Cruise control

[Barry Meador]

I have a 95 Voyager and recently the cruise control has quite working. The on/off indicator light works, so I assume that it’s getting power, however nothing happens when I try setting the it. No indicator light, no cruise. So before I tear into it to deep, I wanted it check and see if any of you had a suggestion as to what avenue I should start with. Thanks for any help offered.

[SgtSlag]

There are several safety interlocks on the CC, and all must have their conditions met, before it will engage: 1) be in 5th gear, only (switch within the transmission); 2) the speedometer must read between 38 MPH - 80 MPH, will not engage outside of this speed range; 3) none of the disengage switches can be closed: Clutch, front brake switch, rear brake switch, or the throttle switch (closing the throttle will hit a click switch, which disengages the CC); the indicator lights must be on, drawing sufficient current (LED's will not draw enough current, and will prevent the CC from engaging).

There might be others which I have missed. Been a while. Any one of these malfunctioning, or not being met properly, will prevent the CC from engaging. Treat it as a checklist/troubleshooting list. Best of luck. Cheers!

[Barry]

slowly put on the front brake and listen closely. You should hear 2 clicks. There are 2 micro switches. But before you do that. slowly push the brake lever away from the throttle grip. You may hear a switch click. If you do, remove the brake lever & spray electrical contact cleaner. Probably some dirt in there. This seems to be the most common CC switch problem. You can do the same test with the clutch lever. Some dirt somewhere has gummed up a switch. Report back.

[Thadbaker86voyager]

The switch wears where it contacts the brake lever. An easy quick way to take the play/wear out is to put heat shrink tubing on the brake leaver where the switches touch. If one layer isn’t enough you can put a second one over the first.

[tunnelz]

A few days after your post the cruise went out on my 99. Since you have not commented further I must assume you have not repaired it yet. I went to the home page and found the cruise system wiring in the service supplement. I copied pages 15-16 and 15-17 and taped them together. Also spent hours reviewing the many posts from over the years. The first thing to check is the cruise dash connector under the tank cover since your green ON light is working, like mine. Next, the four cancel switches, starting with the front brake. The lower two spade connectors (blue wires) must be clean and tight. The front brake is the most mentioned problem point. It is easy to continuity check that switch and the next which is the clutch. (called starter lockout on page 15-16) The rear brake cancel appears to be sealed, but the exterior parts probably need cleaning. This is the beginning. I hope you don't have to check the throttle cancel system. I found my problem at the front brake wiring. Road test after each step. Let us hear back. Best wishes. tunnelz

[Steelhorsekawboy]

Hi Everybody!
Hey I have a ‘93 XII and my OD light won’t come on, subsequently, the CC won’t work. I Bought the bike to put it back on the road, replaced the CC Head Unit Control (left side of the fairing), and it worked temporarily. The light would come on, but only after 5th gear was engaged for a while (as if it needed to be “warmed up” if you will). It also wouldn’t stay lit, especially if there was some throttle roll-off, so the CC would disengage. So, I changed out the OD/Neutral switch, with a new one, located down on the block. This won’t even let the OD light come on at all now. So, I then purchased another CC Head Unit, JIC that one went bad. Still nothing...thinking about putting old OD/Neutral switch back in to see if it will resume working, even if temporary. Until I can figure out exactly what is happening with the system. Any thoughts would be so desperately appreciated!

Thanx!

[Nails]

I don't think the OD Light depends on the CC module.
You need to run through the checks in the manual. There's a dozen switches that affect this complex circuit. I don't have the manual in front of me, but I made reference to it elsewhere in this blog. (Well, right above your post, actually.) You want the table that lists conductivity or voltage measurements on the pins of the control unit. You really gotta start there.
Sounds like you'll want to scrutinize the check that includes the OD switch, to verify that's really why the CC doesn't work.
Another common issue is needing to adjust the actuator cable, under the right fairing.
You can defeat the OD switch entirely.
All these are described in this blog. Search is your friend.

