gas pedal improvement

[peewee1]

Is there any way to improve the gas pedal on a 2009 sedan s, automatic tranny. Do the add on pedal covers really work? My gas foot almost cramps up from applying light pressure on the pedal, or my foot remains at such a different angle so as to make that crampy feeling. Any ideas??

[Amdkt7]

In my Kia, I needed a pillow to support my leg, but not needed in the Yaris.

[YarisSedan]

Are you a tall person there is a diy mod for more seat thighssupport so there is less pressure on your foot it pretty much consists of spacers to elevate the front of the seat a bit

[Amdkt7]

Hum, where can you buy spacers? I was looking for offset plates, but spacers would be easier, and should help, at least a little.

[DMZ]

Drive barefoot. Use your toes.

[Amdkt7]

wonderful idea DMZ.... especially in cold weather! Actually, I remember my feet getting hot from the firewall in an older car...

[DMZ]

Anytime I am going long distance I will drive either barefoot, or stocking footed. It keeps my leg from cramping because I can hold the pedal at different leg positions depending upon which toes I am using.

It also gives me a much better feel for the throttle and brake.

I had a 57 Chevy truck that would radiate a great deal of heat through the firewall and floorboard. Some vehicles back then had a vent door near the floor, that you could manually open, to keep the heat vented away a bit.

[Amdkt7]

Mostly, my feet are cold, and I want more heat on them!

[TLyttle]

Ever since I got my Yaris, I have complained about the throttle being too light, and that it needs a heavier spring. Then I was told that there is no spring, that the pedal is simply counterweighted, and that I would get used to it. Well here I am, 6 years later, and the light throttle is still the only thing I really dislike about this car!

[Jason@SportsCar]

Ever since I got my Yaris, I have complained about the throttle being too light, and that it needs a heavier spring. Then I was told that there is no spring, that the pedal is simply counterweighted, and that I would get used to it. Well here I am, 6 years later, and the light throttle is still the only thing I really dislike about this car!

Not true... I just took one apart last night, there are a pair of coil springs inside, one inside another.

Not my images, but you can see the springs:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Toyota-e-pedals-004-800.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsbl8WQgdUvJU0B7UdkNp-0v36WNsHZYmv-BAa3xqz9e3Eb1Wd7A

[TLyttle]

Ha. I stand erected. So, I take the thing apart and look for valve springs out of a Buick or somesuch source, or install a linear screen door spring. Either way, I will have to install non-Toyota parts to get rid of the constant shinsplint I get driving the car as it is...

[Kar98]

Install cruise control?

[tooter]

Drive barefoot. Use your toes.

:thumbsup:

I drive barefoot all the time.
It's very comfortable.

[TLyttle]

Driving barefoot (or with sandals or flipflops) is against the law here, $130 fine, not that it is enforced very often. They usually add it on after an accident. Besides, this is the North, and barefoot is only possble for a few weeks a year!

[RedRide]

In any event, the gas pedal resistance on the Yaris is too light when the geometry of access is considered. One is forced to almost stand on it instead of pressing it latterly which puts a strain on your foot and leg as you struggle to hold them in the required position. You are not only pressing the pedal but trying not to press it too hard at the same time.

Yes, you can get used to it for the most part but, if the seat was lower. etc or the spring was stronger, it would be more comfortable.

BTW, the fact that there is one spring inside the other suggests to me that someone was aware of the design problem and one more spring was added. However, it is still not enough IMO.
One can not make the spring as situated too strong in the plastic components ....a design flaw?
With a traditional cable throttle, the spring tension can be tailored for an individual car model at the throttle body by adjusting the spring size and geometry of the cable attachment at the pedal as well as at the throttle body.

[tooter]

Driving barefoot (or with sandals or flipflops) is against the law here, $130 fine, not that it is enforced very often. They usually add it on after an accident. Besides, this is the North, and barefoot is only possble for a few weeks a year!

It's nice that no one can see my feet while I'm driving because I do it all year round. :smile:

[TLyttle]

Good on ya, but we are 2,000 miles NORTH of you; bare feet do not compute...

[jayeh]

Good on ya, but we are 2,000 miles NORTH of you; bare feet do not compute...

Please, tell us more about how cold it is there. :rolleyes:

[DMZ]

Good on ya, but we are 2,000 miles NORTH of you; bare feet do not compute...

When you enter the vehicle you turn the heater on. When it gets warm, you can remove your Sorels and drive stocking footed or barefoot. You slip your boots back on before you exit the vehicle.

It reduces road fatigue and give you a much better feel of the road and controls through the pedals.

[schume]

Install cruise control?That's the reason I installed cruise control on mine! After a two hour drive, the top of my foot and shin would be in a lot of pain. Around town doesn't bother me, but freeway driving, engage cruise asap! :)

[Jason@SportsCar]

In any event, the gas pedal resistance on the Yaris is too light when the geometry of access is considered. One is forced to almost stand on it instead of pressing it latterly which puts a strain on your foot and leg as you struggle to hold them in the required position. You are not only pressing the pedal but trying not to press it too hard at the same time.

