Cruise Control Inoperative

[DOHCRagtopguy]

My CC crapped out on the ragtop (93 Olds 3.4). All my A/C vents are working fine. It was acting up when I drove to FL a couple of months ago, after hitting the brake it would not re-engage. Now it doesn't activate at all. Is this probably the module itself and where is it located?

 

Thanks.

[GnatGoSplat]

The module is a black plastic box attached to the side of the big metal bracket that the steering column runs through. You'll have to pull off the panel below the column to get to it.

 

Strange thing... once my cruise crapped out, and I wanted to verify it was the module. So a friend and I pulled the module out of his parents' 90 Lumina and I swapped it into my 89. The cruise then worked fine so I thought I need to replace the module. When I put my 89's module back in, it too was working just fine! Never had a problem since. WEIRD.

[slick]

The module is a black plastic box attached to the side of the big metal bracket that the steering column runs through. You'll have to pull off the panel below the column to get to it.

 

Strange thing... once my cruise crapped out, and I wanted to verify it was the module. So a friend and I pulled the module out of his parents' 90 Lumina and I swapped it into my 89. The cruise then worked fine so I thought I need to replace the module. When I put my 89's module back in, it too was working just fine! Never had a problem since. WEIRD.

 

Maybe it wasn't plugged in all the way or something...?

[GnatGoSplat]

Maybe it wasn't plugged in all the way or something...?

 

Nah, it was plugged in, even had that little red connector lock that they used a lot on the older W-bodies.

My only theory is it was a bad solder joint, and the stress of unplugging/replugging it made the solder joint make better contact.

[slick]

Thats probably what it was.

[SigEpCutlass]

doesn't CC have a fuse in the fuse box? I think it does. If so you better check to see that it's not a bad one.

[DOHCRagtopguy]

I will check the fuse, thanks again for the help guys.

 

When we get away from all the BS flaming, this is one of the most helpful sites for W-body stuff around.

[patgizz]

if the module is under the dash, then whats that thing out in the engine bay with the diaphragm that the cable runs from and the wires plugged into it?

[DOHCRagtopguy]

Patgizz: That is the CC slave/servo unit. If it goes bad, the CC will not maintain speed. Sometimes, the rubber tears and starts to leak. I had that go on me on one of my old Buicks.

[GnatGoSplat]

Yup, the underhood part is just the vacuum servo. It has no "intelligence" in it. It's controlled by the under dash module.

 

In 94, they switched to an integrated cruise module and electric servo.

[DaveFromColorado]

there's a switch on the brake peddel that will deactivate the CC, if that switch is out of adjustment, it will cause this problem - happened on my Regal, you'd hit the brake and the CC wouldn't work for a while, unless you pulled UP on the brake peddel itself, so I adjusted the switch, and never had a problem again.

 

--Dave.

[digitaloutsider]

You've made sure the Vacuum check valve is good, right?

[DiscoStudd]

there's a switch on the brake peddel that will deactivate the CC, if that switch is out of adjustment, it will cause this problem - happened on my Regal, you'd hit the brake and the CC wouldn't work for a while, unless you pulled UP on the brake peddel itself, so I adjusted the switch, and never had a problem again.

 

I second that. After I parked my car on Sunday, I noticed my brake lights were still on! I had to go in and pull up on the pedal to get the switch to readjust.

 

You might want to be sure the wires for the Cruise Switch (where they poke out of the "washer" part of the turn signal lever) aren't frayed. Unplug the cruise switch and prove it out with a volt/ohm meter. Not sure if the switch unplugs right at the wiper switch or underneath the dash on the older columns, but my 95 and 96 have the newer style column and the wires from the cruise unplug right at the wiper switch.