IPT's Tranny Boost Controller

[Lee'sGSX]

Well I picked up a 95 auto awd for the wife, and wanted to pep up the tranny. So far car has exhaust, boost controller, and intake. So I called up John at IPT was going to order a shift kit and filter for starters, and I asked him about that tranny boost controller. He told me that it works very well and I should try it. He never let me down so far ,so I told him to send me one. It got here 2 days later, a little box with a dial and two wires on it and mounting hardware. Mounted it in the glove box ran the wires through the firewall and connected them...simple. Went for a test drive, dial on 1 didn't really notice a change hmm......dial on 2 well got alot better felt ok, dial on 3 WOW! big change Tranny shifted with solid authority Like a shift kit but without the down time of an install. Then with a turn of the dial back to soft. Over all I'm very happy with this controller.

 

[definitiveno]

beyond the coolness of having a switch that changes selinoid pressure what is the actual purpose if this booster? Wouldn't a functional TCU naturally select the appropriate selinoid pressure according to the demands of the TPS by itself?

I imagine you have to switch it back and fourth all day to keep up with the situation..... driving regular leave it at one, gonna make a pass change it up to 2, getting on the freeway put it to 3, drag racing put it to 4....... Why don't you want the TPS/TCU taking care of this for you?

 

[johnfsmith]

I have one too and installing it today. I also have a full IPT trans/TC/LSD upgrade, this new setup is amazing compared to the stock. Here's what the setting are for:

1) OFF- stock TCU signal (pass through mode)
2) Moderate- extra shift feel for daily driving
3) Heavy Duty- firm shifts for racing or “spirited” street use
4) Race Only- max pressure- not recommended for continuous street driving

1 is off so that's why you didn't notice any change!

 

[Lee'sGSX]

I have one too and installing it today. I also have a full IPT trans/TC/LSD upgrade, this new setup is amazing compared to the stock. Here's what the setting are for:

1) OFF- stock TCU signal (pass through mode)
2) Moderate- extra shift feel for daily driving
3) Heavy Duty- firm shifts for racing or “spirited” street use
4) Race Only- max pressure- not recommended for continuous street driving

1 is off so that's why you didn't notice any change!

My box is not like that. Mine is numbered
off
1
2
3
There is no 4!

 

[johnfsmith]

My box is not like that. Mine is numbered
off
1
2
3
There is no 4!

Sorry, I've had mine a while, before they started selling them actually. I don't have the IPT logo and mines labled Stage 1,Stage 2,Stage 3,Stage 4

 

[Lee'sGSX]

beyond the coolness of having a switch that changes selinoid pressure what is the actual purpose if this booster? Wouldn't a functional TCU naturally select the appropriate selinoid pressure according to the demands of the TPS by itself?

I imagine you have to switch it back and fourth all day to keep up with the situation..... driving regular leave it at one, gonna make a pass change it up to 2, getting on the freeway put it to 3, drag racing put it to 4....... Why don't you want the TPS/TCU taking care of this for you?

Man you don't have to switch it bach and fourth all day.. You pick which one suites your driving style and leave it there. The tps/tcu does NOT do what this box does.

 

[OTDlifer]

i'm thinking about getting one of those, but since my computer had to be fixed, it wont let me open up the link in IPT to see and read about it. how hard is it to install???

 

[JTURBOGSX]

please explain how to install or make a write up... Very intersted

 

[johnfsmith]

It's a very easy install.... here's a link how to

http://www.importperformancetrans.com/downloads/ATBoostControllerMitsu.pdf

 

[halik008]

i can't believe you guys are spending $175 on this thing....

all it basically is, is a radioshack box w/ a 5 position sweap swtich with varying resistors in each position...all it does is varied the voltage to the EPC solenoid.....

halik

 

[bnpimpn]

i can't believe you guys are spending $175 on this thing....

all it basically is, is a radioshack box w/ a 5 position sweap swtich with varying resistors in each position...all it does is varied the voltage to the EPC solenoid.....

halik

if someone could get me the resistances of each resistor that'd be great.

