn't change your warranty, either. Good gains all around.

So, yeah, if you can find a good tune, your engine gets easier to use and you gain a little performance without losing anything.
 
I dislike them as well. Some are alright but others have annoying lag, or non-linearity.
My Grandpas Ranger seems alright. Some delay on downshift. Not horrid, but noticeable.
But my Moms car has this annoying non-linearity. Its very difficult to take off lightly because it seems like it throws a lot of throttle at the bottom.

One of the big reasons I bought my 2004. 2005 was first year for TBW in Panthers.
 
Yes! I recently rented a Dodge Caliber and Ford Escape, both with drive by wire.

They both had incredibly annoying delays after I pressed the accelerator.

The worst incident was the Ford Escape, when I was accelerating over some railroad tracks, the car slipped slightly and the traction control killed the throttle for about half a second. (This is more traction control than electronic throttle, but it's kind of along the same deal...)

My friend had to sell his late model Honda Civic Si because (among other things) it would not return to idle for a long time and it had a slight lag when blipping the throttle.

My wife's current 2000 VW Beetle has an almost perfect electronic throttle, however. It can work.
 
DBW and DI are two innovations I'd prefer not to have. Yet if you're buying the latest and greatest odds you'll be stuck with both, if not at least one of these technologies. Both are problems looking for a solution. JMO
 
It depends on the vehicle. The Nissan vehicles that I've driven (all VQ35 or VQ37 equipped) have fantastic DBW. The Toyotas on the other hand, have been less than stellar-- lots of lag.
 
Originally Posted By: RamFan
Am I the only one who hates drive by wire and would much rather have a [censored] throttle cable!?!?!?
I simply hate the hesitation at WOT on my Charger. When I stomp on it I need it to take off instantly! Stomp on it..wait for it..wait for it...boom take off, simply does not work for me.
Rant over
15.gif



Consider a Diablo Predator aftermarket hand held tuner. They have the most expertise with the LX platform cars and their tune will almost completely remove throttle delay.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: RamFan
Am I the only one who hates drive by wire and would much rather have a [censored] throttle cable!?!?!?
I simply hate the hesitation at WOT on my Charger. When I stomp on it I need it to take off instantly! Stomp on it..wait for it..wait for it...boom take off, simply does not work for me.
Rant over
15.gif



Consider a Diablo Predator aftermarket hand held tuner. They have the most expertise with the LX platform cars and their tune will almost completely remove throttle delay.


It sucks to think with some vehicles the end user has to buy a tuner to get DBW to work properly. The mfg should have that worked out. BTW I'm not arguing with you just stating my opinion, at least you mentioned a fix! These forward moves in technology are sometimes more trouble than they're worth. Toyota and their DBW woes come to mind here.

I recall reading that DBW is cheaper saving the mfg money, if that's the truth it explains why DBW is so popular. I have to expand my list of newer automotive technologies that bother me. DI, DBW, and electronic steering. I'd love to be able to pass on all three going forward. JMO
 
yeah i dont like drive by wire in a modern car either, feels as lifeless as pushing the gas button in a racing video game. and of course it does not have that instantaneous throttle position control.

This is also around the lines of electric power steering systems vs hydraulic
 
Just be cautious making blanket statements. Many DBW cars are great and well calibrated from the factory. Many are not. They're just too different in implementation to compare across platforms.

When it comes to the LX platform cars like the OP's Charger, the DBW is part of an integrated ESP system that can adjust throttle position, alter torque converter lockup, shift or delay shifting, buzz a brake at any wheel, etc. It's actually a great set up that may one day save your life.

That said, many of us owners have used the aftermarket to move the "Nannies" further away to more enjoy the car.
 
DBW came about because of emissions, primarily I believe. The engine burps a spike of hydrocarbons when the throttle slams shut. So they take control away from the user and give it to the computer which closes it slowly. This behavior is really noticable on a manual tansmissioned car since it will seem like the throttle hangs open between shifts. It also then allows them to directly reduce engine power when needed. Such as between shifts, so the trans can slide into gear smoothly like everyone is obsessed with. TC, ESC also take advantage of this. I seen on the new Focus RS or whatever they are actually doing the reverse and having it add power in some situations.
 
I like the DBW on Toyotas the least. They have a dead spot for the first 1/4" of throttle pedal movement, then they react. It's not a timed delay, it's a dead spot in the first part of travel. That was annoying. I also don't like the way it's programmed on our Silverado at work. Very similar to what someone else described on a Pontiac G6. You hold a steady foot, but the throttle mapping seems to change with vehicle speed. I almost consider it unsafe if you're not expecting it. That's not the way to do DBW in my opinion.

On the Fords we have at work and the Honda/Acura we have at home, the DBW system is so seamless, you wouldn't know it's DBW. That's the way it should be in my opinion.
 
The DBW on my 1998 Corvette (one of the first DBW) is great. The electronic traction control on older Corvettes used to push back the gas pedal against you, no longer.

But the DBW on my 2006 Nissan Munrano has too fast "throttle tip in". Sure it makes the car seem to have more acceleration/power when taking off from a stop, BUT it is hard to get used to (not my primary car, it's my wife's), and I drive it "jerky" when I first get in.
 
The slight hesitation in the CRV compaired to the Tacoma which is cable is noticeable. I guess i would need to drive the CRV alittle more to get used to it.
 
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