AU cruise control installation

[99auforte]

G'day all, in need of some wise guidance form anyone please....

Have a 99 AU Forte and wanting cruise control. I'm a tight *** so spending over $400 is not what I have in mind (its a trade off - is cruise to me worth over $400?? no!)

So, after shopping around and finding average prices are $795 - is it possible to pull an entire system out of a wreck? (or at least have it pulled out) and what should one be worth if it can be pulled out?

Thanks in advance

[HOTC2R]

Email or PM, Darren at FTG Auto Salvage who are a site sponsor.

[99auforte]

Ok, thanks, will try that

[sly]

I got a complete kit (except for the master cylinder pressure switch) from a wrecker for $165. The pressure switch was $35 or so. $30 for a steering wheel puller and about the same for the 5-pointed Secure Torx bit to remove the steering wheel. So around $260 all up... I already had the workshop manual. My car is a 99 Forte as well. The wrecker had to check the size of the plugs under the dashboard - there are "big plug" and "small plug" variations. A couple of hours to fit it, and Bob's your uncle.

[99auforte]

Originally Posted by sly

I got a complete kit (except for the master cylinder pressure switch) from a wrecker for $165. The pressure switch was $35 or so. $30 for a steering wheel puller and about the same for the 5-pointed Secure Torx bit to remove the steering wheel. So around $260 all up... I already had the workshop manual. My car is a 99 Forte as well. The wrecker had to check the size of the plugs under the dashboard - there are "big plug" and "small plug" variations. A couple of hours to fit it, and Bob's your uncle.

you took the steering wheel off? what about the airbag?

[sly]

Originally Posted by 99auforte

you took the steering wheel off? what about the airbag?

My bad, that should have read:

and about the same for the 5-pointed Secure Torx bit to remove the airbag

...apart from that, disconnect the battery well before starting (1/2hr or more) and pump the brake pedal a few times before removing the airbag... this apparently bleeds off any residual charge in capacitors in the electronics. There's a recent thread (last month or so) with some detailed instructions for a member looking to fit cruise to his ute.

[TwistedEL]

Even if you had to spend $400, cruise control is worth every penny. If you avoid 2 speeding tickets it's paid for itself!

[99auforte]

sourced one from the FTG place - thanks for the guidance....was under budget too.!

[TwistedEL]

I would of said just take the -'ve lead off the battery, by the time you get back to the drivers seat the backup battery in the airbag module will have drained.

I don't see how pushing the brake pedal is going to discharge any capacitors - the brake lights don't even turn on unless the ignition is on, and if the ignition is on there is constantly current being drained by other devices. Sounds like a myth.

[sly]

Originally Posted by TwistedEL

I don't see how pushing the brake pedal is going to discharge any capacitors - the brake lights don't even turn on unless the ignition is on, and if the ignition is on there is constantly current being drained by other devices. Sounds like a myth.

It's a tip I've read in workshop manuals & been told by wreckers. I'm a bit sceptical myself (and I did qualify the post) but it was no skin off my nose to do so when I put my cruise kit in.

Try pushing the brake pedal with the ignition key in your pocket. I bet the brake lights come on.

[99auforte]

Try pushing the brake pedal with the ignition key in your pocket. I bet the brake lights come on.[/QUOTE]


I don't think they do from memory - which I thought was odd.

[99auforte]

Why am I even taking the airbag off? The guy said this was easy to install..i.e. I asked if it was all plug and play - they said it was - no mention of tools to take airbags out.

Hrmmm airbag out = bad cos I bet airbag won't go back in and work - I'm in trouble aren't I? You'd think a data and phone tech would know this stuff....

[sly]

Originally Posted by 99auforte

Why am I even taking the airbag off? The guy said this was easy to install..i.e. I asked if it was all plug and play - they said it was - no mention of tools to take airbags out.

Hrmmm airbag out = bad cos I bet airbag won't go back in and work - I'm in trouble aren't I? You'd think a data and phone tech would know this stuff....

Airbag comes out to access the steering column bolt. The steering wheel has to come off to replace the combination switch (wipers/indicators/cruise). The complete packed airbag assembly comes out whole & goes back in with no mess & no fuss.

