Cruise Control dis-engaging

[Seaking]

Hi guys.. I'm not sure if it's because it's still cold or what but when engaging my cruise control, it will stay on but for only a few seconds and then dis-engage.. not hitting any bumps or birds to switch it off..

 

I remember reading somewhere that there may be cables that might be slopping or switches being made that can cause that.. Does anyone recall what where and how to adjust and / or check for this?

 

At 70 mph in 5th gear, for example, would a tall wide windscreen and heavy winds be enough to cause the bike to do that?

 

Cheers

[V7Goose]

The clutch and both brakes have switches that will disable the cruise. This test is not definitive, but is an easy check that might help to quickly identify if one of those is the problem.

 

When engaging the cruise, hold the clutch lever OUT with your fingertips. If it still disengages, try the same thing with the front brake, then with the rear brake by holding the peddle up with your toes.

Goose

[gibvel]

Hi guys.. I'm not sure if it's because it's still cold or what but when engaging my cruise control, it will stay on but for only a few seconds and then dis-engage.. not hitting any bumps or birds to switch it off..

 

I remember reading somewhere that there may be cables that might be slopping or switches being made that can cause that.. Does anyone recall what where and how to adjust and / or check for this?

 

At 70 mph in 5th gear, for example, would a tall wide windscreen and heavy winds be enough to cause the bike to do that?

 

Cheers

 

Heavy winds and a gradual slope have and will shut mine off from time to time. I've gotten to the point that, if there are heavy headwinds, I won't even use the cruise control. I can, pretty much, tell when the wind is strong enough and from the right direction anymore.

[kj5ix]

I have been trying to figure the same thing out on the Trike, some times it will go for miles, and miles, and others just a minute or less,,, was like that before I Triked it too.......

 

Goose you get my PM...

[Seaking]

The clutch and both brakes have switches that will disable the cruise. This test is not definitive, but is an easy check that might help to quickly identify if one of those is the problem.

 

When engaging the cruise, hold the clutch lever OUT with your fingertips. If it still disengages, try the same thing with the front brake, then with the rear brake by holding the peddle up with your toes.

Goose

 

Ah right! Thanks Goose, I'll give it a shot when I get a chance.. Were there cables that can go loose that needs tightening also? But certainly will try the switches!

[Seaking]

Heavy winds and a gradual slope have and will shut mine off from time to time. I've gotten to the point that, if there are heavy headwinds, I won't even use the cruise control. I can, pretty much, tell when the wind is strong enough and from the right direction anymore.

 

 

I'm wondering if the strong winds put undue pressure on the bike confusing the sensors that the bike is 'surging' and disengaging the system as a mean of protection against low or high load.. Sort of like putting more strain on the engine when you hit a high guts and immediately taking the strain off the engine after the gust.. does that make sense?

 

Unfortunately for around here, we're always caught in gale force winds.. grr

[OutKast]

Another thing that turns it off is dropping more than 5mph below setpoint. If a heavy headwind gust slows it down 5 mph it will drop out.

[Seaking]

Another thing that turns it off is dropping more than 5mph below setpoint. If a heavy headwind gust slows it down 5 mph it will drop out.

 

Sorta what I was thinking about the strain on the engine and it not keeping up kind of thing.. Hmm Mind you the best way to test that is to simply turn around and go downwind...

[V7Goose]

The only cable that is involved runs from the vacuum motor in the lower left cowl to the throttle cable junction under the tank. Very unlikely that is the problem.

 

You did not tell us what other symptoms you may have had when it kicks off - was the speed holding steady or falling? If there is a cable problem or vacuum pump problem, the system will not be able to hold speed and it will kick off when 5 MPH below set point. Easiest way to check this is to just not let go of the throttle when you set cruise. By manually holding the bike speed at or above the point where you set the cruise, it should never kick off unless the problem is electrical.

Goose

 

BTW - we are all assuming you know that you cannot have any fringe or other bicycle-type stuff hanging off your clutch and brake cables!

[V7Goose]

I'm wondering if the strong winds put undue pressure on the bike confusing the sensors that the bike is 'surging' and disengaging the system as a mean of protection against low or high load.. Sort of like putting more strain on the engine when you hit a high guts and immediately taking the strain off the engine after the gust.. does that make sense?

 

Unfortunately for around here, we're always caught in gale force winds.. grr

Heavy head winds should NOT cause this problem except very rarely and in very unusual circumstances. Nothing about the "load" on the engine has anything to do with it, only if the speed drops more than 5. For any wind to cause it to disengage, it would have to be such a severe gust to instantly drop your speed by 5 MPH.

 

If the winds are the issue, then the three main possibilities are dirty or misadjusted cable, bad vacuum motor, or bad vacuum pump/vacuum hose. In those cases, the cruise may be working, but just not able to react at normal speeds to open the throttle when needed.