Yes, you can get used to it for the most part but, if the seat was lower. etc or the spring was stronger, it would be more comfortable.

BTW, the fact that there is one spring inside the other suggests to me that someone was aware of the design problem and one more spring was added. However, it is still not enough IMO.
One can not make the spring as situated too strong in the plastic components ....a design flaw?
With a traditional cable throttle, the spring tension can be tailored for an individual car model at the throttle body by adjusting the spring size and geometry of the cable attachment at the pedal as well as at the throttle body.

Wow is that ever a ridiculous reach. The fact that there is a spring within a spring simply offers the engineers an avenue for creating a progressive rate pedal - two different size springs of different sizes and rates that engage at different points in the travel offers a lot of tuning options. Changing the internal spring and ECU throttle mapping makes it possible to use the same assembly in a different model car that utilizes a different level of "perceived" performance.

[instantninja]

it looks like those springs are about the same size as r/c car springs. They come in all sorts of different rates, I'm sure you could find some that work for you.
You would have to get the spring out of your pedal first and find out its spring rate first and go up from there.

[eTiMaGo]

solution: pedal to the metal, all the time :burnrubber:

[TLyttle]

jayeh, I'm not on the Wet Coast here; we regularly get -20C here in the winter, and often match Ottawa's winter temps. I can't see you driving barefoot out there, either!

[jayeh]

jayeh, I'm not on the Wet Coast here; we regularly get -20C here in the winter, and often match Ottawa's winter temps. I can't see you driving barefoot out there, either!

Not according to what I read! :iono:

The weather here is absolutely miserable.

[TLyttle]

Oh, you mean right now? The last week has been in the mid-30sC, and we have seen 40C on our back deck. True 'nuff, winter doesn't normally last as long here as it does there, either...

[RedRide]

Wow is that ever a ridiculous reach. The fact that there is a spring within a spring simply offers the engineers an avenue for creating a progressive rate pedal - two different size springs of different sizes and rates that engage at different points in the travel offers a lot of tuning options. Changing the internal spring and ECU throttle mapping makes it possible to use the same assembly in a different model car that utilizes a different level of "perceived" performance.

Really? All coil springs used in this respect have progressive resistance. Also the springs in question seem to be set up to engage in unison, not at different points

The fact remains that the two springs are too weak for the application at hand, So, why is that when the two springs are supposed to rectify that?

Throttle mapping is irrelevant to this issue.

[Jason@SportsCar]

Really? All coil springs used in this respect have progressive resistance. Also the springs in question seem to be set up to engage in unison, not at different points

The fact remains that the two springs are too weak for the application at hand, So, why is that when the two springs are supposed to rectify that?

Throttle mapping is irrelevant to this issue.

Have you actually taken one apart, or are you just playing armchair QB?

These are linear rate springs, that is pretty clear if you look at one, progressive rate springs use a visually different winding pattern to create the progressive resistance. What you cant see in those pics is the piece that sits inside the larger spring and engages the second spring a different point in the travel, making a progressive (two stage) setup.

It is your opinion that the set up is too weak, there are likely hundreds of thousands of owners that have not given it a second thought. I think it is 100 times better than the pedal in the Tundra I drive, which is hard as a rock on tip in, making it terribly difficult to be smooth but makes the truck feel quick.

Throttle mapping was not irreverent to my point, which was that Toyota can simply replace the springs and ECU calibration to use this same pedal assemble in a different car that has a different throttle ramp and pedal pressure, what we call perceived performance - this is when a manufacturer kicks in 75% throttle at 25% pedal movement to make a car feel like it has a lot of torque, or gives a more linear throttle map to make a car feel smooth.

The fact that you think this is all an afterthought and not done by design is ridiculous.

Pedal feel is just like when they started programming in simulated shift points on CVT cars to give the impression it works like an AT, its all about giving the mass of consumers what they think they want to be happy. I have no doubt they spent a stupid amount of resources to get the Yaris pedal characteristics to fit an exact criteria.

[NYC-SE]

So has anybody actually installed a different spring in the throttle?, or used some other method to improve the pedal feel?

Like the OP I feel the throttle is too light, I feel like I have to hold my foot OFF the throttle. After driving for a while my leg / ankle start to bother me, a little more resistance would help.

[trunkout]

eTiMaGo has the right idea!:burnrubber:

[JudgeM]

I have an auto sedan (vios) and its throttle pedal is also too light. It was one of the first e-throttle car I drove and I find it bad for long drives. If i simply rest my foot on it, I end up doing 160kmh.

In my manual hatch (vitz RS) its throttle is slightly stiffer but the clutch is rock hard. So on one foot I get cramp from not being able to rest my foot on throttle, and cramp on other foot from working out the clutch. Why is there so much contrast in the pedals ?

I've been really curious in finding a way to stiffen up these throttle pedals.

