Expert: Roland Finston - 7/8/2011

Question
The cruise control will work sometimes, sometimes not.  Sometimes when you click it on the light will come on and go off.  Other times it won't come on at all.  Sometimes it comes on and does fine.  I haven't had any codes pop up or engine lights.  This car has never given me a moment's problem with the cruise until now... 130 miles on the speedometer.  Cruise for me is essential.  My husband has looked for a fuse, but hasn't been able to locate one.  Any suggestions?  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Ruth,
If you have attempted to get fault codes with a plug in reader and none are present, then my suspicion is that something which normally cancels the cruise control is spontaneously doing it.
For example the brake pedal may be abnormally sensitive to being activated without your using it, so try pulling back (toward you) on the pedal with the tip of your left shoe and see if that stops the false cancellation issue. If so then inpsect the pedal action.
Similarly the cancel or the off switch at the steering column control may be shorting its signal to falsely tell the engine controller that you asked it to cancel the cruise. That could be checked with a volt-ohm meter if your husbanc has that. I can tell you the specific wires to check.
Finally, there are vacuum hoses that are involved with the control unit and are responsible for the  cruise functioning and a loose hose clamp or cracked hose could cause a loss of that vacuum source.
Those are the three areas I would look at.
Roland
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