General: Cruise Control Usage

[volvo always]

My auto Volvos don't have cruise.

My recently bought 2006 IS 6 speed manual 220d does.

I only use it from 50mph onwards as its not radar controlled adaptive cruise control so doesn't seem to keep same speed as car in front.
I use it mostly when in quiet sections and in speed camera zones.

There is a button on lower dash which I think you can set car gap but don't know how to use. Must read manual again!
So far done 900 miles in it and still going well.

James

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by volvo always

My auto Volvos don't have cruise.

My recently bought 2006 IS 6 speed manual 220d does.

I only use it from 50mph onwards as its not radar controlled adaptive cruise control so doesn't seem to keep same speed as car in front.
I use it mostly when in quiet sections and in speed camera zones.

There is a button on lower dash which I think you can set car gap but don't know how to use. Must read manual again!
So far done 900 miles in it and still going well.

James

If the car in front doesn't have cruise control then you don't want your cruise control to follow the speed of the car in front! Would defeat the whole object of maintaining a steady speed to improve economy and reduce driver fatigue.
If it's not radar controlled then that button under the dash probably does nothing for the gap between the cars, possibly parking sensor mute or something?

I've often wondered about the sense of fitting cruise on a manual car, as soon as you touch the clutch, cruise drops out.
This would be a problem on a long motorway incline for example where it would be necessary to change down to maintain set speed or round town in a 30mph limit.

Once upon a time, heated rear windows were optional extras and before that, so were heaters. I'm not suggesting we go back to those kind of dark ages but in general, cars and their accessories are way too complicated these days.

[volvo always]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

If the car in front doesn't have cruise control then you don't want your cruise control to follow the speed of the car in front! Would defeat the whole object of maintaining a steady speed to improve economy and reduce driver fatigue.
If it's not radar controlled then that button under the dash probably does nothing for the gap between the cars, possibly parking sensor mute or something?

I've often wondered about the sense of fitting cruise on a manual car, as soon as you touch the clutch, cruise drops out.
This would be a problem on a long motorway incline for example where it would be necessary to change down to maintain set speed or round town in a 30mph limit.

Once upon a time, heated rear windows were optional extras and before that, so were heaters. I'm not suggesting we go back to those kind of dark ages but in general, cars and their accessories are way too complicated these days.

Indeed, modern cars are far too complicated! My ECC on the Lexus, the drivers side isn't as cold as the passenger side.
From reading the Lexus forum they have air vacuum motors to control the flaps in the ducts and also ducts that are greased but grease and dust sticks to the old grease and prevents ducts closing/opening fully.
4 -5 hour dash removal job, but nobody ever done it but dealer at £150 an hour!

The AC on my Lexus not as cold as it was so suspect a gradual leak. The engine bay is hemmed right in and everything difficult to get at.

Still waiting for the V5, then getting it serviced and re-gassed to see if I can find the leak and if I can get at it to fix it!

I find my Lexus IS 220d looks nice, very comfortable. Good stereo. Drives faultless around 38-40mpg on a run and 5 star Euro N cap safety ratings with 10 airbags including driver and passenger knee airbags. The interior is well put together and doors have a nice solid feeling.

I think my next modern used car may be a Lexus Hybrid.

The 940 is a much simpler car and AC ice cold out of all vents and easy to get at parts in engine bay. Reliable and simple mechanically.
Diesel lexus not regarded for reliability engine wise and V6 petrol Auto model to go for or hybrid.
So far though I like it and once the turbo kicks in it goes well and needs the traction control when you boot it. Apparently has 175BHP.
Auto Diesel would be nice and less turbo lag.

James

[Laird Scooby]

You could try setting the drivers side colder or set the passenger side to full heat, drivers side to full cool, drive like that for a few minutes then swap them (drivers hot, passenger cold) and see if that improves matters.
Alternatively it might be down to the design of the manifolds coming from the heater/air-con box. Almost every car i've ever had has always cleared the passenger side of the front screen first when using the heater to demist it.
As far as i can make out it's simply down to the heater duct/manifold designs, primarily for the LHD market as there are more countries with LHD than RHD
so it might be a side effect of that.

