The Ultimate Guide to Toyota Land Cruiser Throttle Controllers: Improve the Accelerator Response of Your 4WD

In the seven decades the Landcruiser has been in production, it has become the benchmark for luxury off-roading. It has pushed the limits with every new generation, giving customers more power, comfort and off-road capability. And there’s the two distinctive series, each catering to a different type of customer. The 300 series is an evolution of a car that marries all the latest tech while still being up to the task of conquering any type of terrain. The 70 series is a barebones workhorse ute and a local of the Aussie Outback.

Hundreds of accessories are available for both new and older Landcruisers. These benefit buyers by upping performance on all road surfaces and revealing the real power from the big 6- and 8-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. One such addition, a bespoke Land cruiser throttle controller, remaps factory throttle settings to get you the acceleration you need and when you need it.

What is a Throttle Controller?

Throttle controllers are electronic devices that adjust how the throttle is regulated by the car’s onboard computer, the ECU. The ECU is responsible for all the electronic systems in vehicles. It takes readings from sensors to ensure the vehicle is working as it should. To control how the throttle responds, the ECU receives a voltage input from sensors located at the acceleration pedal. The lower the pedal is pressed down the more voltage is sent to the ECU. This, in turn, opens the throttle body in the engine, to draw the required amount of air to be mixed with fuel. How much air is sucked in the intake valves is dependent on input from the acceleration pedal sensors.

Each car is tuned by manufacturers to provide what is deemed the right amount of acceleration. But getting bigger cars, like the 2.5-tonne Landcruiser, off a standstill can be a chore, and a slow one at that. Though there’s ample power, it’s not delivered to the wheels in a timely fashion. This is where a throttle controller steps in. It modifies the voltage input from the acceleration pedal sensors, in effect increasing it. The ECU takes these readings, and opens the throttle body wider to allow for more air. The result is that what was once (inbuilt) throttle lag is now instant acceleration. The big SUV is faster off the line, and quicker to respond in any situation where you’ve got a heavy right foot.

Why a Throttle Controller in the Landcruiser?

The current 70 series runs a 4.5-litre V8 diesel tuned for durability. It churns out 151kW and 430Nm, not overwhelming numbers, but well suited to the task There’s more power from the V6 twin-turbo diesel in the 300 series, 227 kW and pulling power of 700Nm. Despite the weight of the car, these are sportscar numbers, that you, unfortunately, don’t see in the real world. You can do better than the 0-100 km/h time of 8 seconds.

A throttle controller set in Performance of Ultimate mode, depending on the manufacturer, can liven up both diesels. It is also good in older cars with petrols and diesels with even more displacement (4.5-litre diesel and 4.7-litre V8 petrol in the previous 200 series). Better acceleration is needed in countless driving situations, from overtaking and towing, to getting up that big hill. They’ll also be less uncontrolled wheel spin. Instead, a throttle controller propels the Landcruiser with linear and smooth acceleration. This is more evident in diesel engines, like those in the 300 and 200 series, since they also cut down on turbo lag. The turbo kicks in earlier, and you’ll be using less fuel.

The good thing about throttle controllers is that they have adjustable settings. The performance mode for instance will have up to 10 settings, allowing drivers to customise how responsive the throttle is. Set in the highest setting will significantly improve acceleration. You don’t always need to drive insanely, and a more moderate setting can do wonders in different situations. If you’re frequently going off-road and, in the bush, then too much throttle can also be an issue. Loose surfaces can catch you off guard. Dialling the controller into Economy mode, can help in getting better traction. The Landcruiser throttle controller here works in tandem with other systems, like traction control, hill ascent and descent and EBD (and with low gearing) to steadily get you on your way. Another benefit of the Economy mode is on the tarmac. Here, with throttle cut down, you can save some fuel in heavy traffic. Like the performance mode, the Economy mode is also adjustable.

The last thing to take into account is that throttle controllers also have an Auto setting. This is helpful if changing settings while driving is not your cup of tea. Set in Auto, and let the controller adjust how responsive the throttle is. This will be based on previous input according to the road surface and driving conditions.

Pricing

Throttle controllers are some of the cheapest additions for a Landcruiser, and the cheapest performance upgrade part is a few hundred dollars. They are completely street legal, so no hassles in additional paperwork and are easy to install. The controller interface should be placed anywhere on or around the dash or centre console. An added bonus is that it just needs a simple flick to change from one setting to another.