11/3/11 Update: INSTALLED TODAY, SEE POST #24

I was talking to Way at WMW over the last few days, and was told that the Sprint Booster was currently having issues with the Countryman. He contacted the manufacturer directly, and they asked for me to send over my VIN so they could order a pedal to work with.

Now, I know a few of you went out and bought this already... does it actually work for you? I'm not debating "if it works / how it works" - I'd just like to know if it plays nice and engages in our Countryman. Does anyone know of an issue / problem with the 2011 R60s?

Can anyone who has a Sprint Booster on their R60 chime in?

 

We have not only sold a good number of them but also installed a few that all performed great, no problems.

 

Thank you, Don! Good to hear this directly from you guys.

 

Every Countryman we put one on has thrown a check engine light immediately. I actually have a customer bringing by an R60 on Monday to do some testing with to see if we can figure out the exact cause.

 

That's interesting; I've not seen any lights pop up on my car and have had the Sprint Booster installed since August. As I've been driving long distance the last week, I've had it enabled and disabled periodically and can tell the difference (so I know it's at least doing something).

 

Will Sprint Booster have any effect, if the Countryman already has the Sport Button installed ?

 

That's a really subjective question, and there are a plethora of posts all over these forums regarding people's feelings and experiences with the SB. For the most part, the threads start out civil and end up in flames.

Bottom line, this thread is more about if it actually functions on the R60, not so much about the 'effects' of the product.

I'd check out the 2nd Gen Modifications section for more info on the SB effects.

 

Let the Cat fight begin......

 

Okay, no... This isn't a thread for fighting, and I don't know why you think it would be.

Nobody here is being adversarial. This is simply an informational thread on the functionality of the SprintBooster on the R60.

 

Great question, I was wondering the same thing . . .

 

There was some chatter in the Must Have Aftermarket Accessories thread about the Sprint Booster. I'm also more than willing to start up a thread (since I've got one installed) if people feel the need to squabble.

To quickly comment on the sport button, in my opinion the Sprint Booster improves the response across the board. Even with the sport button, the stock Countryman has a noticeable lag in throttle response. The Sprint Booster noticeably decreases that lag.

 

I have a 2011 non-s countryman with sprint booster. It's amazing. I love it.

I've followed the instructions to keep the door opened for 5 minutes before the install and I didn't got any "light" on my dash.

 

Good to know about the door - thanks. Mine comes tomorrow - can't wait to install it!

 

I have the sprintbooster and the sport button without problem ,the car is fantastic and it is all right

 

sorry if this has been asked before, but does the sprintbooster void the mini warranty? if so, that to me would be a deal breaker.

 

It's removable easily, so no. I wouldn't worry about it.

If you're still worried, remove it before going in for service.

 

thanks theta, let us know how the installation and performance works out for you.

 

I have ecu remapping on mine non-s, and even this they can detect to avoid warranty.

As an electrical engineer can't figure out a technical reason why the sprint booster will void the warranty. But, since they are always looking for a reason to do so, a prefer to take it off every when I have to go to the service.

 

The door opened and the car turned off. But the manual didn't take i clear if we need to keep the key inserted or not.

I've inserted mine.

 

When I installed mine, I had the door open, car off, no key inserted. I didn't even see a warning about that kind of thing, I just happened to install it that way (though I'm not a fan of working on things with the key in the ignition).

One big note in the instructions is to never press the button when the accelerator is pushed down. Not sure what it would do, but I never feed Mogwai's after midnight either.

 

So, I have a question on the functionality of the Sprint Booster (not the merits--don't want to start anything!). I read that it works by tricking the car into thinking that there's more throttle response required than is really necessary, thus reducing the lag. Is that true? And if so, would it negatively affect your engine/transmission over time, and/or decrease your mpg?

Sorry--I really don't want people to get into any tussles over this, but I'm curious as to how it actually reduces the lag. I'm thinking about getting one, but I don't want to if it's going to increase wear on my car or kill my gas mileage. Apologies if this has been asked and answered already.

Thanks in advance for the objective info!

 

It will likely have a negative impact on MPG, mainly because you'll be driving harder. I don't see how this would have an impact on the transmission or engine, because really it's modifying the trigger right at the throttle peddle.

 

Thanks for the info! My husband was concerned about the longevity of the engine if the Sprint Booster makes it work at higher revs or something. But, I suppose you can turn it off any time you want anyway, so that's good. I think I'll wait and see if the throttle lag really bothers me that much once my car gets here (didn't really notice it on my test-drive, but hubby did), and then decide.

 

I installed it tonight without any issue.

Opened the driver's door for about 10 minutes (they're wanting to have the system go into shut-off mode that usually takes 4-5 minutes to hit). Simple installation - unbolt, pull up, unplug, plug in, plug in again, plug in yet again, push down, re-bolt, drive.

It certainly operates correctly, and no CELs. I guess I won't get into my feelings on it.

Technically speaking, the SB can not be detected in any way, shape, or form by ISTA so long as you follow the directions. If you wait the 5 minutes before unplugging the pedal connector, the system never registers a disconnect, nor a reconnect - it never happened according to the ECU/BCM. Seriously - take it from an electrical engineer.

Next, the SB isn't going to negatively affect the transmission, engine, etc. in any way, as it's simply commanding more throttle at a lesser angle of attack. Say you push your foot down halfway without the SB. With the SB in green mode, you would now only have to push your foot down a third of the way. With the SB in red mode, you would now only have to push your foot down a fifth of the way. It's simply amplifying the signal making it feel like you're accelerating faster.

I noticed in driving 60 miles with it that the MPG did decrease, simply because I was driving 'harder' even using normal driving patterns. In either mode (red or green), you're going to be using more throttle than normal based on pedal memory - I'm sure that will go away with use, and then you can return to normal driving habits. I'm not one to talk to about MPG, though... I just killed my fuel efficiency with my cutout - I'm going to have to fix that.

Like I said, I installed this tonight, and while I'd love to give you my opinion, I was also the one who told you guys to keep this thread clean!

So there it is, folks...

1) It works (and by that, I mean it physically functions) on the R60.
2) It doesn't cause a CEL on the R60.
3) It actually does something (yes, even with the sport button on).
4) It has another pretty LED for the cabin.

 

Great info. Thanks!