Cruise Control.. aftermarket on modern FIATs

[varesecrazy]

Hi.

Ive been looking into retrofitted cruise on modern FIAT cars.

The 500 and Panda didnt support cruise until 2017

My 2012 punto has it from new.. but the Grandes do not support it

I know people who have spent @£550 having it added to 2012+ pandas

But for my diesel grande .. thats the value of the car..!!

I found ads for a Midlands company selling a £185 kit.. sounded good so I enquired about fitting

At their facility 2.5 hour job £370 drive away

Not bad.. however they only did more modern puntos..


What have you found out there..??

Charlie

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Before we bought twinkle (the Ibiza) which has Cruise as standard, I was looking at the base version 1.8 Honda Civic estate. Only the more expensive trim levels at that time had cruise and I too found a company in the midlands (maybe the same one Charlie?) which would fit for around that sort of money. My intention had been to have an overnight on one of our Devon visits to let them fit it. Then we discovered that Mrs J just didn't fit the Honda - she's not deformed or anything, just a person who is vertically challenged - so that was a non starter. However I think from the investigations I made that these retrofit systems only really work well if the vehicle has a "fly by wire" throttle. So if you've got a throttle cable just forget it?

 

[varesecrazy]

The fundamentals are.. I believe..

Brake switch . Yes

Clutch switch . Yes

Dashboard icon.. not as standard

People on older cars have build thir own primitive systems.. a touchpad on dash

On off
Faster slower

Tbh.. that would be enough..

But wiring it isnt my thing..

I dont need 'resume'.

I want to drive up to a speed ..
'Lock it' just throttle would suffice

until a time I dab clutch or brake to disable it

Revs drop back..: manual control


My Dear old neighbour.. used a chain on his throttle cable.. pull and latch

Uncouple an hour later approaching your off.ramp : oh the simplicity..

Meanwhile I just want something similar..

Be good if I could copy the installation onto an identical car.. so just the kit to buy

MES will show me most functions.. but no dash icons or ECU programming on my old grandes

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The fundamentals are.. I believe..

Brake switch . Yes

Clutch switch . Yes

Dashboard icon.. not as standard

People on older cars have build thir own primitive systems.. a touchpad on dash

On off
Faster slower

Tbh.. that would be enough..

But wiring it isnt my thing..

I dont need 'resume'.

I want to drive up to a speed ..
'Lock it' just throttle would suffice

until a time I dab clutch or brake to disable it

Revs drop back..: manual control


My Dear old neighbour.. used a chain on his throttle cable.. pull and latch

Uncouple an hour later approaching your off.ramp : oh the simplicity..

Meanwhile I just want something similar..

Be good if I could copy the installation onto an identical car.. so just the kit to buy

MES will show me most functions.. but no dash icons or ECU programming on my old grandes

I remember a very early after market kit which consisted of a fine chain wound round a spring loaded spool which had, I think, an electromagnetic clutch. the end of the chain connected to a scroll shaped adapter which was fitted to the carb throttle spindle. As you worked the throttle the chain would spool in and out of the device kept tight by the spring in the spool but this spring was not strong enough to have any effect on throttle action.

When you reached the speed you wanted you activated the electromagnet (on/off switch) which locked the spool and the throttle position would be maintained by the chain. I read a review of it which was pretty scathing. The problem was that it had no ability to maintain a steady speed so up hill it slowed, down hill it sped up, even on the flat it's speed would vary with head or tail wind. Apparently it was virtually unusable. Certainly wouldn't do to keep to the legal limit in those never ending, average speed monitored, motorway road works that seem to be never ending these days.

 

[DaveMcT]

The last car I had from new came with cruise. It was handy for motorway sped limits but not much else. The operation was too coarse. Even passengers could feel it kick in and out. I wasn't impressed TBH.

IMO, a throttle lock would be almost as good. It will need "adjustment" for hill headwinds etc but should be comfortable on long runs and could be very low cost.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Must say I find the cruise control on the Ibiza is absolutely excellent. Controls speed to within about 2 mph - maybe less - of that set, up and down hills (unless the hill gets too steep to climb in that gear or is steep enough that brakes are needed to stop the car running away against engine braking on descent. It works on all gears I think (never tried it in first I must admit) but it keeps me safely at 20 mph in the 20 mph controlled Royal park around Holyrood palace. and I use it extensively on dual carriageways and motorways. Unlike your's it's very smooth on the take up, I know it's applying power or allowing the engine to overrun brake but passengers notice nothing. At first I found it a very strange feeling when it applies power on a gradient before I detect that it's necessary but now I'm used to it. I absolutely love it!

 

[Moimo]

The cruise control on my mjet 1.6 is exceptional. Set it and ascending gradient regardless speed is maintained, I set it from 30 onwards now and due to having some Achilles reconstruction last year despite being relatively normal again it’s become second nature, I accelerate, decelerate with the stalk a lot and leave my feet happily dangling. I would never have a car without and when you use it all the time it’s surprising even in traffic, town etc just how often it’s driving. My daughter always watches my feet and asks is the car driving itself? And more often than not it is.

 

[varesecrazy]

Thats similar to me..

A right leg thats 'seen some action..'

When I had my old Ducato camper 40 minutes of driving was my limit..

Any roadworks on the way to a local site meant a weekend of inactivity..

So anything that helps share the load is very welcome

 

[DaveMcT]

The Audi 1,9 TDI cruise was useful on long runs (which I did mostly). I just didn't like the acceleration to gain just or or two mph. Driving manually, my foot would use 1/2 the throttle variation to maintain constant speed.

Did I consider it a waste of money? No, but it's action should have been more refined.

 

[DaveMcT]

Thats similar to me..

A right leg thats 'seen some action..'

Any roadworks on the way to a local site meant a weekend of inactivity..

Check out the Neuro-orthpaedic "Slumps" test.

Sit in a chair body straight. Extend each leg in turn. Both should comfortably go straight and down again.
Tuck chin to chest, slump at the waist and extend the leg. If it will not go fully straight and/or it's painful in leg or the back, you have a neurological compromise in the spinal canal. Additional parts of the tests can deduce if there is compromise in the neck or further down the spine.

The brain is clever - it wont let you trash your spinal cord.

Treatment to improve low back and pelvic joint mobility should improve the ranges of motion and reduce pain. The practitioner should test before and after each treatment to measure progress.

 

[varesecrazy]

Check out the Neuro-orthpaedic "Slumps" test.
If it will not go fully straight and/or it's painful in leg or the back, you have a neurological compromise in the spinal canal. Additional parts of the tests can deduce if there is compromise in the neck or further down the spine.

The brain is clever - it wont let you trash your spinal cord.

Yes to most of that..