The barefoot thing is great. On really challenging drives I take off my shoes. Its not a very practical long term solution (weather, cold, rain etc)

So.. I did a bit of researching and there have been quite a few people complaining about this problem with several other cars with e-throttles. Whats interesting with the CTS pedal you folks in North america have (which is a really weird mechanical design) is that it was designed this way to mimic the feel of a cable throttle. So its surprising to hear its still too light.

The Denso pedal in pretty much rest of world is much more straightforward design. I thought about going in and changing the spring with a stiffer one but I really dont want to mess with a accelerator pedal. I especially wont encourage anyone to do the same with CTS pedals esp after the recalls etc.

So I came across an interesting solution I found on a Honda Fit forum.. I think this is not a bad idea and I will be looking into trying it out on my cars as well. Ive attached an image from there. (courtesy of fitfreaks)

Seems like a good idea. simple enough. will take a bit of trial and error for getting the right tension spring.

[Maitland]

I actually tried the honda fit spring fix. I ended up hooking the spring in a little groove under the gas pedal, and hooked the other end of the spring to the back of the gas pedal body assembly. Cost me less than 5 bucks. Picked up the parts at Canadian Tire.

This instantly fixed about 90% of what I hate about this car....the softest throttle pedal I have ever felt. This problem is farther compounded by the very upright driving position which makes you feel like you're standing on the pedals, holding your foot off the throttle.

I've only owned my 08 yaris for about a month, and was on the verge of taking the hit and trading it in for something else. I have a 5 speed MT, and find it very difficult to shift smoothly, especially in 1st from a stop. We get a lot of rain here in Vancouver, and over revving the engine at a stop, on a wet road, up a hill, with the lame stock tires = wheel spinning like mad, and everyone in traffic thinks your driving your little Yaris like an A**hole.

I've been driving a manual since I learned when I was 16, and this car has been the most difficult for me to drive smoothly...mostly because of the feather light throttle pedal.

[sheekeebut]

Knowing that it was a throttle-by-wire, I decided to just get used to the throttle lightness. Sure, no feel, but you'll get used to that as well, find other signals to give you the feedback you need. Think video games.

And that heavy clutch helps beef up my weak left leg. Driving auto from 16 to 23 years old has rendered my left leg inept, even up to now.

[Exiwolfman]

I have an auto sedan (vios) and its throttle pedal is also too light. It was one of the first e-throttle car I drove and I find it bad for long drives. If i simply rest my foot on it, I end up doing 160kmh.

In my manual hatch (vitz RS) its throttle is slightly stiffer but the clutch is rock hard. So on one foot I get cramp from not being able to rest my foot on throttle, and cramp on other foot from working out the clutch. Why is there so much contrast in the pedals ?

I've been really curious in finding a way to stiffen up these throttle pedals.

The barefoot thing is great. On really challenging drives I take off my shoes. Its not a very practical long term solution (weather, cold, rain etc)

So.. I did a bit of researching and there have been quite a few people complaining about this problem with several other cars with e-throttles. Whats interesting with the CTS pedal you folks in North america have (which is a really weird mechanical design) is that it was designed this way to mimic the feel of a cable throttle. So its surprising to hear its still too light.

The Denso pedal in pretty much rest of world is much more straightforward design. I thought about going in and changing the spring with a stiffer one but I really dont want to mess with a accelerator pedal. I especially wont encourage anyone to do the same with CTS pedals esp after the recalls etc.

So I came across an interesting solution I found on a Honda Fit forum.. I think this is not a bad idea and I will be looking into trying it out on my cars as well. Ive attached an image from there. (courtesy of fitfreaks)

Seems like a good idea. simple enough. will take a bit of trial and error for getting the right tension spring.
That is one cool idea , I have same problem find its very touchy this would definitely help...tx for sharing .

sent from my S4 on Mars

[Maitland]

Here is a picture of what I did. It helped a lot.

I also have a really stiff clutch, which I am getting replaced next week. I'm going with a Luk clutch kit.

[JudgeM]

Here is a picture of what I did. It helped a lot.

I also have a really stiff clutch, which I am getting replaced next week. I'm going with a Luk clutch kit.

Thats really awesome. I will try and see if I can do something similar with my DENSO pedal, I dont see any easy attachment points like yours though.

As for the clutch, so a new clutch kit can solve the stiffness ? is it just the spring that toyota decided to use in these models ?

I sat in a Toyota Etios a few weeks ago and tried the clutch it was nice and soft and its a 1.5 aswell. :confused:

[eseibel67]

I also find the throttle very annoying, just touch it and the car lurches forward. I assume the problem is throttle mapping, but I didn't think it could be corrected without tuning. Looks like the auxilliary spring might help to give better control, will give it a try.

And I thought I was the only one that drives barefoot. For high performance driving with a manual transmission, it's the only way to get a proper feel of the car. I've been doing this for 20 years. Once you get the feel of this you it really feels goofy to drive with shoes on.