cruise control

[Tonglebeak]

My CC has a mind of its own. Sometimes (not always, but sometimes), when setting the cruise speed and letting the foot off the gas, the car goes into WOT and takes off well beyond the set speed (and keeps going until I turn off CC).

What the hell causes that? I've put up with it for a while but now it's a real safety concern for me.

[Electra_T_Type]

Haha I have a somewhat simular problem; My CC doesn't work and when I turn it off about a minute after it comes back on at WOT.

[86euro]

I would guess either a bad control module, or a bad turn signal stalk. The control module would be much easier to replace.

[Tonglebeak]

Damn those appear to be expensive :(

[86euro]

I would just get the module from a junkyard.

[turbokinetic]

Did you measure resistance on the switch? I've had a stalk short out on the R/A button. Wild ride indeed.
AutoZone has stalk fairly reasonable. Somewhere I have a schematic of the Cruise system, want it? (if I can find)

[85_Ciera_Rebuild]

My CC has a mind of its own

I turn mine off unless I really want it. It has engaged while driving within city...WTF. I suspect one of the wires from the column is doing it when I hit bumps in the roadway.

If I was going to fix it on this 88 Beretta, I'd inspect every wire, and take apart steering wheel first to see what type of contact switches they have there....the problem may be within contact switches being so old. On 88 Beretta, CC switches are embedded within steering wheel..

From the shop manual on 87 Olds, CC is controlled via Computer (ECM) looking at your ground speed, and the vehicle's set point (speed chosen by you). I can't remember if in 87 you could increase your cruise speed via pressing on CC switch...like 89 GMCs could.

But, either ECM has a higher set point stored (assuming it is in control)...or if like 89 GMCs, a signal is being sent to increase speed...or the solenoid in Servo Assembly ( vacuum-accelerator) got a problem...etc.

>takes off well beyond the set speed

It might be the solenoid in vacuum-accelerator is getting stuck...if there is a means to put a test light on hot-wire that engages this solenoid, and run this test light inside your car so you can watch it, you could evaluate if it is being energized or not. If possible, just a LED type of test light...something that does not load the circuit.

Note - I have not looked at CC setup for your vehicle...I'm just talking in general terms...but there should be a wire that energizes this Servo Assembly (vacuum-accelerator)...what you are trying to check to see if this Servo is getting the signal (voltage) or not.

[BBrip84Oatsie95]

Wow... more like death control!

[86euro]

If I was going to fix it on this 88 Beretta, I'd inspect every wire, and take apart steering wheel first to see what type of contact switches they have there....the problem may be within contact switches being so old. On 88 Beretta, CC switches are embedded within steering wheel..

His car doesn't have the switches in the steering wheel, they are on the turn signal stalk. It has 4 (I think) little wires coming out of it that run into the column and out the bottom of the column where it plugs into a little flat connector.

I suppose for testing purposes, a known working stalk could be plugged in and used as a wired remote for the cruise while driving to see if that takes care of the problem.

[85_Ciera_Rebuild]

His car doesn't have the switches in the steering wheel, they are on the turn signal stalk.



Yes, I went on to say (for him).


From the shop manual on 87 Olds...which should apply to him...

[Prospeeder]

Mine worked perfect, then one day it just stopped working, and i cant find a fuse. Im going to start with a new stalk/switch, because the squirter is busted off, and the turn signals dont cancel, and the horn/turnsignal cam is broken too, so my horn doesnt work.

[Zaloryan]

I happen to have a 1990 Olds Cutlass Ciera/Cruiser Factory Service Manual. I scanned the five pages in the giant book on Cruise Control. Maybe it will help you... :)

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/mitchythekid_2006/CC1.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/mitchythekid_2006/CC2.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/mitchythekid_2006/CC3.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/mitchythekid_2006/CC4.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/mitchythekid_2006/CC5.jpg

[Zaloryan]

By the way, if anyone needs a section scanned lemme know. I'll see what I can do. :cool:

[TonyC]

I submitted this on another thread regarding cruise control quirks, but I think I should have posted on this one first. Here it is, see if anyone has heard of this before.

Here's a mystery for everyone here--a problem a close friend of mine has with her '86 Celebrity. The cruise control will operate ONLY when the wipers are turned on. It is not an intermittent, sporadic, random thing; it's constantMy first thought was a pinching of the cruise wires to the wiper wires; but I learned that the cruise wires were intact and in no way connected to the wiper switch. Has anyone ever come across this, and if so, how did you fix it?

Her car also has an aftermarket CD player in it; don't know if that may contribute to the issue, but I've seen something equally as odd on a Caprice before.

---Tony

[86euro]

I submitted this on another thread regarding cruise control quirks, but I think I should have posted on this one first. Here it is, see if anyone has heard of this before.

Here's a mystery for everyone here--a problem a close friend of mine has with her '86 Celebrity. The cruise control will operate ONLY when the wipers are turned on. It is not an intermittent, sporadic, random thing; it's constantMy first thought was a pinching of the cruise wires to the wiper wires; but I learned that the cruise wires were intact and in no way connected to the wiper switch. Has anyone ever come across this, and if so, how did you fix it?

Her car also has an aftermarket CD player in it; don't know if that may contribute to the issue, but I've seen something equally as odd on a Caprice before.

---Tony

Turn signal stalk. There is most likely a broken wire for the cruise switch (internal), and when the stalk is rotated to turn on the wipers, that broken wire makes contact.

[Tonglebeak]

Damn, I forgot this thread existed.

[TonyC]

Turn signal stalk. There is most likely a broken wire for the cruise switch (internal), and when the stalk is rotated to turn on the wipers, that broken wire makes contact.

That was what I thought initially, but that isn't the case. When she was last down here, I removed the turn-signal stalk. All four wires were intact, no sign of pinches or breaks. If there were, the cruise would have different symptoms from operating fully only when the wipers are on--like the Resume or Accel feature wouldn't work, or the Set wouldn't work, etc. Everything works as it should when the wipers are on, but nothing works when the wipers are off. That is definitely faulty wiring, but not inside the stalk. $64,000,000,000 question is, WHERE?

---Tony

[85_Ciera_Rebuild]

'86 Celebrity. The cruise control will operate ONLY when the wipers are turned on.

I'd have to see wiring schematic...but pull the fuse on Wiper. Only way it could happen is the wiper power circuit going to wiper motor has been tapped into.


1986...good chance of Junior doing some creative wiring.