 

[Wizard]

Yet again, a "i'm too cheap to pay someone who took the time and effort to do research and develop a product that is beneficial to us. So i'm just going to find out the secret and save myself money and complain to everyone about how much they are spending on it."

Haven't we learned from our past....TMO, Al Blaha, Buschur.....these were guys who developed products that took time to research, build, and market yet we whined about how much they were charging for such a simple and low-cost product. Hey....A table is freakin easy to build....So why pay $500 for one? The wood is much less than that right? The tools? The labor? How about to time it takes and initiative it takes to actually do it?

He built it, it works, you're jealous that he came up with it and not you so now you are going to dissect it and give away the recipe.....way to go. If it's soooo easy and simple....you build it and sell it yourself. Otherwise.....keep quiet.

Not necc. pointing fingers....so no flame war.

Wiz

 

[halik008]

Yet again, a "i'm too cheap to pay someone who took the time and effort to do research and develop a product that is beneficial to us. So i'm just going to find out the secret and save myself money and complain to everyone about how much they are spending on it."

Haven't we learned from our past....TMO, Al Blaha, Buschur.....these were guys who developed products that took time to research, build, and market yet we whined about how much they were charging for such a simple and low-cost product. Hey....A table is freakin easy to build....So why pay $500 for one? The wood is much less than that right? The tools? The labor? How about to time it takes and initiative it takes to actually do it?

He built it, it works, you're jealous that he came up with it and not you so now you are going to dissect it and give away the recipe.....way to go. If it's soooo easy and simple....you build it and sell it yourself. Otherwise.....keep quiet.

Not necc. pointing fingers....so no flame war.

Wiz

not really....there is no secret behing this product. I neither own the product nor did i seen one from person, yet i know exactly how it work purely by knowledge in auto trannys. I also know how their "electro-matic" controller works w/o ever seeing it, and can also tell you they are making $400 profit on each unit. As a matter of a fact i have made my own manual contoller and am working on fully electronic 2 button version for steering wheels....

As for the indiviidual resistances for each level it's as easy as papping variavle resistor gadget into the pressure solenoid and driving around and varying the resistance until u finf individual resistance settings that works for you. No need to copy IPT resistances.....

As for you table analogy.....a $500 table must be either: 1. hardwood 2.handmade. Hard wood is very expensive and making a handmade table takes both skill and time. So the margin of profit on a table is less then $100 after you subtract the costs from the sticker price. Plus there is a healthy comptition which forces the individuals to keep their profit maring very low to the point that many times there is no economic profit to have.

IPT on the other has market monopoly so it sets their prices however they want. Thier costs per unit on the "boost controller" is ###### around $20 tops and thier "electro-shift" controller is around $40 tops.

BTW u can't say shit to me b/c it it soo easy and simple and i did make my own.....

halik

 

[talonkev]

halik008 i agree with you. Back in September i posted about the outrageous price of the "boost controller" on atdsm.com. "Well considering that it is a small box with a knob, and that it only intercepts the signal between the TCU and transmission using one input wire and one output wire, without the input of any other parameters. I would have to say that this is a rather simple component that could be constructed at a very low cost. I understand the price being raised due to R&D but not to the extent of $175. I may be totally wrong and there could be a super micro computer in that little black box." Everyone that posted there was in love with the product and they didn't care that they were being riped off.

 

[johnfsmith]

Well I didn't pay for mine, They gave it to me when I got my trans/TC/LSD from them. But I agree the price is high along with the price of the shift box or I'd have one of those too!

 

[exile]

Can someone here do us a favor and disconnect your box (or if you haven't installed it yet) Throw a meter across the two leads and give us a resistance reading for all 4 stages please.

There's no way I'd spent $175 on this, it's a cute trick but I can buy the amount of materials it would cost to make that, plus heck I'll be generous and throw in $125 for labor and still make a box for about $130.

I don't see why everyone is picking on IPT for overpricing stuff... I can name about 1,000 things you can buy for a car that are overpriced.

