Cruise Control

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Cruise Control

Postby dapinky » Tue 12.05.2015, 19:27

Fitting Vectra/Omega Cruise Control to Elan M100 - If you want to use a Senator/Carlton one, I can't help you!

Firstly, my thanks and appreciation go to the guys on a Vauxhall Forum who did the ‘thinking’ on this for fitting the unit to a Cavalier – I have unashamedly pinched their circuit diagram, but modified it to suit my fitting in the Elan, and the wire colours I used.

My rationale was that if they can fit it in a Cavalier, then I can fit it in an Elan of the same vintage which used Cavalier (Astra G / Callibra) wiring and instrumentation.


Parts Required:-

Omega/Vectra Parts:-
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• Control Unit / Motor Assembly including Mounting bracket and Throttle Cable. (Astra4 mounting bracket may be easier to fit than the Omega/Vectra one)
• Indicator / Dim / Dip / Cruise Switch (Left Instrument Stalk)
• Clutch switch (Twist in type required, as Cavalier brake Switch, must be normally closed)****** not easy to fit to an Elan - see later text on the way round it/
• Loom or connectors and short wires from each item above.

Lotus/Isuzu/other parts:-

• Bracket for fitting Cruise cable next to Throttle cable (easy to make out of 3mm aluminium - fits to same bolts as current throttle cable, but a tad lower and forward (has to be lower due to bonnet line). & suitable fitting for throttle plate.

• Wiring cable/connectors etc…. I bought some 7 core tow-bar wiring cable for running from dash to ECU, and used a single wire for ground. Most joints were just soldered and heatshrinked (heatshrunk?), with the odd red Scotchlok to splice into current wiring where I couldn’t easily reach with a soldering iron.

Firstly (having decided on the location of the unit), I connected the 7-core cable to the appropriate wires on the Vauxhall ECU plug (I actually did it via a seperate 8-way waterproof plug/socket, but you don't need to - I thought it might make the wiring a tad easier, but it didn't really help much!)

The only place I could find to mount the Cruise Control ECU/Motor was inside the FOS wheel arch – but that means that the OE cable isn’t long enough, so it needed to be adapted (as did some other parts)…..
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I did consider fitting it where the boost transducer is currently located (and use the Vauxhall cable), but decided that it *may* interfere with the bonnet shutting, so decided against it (the boost transducer can go further down the clamshell nearer to the engine mounting – or anywhere else that the wiring/vacuum pipe will reach, or can be extended to get to).

The inner cable has a 5mm barrel end, which is the same as a bicycle gear cable,
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so off to Halfords to buy a stainless universal gear gable/outer. I needed to use the Vauxhall outer cable end to connect to the CC ECU, so had to carefully remove the cable outer, whilst leaving the plastic fitting intact – then simply fit the plain cable outer into the fitting with epoxy resin – final length to be determined later depending on cable routing.
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At the throttle end, I was fortunate enough to have a complete assembly on a spare engine, so just used the cam lever/wheel which I had to chop the endstop bracket off. Then it simply went onto the spindle next to the already fitted throttle cable, so I have 2 parallel fittings. If you can’t get a spare one, then you will need to make up some sort of lever system to do the job!
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The Vectra mounting bracket had to be adapted (read, beaten with a hammer and chopped with an angle grinder) to get it how I wanted it – but there is just the right amount of metal in the bracket to fit exactly in the space. I had to drill 2 x 6mm holes into the suspension upright longeron frame flange (not load-bearing, so not a structural issue – also gives a good earth for the brown wire from the CC ECU), and the other end simply fitted to the lower outer pedal-box bolt. This is a captive bolt which goes through the bulkhead and holds the pedal box, and can be simply undone enough to slide the CC bracket into place, then do it up again. 2 off M6x16 bolts and flanged nuts held the other side to the longeron. It is rigid and supported in the location (I was concerned that if it wasn’t mounted firmly, then any vibration may affect the ‘constant’ speed requirement due to cable flex).
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The plastic wheelarch liner needs a bit of adjustment – just warm up the affected area with a hot air gun and push it into place – it will mould itself to the required shape. BE CAREFULL NOT TO BURN YOUR FINGERS – THE PLASTIC GETS HOT – I found out the hard way that it would be a good idea to do this whilst wearing gloves to hold it in place as it cools.

Ensure that there is enough space to slip the ECU up into the bracket (there should be!), and it will be held to the bracket with 3 off M6x16 bolts/washers.

With the wheelarch work completed the cable needed routing and connecting to the Clutch, Brake and Control switches and the Speed Signal.