[triton28]

As Nails stated the OD light is independent of the CC module. If you ground the Black wire going to the OD switch the OD light should be on regardless of which gear you select. If this works as I described then there are 3 possibilities for what your problem is: 1) the brass ring washer mounted between the metal OD switch body and the black plastic insert in the bevel gear cover is dirty/corroded and making an intermittent contact; 2) the small male/female bullet wire connector about 2 inches from the switch body brass ring washer may be corroded/dirty and 3) there is a small brass OD switch rotor, shown on any of the online part supplier "Change drum/shift fork diagram" as part # 21007-1192. This washer could be bent or misaligned or broken if someone has had the bevel cover off.
I'm sure that if you are going to remove the OD switch to see the brass rotor you already know that oil will drain out. Hope that helps,
Dave

[Steelhorsekawboy]

Thanx fellas, I’ll research these options this weekend...I really want to have the CC & dash lighting working like it should. Will let you know how it works out!

[GrandpaDenny]

1. Not working since changing out OD switch - Reinstall the old switch
2. Cruise "ON" light working, cruise not engaging - check front brake light switch. It's got four wires going to it - two for the brake lights, two for the cruise control cut-off. Check that the connections are tight. You may hear a double 'click' when engaging the front brake; listen for the same double-click on return. If only one, try pushing the brake lever forward, that may engage the switch. I'm not sure, but the rear brake may have a similar setup - I haven't had a problem with the rear brake light switch (yet?).

[SgtSlag]

I frequently tap the rear break to disengage the CC. If you disengage the CC with the front brake, you get a nose-dive ( ); using the rear brake may cause the rear-end to dip, slightly, but it is nothing compared to the front brake's nose-dive.

I always lead with the rear brake, when I need to slow down, even in e-brake situations. Leading, by just a fraction of a second, will avoid the front nose-dive. The nose-dive upsets the bike's suspension, which can reduce control capabilities. Employing the rear brake first, by 1/2 (or less) of a second, will allow you to maintain better control of the suspension, during all braking situations, gaining stability of the whole bike. It dramatically improves control of the bike.

This technique should be taught in the basic riding course. I learned it from one of the several riding technique books I've read over the years. Worth your while to explore the technique, if you do not use it. Cheers!

[Nails]

I plan to remove the throttle cancel switch (because it doesn't confer any additional safety) and repurpose the wiring as a new Cancel switch. I'll mount this on the left switchset, where all those radio controls used to be. (That Radio/Tape switch already is my CC On switch.)

But with CC that won't engage, honestly you really want to run down those troubleshoot checks in the manual. Just sayin'.

[cushman eagle]

I will add,along with the front and rear brake switches is the clutch switch.
My rear brake switch will lightly apply the brake before it releases the CC,where the front brake switch will release the CC slightly before it applys the brake.

[ekap1200]

And if all else fails, The last one I repaired on a 2002 , took a while to track down, After inspecting all the connections and switch's I had a helper wiggle the harness from the bars while I had a buzz box on the terminals. Right at the top of the triple-tree where the harness folds over it was an open wire. It was an easy repair but took some time to track down. Also the switch on the top of the carb's can stick on its pin. The throttle cable pulls the lever to which the switch is attached and that lever can get road grime and corrosion on it and hang up. Remove faux tank , down on left side , switch can be checked .
most time's it is the front brake sw.
Gene. Kap

[GrandpaDenny]

I frequently tap the rear break to disengage the CC. If you disengage the CC with the front brake, you get a nose-dive ( ); using the rear brake may cause the rear-end to dip, slightly, but it is nothing compared to the front brake's nose-dive.

I always lead with the rear brake, when I need to slow down, even in e-brake situations. Leading, by just a fraction of a second, will avoid the front nose-dive. The nose-dive upsets the bike's suspension, which can reduce control capabilities. Employing the rear brake first, by 1/2 (or less) of a second, will allow you to maintain better control of the suspension, during all braking situations, gaining stability of the whole bike. It dramatically improves control of the bike.

This technique should be taught in the basic riding course. I learned it from one of the several riding technique books I've read over the years. Worth your while to explore the technique, if you do not use it. Cheers!

The technique for an emergency stop is to SQUEEZE the brakes, not jam them on suddenly. The compression of the front springs means that more weight is being transferred onto the front wheel, which INCREASES the braking power. One also lightens up on the rear brake whilst emergency stopping, for the same reason - the weight is being transferred forward, which lessens the rear brake effectiveness as it will lock up earlier.

