Hi,

My 1998 F2 is in pretty good condition, the only thing that isn't working properly is the Cruise Control.

On the motorway, when I press the Cruise button on the dash, the small light next to the switch comes on like it should. (This tells me that the switch itself must be working). However, when I then try to actually use the Cruise, all that happens is that the speed gradually reduces, as if I had lifted off the throttle completely. So basically, the cruise isn't working.

It's been like this since I bought the car, but I'd never really been bothered about it before, until on a recent long journey when it would have been useful.

Any ideas? Is there a fuse I could check? Will I have to remove the steering column assembly to replace something? What's the likely cost of a fix?

JohnnyF2.

Is your foot completely off the clutch? Even a slight weight on the clutch will stop the cruise from engaging. Same with the brake. You could also check that your break lights are fully functioning, as this stops the cruise from engaging also.

Btw, you'll know when the cruise is engaged as the word "cruise" appears in green on the display

if the cruise is not displayed on ur dash in green then try turning the heated rear screen on and see if it comes on then. the nobber who had my car before me wired it up wrong and put the wrong connection to the wrong switch.

Thanks for the tips guys.

I went out on a nearby stretch of dual-carriageway last night, to try-out the ideas. Although the little light next to the actual switch was working, I wasn't getting "cruise" up on the dash. And none of the cruise functions on the column stalk were working.

I made sure I wasn't resting on the brake or clutch, and I tried switching the heated rear screen on and off. (The heated rear screen works okay by the way).

Any other ideas? What am I going to need to replace? Does anyone know which fuse I need to check for the Cruise, as I don't have a manual.

If your brake lamps, head lamps, windows etc work then it's not a fuse issue - the cruise system consists of a number of items however they're fused along with a whole host of other bits so if they're working it's something else.

The following schematic shows what's involved:




As you can see there's quite a lot involved and by the very nature of the system it's designed to fail safe so if there's any problem you're going to get exactly the symptoms you describe (i.e. no cruise function and no 'cruise' light).

As someone said above, do your brake lights work? You haven't fitted any additional/replacement LED stop lights have you? You'll need to narrow down the cause - I'd start with testing the clutch and brake switches...

Mathew

I just want to check...

After you press the Cruise button and the little light in the buttom illuminates....are you pressing and releasing the button at the end, or holding it in? The latter decreases speed.

What happens if you use the little slider to increase your cruise speed?

Check the switches on the clutch pedal and brake pedal.

My clutch one failed in the opposite sense to yours, i.e I could turn it on, but it wouldnt deactivate when I pressed the clutch! If the cruise isnt coming on then *maybe* one of the two switches is short circuited.

Ben

This will sound stupid but check all the bulbs in your rear lights if one is blown your cruise will not work.

Also your cruise will not work if you have led bulbs in the rear lights.

dont ask me why?????.

We covered it on the old boards but we lost the post when they got hacked. However, suffice to say it's because an LED does not conduct until it's forward voltage has been reached hence when it's 'off' the anode end (which the cruise control monitors) floats around instead of being tied to ground (like it would with a bulb) and so the cruise module doesn't know whether it's coming or going - literally - it doesn't know if your brakes are on or off. Given the failsafe mode it assumes the former and hence cruise doesn't work.

It is 'fixable' however, just pop a resistor (or bulb) in parallel and this will tie the cruise input down when the brakes aren't on:



The diode is required in the case of a dual stop/brake lamp setup (common with LED types) otherwise turning the headlamps on will also cut the cruise (this configuration was the case when it was first discussed).

Mathew