By using a single 7-core cable it kept it all tidy, but as it can’t be seen, it isn’t actually necessary.

It routes straight through to behind the dash, and then gets divided into 2 main bits – 4 wires to the control stalk, one to the rear of the instrument panel (Speed sensor) and 3 to the pedals… A constant (ignition fed) 12V can be found anywhere you like, and also the earth – there is an earth braid just above the CC ECU location, hence why I used a separate wire for it!

The speed input wire that you want is a black/yellow wire from the back of the instrument panel (it goes to the ECU) and it is easiest to just splice the White wire in the 7-core cable onto it with a Scotchlok.
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The ignition controlled 12V that I used was from the unused AC blower fan relay socket under the dash cover – just used a male spade connector and inserted it into the socket for the relay (Light Green wire with Green trace). Join to Green in the 7-core – with a 5A inline fuse, and also to pin B on the control stalk – unless you want to get 12V from somewhere else).
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The Green/Purple wire at the brake switch is the one to Scotchlok to the Black in the 7-core cable…. It isn’t at all easy to get at, you can feel it, or see it, but it’s hard to do both – perseverance is needed.

Okay, onto the control stalk – as well as the ‘standard’ main plug connector for all the Elan stalk functions, your ‘new’ stalk will have 4 wires going to a small socket. If you are fortunate enough to have got the plug bit that goes with it, great – but if not, just chop off the socket and join the 4 wires singly.

You will notice that the 4 wires from the plug look similar colours, but they have different trace colouring – which (co-incidentally by amazing good fortune, blind luck or actually sort of thought about intellect!) are also the colours of the 3 wires in the 7-core cable :D .
As such, the wires connect:-
Black/Red (Pin A) goes to Red
Black/Brown (Pin C) goes to Brown
Black/Yellow (Pin D) goes to Yellow
Black (Pin B) goes to 12V from wherever you get it – I used the same 12V supply from the AC relay socket.

However, if you didn’t get the plug with the stalk, then the 4 wires on the socket (stalk end of the connection) are not the same colours as above and equate to:-

Grey (Pin A) goes to Red
Blue(Pin C) goes to Brown
Green (Pin D) goes to Yellow
Red (Pin B) goes to 12V from wherever you get it.


Oops, forgot to mention the obvious…. You need to route the wires for the stalk up through the steering column cowling!

One more wire to go, and then we’re done. This is the one which takes a bit of ingenuity (or you could say bodgery, adaptation or just hopefulness)…

The unit relies on a number of factors to enable the Cruise Control to work – the speed signal not only sets the unit at the desired speed level, but also ensures that CC can’t be set at too low a speed (approximately 50kph/30mph). Also, that the unit switches off if the brakes are applied. The final bit is that the unit switches off if the clutch is depressed.

This is basically to stop the engine revs rapidly rising when you dip the clutch. It relies on a constant 12V to be seen at Pin D on the CC ECU, and the clutch switch interrupts this signal, and turns off the unit. The switch is closed when the pedal is up, and opens when the pedal moves (opposite to the brake light switch), and in a Vectra is fitted to the pedal box above the clutch pedal (one of these). However, the Elan doesn’t have the wiring to fit it, and the pedal box isn’t designed to accept one….
The options are to find some way to fit a Vauxhall switch, and attach the wiring to it, find an alternative (one of these?) and fit it somehow, find any suitable release-to-break switch and mount it (something like a smash-glass-to-sound-fire-alarm thingy??)…….

…….OR…….

If you think that you will never dip the clutch whilst the unit is on (I can’t remember ever doing it in any of my other cars, but maybe I have), then you can just connect your Blue wire to a 12V feed and it’ll all work fine…..

…but as I didn’t trust myself (or any other driver) to remember to switch it off before operating the clutch, I decided that a simple reed switch would do the job.

I had some lying around from a set of shed alarms which I bought ages ago from the Pound shop, so they didn’t cost me anything – just make sure that you get the NO (Normally Open) type, not the NC. I fitted the main bit to the pedal box, and the slim magnet to the pedal lever with double-sided tape. There are about a million and one options on Ebay, but any hardware store will have them – they are just window/door alarm contact switches and are as cheap as chips :D

UPDATE – I have since bought one of these reed switches – far easier to mount, and a flat magnet just sticks to the clutch pedal.

Circuit Diagram

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Pin out
pinout.png


The only thing I may do in the future is to wire up a dash telltale (I don't have one on my Vectra, so am used to CC without one) - my 'knowledge' of things is such that I *believe* that when you press the Increase button on the stalk to set the CC, it sends 12V to the ECU, now I am unsure if this is a constant 12V or a short 'spike'. If it is a constant 12V then the telltale is just connected to this wire - if it's a signal spike, it can still operate a relay, but the wiring is a tad harder.

