1990 240sx, manual trans, cruise control not working

[lbrowne]

Its not the problem of the clutch pedal slightly depressed, I figured that out shortly after I got the car over a year ago and cruise worked well since. At one point I had to adjust the throttle body fitting that controls the plate and that is still secure.

I can't even get the light to come on, it just stopped working one day. Nothing was recently done to the car. Is there anything that fails with age in the cruise control system? Theres no fuses for it from what I can tell.

edit: finally found something in the archives that I didn't know to check, the pedal switches. Going to look at them now.
Modified by lbrowne at 5:36 PM 9/19/2007

[x240xdrifter]

I suggest taking out the little button module out of the steering wheel and see if there is anything obstructing the contact points

[lbrowne]

Can you pop that out with a small flathead screwdriver?

[x240xdrifter]

I believe that it is held in by screws, you can feel two holes in the back of the steering wheel, behind it, I think a tiny phillips head will do the trick

[lbrowne]

K, pedal switches are fine. I pulled the gauge bezel off as much as I could and the buttons seem fine.

That tilt steering lever FTMFL, man, how do you get the bezel out around that thing?!? anyways thats for another time.

[x240xdrifter]

its a PITA

[lbrowne]

Well I have no idea how to get that out without breaking it. Either way, back to my problem, eveyrthing appears to have checked out fine with the buttons.

[lbrowne]

So the cruise control light comes on, doesn't blink, stays solid even when i try to engage the controls in the steering wheel but it still doesn't work.

So is it the buttons in the wheel? I read in old archives the connections in the steering column can get worn?

[Chukidori]

I recommend not using cruise control, it seperates you more from the car

[x240xdrifter]

in my opinion, cruise control isn't worth the hassel, i say it could be the buttons or it could have something to do with the module, do the nintendo trick on plugs that go to the module and see if that does it

[lbrowne]

What the heck is the nintendo trick?

Anyways to each their own, I drive on the highway alot and absolutely can't stand trying to hold speed with my foot.

[sil_fourty]

sounds like it's working electronically, but not mechanically. Mine goes out periodically, but it IS electronic. Mine will either just give me about 10 flashes and then go dark, and the buttons on the wheel don't work at all. When it WORKS, it will not have a light on the gauge bezel, but the light on the button will come on. Then once I press the set button on the wheel the green light on the cluster will come on solid.

it sounds to me as though you have a vacuum leak on your cruise control module under the hood.

[Chukidori]

Replace Cruise control button with Self Destruct button and then sell it, prefferably to an old person who didint at first notice, and then watch their reactions as they desperately toy with the idea of engaging the cruise control

[lbrowne]

Ok so it has to be the steering wheel buttons or the wires in the console. My wife took the car on a long highway trip. It wouldn't work at first but later on she just started clicking the set button and it suddenly came on after a few clicks.

Theres connections you can clean in the column, just got to figure out which ones.

[tRdoc]

Same problem here.... I commute 1.5 hours each way to work, so cruise control is mandatory for me.

The light on the dash button comes on when I 'power on' the cruise... but when I hit the 'set' button on the sterring wheel, nothing happens.

I guess I'll try to pull out the switch from the steering wheel and check the contacts (however you do that...), maybe try to trace the wires into the steering column to attempt to clean the contacts.

<sigh>

I soooo need a new car.

[lbrowne]

Actually its easier than you think. 2 screws hold the buttons onto the steering wheel. Wedge your fingers into the crease of the horn pad and pull it off, it just pops off.

Right in front of you, you have the connections for the buttons. I swapped mine and it still doesn't work. Argh.

[Uberck]

dude lb, did you ever figure out what the hell the deal is? mine doesn't work either. i know it must be something under the wheel b/c my button lights up but the button on the steering wheel doesn't work. i had the horn cover off today but didn't see any cut wires or anything.

[lbrowne]

Haven't figured it out. If you keep messing with the steering wheel buttons enough it will eventualy come on the one time. Then you have to go through the ordeal again to set it again. So it has to be something with the connections inside - past the harness connector for the buttons but some connection point in the steering column...