Popular Mechanics (South Africa)
Driving: A plug-and-play pedal box to oomph up your car.
Unleashing the hidden power and torque output from your engine is as easy as installing a nifty piece of tech.
YOU’RE out cruising on the highway, and a gap opens up for what you think is going to be an easy overtaking manoeuvre. The truck ahead isn’t going fast, and surely the slight hill won’t affect your acceleration too much, right? Halfway through, you’re in the oncoming lane alongside the truck, and suddenly you find your car has got no more power to give. The throttle pedal is flat on the floor, revs are screaming, but you’re just not going to get ahead of the truck in time. The only thing left to do is brake quickly, and tuck back in behind it. It’s an unsuccessful overtaking attempt, all because your car ran out of oomph when you needed it most.
The fact is, it’s not only in this scenario that some extra power and torque from your car is useful. There are many instances where it’s just that much safer to have a little more available under your right foot when the situation requires it.
Turns out there is a solution, and an easy one at that, which has the ability to unleash the hidden potential that almost every car possesses. It all comes down to having the right equipment installed, and we’re not talking about a complete engine overhaul.
Craig Berndt from DTE Systems says that all it requires is the installation of two little gizmos – an engine-performance chip (known as a petrol PowerBox), and a throttle performance chip (known as a PedalBox). ‘All of DTE’s tuning products are easy to install – they’re DIY plug-and-play systems, which require only some basic engine knowledge to complete the fitment process,’ explains Craig. ‘That being said, our petrol PowerBox for normally aspirated petrol engines does require a slightly higher level of engine electronics know-how to do the installation properly.’
Craig says that if you know how to operate a multimeter, you’re pretty much good to go with the self-installation process, but they often still recommend that an auto electrician or mechanic is consulted.
To see for ourselves just how much of an impact one of these systems has on driving performance, we took a factory standard 2012 Opel Astra J 1.6i 85 kW through to Craig and his team, for them to fit a petrol PowerBox and PedalBox.
‘The petrol PowerBox is an engine chip, which increases engines’ performance results – we’re talking more horsepower and torque, while delivering improved fuel consumption figures,’ says Craig. The unit used for our vehicle was the tuning system for normally aspirated electronic fuel-injected engines. ‘The PedalBox plugs into connectors on the accelerator pedal, which eliminates engine and throttle lag, increases acceleration, and helps improve fuel economy.’
Fitment turnaround time was quick, in the region of 30 minutes and, driving back to the office, the improvement in vehicle performance was immediately evident. Craig says that, on average, power and torque are bumped
up by approximately
20 to 30 per cent on turbocharged petrol and diesel vehicles, while 10 per cent can be expected from normally aspirated engines. Acceleration is boosted by up to around 10 per cent.
Interestingly, it was explained to us that it takes some time for the vehicle’s engine to fully adjust to the new modifications, but that within a few days the full effect will be apparent. And sure enough, after a few days, driving became a lot more fun and responsive, as the changes became completely noticeable.
But with any modification of this type, there are bound to be some obvious concerns, such as, will the car’s warranty be affected, what happens if your insurance company discovers the mods, and what about when you have to take your car in for a service at a franchise dealer? Craig says that because all of DTE’s systems are plug and play, they can simply be unplugged before any work or assessment is done. (Popular Mechanics cannot endorse this approach, so it’s up to consumers as to how they would want to proceed.) ‘This will alleviate any warranty concerns, as our systems are 100 per cent undetectable once removed – your manufacturer’s warranty will remain in place,’ says Craig. ‘However, with the PowerBox, we do need to install a couple of aftermarket electronic connectors, which aren’t from an OEM [original equipment manufacturer].’
The perspectives of insurance companies in South Africa vary quite considerably, so the onus is on car owners to check whether vehicle modifications of this type would be compliant with their policies.
Performance fanatics and car lovers out there are intrigued, I’m sure. You’re drawn to the idea of tapping into the potential hidden beneath your car’s bonnet, but the question on your mind is, what about the price? With the system we had fitted, the PowerBox costs R3 995, and the PedalBox is priced at R3 495 – there’s a R490 discount when you buy both. DTE dealers charge between R350 and R600 to do the installation.
And if you’re concerned about losing out if you ultimately sell your car, don’t worry. Just return the entire system, and for a nominal fee it can be adjusted to your new car’s engine, and the software on the tuning module updated.
CONTACT
DTE Systems South Africa,
Craig Berndt (owner and CEO) info@dtesystems.co.za, dtesystems.co.za
Pricing was accurate at the time of going to print, but might fluctuate due to COVID-19.