[SteEnt]

I've found it to be most useful on motorways and roads with average speed limit cameras, otherwise every now and then I **** myself and have to look down at what speed I'm doing, which is what will actually cause accidents more than speeding itself.
Other than that, I don't use it as it takes the fun out of driving.

[tofufi]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I've often wondered about the sense of fitting cruise on a manual car, as soon as you touch the clutch, cruise drops out.
This would be a problem on a long motorway incline for example where it would be necessary to change down to maintain set speed or round town in a 30mph limit.

I've never had to change down a gear for a motorway hill in my 740 - in the last 25,000 motorway miles

Some modern cars (Vauxhall insignia iirc) let you change gear without interrupting the cruise control... 50mph is right in that spot between 5th and 6th gear, frustrating on roadwork sections!

[Laird Scooby]

Yours is turbo diesel though Jim. On smaller engined n/asp cars, quite often motorway inclines mean they struggle, especially older cars.

That said, they mainly don't have cruise control anyway.

[volvo always]

Originally Posted by volvo always

Indeed, modern cars are far too complicated! My ECC on the Lexus, the drivers side isn't as cold as the passenger side.
From reading the Lexus forum they have air vacuum motors to control the flaps in the ducts and also ducts that are greased but grease and dust sticks to the old grease and prevents ducts closing/opening fully.
4 -5 hour dash removal job, but nobody ever done it but dealer at £150 an hour!

The AC on my Lexus not as cold as it was so suspect a gradual leak. The engine bay is hemmed right in and everything difficult to get at.

Still waiting for the V5, then getting it serviced and re-gassed to see if I can find the leak and if I can get at it to fix it!

I find my Lexus IS 220d looks nice, very comfortable. Good stereo. Drives faultless around 38-40mpg on a run and 5 star Euro N cap safety ratings with 10 airbags including driver and passenger knee airbags. The interior is well put together and doors have a nice solid feeling.

I think my next modern used car may be a Lexus Hybrid.

The 940 is a much simpler car and AC ice cold out of all vents and easy to get at parts in engine bay. Reliable and simple mechanically.
Diesel lexus not regarded for reliability engine wise and V6 petrol Auto model to go for or hybrid.
So far though I like it and once the turbo kicks in it goes well and needs the traction control when you boot it. Apparently has 175BHP.
Auto Diesel would be nice and less turbo lag.

James

An update.
The Lexus ECC did have a leak on the condenser as diagnosed by cool car. The refrigerant enters on the passenger side hence drivers side vents get warmer first as you lose the refrigerant due to a leak.
Installed a 2nd condenser after I damaged the first and thankfully blows nice and cold.
I have done 3,000 trouble free miles and even found out you have to hold down the button on the boot release fob to open the boot, not just press it! I'm impressed with the quality and now on 178,000 and everything all works and nothing worn or damaged.

The 1996 940 LPT has been a trooper as went to the Isle of Wight for 11 days and covered the 450 mile journey and collecting materials perfect as usual. Only issue is AC still leaking at condenser clamp which isn't available from Volvo or classic parts. I'll try replacing the o rings again and put clamp in a vice to get perfectly flat.
Mid October going again in the 940 for 3 weeks to fit a kitchen and replace and relocate rads and lay a new kitchen floor.

James

[Laird Scooby]

I recently bought an aftermarket cruise control to fit to mine, haven't got around to doing it yet for many reasons, one of which is i need to run some wiring for the upcoming LPG conversion through the same bulkhead hole.

Volvo placed one very conveniently to the left of the brake pedal - apparently on some strange cars it's for a thing called a "clutch".

One of the other reasons i haven't started it yet is finding somewhere to site the control panel for it - it's kind of big for what it is!



Also i keep trying to work out a way of using a genuine Volvo cruise control indicator stalk to interface to the aftermarket buttons.

[AliMurray]

I use it on the motorway, A roads and traffic. On a windy empty road I want to enjoy the R-Design aspects so no CC! I have adaptive cruise and I love it on the motorway but even more so in stop start slow moving traffic which I encounter a lot of. I find letting the adaptive cruise crawl along in stop start rush hour traffic far less frustrating.. it is almost like you are less affected by it.