 

[talonkev]

yeah, i agree it would be very interesting to hear what those Ohm values are. I also agree that many things are very overpriced, but thats why i preffer to do all my own work, and construct my own parts when possible.

 

[transdude]

Can someone here do us a favor and disconnect your box (or if you haven't installed it yet) Throw a meter across the two leads and give us a resistance reading for all 4 stages please.

There's no way I'd spent $175 on this, it's a cute trick but I can buy the amount of materials it would cost to make that, plus heck I'll be generous and throw in $125 for labor and still make a box for about $130.

I don't see why everyone is picking on IPT for overpricing stuff... I can name about 1,000 things you can buy for a car that are overpriced.

Some of you guys are really unbelievable.

I'm not twisting anyone's arm to buy anything if they think that it costs more than it is worth, however, asking someone to give you specs so you can reverse engineer what we have developed for over a year is pretty lame.

Why don't you guess at it and possibly damage your trans in the process?

At least have the courtesy of buying something if you are planning on ripping off the design.

Can anyone guess what happens when a company tries to go above and beyond to develop things for the auto DSM world and people receive it in this manner??

Please don't be one of the people who complains that "there's nothing available for my car"

-John

 

[definitiveno]

Why doesn't any one offer just a torque converter lock up switch, thats all I really need. Forget all the gear buttons......john you have any thing like this in the works?

 

[92awdgsx]

Why doesn't any one offer just a torque converter lock up switch, thats all I really need. Forget all the gear buttons......john you have any thing like this in the works?

All you have to do is put a toggle switch inline to the lock up solenoid. Its the red wire coming out of the front of the trans. If you want, I can send you one and charge you $100.

 

[definitiveno]

All you have to do is put a toggle switch inline to the lock up solenoid. Its the red wire coming out of the front of the trans. If you want, I can send you one and charge you $100.

Make it practical and pretty and you got a deal....stick it to the shifter some how if you can. I have a 4200 stall and want to lock it up more for economy.......


Hell, I'm not even kidding

 

[bnpimpn]

do you have any pics of the wire and your install of the switch for lock up? or wiring diagram? and a picture or wiring diagram for installing a variable resistor for adjusting the shift firmness?? I'd like to install those in my talon (also if you do i'd say that'd be perfect article for the tech guide.)

as for thinking a business is gonna loose money because of people figuring out how the switch for the pressure of the shifts works...sure they WILL but i highly doubt you'll go out of business....I'm sure if that was the case, many people would have gone out of business once someone figured out how to make a manual boost controller, weld an exhaust, or make an intake. There will always be people willing to pay money for *professional made products rather than make there own.

 

[halik008]

Make it practical and pretty and you got a deal....stick it to the shifter some how if you can. I have a 4200 stall and want to lock it up more for economy.......


Hell, I'm not even kidding

he he he locking up the TC right isn't an easy task......not saying it can't be done manually but you need a lot of prectice w/ it. Very much like driving a manual expect that the lock up is the clutch. if you don't do it right your can will jerk around, bog down and even stall out...

halik

 

[Sbeing1]

maybe im reading something wrong, idk. what exactly is it for? yea u posted what each switch does for what dirving style but what does it do exactly? does it shift faster? harder (if harder then whats so good about it)? how does it help u be faster? i dont get it

 

[definitiveno]

he he he locking up the TC right isn't an easy task......not saying it can't be done manually but you need a lot of prectice w/ it. Very much like driving a manual expect that the lock up is the clutch. if you don't do it right your can will jerk around, bog down and even stall out...

halik

I understand. I am pretty active when I'm in my car, paying attention to my guages all the time, tending to the TC switch would not be an issue for me. I wouldn't bother locking it up until 2nd gear (if only to make it smoother). The problem I find is driving through the mountains, given the varying loads the TC never wants to lock up or stay locked once it has. I'm afraid I'm going to burn up the trans one of these days cruising up the hill. I snowboard all the time.

Since the season is coming up I have to have a locker. And if I can't find an alternative I'm going to have to buy that silly gear selecter box.