V50 Cruise Control

Is it possible to retro fit cruise control? if yes who and where and how much. (U.K) Please

[Darth Paul]

Have you asked at your dealer?

[Ray_T]

My better half had cruise control retro fitted to her 1999 V70 recently by a Volvo dealer in Leicester, cost about £150, if I remember correctly.

[Darth Paul]

Seems a hell of a bargain.

I think there might be a '0' missing off the end of that figure ... why bother to retrofit it? It's awkward to use on a V70 and you'll hardly ever need it in this county at least ...

i never use mine, tried it once very unnerving, and not very safe

IMHO it's more of a gimmick than anything, pretty useless on our crowded roads where traffic conditions change from minute to minute - I only ever (very rarely) use it early in the morning or late at night when there's very little else on the motorway, and then only motorways that I know like the back of my hand - what could be worse than having the CAR driving YOU at high speeds in unfamiliar circumstances?

Just to be different from the other replies... I chose the SE model specifically because of cruise control. My last three cars had cruise fitted and my next three will have cruise fitted. I find trying to keep to the speed limit especially in 30 or 40mph zones near impossible because the engine is so flexible and quiet. So instead of having one eye on the road and the other on the speedometer, I stick on cruise - problem solved. I don't care if a sign says speed camera's ahead, or a patrol car appears from nowhere - I know exactly what speed I'm doing.

I'd also argue using cruise in built up areas is safer than driving without cruise. Normally when you do an emergency stop, unless you're Jenson Button and use left foot braking, you lift your right foot from the accelerator, move it over to the brake, and press as hard as you can. However with cruise control, my foot is constantly over the brake pedal... I'll bet I can stop quicker whilst using cruise control than when I'm using the accelerator.

However I would have thought the cost of retro fitting cruise would be prohibitive. Even if there was an official Volvo kit is available (there's a Volvo aftermarket computer kit available - you even get a replacement left side steering stalk), I'd have thought the sticking point would be labour costs.

There's the non-Volvo route. Sites such as www.conrad-anderson.co.uk may give you some indication of prices. But then you may have to consider that a non-Volvo approved fitment could invalidate the Volvo warranty? It'd probably be worthwhile checking that your insurance would remain valid as well. You may have to delcare to your insurers that you have this fitted.

Is that enough to put you off the idea?

That’s the craziest driving style I’ve ever heard!!! :o

I’ve always wondered what was going on when your behind someone and there brake lights are constantly flashing.

Driving in built up area with cruise on Is downright dangerous, braking every time your car propels you towards the car in front!

You must constantly have 1 hand on the resume switch and 1 foot hovering over the brake!! Sounds uncomfortable to me, because obviously you cant rest your foot on the brake pedal, because then you’d have to flick the resume switch again, Bizarre.
& I bet you get through disks and pads like toilet paper. Fuel economy must be poor as well

If your worried about exceeding the speed limit, which incidentally only takes a little self control, even in a T4, then set that silly beeper thingy on your info centre,

Personally, I get along fine with just looking at my Speedo, which must take all of 1/10th of a second.

Well I suppose everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but your post certainly provokes reply. You seem to be making an awful lot of assumptions in your criticism. Could you please elaborate on the following:-

Why on earth would my brake lights be constantly flashing?

"Braking every time propels you towards the car in front"? I can't understand your fascination with brakes. Does braking whilst using cruise control in any way differ from braking whilst using the accelerator? Are you implying I use my brakes more often when using cruise control than when I do when using the accelerator? Surely I, who has used cruise control for many years isn't being lectured by the same 'alfonzobonzo' who in his/her previous post stated "tried it once"?

I also struggle with the logic of your statement. Are you saying that whilst braking, my car is being propelled towards the car in front (not according to Newton it isn't), or are you saying that the contents of my car are being propelled towards the car in front (which is true). In either case, under normal driving conditions I'd have thought the forces involved would be negligible. However you do make one serious point. If I brake whilst the driver behind me just happens to be using that 1/10th of a second to glance at his speedometer, then yes he definitely would be propelled towards the car in front!

"Resume switch" Did I mention anything about a resume switch ?Personally I can't think why a resume switch would be beneficial to me. If I have had to disengage cruise for any reason, then it's very unlikely that the conditions are such that cruise can immediately be switched back on. I wait until such times as traffic conditions allow acceleration back up to the speed limit, and then I press the SET button. What's crazy about that?

Yes my foot is hovering over the brake whilst cruise is engaged. I find it no less comfortable than when my foot is hovering over the accelerator, or any less comfortable than the position of my left foot (no footrest - see other forum).

"Bet I go through discs and pads like anything"? Yet more assumptions! Exactly the opposite is true. I've never required discs or pads replaced on any of my cars. (Well the V70 had two sets of discs, but that was due to warped discs - faulty at point of manufacture - a known Volvo problem a few years back). If what you say were true, then tyre wear would also be a problem. Never even had to replace a tyre.

"Fuel economy must be poor". You bet your life it is. But that appears to be a Volvo problem (see other forums). With any other car that I've driven, I have regularly exceeded fuel consumption figures.

Didn't know about any such beeper on my car. Don't have the owner’s manual (or my car for that matter) this week so don't know how it works. I'm curious to see how this beeper knows what the speed limit is though? If you drive through a 30mph then a 50mph then a 40mph zone, wouldn't you have to constantly adjust the criteria? If you can do this via either column stock then fair enough. But if you need to tackle the menu system on the centre console to set-up the beeper then I wouldn't have though this very practical. I'd be surprised if the owner’s manual recommended entering the menu system
whilst the car is being driven.

Just looking at our speedo’s is fine. However taking your eyes off the road for even 1/10th second is all it takes to kill someone. Minimising the time my eyes are off the road is the name of the game. You therefore make the perfect case for using cruise.

Finally, if you really believe this is the craziest driving style ever, perhaps you would care to explain why ALL manufactures allow their cruise to engage around the 25mph mark?

The craziest driving styles I've ever witnessed? Well most of them probably come after I started to use cruise. Because only then did I actually realize the amount of people exceeding speed limits in built up areas. I would estimate at least 75% of road users regularly exceed the limit. Have you ever witnessed someone being hit by a car doing 40mph in a 30mph zone? If like myself you're unfortunate enough to witness such an event, then I guarantee you'll never forget it.

I'll by no means be the safest nor best driver you'll know. But I'll guarantee you - I'm not the craziest. I started off by saying that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Well here's mine:

Your initial reply to this thread regarding cruise control was:

"i never use mine, tried it once very unnerving, and not very safe"

I suppose that's why all car manufacturers fit cruise. I suppose that's why the department of transport allows the use of cruise control to be fitted to our vehicles, because "it's not very safe". That's why Volvo, who pride themselves on safety, fit cruise - because "it's not very safe".

Or could it perhaps be the driver who is not very safe? If someone is not confident in using cruise, or any other function on their vehicle then I agree, don't use it. But to label me as having the craziest driving style you've ever heard? To label cruise control as unsafe? The system is only as safe as the person operating it.