Cruise Control Basics (lesson request)

[BigBrother-84]

No problem at all! I was happy to work through the circuits to see how they might work. Kind of like solving a puzzle.

And I do understand wanting to have your head around how something works before installing it. I do the same.

Finally! Big Brother is Speed Control equipped!

And it works!

I installed a NOS Dealer Installed Kit. Very busy at work presently, so found little time here and there, and completed the setup today.

Inside:

• Brake pedal vacuum switch:

• Clutch pedal switch (I added some electrical tape around the retaining tie-wrap, to be sure it won't slide):

• Controls arm:

• Control Module attached to the main dash harness. I am wondering where the guys with A/C equipped trucks install it :

• Speed Sensor:

Engine compartment:

• General view:

• Servo:

• Cable attachement. Curiously, none of the instructions suggested setup fitted my engine. But I found a way to install the bracket so the cable is well aligned with its attachment:

[Gary Lewis]

Finally! Big Brother is Speed Control equipped!

And it works!

I installed a NOS Dealer Installed Kit. Very busy at work presently, so found little time here and there, and completed the setup today.

Inside:

• Brake pedal vacuum switch:

• Clutch pedal switch (I added some electrical tape around the retaining tie-wrap, to be sure it won't slide):

• Controls arm:

• Control Module attached to the main dash harness. I am wondering where the guys with A/C equipped trucks install it :

• Speed Sensor:

Engine compartment:

• General view:

• Servo:

• Cable attachement. Curiously, none of the instructions suggested setup fitted my engine. But I found a way to install the bracket so the cable is well aligned with its attachment:

It looks great, Jeff! Well done!

Are there variables that you get to set up. like how close to the set speed it tries to keep it, and how aggressive it is?

[BigBrother-84]

Are there variables that you get to set up. like how close to the set speed it tries to keep it, and how aggressive it is?

We'll, I would say that I now understand what you said about «vacuum» vs «all electronic "later"» kits.

About the controls, they respond accurately:

• Set, resume, acceleration and deceleration work as expected;

• SC operates at speed as low as 35 km/h (22 mph).

• Can add or reduce speed by small increments (about 1 mph per click).

• The system is precise keeping a specific speed. Climbing, flat road, or descending hills goes at steady speed, no big variations.

So far, it does the job correctly.

I would say that the only drawback is the "smoothness" of the control.

You feel each little speed adjustment...

Compared to modern vehicles, it acts a little bit "jerky" (but really not so much).

Gary, I don't discard the «later all electronic» swap. I'm curious about it and I'll certainly comme back with this project (I am slowly collecting the required puzzle parts).

The NOS Dealer Installed Kit was the easy way, ideal for the lazy mechanic I am.

But for the moment, even it is not 100% perfectly comfortable, it is REALLY GREAT to give a break to my right leg!

[Gary Lewis]

Are there variables that you get to set up. like how close to the set speed it tries to keep it, and how aggressive it is?

We'll, I would say that I now understand what you said about «vacuum» vs «all electronic "later"» kits.

About the controls, they respond accurately:

• Set, resume, acceleration and deceleration work as expected;

• SC operates at speed as low as 35 km/h (22 mph).

• Can add or reduce speed by small increments (about 1 mph per click).

• The system is precise keeping a specific speed. Climbing, flat road, or descending hills goes at steady speed, no big variations.

So far, it does the job correctly.

I would say that the only drawback is the "smoothness" of the control.

You feel each little speed adjustment...

Compared to modern vehicles, it acts a little bit "jerky" (but really not so much).

Gary, I don't discard the «later all electronic» swap. I'm curious about it and I'll certainly comme back with this project (I am slowly collecting the required puzzle parts).

The NOS Dealer Installed Kit was the easy way, ideal for the lazy mechanic I am.

But for the moment, even it is not 100% perfectly comfortable, it is REALLY GREAT to give a break to my right leg!

So this kit doesn't have adjustments for how close it is to hold the speed to the set point? I'd bet the Dana kits do as I had one of them on the Citation and it had at least two adjustments - hysteresis and aggressiveness.

But yes, any speed control is better than none. I use mine frequently and am amazed at how smooth it is compared to the Bullnose unit, but I'd take a Bullnose unit any day over nothing.

[BigBrother-84]

So this kit doesn't have adjustments for how close it is to hold the speed to the set point?

I confirmed it doesn't.

But the default settings seem accurate and precise. Slight variations on hilly road, but not more then my 2018 Volt or my 2019 Terrain.

And when I set the desired speed, it stays there.

If it wasn't this very slight "jerk" effect, I would say it's perfect.

[Gary Lewis]

So this kit doesn't have adjustments for how close it is to hold the speed to the set point?

I confirmed it doesn't.

But the default settings seem accurate and precise. Slight variations on hilly road, but not more then my 2018 Volt or my 2019 Terrain.

And when I set the desired speed, it stays there.

If it wasn't this very slight "jerk" effect, I would say it's perfect.

I actually prefer that my speed controls lag a bit going up hill and overrun going downhill. For instance, if the set point is 65 then 63 is good uphill and 67 down.

My reasoning is that at the start of a hill it will take the system a bit of time to react and I don’t want it to abruptly accelerate or decelerate to get back to the setting.

[BigBrother-84]

I actually prefer that my speed controls lag a bit going up hill and overrun going downhill. For instance, if the set point is 65 then 63 is good uphill and 67 down.

My reasoning is that at the start of a hill it will take the system a bit of time to react and I don’t want it to abruptly accelerate or decelerate to get back to the setting.

I agree with you Gary.

I would add that speed control on a manual drive is somewhat different than with automatic transmission.

Fist time I tried it, I learned two "lessons":

• Going downhill, it can't shift down alone... So, even if the Speed Control tries really hard, the truck will accelerate if too steep and compression not enough to maintain the speed.

Requires the driver's action to brake of downshift.

• After braking on a flat road section (then Speed Control disengages automatically) and manually downshifted from 4 to 3, I touched "resume"... and realized after few seconds I was still in 3 and steadily riding at 55 mph!