Goose

[Seaking]

The only cable that is involved runs from the vacuum motor in the lower left cowl to the throttle cable junction under the tank. Very unlikely that is the problem.

 

You did not tell us what other symptoms you may have had when it kicks off - was the speed holding steady or falling? If there is a cable problem or vacuum pump problem, the system will not be able to hold speed and it will kick off when 5 MPH below set point. Easiest way to check this is to just not let go of the throttle when you set cruise. By manually holding the bike speed at or above the point where you set the cruise, it should never kick off unless the problem is electrical.

Goose

 

BTW - we are all assuming you know that you cannot have any fringe or other bicycle-type stuff hanging off your clutch and brake cables!

 

No fringe or tassels off my bars or levers.. I'm not a girlie man rider, sorry

 

Typically, what happens is that I set the speed, and hold onto the throttle so the engine can catch up to the speed.. it would normally lag back a bit and then slowly catch up to the set speed..

 

However, if you tap the set and then accel switch, it will hold the current speed without lagging (something like that right?).. I can then take my hand off of the throttle and it will ride from 5 to 10 seconds, seemingly holding the set speed and poof, off it comes and the flurry of lights indicating it's disengaged (can't remember what the lights are, sorry)

 

Next ride, when it's not snowing, I'll give this all a try again and see if it's not just the big winds killing it or as Goose suggested, a loose switch etc...

 

But it ain't no girlie tassels..

[Carbon_One]

If all of the above suggestion fail then look into replacing the speedo sensor. I was having pretty much the same problems on my bike for a while till I changed out the sensor. Problem solved

larry

[V7Goose]

No fringe or tassels off my bars or levers.. I'm not a girlie man rider, sorry

 

Typically, what happens is that I set the speed, and hold onto the throttle so the engine can catch up to the speed.. it would normally lag back a bit and then slowly catch up to the set speed..

 

However, if you tap the set and then accel switch, it will hold the current speed without lagging (something like that right?).. I can then take my hand off of the throttle and it will ride from 5 to 10 seconds, seemingly holding the set speed and poof, off it comes and the flurry of lights indicating it's disengaged (can't remember what the lights are, sorry)

 

Next ride, when it's not snowing, I'll give this all a try again and see if it's not just the big winds killing it or as Goose suggested, a loose switch etc...

 

But it ain't no girlie tassels..

Pay close attention to those lights - the cruise system does have self-diagnostics. IIRC, When it kicks off normally, the ONLY change in the lights should be the Set light going off and the Res light coming on. Your use of the word "flurry" makes me suspicious something else is happening.

 

The slow to catch thing you describe is a common complaint, but it is not usually near as bad as some riders make it sound. Simply being careful to not let go of the throttle too quickly when hitting the set button is all it should take - and by that, I mean just holding it for about half a second. If it is taking any longer than that to engage and hold the speed, then we are right back to checking the cable for lube and adjustment and good vacuum from the pump. Hitting the accel button does nothing more than add that half second or so, making you think it is working differently.

Goose

[TDunc]

Girlie man. Ouch!

I am confident with my manhood!

 

I guess you would not like my blond ponytails either.

All the people i get a laugh out of seem to have a better day.

 

Ponytails - girlie? Could be in the wrong venue

Smiles from people ---- priceless

Tassles - that is just old school

 

IMHO.

 

(This was meant to be funny not spiteful. Tassles did cause my cruise problem)

 

 

Sent from my DROIDX

[LilBeaver]

...

 

Unfortunately for around here, we're always caught in gale force winds.. grr

 

What kind of winds are you talking about? Around here we routinely have 20-40 mph winds. My cruise only gets used when I am somewhere that is NOT here. Although if I set it around 65 or 70 in 4th it seems to hold just fine but it doesn't stand a chacne in 5th. For me, I hear the engine bog down and I feel the throttle rotate but it just doesn't do it fast enough to stay within that 5mph tolerance.

With all of this said, I have been suspicious of my cruise control being flaky for quite some time now based on comments other members have made about how well theirs works.

 

If all of the above suggestion fail then look into replacing the speedo sensor. I was having pretty much the same problems on my bike for a while till I changed out the sensor. Problem solved

larry

 

Any other symptoms that you noticed that would suggest a faulty or intermittent speed sensor?

 

...If it is taking any longer than that to engage and hold the speed, then we are right back to checking the cable for lube and adjustment and good vacuum from the pump. ...

 

How would one check the pump to verify good vacuum?

[V7Goose]

How would one check the pump to verify good vacuum?

Good question - I cannot give you a definitive answer, 'cause I have never had to check one.

 

But I'd start with the shop manual - see if the detailed specs show inches or mm Hg for the pump. If so, pretty easy to just hook up a vacuum gauge and trigger the pump with a jumper. But I would certainly expect the shop manual to have diagnostics in it for this part.

