As much as cars have evolved in the past few decades, especially in the electronics department, there are still some defects with current car electronic throttle control systems. For this reason, many owners are looking at aftermarket throttle controllers which provide a solution to the problem. Throttle controllers reduce the signal delay of your stock throttle valve. If you're considering installing an aftermarket throttle controller on your Mazda - great! It's an affordable and efficient way to reduce throttle lag and get some more power out of your engine. Most throttle controllers come with a range of settings, including an economy mode, normal mode and ultimate (performance) mode. This lets you dial the settings of the controller to match the requirements of the type of driving you want to do.

If you aren't sold on the idea of buying a Mazda throttle controller, then buckle your seatbelt and keep reading. I'll talk about how your vehicle's ECU reads the signal input from the accelerator pedal. Modern Mazdas feature a fly-by-wire accelerator control, where a signal voltage is sent from the pedal transduced to the vehicle's ECU. The signal voltage sent signifies how much input is applied to the accelerator, and the more voltage, the more throttle input. The accelerator pedal sends this signal as a ramp-up signal, meaning that if you quickly press the pedal to the floor, the pedal won't send all of the throttle signal right away. It will take a moment or two for the signal to ramp up to 100%, and that can take much of the jerkiness away. This method allows manufacturers to tune the throttle for a smoother response.

This is where the Mazda throttle controller comes into play. It's a small device that's plugged between the vehicle's ECU and the accelerator pedal, and it manipulates the voltage signal sent to the ECU. While it doesn't modify the mapping of the ECU whatsoever, it speeds up and increases the input that the ECU receivers from the transducer. This allows the signal sent to the ECU to be faster and more aggressive. But depending on the throttle controller, you can also make the pedal input range smaller. This doesn't mean that the signal is physically quicker, as its sent at almost the speed of light anyway. Instead, the pedal position is read by the ECU nearly instantaneously rather than ramping up.

For instance, pressing the pedal by 10% will provide a 10% signal to the ECU. When you add a throttle controller, the signal sent to the ECU can go up to 30% when you're at 10% throttle input. Additionally, it will give the 30% to the ECU right away rather than smoothing the ramp up. This makes your Mazda feel more responsive than it usually is.

Throttle controllers are especially beneficial when you're towing heavy loads. They allow you to get a head start and move quicker without having to adjust your driving style. You'll feel as though there's a significant performance gain and the turbo-lag will be removed if you drive a turbo-diesel engine. You can dial the controller down when you drive over rutted or bumpy roads, so if you press the accelerator more than you need to, the throttle input won't be as aggressive. Similarly, you can set the controller to economy mode when driving in soft sand, which will allow you to accelerate without spinning the wheels, ensuring you stay on top of the soft sand instead of sinking in it.

The only downside to installing an aftermarket throttle controller is that you may lose some accelerator pedal travel at the top end. For instance, if your controller is set at max power, as soon as you hit 50% on the pedal, the ECU will already read 100% input. So pressing the pedal harder than 50% won't do anything. You'll also have to find a spot to mount the throttle controller where you have easy access to it, are able to see the display, and see the mode it's set to. Some throttle controllers come with Bluetooth, so you can hide the module behind the dashboard and control it through your phone.

At the end of the day, whether you install a throttle controller on your Mazda will come down to personal preference. Most people that have one swear by it, and they'll tell you that in can make a huge difference in acceleration control and profile, and that they don't know how they drove without one before. Some vehicle manufacturers have noticed the benefits and have made their vehicles with a power and economy mode button that does the same thing more or less, except with a limited number of modes. Throttle controllers can come with several modes that give you more versatility in how you want to drive your vehicle.