Having said that, I also tend to apply the rear brake a split second before the front in most normal stopping situations. I also use the rear brake almost exclusively when trail braking. Also, when coming to a normal stop, I let up on the front brake when coming to a stop, to make a smoother stop. I also learned the hard way to keep totally off the front brake when maneuvering at low speeds. Hard habit to break, even harder than picking up an 800 pound bike.

As to the cruise control, to disengage using the brakes, I don't hit the brakes hard enough or long enough to actually engage the brakes at all, whether using the front or rear. Just a very slight tap. I tend to use the front more than the rear to disengage the cruise - less movement involved. I also frequently, twist the throttle forward to disengage the cruise. As in most things, it just plain depends

[Nails]

As to the cruise control, to disengage using the brakes, I don't hit the brakes hard enough or long enough to actually engage the brakes at all, whether using the front or rear. Just a very slight tap. I tend to use the front more than the rear to disengage the cruise - less movement involved. I also frequently, twist the throttle forward to disengage the cruise. As in most things, it just plain depends

Yeah, whatever works. The reason I don't like using the brakes is because I don't like flashing the lights. No big deal, but I think that takes away from the reason we have brake lights. And the clutch doesn't work for me because the motor can rev up for a second. I often Cancel and soon after Resume to deal with a short, minor slow-down, using the throttle to modulate my speed in a way to maintain smooth riding. Like holding the throttle when I Cancel to roll off slowly and then getting back up to speed before hitting Resume. This usually is to maintain safe following distances without much drama and still mostly using the CC. I'm happy to install my own Cancel switch -- that isn't as squishy as the the stock throttle switch, which usually slows me down more abruptly than I really want.

But like most other things, there's plenty of room for personal choice. The sun seems to come up just fine whatever.

[Steelhorsekawboy]

Hello again everyone,
So I replaced the OD/Neutral switch with the used one that was previously installed, and the dash light illuminated upon start up (with the neutral light as well). Immediately after engaging 1st, both lights went off and only the Neutral light came back on when put back into Neutral (as it should)...but the OD light didn’t work at all as 5th was engaged on several attempts during a rather lengthy ride. I also checked the Front/Back Brakes for the “Double Click”, and those were clearly audible. The Clutch not so much...but it’s the same on my ‘99’s Clutch (no audible click, but it works). I am without words at this point...what would make the OD light up, upon initial start, but not when it’s supposed to when in 5th gear? Btw, the CC still will not work when in final drive. Cruise will turn on, but won’t set...Any additional thoughts for removal of electrical gremlins? Thanx for all of your input/insight.

Don

[Barry]

Sounds like it's time to call Carl Leo. It is possible that the electronic control located inside the right side of the fairing could be toast. Carl will likely be able to help troubleshoot & fix the problem. Have you looked at the factory manual for guidance?

[Steelhorsekawboy]

Hey Barry,
I currently don’t have a manual that has specific wiring diagrams (missing pages from previous owner), but have tried to look up on line. The control on the right side (actuator) is slated to be my next purchase...looking at the wire looming, all seems to be intact and free of nicks and cuts...but there are locations that can’t be observed with the eye (coverings), So Idk if there is a short. I’m considering that there may be a connection issue with the ground wire as it traverses up the body from the OD/Neutral switch after the pigtail plug. The OD light did illuminate upon reinstalling the old one, but went off and hasn’t returned after the initial shifting into first. I thought it was weird for it to light up when in neutral anyway...it did it that once, and not again. Neutral light works as it should, flawlessly. So for now, I’ve installed a manual throttle lock, which is nice to some degree...I can cruise in any gear/speed I wish...but it’s not the same. I’d prefer to have it working as intended as well.

Thanx for the heads up with Carl...

P.S. I’m thinking the previous owner(s) fed this gremlin after midnight and let them soak...

[Nails]

P.S. I’m thinking the previous owner(s) fed this gremlin after midnight and let them soak...

I'm thinking you need to word-search the XII sticky (https://www.amervoyassoc.org/forum/view ... 15&t=12591) for "schematic" and "actuator". I suspect a problem with the actuator adjustment or one of the phalanx of switches on the CC circuit -- did you run through those checks on the CC module pins? The OD and neutral lights might well be separate problems like kaflutchy connections on the dashboard -- the referenced checks would identify it if it's affecting the CC.

Buying an actuator now seems like the worst kind of parts-swapping. There are better ways to diagnose problems. I recommend more research on this website before throwing money away -- search is your friend.