 

If no spec, then I'd start by using a manual pump on the vacuum motor to see how much vacuum is needed to pull the throttle to mid point, then see if the pump (WITH the installed hose) can pull the same vacuum. At that point, I would use whatever info I found to decide on the next tests.

Goose

[Taking it EZ]

Just got my bike out of the shop after 3-1/2 weeks for the same problem. First they took the fringe off, then checked all the switches. Then they rebuilt the carbs and changed the carb stacks (cracked). They then changed the vacuum pump. next they changed the control module. None of the above helped. They finally changed the throttle position sensor and the problem was solved and all it cost me was a handshake and an apology from them for the delay.

[Taking it EZ]

Also be wary if you check the vacuum pump using Yamaha procedures. It says pump must hold so much vacuum for so many seconds. Mine didn't so they changed it. When it still didn't solve the problem they checked the new pump and it was the same as the old one. They said evidently the procedure wasn't worth the paper it was written on

[LilBeaver]

Good question - I cannot give you a definitive answer, 'cause I have never had to check one.

 

But I'd start with the shop manual - see if the detailed specs show inches or mm Hg for the pump. If so, pretty easy to just hook up a vacuum gauge and trigger the pump with a jumper. But I would certainly expect the shop manual to have diagnostics in it for this part.

 

If no spec, then I'd start by using a manual pump on the vacuum motor to see how much vacuum is needed to pull the throttle to mid point, then see if the pump (WITH the installed hose) can pull the same vacuum. At that point, I would use whatever info I found to decide on the next tests.

Goose

 

Thanks. I may look into this in a couple of weeks when I end up with some more time on my hands. I'll post pictures and procedures if I end up getting something figured out that is reliable.

 

Also be wary if you check the vacuum pump using Yamaha procedures. It says pump must hold so much vacuum for so many seconds. Mine didn't so they changed it. When it still didn't solve the problem they checked the new pump and it was the same as the old one. They said evidently the procedure wasn't worth the paper it was written on

 

Sounds like you might have a good shop by you. I'll admit that I am not sure which to me more skeptical of; the service people or the service manual...

 

Anyways...

[Seaking]

Pay close attention to those lights - the cruise system does have self-diagnostics. IIRC, When it kicks off normally, the ONLY change in the lights should be the Set light going off and the Res light coming on. Your use of the word "flurry" makes me suspicious something else is happening.

 

The slow to catch thing you describe is a common complaint, but it is not usually near as bad as some riders make it sound. Simply being careful to not let go of the throttle too quickly when hitting the set button is all it should take - and by that, I mean just holding it for about half a second. If it is taking any longer than that to engage and hold the speed, then we are right back to checking the cable for lube and adjustment and good vacuum from the pump. Hitting the accel button does nothing more than add that half second or so, making you think it is working differently.

Goose

 

I'll be out with the bike tomorrow and will pay closer attention to what the lights are actually doing.. I am usually concentrating on the road that looking at the lights.. oops.. But yes.

 

I read what you're saying about not letting go the throttle and understand what you're saying, but I think there might be something wrong then with the system as I do have to hold onto it much longer than a person would think normal.. I can count to 10 before I can let go the throttle... When it IS working properly, the quick tap to the ACCEL after SET, catches real quick compared to waiting on the throttle grip.

 

I'll check the cable for binding, lube and routing.. How do I check for proper vacuum for this?

 

Thanks for the assist.. much appreciated.

[zooer]

Gee, I once knew a girl who could swirl both tassels north and south at the same time:smile5: You reckon she rode a venture too? :crackup:If I'd only known

[TDunc]

I just had to!

[ATTACH]55477[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

:stirthepot:

 

[V7Goose]

Now THAT's a Girlie Boy if I ever did see one!

[Seaking]

I'm still laughing out waaaaay too loud.. LOL.. Now THAT was priceless..

 

Thank YOU!

[Seaking]

I had the bike out today before it snowed to test out the cruise control, paying careful attention to details as to what the bike was doing... if the dang thing would fail.. and it wouldn't fail. OK that's good news..

 

But what it tells me though is that when confronted with gusting head winds, I won't be able to use cruise control, and the surging of wind pressure against the bike will kick off the cruise control.

 

Today, the winds were cross ways on the highway, I couldn't get anything on the nose or tail of the bike. And the bike performed as expected.. Still took about 5 seconds for the throttle to catch up after I set the speed before I could let go the throttle properly, and on a slight grade, 5th gear 65 MPH TRUE speed, at 3,000 rpm, the bike slowed to 60 mph and sped up to almost 70 mph when it caught up on top of the grade.. and then settled down again at 65 mph.. it was a significant grade.. In 4th gear, that same grade was barely noticeable at 4,000 rpm.. as expected.

 

Still.. I'll check this out again when the winds are high to see what the cruise control indicator lights are doing towards trouble shooting signals..

 

Cheers