Dealer added cruise control - works!

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah, Ford didn't really believe in a cruise indicator light until pretty late...maybe even until required by law or industry standard (whichever it was that caused everyone to adopt them), I'm not sure. Passenger cars, even highly optioned fancy ones, didn't have it in 2000 yet.

My '02 F-150 did, my brother's '97 did not FWIW.

 

[Brain75]

My mom's 92 taurus had cruise but for the life of me I can't remember if it had a light or not, the next car the family got was an '02 sable and was absolute top notch package (leather, touchpad entry, everything except a sunroof) I do remember it had a cruise indicator light. Mom really liked the taurus platform, went to contour when taurus turned into a big car in '07.

I was thinking I might use a needle probe to check each line and find out if there was one that was continuously hot while engaged (active not just system on) and then run that up to the 4x4 indicator bulb (I have a 2wd)... be quite odd to anyone else, but I would know that the 4x4 indicates the cruise is on

 

[superj]

my 85 f150 had cruise, but no indicator light to let you know if it was off or on.

 

[Brain75]

Kind of a sidenote update, just in case someone looking to do a 'dealer add on' finds this thread.
I drove it "to town" and then out to the junkyard just a couple days ago to get my core back and look for some new things...

A) with it plumbed up wrong it was surging, I made that comment back on page 1 or 2. With it plumbed up correctly now there is no surge at speeds greater than 35mph. at 25-35-ish you can notice the surge still, the worst at 25.

B) it is really tight, better than my GM from the factory. I push the button and it drops 1mph then holds it right there. The only place I lost any speed was a long high hill that I lost 2 1/2 mph... coming back the other way I climbed the backside of the hill with my foot and no cruise.... in OD, pedal mashed all the way to the floor it still lost 2 1/2 mph... so not the cruise fault, the big hill and the lack of available ponies.

C) the electrical disconnect switch if only blipped (like tapping the brake), puts it into standby mode just like the vacuum - you can resume without loss of speed memory. If you drop below 25 or hold the brakes for an extended period of time it shuts off. (haven't figured out how long yet, I don't ride my brakes)

and the PSA: the wiring and plumbing gets kinda tight, I managed to get just a tiny rub and the brake lights failed to go off. I drove and parked it at the junkyard with the brakes lit up for 2 hours, had to have a jumpstart and then noticed the brakes were lit up. It is exceptionally easy to get too crowded with 2 different switches and a big bulky vacuum switch all in 4 inches of space.

 

[sgtsandman]

While a different vehicle make, the same concept might apply. I seem to remember there being an adjustment on the cable that goes to the cruise control actuator that a certain range of spacing is critical in order to eliminate surging. This was on Honda CR-Vs but the Ranger may have a similar setup. My 2011 doesn't have cruise. So I have no point of comparison. And the 2019 is all electronic from what I can tell. So, no help there.

 

[Brain75]

@Shran I am dredging this back up to give you a big fat THANK YOU. You just saved me $$$$ in a ticket a couple days ago.

Few days ago I went to town and the junkyard and just as I exited the next sleepy burg over this all black 2024 Ranger pulled out of kind of an odd siding (where nobody should be parked). I noted it in my rear view mirror he had a big spotlight on the A pillar and said to myself "bet that asshole is a cop" - punched the cruise and let it ride all the way to the city limits sign..... Lights flashing, ya ya, pulled over, license registration... I flat asked I know I wasn't speeding - cruise is set at 64, so what did I do wrong. He had to make something up since he followed me all the way to the end of his jurisdiction. Warning for weaving (small track ranger and big ass grooves in the road from semi's hauling corn = you get tossed back and forth ping ponging down the road).

Had I not had cruise and had I been trying to keep it steady with my lead foot I promise I would have gotten a big fat ticket - paid for itself first cop I came across.

 

[Shran]

Haha, glad someone put it to good use!

 

[Terrys87]

Thanks for posting the information. Cruise control is moving up the list for me.