There is a suitable space in the current line of telltales (as would be used in the Japanese market cars for a hot cat) and it would be a simple job to make up a suitable mask to fit the hole, plug in a spare bulb/holder, and put a wire in the blank space in the plug (up by the wire we took the speed signal from earlier).

At the moment, I can't be bothered to worry about the wiring for it, as it will need the instrument panel to be taken out to do the telltale, so it'll wait until i next have to take it out (if ever).

The mask will be a simple picture printed onto clear acetate with a standard InkJet printer - it all depends on your quality of printer as to if it will work, and if the black is dark enough to not show any light through - who knows?
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Dave

Just the one now, but this one's mine! - and it will be finished eventually..... - but also temporary custodian of a project until it is finished enough for Angie to drive it

go on - click this link - you know you want to!
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Re: Cruise Control

Postby Elanlover » Tue 12.05.2015, 19:34

Wow. You've been a busy boy indeed. :clap:
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Re: Cruise Control

Postby dapinky » Tue 12.05.2015, 19:39

In fairness, they were both jobs which have been under consideration/construction for a while - it's just that I've now got them finalised and fitted to a quality that I'm happy with - hence I haven't written about them before, as i wanted to make sure they worked properly before getting people interested :wink:

... there are a couple more to come - but nothing quite so extreme.
Dave

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Re: Cruise Control

Postby cliff » Tue 12.05.2015, 20:42

Dave, once again, brilliant!

I looked at this last year, acquired all of the parts and wiring diagrams, I even had Metal Monkey make up a new tell tale with the cruise symbol on it. This was in an unused position and only needed an extra wire adding to the instrument binnacle connector.

P6200794.jpg


The only thing that worried me was, when operating the throttle with the cruise cable, the original throttle cable rises out of its spindle. By sods law, there is the possibility that it might not re-seat itself, obviously at the worst moment. An alternative method moving the accelerator pedal as well or a higher cable guard, is on my list of things to do, once life and work stop getting in the way.

I was also looking at mounting the control module where the boost transmitter is, there seemed to be just about enough space. Like the wheel arch idea though.

Incidentally, there are different length of cables fitted to the cruise module depending on which model you source the cruise stuff from. They all seem to be plug and play.
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Re: Cruise Control

Postby HJ2 » Tue 12.05.2015, 21:13

I love it!

I'm afraid this won't be ready on my car by Ypres :lol:
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Re: Cruise Control

Postby dapinky » Tue 12.05.2015, 22:28

cliff wrote:Incidentally, there are different length of cables fitted to the cruise module depending on which model you source the cruise stuff from. They all seem to be plug and play.


Yep, 3 different lenghts of cable (4 different cables in all, 2 are the same length but with different end fittings - and not one of them is suitable as a straight fit on the elan (mainly due to the big lump of plastic half way along the cable).

I looked at them all, then decided that all it needed was a plain cable with the correct fitting at the ECU end, and as I already had the other end sorted, it was easiest way to do it.

The longest cable from Vauxhall still wont reach the wheelarch, and I still think that the transducer location may get in the way of the bonnet (and at least now its hidden a bit) - but then a standard Vauxhall cable would be long enough, but would still look 'wrong'.

I was fortunate enough to have enough cars here to try 3 of the available cables to see the difference - TBH, there isn't a lot between them.

I've not had the cable jumping from the throttle lever issue, but can see what you mean - I suppose it could be countered with a simple enough addition over the top of the quadrant?


Again, this is a project which probably won't appeal to everyone, and many may see it as totally pointless on a car like an Elan - and I may even agree in principle....

.... but when you've got a knackered right ankle which seizes up when left in a constant position (like driving on a motorway), it is a bit of a bonus! I wouldn't buy a car without it these days.
Dave

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Re: Cruise Control

Postby Ian T » Tue 12.05.2015, 23:24

Great write up Dave, I've added these to Mk3 Cavaliers, Mk2 and Mk3 Astras and they work very well.

From memory, the Carlton / Senator one is electrically compatible and has the same dimensions, but the pulse per km count on the Senator is different to the Vectra and so alters the minimum speed that the cruise control will enable.

From memory, the V6 Cavaliers (and Vectras that followed) had around 15,400 pulses per km, whereas the Carltons had around 5720. By my reckoning that will just mean that the cruise control from a Carlton will engage right down to around idle speed in first gear on a Vectra, unless a divider is used. Do you have any data on the Lotus count of pulses per km?

