FAQs

The HIKE IT is one of the latest Throttle Controllers to hit the market which means that we’ve been able to test those models that have been around for years and improve on those, in addition use the latest technologies in software and components. The processor on the HIKE IT is double the processing power than most of our rivals. The processor power coupled with our state-of-the-art software engineering and 36 driver settings make Auto Mode on the HIKE IT extremely comfortable, more responsive and incredibly useful in accessing power when you need it or engaging a more delayed response when required in order to reduce fuel consumption. In addition, the HIKE IT has 4 pre-defined driving modes, an anti-theft mode which will lock the pedal with a password, auto light dimming and a clever overtake function which lets you press a button to spring into the most responsive setting when you need the extra grunt.

On most vehicles the HIKE IT can be installed in less than 5 minutes without any tools or special skills. All kits include printed instructions to help get the job done. On some rare occasions, we have had some customers experience difficulty with having the plug click in which has been caused by glue that needed to be removed on the vehicle plug.

Essentially, it’s as easy as plug and play. Switch off your car, wait a few seconds, locate the pedal plug (behind the pedal) and unplug it. Add in the vehicle specific harness and connect everything provided; ensure you hear a click, have a tug at the plugs to ensure a good fit. If you have problems plugging in, please check the pins in the plug as you may have bent these while plugging it in. Safely tie away all cables to ensure they do not drop while driving as this will be dangerous.

The HIKE IT is perfect to be used on both naturally aspirated and forced induction diesel and petrol engines.

The HIKE IT can be purchased either from a reseller or direct from our website (www.hikeit.com for USA orders or www.hikeit.com.au for all other countries including Australia). If you find your reseller is not selling HIKE IT ask them if they will as we have new dealers coming on board all the time. To purchase direct from our website simply select your model, add to cart, fill in the shipping details and process payment. Payment can be made via Paypal, Bank Deposit, Visa and MasterCard.

The HIKE IT is among the easiest on the market to operate. Just push the mode button to switch between Auto IQ mode, Eco/4×4, Sport/Tow, Cruise and HIKE IT High Performance Modes. Finely tune these modes by adjusting the response from 1 to 9.

Your new car warranty may be affected by installing any aftermarket modification or non-genuine product and unfortunately new car warranties are often interpreted differently depending on what dealership you see or speak to. At HIKE IT we have extensively ran tests on new (and used) cars and found that when correctly installed it will not damage a vehicle in anyway. The HIKE IT also has a setting that can return your vehicle to its factory setting in the unlikely event that it develops a fault; in this mode the HIKE IT will be switched off and won’t effect the drivability of the car. Installation is quick and easy but if you have any concerns just unplug it and return it to us for a replacement or refund.

The HIKE IT only uses already available power which is reserved by the manufacturer. As HIKE IT will only activate when you need the power (e.g. when applying power, HIKE IT will not work when idling). Your car’s machine-driven parts (e.g. the engine, clutch, transmission, brakes) are only pushed to the limits which are appropriate not beyond. The security functions and safety of the engine and the vehicle’s ECU do not get changed at all or get turned off. It’s out of the question for HIKE IT to push your vehicle beyond its factory limits.

Potentially. Some vehicles will use the same plugs and operating systems, however many do not. If you want to make 100% sure simply send us an email of the current model and the one you are looking to change into, and we can advise you correctly.

We recommend the HIKE IT be temporarily removed when you visit your dealership. If you remove it prior to a visit they will not know any upgrade has been installed or used.

We can understand you don’t want to risk your maintenance warranty program on a new car, but that means now you don’t have to wait years to customise your car and get the value of HIKE IT right away.

When a dealer completes a repair or maintenance schedule, the process they do is a scan the vehicle’s ECU (engine control unit) to see if anything has changed. Other aftermarket products and programs will leave red flags on the ECU after installation and will stay there even after being removed. These red flags are what causes the dealership to void your claim.

The HIKE IT is 100% UNTRACEABLE by them. Just make sure before going in for service you power down the device, and hide it away (we advise to remove it from the car).

No. The HIKE IT is powered by your vehicle and depends on that power. Once your vehicle has powered down (after it has completely switched off, roughly five minutes after the vehicle has shut down), the HIKE IT will shut off by itself.

No. The HIKE IT has an internal memory that will naturally go to the last mode you have driven in.

The HIKE IT throttle controller has a dedicated Towing Mode and is the perfect companion when towing by helping your vehicle get up to speed from a standing start with less effort and therefore placing less strain on your engine and using less fuel.

The HIKE IT throttle controllers have settings for both Automatic (AT) and Manual (MT) Transmissions because they naturally drive differently. When Auto mode is selected, the HIKE IT is suited to both manual and automatic transmissions.

Pedal acceleration will not happen without you controlling it. In the unlikely event that the HIKE IT is faulty, the pedal will become unresponsive (at worst). At this point the car should safely be pulled over and the HIKE IT removed to return the vehicle to factory. Doing so will allow the car to be back to factory standard and it will be as the HIKE IT was never there.

