The Voyager XII Motorcycle Service Manual
Supplement, Chapter 15 has a dozen pages about the cruise control. This was a feature added to the second model year (IIRC), which is why it’s in the "supplement" instead of in the “base manual”. This post talks about Chapter 15 of the Supplement Manual. (Note that Chapter 17 of this Supplement Manual is itself a supplement for the 1999 and later models.)
Page 15-3 is really two pages (fold out) with all this supplement wiring, but 15-16 and -17 has a much more readable schematic. I still found it difficult to understand in part because some circuits reverse their polarity -– MaKa seems allergic to latched relays. (I think this is why LEDs don’t work in the CC indicator lights.)
Page 15-5 has an exploded view of the CC system, and 15-6 and -7 explains how the switches work. 15-8 describes the CC diode and takes a first pass at how the whole CC is supposed to work.
The actuator contains an electromagnetic clutch, a pulley drive motor, and a cable pulley. The cable pulley ordinarily spins free from the pulley drive motor.
It is engaged with the motor by the electromagnetic clutch when the cruise control is set. Then the actuator motor moves the pulley (as commanded by the CC control unit) and moves all the throttle cables. When the cruise control is cancelled, the pulley is disengaged from the motor and again spins free -- and you have to use the twist throttle to move the cables. The throttle cable mess includes a junction box so that the throttle can be controlled by both the actuator or the throttle grip.
(I've previously advocated for dumping the CC cancel switch on the throttle assembly on the grounds that it's a stupid safety device and a PITA when pitting the carbs back on the bike. But now I think it's mostly to protect the actuator, which is locked to the twist grip when the CC is engaged. If you fight with the actuator by twisting the grip, it'll just cancel rather than risk damaging itself.)
15-9 is a big cartoon of how this whole contraption is supposed to work; and 15-10 is a more detailed rundown of the various components and what they actually do. 15-11 identifies the control unit terminals (for testing, below). 15-12 is yet more words about how the whole system is supposed to work. In total, it took MaKa almost a dozen manual pages and at least three tries just to say what this CC system actually does. Maybe you’ll be able to wrap your head around all of this easier than I could.
At last, 15-13 starts into troubleshooting. The first thing, even though it’s the last thing in the manual (bottom of page 15-19), is to check that all the throttle cables slide right. But back to 15-13, my symptom is “Vehicle speed can not be set”, listing the following “Test Items” (the other symptoms have much shorter lists):
• Control unit power supply wiring
• Control switch wiring
• Distance sensor wiring
• Cancel-related switch wiring
• Brake light fuse wiring
• Throttle cables
• Actuator
• Control unit
The following is running down how I tested those items.
On 15-14, the very first test is the “Indicator SET Light Inspection”, ending with this ambiguous text: “If the above check proves good, the control unit must be replaced.” This is really the only available test for the control unit: if that SET light check fails, then replace the unit. If no other test (in this whole post) fails and the CC still doesn’t work, then replace the control unit. That’s it.
The control unit has two connectors, a "6P" one that really has 5 pins but they're labeled #1 thru #6, and a "13P" one with pins #7 thru #20.
Fortunately, mine passed this first round of tests: with the 13P connector (photo in my previous post) disconnected from the control unit, the key “on”, and the engine kill switch to “run”, my CC “main switch” worked (that indicator light came on, anyway). Then, grounding the #7 pin caused the “Set” indicator light to come on. So far, so good.
Next, 15-15 gets into a table of tests to run on the rest of the 13P terminals -- basically all the power supplies, fuses, CC switches, and sensors. These tests are fast and easy except pin #14, which requires getting the front wheel off the ground, and then some gymnastics to hold the multimeter onto #14 and #19 with one hand, spinning the wheel with the other, and looking at the multimeter.
The resistance between #14 and ground should “oscillate 4 times per wheel revolution between zero and infinite ohms.” I found that the key doesn’t really need to be turned on and that the resistance oscillates more like 8-10 times per wheel revolution.
(This is the mechanical speed sensor. It has
nothing to do with whether the control unit will decide to allow the CC to engage below 40mph.)
These simple tests are what my last post was about. To recap, the CC system has three main components: the control unit, the distance sensor, and the actuator. So far, my first two seem good – all the tests so far. 15-18 gets into the third component, the actuator inspection.
First, remove the actuator from the bike else “the control unit may be damaged,” the cable will be in the way, and some of these electrical tests are mighty awkward. From here on, I’m talking about the 6P actuator connector, the other connector on the control unit, not the 13P. Also, the manual warns not to mess with the pin #4 (BL/W) at all, else you might blow a diode in the actuator.
The first test is resistance between #5 (BL/O) and #6 (BL/R). If this is about 20 ohms, then the Electromagnetic Clutch Coil Resistance is good. Mine reported zip ohms,
so I finally figured out why my CC doesn’t work.
I’m done today -- just gotta put the fairing back on. And I’ll be using the VistaCruise again this trip.
Since I’m here, I’ll paraphrase the rest of these actuator tests. Mine passed the next check: that the actuator pulley moves easily by hand and returns back with the spring smoothly. The rest of these checks are onerous, involving putting 12V across various pins, sometimes with an ammeter in series, and checking things like how the pulley moves and whether the clutch locks (see 15-18 and -19 for the heinous details). If any of these fails, then “replace the actuator.” Honestly, I’m a little relieved not to have to run those tests.
And if that doesn't fix it, the "replace the control unit".
As previously mentioned, I’m surprised it works at all.
