Cruise Control Installation Question

[JHolt]

Alright, now that I've got the turbine housing under control (with great help from you guys), the other item on my list is installing cruise control. I have gathered nearly everything I need and have installed the steering wheel switches and new clockspring, I have the regulator (under hood) and have connected it to the vacuum line and the wiring harness, now the question is:



How does that cable attach to the throttle linkage?? The cable coming from the vacuum-assisted regulator has a long slot on the end, and I know WHERE it attaches, I just can't figure out HOW it attaches. The shop manual is no help, and I haven't found a truck to look at (that would be simplest).



I am probably missing some small critical part (the stealer can't figure that out using their lame diagrams), but can someone describe this connection so that I can rig it up? A picture would be awesome, but anything would help at this point.



I imagine the slot allows the throttle to move normally when cruise is not engaged, and then when cruise is engaged, the cable pulls the slotted end back until it contacts the throttle and then controls it... . but who knows, I could have it all wrong.



Thanks for any help,

Jack

 

[Philip]

Here is a thread I posted in with a pic of the throttle linkage from my 93. The cruse is the inside connection.



There are two pic's. If you can't make the linkage out good enough let me know. I can send a larger pic to you by e-mail.



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=54359&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

 

[Thierry]

Cruise control

Give me an email -- email address removed -- and a good time to call you as I have gone through this with my Ramcharger, with 93 diesel and I also have a complete mopar cruise control kit left over.



Thierry

 

[JHolt]

Philip, I just emailed you to request a larger photo, those were quite small to see the detail. I think I see a spring on the front of the slotted end of the cable. Is that the kickdown for the transmission though? I have a 5-spd so I don't have that cable.



Thierry, I just emailed you too.



Thanks,

Jack

 

[Philip]

Pic's on the way.



The cable with the spring is the trans kick down cable. The cable to the engine side of it is the cruise cable.

 

[JHolt]

All hooked up but no go.

Well, with Philip and Thierry's help I got it figured out and it's all hooked up, but nothing happens when I try to engage it on the highway. I suppose I could put it up on jackstands and "drive" it so I can look under the hood and see if the regulator is doing anything... what is the most common problem with these? I have brand new clockspring and switches, so they should be fine.



There is no slack in the cable... (i. e. , at idle position, the cruise cable has no play) and the adjustment is on the first notch, so I can' t make it any looser. I guess I could check the vacuum and make sure it's okay at the regulator. All other vacuum-controlled systems are working fine.



Not much time for debugging it, I gotta hit the road dark and early Saturday. At least I got it this far along, maybe I'll figure it out somewhere along the way.



Thanks for the help, guys.

- Jack

 

[Philip]

Were the switches you installed new or used? If they were used. Do you feel a light click when you turn on the cruise or set it. Most bad switch's I have seen so far. You do not feel a positive click when you activate it. It will feel mushy.



Did you install the vacuum cut out switch into the harness also. It mounts behind the driver side hood hinge? This is used to drop the cruise if the engine vacuum drops below a certain set point. Without this there would be now power to the switches on the steering wheel.

 

[JHolt]

Control switches are brand new, but you got me on the vacuum cut out switch! I don't have one of those. I'll take a look for the electrical connector (I seem to recall an extra one over in that area). So it's a failsafe, and has to be there to get power to the switches... guess I could jumper it for now to see if the rest of the stuff works. I wonder how much the stealer will want for that?!



This reminds me of another question. In addition to brake cut-off to disengage the cruise, should there be one for the clutch, for the manual transmission trucks? I didn't find one in the wiring diagrams in the shop manual.



Jack

 

[Philip]

Mine was bad on my 93. It cost around $40. for a new one. You will also need to add a vacuum hose to it. It is a round plug on my 93. On yours I am not sure it it will be the same type of plug.



A gas truck will be the same for this item. I would head out to the shopping center and do some looking. (I. E. junkyard)



I was wrong also. It kills the signal wire to the actuator not the power to the switches.



They didn't use a clutch switch from what I can remember.

 

[btoscano]

Hello,



How much have others spent adding cruise control to a '90 D250? Mine doesn't have it, and I'm interested in adding it if the cost is reasonable.



Thanks,

Brian Toscano

 

[Philip]

Hello Brian





On pre 91. 5 models there is some problems if the truck didn't come with cruise controll from the factory. Dodge didn't put the wiring for the cruise controll in.



So you would need to find a complete setup from a junkyard and install it or use a aftermarket stand alone setup.

 

[btoscano]

Thanks.

 

[JHolt]

cost

FYI, I spent close to $250 to add mine (it has a '93 wiring harness), partly because I had to buy a new clockspring and switches from the stealer. Couldn't find good ones from a junkyard.



And as a postscript to the earlier posts, I finally figured out that the control cable was disconnected inside the vacuum-controlled regulator. Once I reconnected it, everything worked fine. Turns out I did have the low vacuum cutout switch. Just hadn't noticed it.



The cruise control isn't very smooth over about 70 mph, though. Kind of surges. As far as I know, there is no sensitivity adjustment. An aftermarket unit might work better. ?.