Table Of Content
If the wheels lose traction and the car starts to slow down, the cruise will speed up the engine to attempt to accelerate back to the set speed. The vehicle speed will go slower, regardless of how furiously the wheels spin. If you have a rear-wheel-drive car, the effect is to destabilize the vehicle, and you probably will spin out unless the vehicle regains traction in a reasonable length of time. A front-wheel-drive car with spinning tires will attempt to continue in a more or less straight line--which will make steering control dodgy at best. A blown fuse or a faulty brake pedal switch could cause the cruise control to stop working, along with malfunctioning sensors.
Recent Vehicle Engine Electrical Inspection reviews
The brake pedal switch is responsible for turning the brake lights on and off based on the pedal position. Cruise control systems are designed to disengage whenever your brake pedal gets pressed. Early systems used a vacuum motor and cable, but these eventually changed over to electric motors. We already mentioned how the throttle position sensor affects the control of the throttle valve, and the speed sensor monitors the driving speed.
How much money does it cost to fix cruise control?
The sensor is located on the transmission on rear wheel drive trucks and on the transfer case on four wheel drive trucks. This switch can be found on the steering wheel, although some switches can be found on the dashboard. If only one setting on your cruise control does not work, chances are high that the switch is the problem. The switch circuit or fuse may just need to be replaced for the problem to resolve.
Defective Brake Pedal Switch
The cruise control system consists of modules, switches and the vehicle speed sensor. To set the cruise at the desired speed, a driver pushes an input on the cruise control switch. This action signals the cruise control module (or powertrain control module) to monitor the speed sensor and actuate the throttle as necessary. To turn cruise control off, the driver can either select "off" on the switch or close the stoplamp switch on the brake pedal assembly. If there is power to the system, the next check is the brake lights.
Why is it dangerous to use cruise control on hills or winding roads? - The Globe and Mail
Why is it dangerous to use cruise control on hills or winding roads?.
Posted: Mon, 26 Mar 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]
But, it may well propel your new economy car to blatantly illegal velocities unless you intervene by braking or downshifting. If your cruise control isn’t working properly, avoid using it until it is repaired. A faulty cruise control system may not cancel on demand, which will create a safety hazard for you and those around you. After assessing your cruise control yourself, take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic for a check or a couple diagnosis and repair. Brake Lights – In some systems, cruise control is disabled when a brake light is blown.
Does the Cruise icon on the dash light up when you turn the switch on? You may need to look in the owner's manual to see which one if it's not tagged on the fuse box cover. An aftermarket cruise may have an inline fuse holder in the wiring to the controller. Do you have to ride the brakes on longer downhills to keep from building up excess speed?
Cruise Control will turn ON but will not "set" to hold the speed.
The most common reason a cruise control stops working is due to a blown fuse or a defective brake pedal switch. It can also be caused by issues with the throttle control system or the ABS. In older cruise control systems, it can be caused by a broken vacuum line. The function of a check engine light or MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) is to communicate engine or mechanical failures in your vehicle to prevent an accident on the road.
Car Sounds
If the vehicle does not maintain speed or acceleration, even when the “set” button is pressed or activated, then that may mean that the button may not be functioning. Vacuum Leak – Some older vehicles used vacuum actuators to control the throttle body during cruise control operation. If there is a leak, such as a cracked hose or tube, the system won’t work. A vacuum leak might cause the engine to idler higher or set a fuel trim code. If it has fallen off, there's no vacuum to the actuator and no force can be applied to the throttle.
Fixing Faulty Cruise Control
When it has any problems, it can cause issues with the functionality of the cruise control system. Usually a problem with the cruise control switch will produce a few symptoms that can alert the driver of a potential issue that should be serviced. Spiral Cable – Many vehicles mount the cruise control switch on the steering wheel. A faulty spiral cable may have an open circuit, preventing the switch from contacting the CCM. In case the throttle body valve gets stuck, or the throttle body gets clogged, you’ll have a hard time using your cruise control system. The worst thing that could happen in this case is if the gas pedal gets stuck in position, which also affects your driving regardless of the cruise control.
You may need to break out a test light or multimeter to verify the function of this array of switches. These switches usually are normally closed switches, and close their contacts when the pedal is depressed. We've seen several cases of intermittent cruise control dropout caused by a brake light switch that was adjusted very tight. Any small bump would jiggle the brake pedal down far enough to toggle the brake lights on for a brief instant--long enough to shut down the cruise. Adjusting the switch to specs (usually so the brake lights come on after the pedal travels 1/2 in.) fixed it. If you still have no engagement, there may be an issue with the cruise control's speed input.
If the error or fault is with the cruise control systems, then the MIL may be lit for that as well. Older vehicles use vacuum to control the throttle for the cruise control, and in this case a vacuum leak can heavily affect the cruise control. However, modern cruise controls are fully electric and in most cases will not be affected by a vacuum leak if the check engine light is not illuminated.
If the light does not come on, that may be an indicator that there may be a problem with the switch, or perhaps another component in the system. With modern improvements, there’s also the introduction of adaptive cruise control which uses several drive assist systems to maintain your speed. These include lane assist and the possibility to increase and lower the speed by pressing the button. Like any electronic system on a vehicle, the cruise control system is susceptible to component and wiring failures. Software updates may also be needed to change voltage levels and values that determine settings such as acceleration rate and power consumed. Bad brake pedal/light switch — This means communication between you, cruise control and the car is interrupted, and you can’t have immediate manual control of the car.
The cruise control switch is the electrical switch that is used to control the various functions of the cruise control system. When the cruise control is activated, the vehicle will maintain the set speed or acceleration without the driver having to step on the accelerator pedal. While the cruise control system is not a critical feature to the performance of the vehicle, it does help improve fuel efficiency and can reduce driver fatigue.
No comments:
Post a Comment