1997 nissan altima

[xSauronx]

pretty straightforward as far as my problem I guess.

1997 Nissan Altima GLE, 130K miles

cruise has worked since i got the car about 9 months ago...i tried to use it the other day and get nada. the "on" button on the dash lights up but the steering wheel controls to use it do nothing.

what can i start poking around for? ive checked all the fuses in an unrelated problem and theyre fine. i have no idea how the CC works, i have the cars tech manual but have no idea what to look for so i can poke around. im not much of a car guy, is there any chance its something i could fix myself without a lot of trouble?

 

[SearchMaster]

That happened on my old Eclipse. It was a vacuum leak. I can't help with fixing it though

 

[Vette73]

Check the safety switch at the brake pedal.
After that check the electrical lines/parts and vacuum(if it uses vacuum some newwer cars are all electric).

Cruise can be a easy fix, bad safety switch, or a real pain. There is not a real easy way if it is not something basic.

 

[exdeath]

Cruise control on a car using a mechanical throttle is just a servo which controls an additional cable at the throttle just like the accelerator cable. Depending on the design, the controller that responds to your buttons also has inputs from other sources from things like engine vacuum and speed sensor to appropriately adjust the servo to maintain steady speed. Additionally there are switches that disable cruise, such as when you hit the brake, press the clutch in or take it out of gear, etc.

Try checking the mechanical cables at the throttle. Should be one for the accelerator pedal and one for the cruise control servo. Inspect the cruise control servo that the cable goes into under the hood for broken pulleys, gears, cable end, vacuum lines, etc.

Check fuses and relays pertaining to cruise control (did you check both sets of fuses? usually one in the engine bay and another under the steering wheel).

Failing those two options, start testing switches and things that disable or override cruise, such as at the brake pedal, clutch, etc.

With that in mind, you should find what you need in your manual. Happy hunting

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: SearchMaster
That happened on my old Eclipse. It was a vacuum leak. I can't help with fixing it though

Cruise doesn't work due to a vacuum leak on my Dodge B2500 as well. It also plays hell with the vent controls.

 

[alpineranger]

almost all cars (except ones like those with drive by wire, for obvious reasons) use vacuum power to actuate the cruise control. The cruise control actuator is usually pretty obvious, and you should be able to trace the vacuum hoses connected to it. Replace them, they should be fairly cheap.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Check the safety switch at the brake pedal.
After that check the electrical lines/parts and vacuum(if it uses vacuum some newwer cars are all electric).

Cruise can be a easy fix, bad safety switch, or a real pain. There is not a real easy way if it is not something basic.

gah, busy week, i almost forgot i even posted this.

ah, brake pedal switch, ill do that first. i just had a problem with the brake light switch and had to replace it and adjust the new one to get it sorted so the lights worked properly, ill adjust the switch adjacent to it and see if that solves the problem first. *crosses fingers*

re: fuses
yeah i checked under the dash and the boxes in the engine bay, theyre all good. i did short out a fuse for the brake lights when i changed the switch (i uh.,..forgot to disconnect the battery during all my moving about) so ill look again.

ill check hoses, too, if i can figure out what is what and where. thanks for the replies

 

[xSauronx]

````````````its not the switch, both switches on the brake pedal otherwise work properly. the stop light switch just got replaced and the shift control switch keeps the A/T handle locked in P until i hit the brake.

i have a multimeter, but the harness that goes to the ASCD control box doesnt have contacts everywhere that the manual says to check for continuity and resistance so im all

i looked over the vacuum hose and didnt *see* anything,but i cant see under the pump motor or wherever it goes, so i cant see it that well (or take it off at all), and i guess it could have a hairline crack? theres diagnostics for testig the motor directly via the battery, but i dont have any stuff to use to put the voltage over all 3 contacts.

meh, im not a car guy. im kinda givin up :-/