The HIKE IT has no control over injection timing, air to fuel ratio, fuel mapping and so on, therefore cannot increase power output. The HIKE IT simply improves the way your throttle responds, (better than other controllers on the market) by allowing you to adjust in 36 tune settings (or automatic) the delay in the throttle system.

Each HIKE IT model is suited to a different set of vehicles in both its software and plugs.

The HIKE IT Throttle Response Controller works on most fly by wire pedal assemblies by modifying the voltage signal level from the pedal to your vehicles Engine Control Unit (ECU).  In more ways than other controllers on the market do, the HIKE IT will allow you to finely tune the response from your accelerator pedal to greatly reduce throttle lag (or increase which is perfect when off-road or trying to reduce fuel consumption).

Our controllers have adaptive software that studies your driving style and adjusts depending on the situation. Auto mode is a great way to set and forget as it will give you both power and economy when you need it. Due to the HIKE IT having a processor twice as fast as the competition and a large amount of tune settings (36 compared to 18 with the competition) it’s one of the most preferred settings as it will apply gradual setting changes as you drive, not harsh setting selection which will drive as either spongy eco mode or flat stick high performance.

f no setting has been changed on the HIKE IT in the past 5 seconds, press on the MODE button to jump directly into HIKE IT High Performance mode to facilitate overtaking or intense driving. To exit out of HIKE IT Mode just press the MODE continuously to select your preferred driving mode. Before testing this we strongly recommend you learn the position of the buttons so you may control the HIKE IT without taking your eyes off the road.

Short answer is yes. So far we have not been made aware of an aftermarket cruise control system that will not work with our throttle response controller.

As our product does not change throttle parameters it will not affect the operation or cause issues when used in conjunction with an ECU tune or reflash.

The HIKE IT will complement aftermarket chips and exhausts and will not have an adverse affect as the HIKE IT and Powerchip/exhaust utilise different internal systems.

Entering the Anti-Theft function will lock the car’s throttle and will not accelerate at idle. To enter into the anti-theft state hold the MODE and buttons together for three seconds. The display will show 000. Use the 3 buttons (MODE, and ) to enter a 3-digit anti-theft password. Once you have entered your desired password hold the MODE and buttons for 3 seconds; the screen will show LOC to indicate you are in the anti-theft state. To exit the anti-theft state just press any button to display 000 then use the MODE, and buttons to input your anti-theft password which must be consistent with the password entered when entering the anti-theft state, then hold the MODE and buttons for 3 seconds.

Usually when you put the pedal to the metal the engine straight away goes into higher revs which essentially causes you to use more fuel. The ECO mode (fuel saving mode) on the HIKE IT slows the response of this down, which stops the engine responding in that way. The slower response allows your engine to get to the right speeds without using as much fuel. Which means that instead it creates a smoother acceleration rather than the higher revs. This function in turn can give you up to 20% more distance for the same amount of fuel.

A vehicle will show a check-engine light or go into limp mode when the throttle sensor is unplugged before the ECU has had enough time to go to “sleep.” Since it thinks something has been unplugged, it shows you a light as a warning, even if you’ve already plugged it back in.

You can get rid of the check-engine light and cut out limp mode by removing the negative battery on your vehicle for 20 minutes, or by taking away the codes with an OBDII code reader, available at most stores.

In some VERY RARE cases your car may rev high immediately after connecting the HIKE IT and starting the car. If you find after you have connected your car, and it begins to rev high before pressing down the accelerator pedal. If this happens please enter into the learning mode as follows:

The HIKE IT product matches with the same model of your vehicle at the time of start-up, but there may be problems with matching in some select few vehicles. In order to adapt to this situation for the best driving experience, we have added a learning mode function, that will help the accelerator automatically match the car data correctly. This function is generally not required to be used, as it is normally going to always match up with your vehicle parameters.

However, this function is there, when this is not the case to avoid poor acceleration effects, high idling speeds and so forth.

Learning mode process
• Turn the car power on but do not start the car up (do not turn-over the engine)
• Long press the up and down buttons together for about 5 seconds ( ↑ and ↓ at the same time). The accelerator screen should show a 15 second countdown period
• During this period push the accelerator pedal all the way in (make sure to press pedal in as far as you can) and hold it there for about 2 seconds before letting go
• Sit tight and wait for the accelerator countdown to end.
• If -00 is displayed, the learning function has been successfully processed
• If -11 is displayed and you followed the instructions correctly then it means that the learning function can’t solve the issue – please contact HIKE IT support

It’s not possible for a throttle controller to directly damage the clutch. The clutch only works when the car starts to move and to shift gears, at which time the accelerator is not active.

The purpose of throttle controller is to amplify the signals being sent by your foot via the pedal to the throttle positioning sensor in the intake manifold.

In vehicles where the opening of the throttle is governed by a signal coming from the pedal instead of a cable opening the butterfly, the boost/throttle controller simply increases sensitivity which in turn improves the response. Also, as the clutch on the torque converter only works when the car speed is very low, a throttle controller will not have an affect because when the speed is very low the throttle controller is either not operating or having an extremely weak role.