I've been considering adding a Carlton Fuel computer to my Elan, as many moons ago I reverse engineered them and sussed out how to programme them for different wheel and engine combinations. Assuming a fuel pulse can be simply tapped off an injector, that looks very do-able too.

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Re: Cruise Control

Postby theelanman » Wed 13.05.2015, 09:34

wow...great stuff..... :smt023
anyone would think you've got nowt else to do........ :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D
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Re: Cruise Control

Postby dapinky » Wed 13.05.2015, 10:51

Ian T wrote:..... Do you have any data on the Lotus count of pulses per km?


Ian,

I don't have a clue!

I've not found any data on it (okay, I never even looked!), and TBH, it was never a consideration to a man of my (in)ability to worry about the repercussions of such things.

I just worked on the principle that it works in my Vectra, it works in a Cavalier with V6 or S4 engines and the instrument cluster (and thus, presumably, the speed sensor) in the Elan is a straight lift from Cavalier/Callibra/Astra (albeit with a different combo of gears for the odometer) - - therefore, it should work.

As you alude to, the actual number of pulses/Km is somewhat irellevant to the operation of the unit - only the 'fine control'.

As long as the unit gets enough pulses to allow it to work (hence the minimum speed) it will hold the speed at which it is set (whilst the pulses remain the same)....

...the only other (possible) difference in transferring the unit to the Elan is the step up (or down) in speed for each prod of the button on the control stalk:-

Each push allows the motor in the ECU to move a set amount (whether it's distance or time, I don't know) and I also don't know if it moves until the pulse rate increases sufficiently to increase the speed by 1mph then shuts off, or if it just moves the cable a set amount (I suspect the former - otherwise the speed difference would change depending on how fast (or what throttle opening/gear you're in) you're going when you push the button) - but i didn't worry about it!

If it is a purely mechanical/physical movement of the cable by a set amount, then there may be a slight difference between a Vectra and an Elan due to the amount of throttle cable (linear) movement vs how much the throttle twists open (rotation).

But if it uses the pulse signal to regulate the change, none of this matters.

Seeing as I only tend to set it at whatever speed I'm traveling and rarely use the increment changes, it isn't an issue - and anyway, does it really matter if it changes the speed by 1mph, 1.5mph or 3mph? - as long as you know what it is going to do, you'll get used to it.


Various articles I read (early in the thought process) suggest that the Carlton/Senator system is different and uses a sepearte motor and ECU as opposed to the Vectra/Omega which is all-in-one..... but I haven't studied them, so can't really comment. Having a working system on my Vectra made it much easier to visualise the whole thing, and these days, Vectras and Omegas are far more plentiful in breakers yards.
Also, as the pulse system in the Senators/Carltons changed during their production run - they will work in some Cavaliers, and not others (well, they seem to work in all, but if your car is incompatible with the CC, then it may just work between 2 and 50mph, which isn't a whole lot of good for most people!)

Get-out-of-jail-free-card.......... All of the above paragraph information is from Google - I can't say whether it is true or may/may not work in the Elan.

One thought though, the straight 6 cable looks a bit longer than any Omega ones, so if it is the same fittment into the motor, then it may well save any canibalisation of the cables (if you can get one at the right price!).
Dave

Just the one now, but this one's mine! - and it will be finished eventually..... - but also temporary custodian of a project until it is finished enough for Angie to drive it

go on - click this link - you know you want to!
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Re: Cruise Control

Postby tigerdog » Tue 02.06.2015, 06:16

Superb!
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Re: Cruise Control

Postby tb10 » Tue 02.06.2015, 09:19

dapinky wrote:Fitting Vectra/Omega Cruise Control to Elan M100 - If you want to use a Senator/Carlton one, I can't help you!


By chance, I recently bought the complete wiring harness / ECU for the Senator/Carlton (OK...... Recently = about two years ago) to fit into my car and its still sitting in the boxes. When I get round to it (don't hold your breath) I'll post a write up so we (may) have two Vauxhall Cruise Control set ups to reference.

Regards to all


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Re: Cruise Control

Postby Ian T » Sat 06.06.2015, 01:13

Sorry Dave, been away and missed your post. Back now.

All looks perfectly reasonable to me. Sounds like you and I spent similar amounts of time playing with Vauxhalls of that vintage. ;)

Digging around my lock up garage, I found the spare cruise control motor I bought some time ago to fit into my Mk2 Astra. Truth is I don't need it and didn't want to upgrade to the new type stalks, so if anyone wants it, it's available. I have probably got a Vectra stalk as well.

I may yet wire up the fuel computer though. :)
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