[99auforte]

Originally Posted by sly

Airbag comes out to access the steering column bolt. The steering wheel has to come off to replace the combination switch (wipers/indicators/cruise). The complete packed airbag assembly comes out whole & goes back in with no mess & no fuss.

these are 2 buttons like the radio vol up/down and seek buttons not like the combination stalk thing.

But I'm getting the auto electrician local here to do it anyway - might get them to do the whole lot.

[TwistedEL]

Yeah you'll need to remove the airbag to screw the switches into the wheel. Just be careful when you remove it, don't want to damage the wiring.

[99auforte]

ok if I don't get one of those 5 point wrench things sent in the pack is anyone happy to loan me theirs?

[TwistedEL]

If you can't get your hands on one go to bunnings and get a security bit set. Cost about 30 bucks and comes with a tool that is basically a flat blade screw driver with a notch taken out of the center. That will work.

Or just get the grinder out - that would work too.

[whiskers]

here is another thought for you, take the car to an auto electrician get them to take the bag off and screw on the steering wheel controls and get them to put it back on, you then do the rest, should cost around the $50 - $80 mark

good luck with it

[99auforte]

Originally Posted by whiskers

here is another thought for you, take the car to an auto electrician get them to take the bag off and screw on the steering wheel controls and get them to put it back on, you then do the rest, should cost around the $50 - $80 mark

good luck with it

Thanks....thats a good idea too...there's one not far from here.

[99auforte]

$20 from local auto shop to do it for me

[TwistedEL]

They don't, none of the Falcons I have owned did (EA, EL, AUII)

[99auforte]

An update for anyone who might be interested:

Sourced one for $225 from wreckers, quoted another $240 to install it - so I'm around my $400 I wanted.

Waiting for some spare cash to do it now......seems the car has other more pressing things to get done first.

Thanks for all the advice.

[scrivens]

Originally Posted by 99auforte

An update for anyone who might be interested:

Sourced one for $225 from wreckers, quoted another $240 to install it - so I'm around my $400 I wanted.

I picked one up from a WA dealer on eBay for $150 a couple of days back. Full "kit" - actuator, switches, replacement stalk unit, shroud, wiring loom and oil pressure switch. It took about an hour to install it.

Hard parts were getting the steering wheel off and figuring out that the old wiring loom had to be fed back into the cabin, not pulled through into the engine bay to remove it. (It is within a couple of mm but the orange connector won't fit though the hole.) I used a carbon drill bit to remove the centre pin in the 5-star security bolts on the wheel and then lightly tapped a high tensile Torx bit into it which gave enough grip to remove the screws. They weren't very tight and I replaced them with decent quality Phillips heads. The steering wheel was very hard to get off - took a lot of sideways wriggling and so on, but it did come off. (Leave the bolt in but unscrewed a few turns so it doesn't bang you in the face when it does come loose.) I took the positive terminal off the battery during the airbag removal part but reconnected it as soon as that was done as I wasn't sure how long the job was going to take and didn't want to risk having the ECU reset if it was "offline" for an hour or two. Remove the old shroud and put on the new one. Screw in the switches - the self tapping screws are apparently a smaller size on the RH side. The ones I was given were the same size but some careful drilling fixed that.

Once you have the wheel off the clock spring unclips via four plastic side clips and I used a couple of crossed rubber bands to stop it moving when it was taken off. The old stalk unit comes out with three screws, drop in the new one. After that it's just a case of removing a few screws from the plastic shaft cover on the steering column (some of them are hard to get at - the top part is screwed on quite low down) and swapping over the wiring loom at the connector. Put the clock spring back on carefully, drop the wheel back on but don't bolt it up yet, feed the wiring through and connect everything back up. (Except the airbag of course.)

Unplug all the connections on the existing loom in the engine bay noting where they go - but it's all colour coded anyway. If you don't know how to undo the connectors, have a look at the ends on your new loom. Undo the small bolt on the side of the master cylinder and screw in the pressure switch. Do it quickly and you will minimise the chances of getting air in the rear brake lines. Drop the fuse panel mount down - 2 screws and it swings down and out - unlatch the orange connector and pop it out, pull the orange connector block forward off to release it from its holding mount, undo the small black connector and then pull the loom through the firewall. Get your new loom, clip the small black connector up, then mount the orange connector block on the retaining pin, then click the loom back together.

