Help needed troubleshooting Cruise Control

[travisgarrison]

Ok, I just installed my Rostra cruise control based on the instructions found on this site (http://portev.org/solectria/ho/incruise.htm). The problem is that in his writeup, he doesn't give much detail to some of the installation. On my first test I discovered that the cruise wasn't working. Here is the situation:

- The brake switch is always closed.

Here is the wiring setup I have:
- Grey VSS wired is connected to the blue/white wire on the computer as per instructions
- The red wire is connected to the brake positive (white/green)
- The violet wire is connected to one of the two clutch switch wires
- The other clutch switch wire is connected to the brake negative (green/white)
- Blue wire and black wire from the wireless receiver are connected to ground
- Brown wire on both the wireless receiver and cruise are connected to +12v via the fuse panel as per instructions

Right now my ground connection is through an eyelet connector on a bolt. Is there an actual ground wire I can just use a tap for? If so, what color is it?

Can anyone help?

[joecvt]

I installed the cruise control on a CVT model several years ago but I just looked up the installation instructions and it appears like the violet wire should really go to the brake switch wire and not the clutch switch. Also, are you installing a clutch switch kit or using the stock switch as that may be causing some problems as well if using the stock switch.

The instructions say the violet wire is connected to the cold side of brake switch, +12v when brake is pressed.

Hope that gets you going a bit further

JoeCVT = Just your average CVT owner

[travisgarrison]

Here is an update. I've been troubleshooting, and here are some more symptoms:

- If the violet wire is connected to the brake switch negative (bypassing the clutch switch all together) it lights up the brake lights on low (like when you have the running lights on).
- I double checked the dip switches on the Cruise control unit and they are fine.
- Checked the fuses (all good)
- Reversed the violet and red wires on the brake switch. No longer keeps the switch closed, but the cruise still doesn't work.

Unknowns for me are these:
- Is the clutch switch supposed to be a normally closed switch or normally open switch?
- Is my ground connection screwing things up? If someone could give me a color code on a ground wire, I could just tap into that.

[travisgarrison]

JoeCVT,
This is on a manual. According to the instructions I need to use the clutch switch. I am using the one provided by Rostra in their kit. It replaces the stop bolt and fits perfectly. Just for troubleshooting, I've taken the clutch switch out of the wiring. Right now I have tried the violet wire connected to the green wire with a white stripe, and the red wire to the white wire with green stripe. Doing this puts my brake lights constantly on. I've tried reversing that so that the violet wire is connected to the white wire with green stripe, and the red wire is attached to the green wire with red stripe and that gets rid of the brake light always on, but the cruise still doesn't work.

[travisgarrison]

Ok, I think im getting closer. The Cruise Control has a troubleshooting diagnostic mode. When I put it in diagnostic mode the LED light stays lit. Here is what the manual says about this:

1. LED light is staying on during testing procedure
Answer: If the LED stays on during test, (1) you have a poor ground on black wire main ground of unit or (2) Violet wire at cold side of brake is not seeing ground through brake light system or (3) switch 12 of programming switches is in wrong position.

I checked 1 and 3, and I know those are not the problem.

The manual goes on to say:

3- Installed LED tail lights and cruise stopped working.
Answer: When using LED tail lights, violet wire at cold brake will not see ground through brake system, you must wire in relay five function to let violet see ground and then lose ground when brake is applied.

Ok Here is my problem! I have LED tail lights installed, but I have absolutely no clue what the crap what "wire in relay five function" is supposed to mean. Any clues?

[joecvt]

The relay will isolate the cruise control violet wire from the brake lit LEDs...

Here is someone that ran into the same problem as you did and his fix using the relay:

http://www.hayabusa.org/forum/electr...e-control.html

There have been others reporting some problems using LED brake lights so if you start to see strange IMA behavour on the charge / assist gauge, look to the LEDs as a possible source of the problem.

JoeCVT = Just your average CVT owner

[travisgarrison]

Thanks Joe. I had just called the Distributor before I read your post and he gave me similar instructions. It's funny for me to say, but that Hayabusa has a bigger engine than our Insight... sorry, I ride motorcycles.

The wiring the tech gave me is slightly different than this guys:

85 Ground
30 Ground
86 Negative side of the brake
87A Violet wire
87 N/A

So I'm gonna try that.

[travisgarrison]

Today has been a long day. Purchased the relay and a harness for it. Wired it up, and still the same problem. I took a test light and the signals coming from the servo are correct (+12 on Red/Brown and Brown wires, and +12 on green when set is pressed, and +12 on yellow when resume is pressed.

The distributor is closed already for the day.

I've run a ground wire straight from my battery terminal (for testing), so I know that's good.

I did these same tests at the connection points for the wiring, with all the same results. I even tested the violet wire which lights up when the brake switch is triggered but not when the brake switch is open.

These are all the results that I am supposed to get, but in diagnostic mode the LED stays lit, and no working cruise control. Any ideas?

[joecvt]

Your wiring to the relay seems correct based on what I have read recently. It appears like the Rosta needs to sense a good ground on the violet wire for the cruise control to activate. Normally this is done through the filament of the brake light bulbs. Once the brake pedal is pressed, the ground is gone causing the cruise control to disengage (if activated). The installed clutch switch would also break that ground connection if depressed. Since you have LED brake lights, you can not get the good ground that the violet wire needs in order to engage so you now have a relay to provide a good ground to the violet wire until the brake pedal is pressed (activating the relay and releasing the ground to the violet wire). Is the ground going to the relay #30 a good solid ground source (not from the negative side of brake switch)?

Does your relay diagram and numbers match the one in the link I gave yesterday?

Reply back with each wire color and where they are currently connected (including the ones that you think don't have to be connected)....I seem to remember that I could not get it to activate until I grounded a wire that I didn't think had to be connected but that was about 4 years ago when I installed mine.

JoeCVT = Just your average CVT owner

[travisgarrison]

Right now, for testing, my ground is the negative battery terminal. The wiring to the relay is slightly different than the link you gave me. The tech I spoke to today specifically told me not to connect violet to 87, but to connect it instead to 87a. Here is the wiring I've got so far:

Violet - 87a
30 - ground
85 - ground
green/white (neg brake) - 86
white/green (pos brake) - red
black (from RF) - ground
brown (from RF) - Acc +12VDC
brown (from cruise) - Acc +12VDC
Blue (Tach) - ground
Grey (VSS) - blue/white

now, for simplicity I do not have the clutch switch wired in.

When put in diagnostic mode, the LED stays lit which means either ground is bad, violet isn't seeing ground, or switch 12 is in the wrong position. I'm getting ground directly from the negative battery terminal, I've checked switch 12 to make sure it's in the down position (for an open circuit), and I've wired in the relay exactly how the tech told me. The diagnostic light verifies it. Man this is frustrating.