cruise control

[scorpmontecarlo]

Is there anyone out there that knows if a elan has a vss
( vehicle speed sensor ) and where such wire would be located.
Thanks in advance Danny

[tweetdriver63]

Yes. The Elan has a vss. IIRC it's located in the area behind the speedo cluster, but you can go to the manuals section (see the link at the top of the page, below the LEC logo) and look it up.

Sounds like you're planning to install cruise control. I'm planning that myself, since any more than about 30 minutes at constant speed on the highway and I'm praying for somebody to please, amputate my leg!

I'm thinking of going with the Audiovox CCS100 model that can be bought on ebay for less than $100. I like it because of the small rectangular dash-mount controller. I can put it where the clock is (since it doesn't keep proper time, and you can't see it's display in the daylight anyway) There's no way I'd put one of those piggy-back things on the turn signal lever.

[Sy V]

Yes it has.
See Elan training course notes - Engine pages 22 and 23.

[scorpmontecarlo]

The audiovox is the one I bought I will see how it
goes Thanks for the info Danny

[Enright]

I've currently got my eye on Vauxhall Omega manuals on eBay for this exact purpose.
Being as their wiper stalks (with a variable intermittent wipe control) fit perfectly, and have S and R buttons incorporated into them, I reckon the rest of the system may be easily sourced from a scrappy, and transplanted.

In theory you just need the following:
The computer (which should be pretty small),
Input from the speedo, S, R, + and - buttons,
Output to a servo which would control the throttle,
Interrupt feature (a wire to the brake lights or brake light switch) - it's not good to have the car trying to accelerate while you're trying to brake!

[Doug]

Cruise Control in a Lotus??




there's a reason they are not there -- think about it.

sorry, I couldn't resist any longer

[Enright]

Oh the irony wasn't lost on me Doug - I just hate having a couple of buttons (on the car) that don't currently do anything!

[tweetdriver63]

I thought of that too. I just make regular trips of 1 to 2 1/2 hours each way, specially now that basketball season is starting. The leg just hurts so bad on these drives that i can't stand it. I wouldn't want to start not liking the car because of the pain it inflicts. Cruise control will completely eliminate that problem, and have really no effect on anything else. I'm not the kind of guy who worries about a couple of added pounds on the car.

[dapinky]

Being as their wiper stalks (with a variable intermittent wipe control) fit perfectly, and have S and R buttons incorporated into them, I reckon the rest of the system may be easily sourced from a scrappy, and transplanted.

Neil,

The S & R on the wiper stalk for a Vauxhall is for the onboard computer in the CDX/SRi/GSi models and is for Select & Reset. They change the dash display between the various functions (mpg/range/temp/stop watch etc etc).
The cruise control functions are 3 buttons on the indicator stalk, for Set/+2mph,Reset/-2mph, Off.
I assume that they are only touch-contact switches, so the S & R on the wipers could be made to work, but maybe a Vectra/Omega/Sintra indicator stalk would be better?????

PS, when i replaced mine on the Vauxhall, I paid about £25 for the CC module on ebay - I'm sure that someone who knows a bit about electronic engineering could sort out a way to utilise the Vauxhall module and then just use a couple of micro switches on the brake and clutch pedals........?

[tweetdriver63]

My Audiovox cruise control arrived a week or so ago, and I've just gotten round to looking at it. It looks like all the connections should be no problem (except does anybody know the pulse per minute rate of the VSS? I think it's probably 2000 like the Isuzu, but where can I get that info?)

The problem I see, and this is only at first glance, is finding a mounting location for the servo. It's about the size of a quart jar of Mayo, and has to be somwhere that allows routing of the cable to the throttle, parallel to the existing throttle cable. The actuator cable itself is about 4 feet long, and has restrictions about turning radius, similar to the throttle cable (in this case, minimun turn radius of 4 inches). Mounting to the firewall is not recommended due to the transmission of noise into the cabin, and it and the cable need to be kept away from really hot things, and moving things.

Any ideas?

[Doug]

any suggestions?

you could switch your boost gauge to one that takes a direct tube to it and dispose of the separate transducer--then use that space for the jar of mayo

[tweetdriver63]

any suggestions?

you could switch your boost gauge to one that takes a direct tube to it and dispose of the separate transducer--then use that space for the jar of mayo

I would have to figure out a way to shorten the cable in order to put it there. I think I'm going to fashion a bracket that will put the mayo jar right up front, in the space above the intake pipe between the garbage can and the turbo. The cable will then go around the timing belt end of the engine and join up with the throttle cable across the front of the plenum. That's my prject for this weekend.

I still need to know the pulse rate of the VSS.

[ESM]

The engine management manual says that the VSS is an optical type. The GM optical VSS gives 2000 pulses per mile so my money is on that pulse rate.

[mnemonix]

Did you get your CC installed Chris?

I have no experience of cruise control, but was surprised to see this thing used a servo and cable... why, when the Elan uses a throttle pot, and it could just output a variable voltage to control the throttle ?

I've been playing with the open source Arduino board (http://www.arduino.cc) recently and could see the construction of a solid state cruise control being pretty simple to the point I may give it a go unless someone more knowledgeable had good reasons as to why it wouldn't be such a good idea.

Chris.

[GeoffSmith]

Chris, you still need a mechanical input to open and close the throttle body butterfly - the TPS merely gives an indication of the butterfly's position so that the ECU can inject the correct amount of fuel.

[theelanman]

mmm.....think Im with doug on this one

[mnemonix]

Chris, you still need a mechanical input to open and close the throttle body butterfly - the TPS merely gives an indication of the butterfly's position so that the ECU can inject the correct amount of fuel.

Excellent, and in hindsight, a rather obvious, point. I can manually balance and tune a pair of Strombergs but have much to learn about "modern" cars, so I'm very grateful for your expertise.

[Specky]

Chris, you still need a mechanical input to open and close the throttle body butterfly - the TPS merely gives an indication of the butterfly's position so that the ECU can inject the correct amount of fuel.

Or you can go simpler and fit a module that connects direct to the accelerator pedal... AKA volvo...

TTFN

[HJ2]

I am planning to install a GPS HU today, and i'll need the VSS for this.
Is the cable that comes from the VSS unit behind the tacho a 2 wire? (one ground and one pulsed 12V?) Or even better, does it have a specific colour so i can find it easy? I'd hate to solder a cable twice

Thanks for replies! & best regards from a sunny Netherlands

[GeoffSmith]

The speed sensor is connected with a black/yellow wire to the ECU, the supply is an ignition switched line (usually green wire) and is grounded at the instrument panel earth according to the circuit diagram.