Feed the new loom through the hole in the firewall and push the rubber grommet all the way through the hole - you reseat it from inside the engine bay by gently pushing it back in; it will seat properly with very little pressure.

Put the actuator unit in place - it feeds in with the mount sideways to just clear the master cylinder, then turn it into the proper position and bolt it up. The cable goes straight across to the throttle and the plastic end clips over a pivot on the throttle arc. It is easier if you remove the air cleaner tubing - it's only a couple of bolts and it makes screwing the cable mount bolt in a lot easier. Put the tubing back on and that's it for the mechanical side.

Once that's done, connect all the ends of the wiring loom back into their proper places, check that everything is connected in the loom, back of the fuse box and the steering column bits, then turn the ignition on and check that the lights, blinkers and horn etc work. If it's all working you can replace the plastic cover bits on the column, bolt up the wheel, replace the fuse panel, give everything a final check over then pop the battery positive terminal off and refit the airbag. Then take the car for a drive to test it works. Test the brakes first just in case you have got air in the lines, but it is pretty unlikely; the cars are old enough to need a full fluid flush anyway so put that on the list. Only costs about $30-50 from your local brake place.

As long as you can get the security bolts out of the airbag mounts and have a T50 Torx bit to remove the steering wheel it's a very simple job. I did mine in the driveway in a nice 40' Adelaide day and only swore a couple of times...

[sly]

I don't know how true this is, an old bloke told me years ago not to remove a steering wheel with any force as it can damage a collapsible steering column. I've always used a steering wheel puller since then. The AU's wheel was on so tight it wrecked the puller... I just barely got it off.

[scrivens]

Originally Posted by sly

I don't know how true this is, an old bloke told me years ago not to remove a steering wheel with any force as it can damage a collapsible steering column. I've always used a steering wheel puller since then. The AU's wheel was on so tight it wrecked the puller... I just barely got it off.

Wouldn't surprise me at all as the actual bits in the column are pretty small diameter and the various mounting points aren't all that substantial. With the AU wheel there is also a likelihood of cracking the alloy centre with undue force. The feet on my puller were almost touching the top of the clock spring unit and I didn't want to risk it. I found that sideways wriggling got there eventually, and I took it fairly gently in case the alloy went. My wheel now appears to be very slightly misaligned to the right - but it may have been like that before. It's due for a wheel alignment soon so I'll get it checked then.

[GK]

This is a "How To" from when I changed my steering wheel. The pics will help you with your installation I'd think.

All the best with it, glad you got your bits.

Changing Steering Wheel
http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...1&postcount=59

GK

[scrivens]

Originally Posted by GK

This is a "How To" from when I changed my steering wheel. The pics will help you with your installation I'd think.

They sure did - I used those and the Ford wiring diags to do the job. Thanks for putting them up; I didn't even think to photograph the rest of the job until after it was finished.

Dave.

[GK]

Originally Posted by scrivens

They sure did - I used those and the Ford wiring diags to do the job. Thanks for putting them up; I didn't even think to photograph the rest of the job until after it was finished.

Dave.

Glad they helped Dave.

GK

[zorba289]

hi

i will be doing this conversation in the next couple of weeks into AU 2 UTE XL DEDICATED LPG

i understand that series 1 cant go into series 2 &3 but a "dumb ***" question
but does it matter if the factory cruise control that i get comes from a sedan or wagon
there is one on ebay saying for a wagon and doesnt suite ute or sedan

i thought they would be all the same

john

[fourl6]

Originally Posted by zorba289

hi

i will be doing this conversation in the next couple of weeks into AU 2 UTE XL DEDICATED LPG

i understand that series 1 cant go into series 2 &3 but a "dumb ***" question
but does it matter if the factory cruise control that i get comes from a sedan or wagon
there is one on ebay saying for a wagon and doesnt suite ute or sedan

i thought they would be all the same

john

this thread is 4 years old, but ill answer anyway

you can use a wagon one, the only issue is the wagon has a extra switch to turn on the rear window wiper, you can just fit in and the switch wont do anything, who cares ? or you can pull the wiper/indicator apart and fit your existing wiper stalk with the new indicator/cruise stalk

Cheers Cam