Cruise Control Not Working

[IdahoRon]

Last season the cruise control worked great.

Today was the first time out this year, And the cruise didn't want to work.

When I left this morning the cruise did work going in to town. We left on our STAR chapter ride, and the cruise would turn on but the set button would not work. After about 75 miles we stopped, and when we started again the cruise worked until the first time I disengaged it, the RES light came on came on as it should, but then nothing. Hit the RES button nothing, hit the SET button nothing. I shut the cruise control off and turned it back on and and the on light comes on, but SET button doesn't work.

Though out the day it worked about 4 times with me messing with it, trying to figure it out while on a 400 mile ride.

Everything else is working perfectly.

When I got home this evening I checked brake switches, clutch switch, and wiring. Went for a ride to see if anything helped, and no go. Got home from the test ride, and decided to check the switches on control switches on the handle bars. Took those apart and cleaned and checked the contacts in them. Everything looked good there. Haven't a chance to try it again. But I don't think that was the problem either.

 

Over the winter I changed the motor oil & oil in the final drive, replace the rear tire, put chrome side covers on, serviced air filters, put billet air filter covers on, put chrome clutch & brake levers on.

 

Any ideas on what & where to check next.

Help is always appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Ron

[gibvel]

My money is on the Chrome levers. To me, that's the only thing, you did, that could effect the operation of the Cruise.

 

Did you try pushing out on the brake and clutch levers as you set the cruise? May just be a matter of a millimeter difference in the way the levers are pushing on the switches but it may make a difference.

 

Check the old ones (if you still have them) against the new ones where the lever comes in contact with the switches. Make sure the part that pushes on the switch is the same dimensions as the stock.

 

If all else fails, put the old levers back on and see if the problem goes away.

[CaptainJoe]

I thinks that's whats wrong with mine also . Either the switches on the levers or the cable is to tight.

I got this problem shortly after lowering my my bike one inch in the triple clamps. I took everything off the handlebars and now the only light that comes on is the cruise light when I first turn it on. None of the other lights work at all.

Will let you know, I'm getting caught up in the garage now and should be able to work on her today,,,

 

As i have carpal tunnel in my righ hand only ...cruise control is not an option...

Edited April 10, 2011 by CaptainJoe

[IdahoRon]

The switches on the brake & clutch levers are good. I tried holding them out, while on the ride yesterday. That was my first thought. Rechecked them in the shop last night. Brake light functions off the switch fine. The start function on clutch switch works fine. With bike in gear bike starts with clutch engaged, bike won't start with clutch disengaged.

 

I will check under the front lower fairings today when I get home from church.

I read in other cruise control thread about the cable and vacuum pump. I had them off while working on the air filters.

 

Thanks,

Ron

[LilBeaver]

The switches on the brake & clutch levers are good. I tried holding them out, while on the ride yesterday. That was my first thought. Rechecked them in the shop last night. Brake light functions off the switch fine. The start function on clutch switch works fine. With bike in gear bike starts with clutch engaged, bike won't start with clutch disengaged.

 

I will check under the front lower fairings today when I get home from church.

I read in other cruise control thread about the cable and vacuum pump. I had them off while working on the air filters.

 

Thanks,

Ron

 

I would suggest putting your original levers back on and re-testing. That is really the only way to conclusively decide whether it is the levers or not. I don't know about other members here but my cruise will disengage with a feather touch on the front brake, and a little more (but not much) on the clutch. I am quite positive that my cruise disengages before the brake light comes on - BUT I have not looked at the wiring diagram to see if the two switches are linked (which it would only be logical for them to be). A thought is that the shape is different enough that when the levers are in the 'fully out' position, they simply are not quite out far enough to allow the cruise to be activated...

 

[IdahoRon]

After I got home from church this morning, I took it for a test ride to see if anything I did last night helped. And yes, Gained the light functions back. But when you let go of the throttle it just rolls back and goes to RES.Throttle would not hold.

So after the test ride. I removed the lower fairings, checked the vacuum lines & wires, the only thing that I found was the cable on the vacuum pump was loose I adjusted it. Since I was in there I pulled all electrical connections apart and put dielectric grease on the connections. Then checked then I checked the brake and clutch lever switches again. I also adjusted the throttle cables, they seemed a little tight.

Took it out for another test ride. It seemed to be working the same as the previous test ride going out, but on the trip home it started working like it was suppose to, although it still seemed to disengage rather easy when any load was on it.

While I was out on the second test ride when I had the cruise control working. I checked the disengagement points on both the brake & clutch levers. they were right on where they should be.

Still I don't know what the problem was, or is, but at least I've got it working again.

Where is the speed sensor located at? Is it on the swing arm?

 

Well I will let you know what happens the next time I ride.

Back to work tonight, and it is suppose to rain all week.

 

Thanks, for your suggestions

Ron

[CaptainJoe]

After working on everything BUT my bike till 1 pm today I said enough!

Ask the wife if she wanted to go for a ride and she said yeah but she needed to practice. So, we went to the school parking lot and I went over the motorcycle test exercises with her. In about 20 -30 min she was ready to go down the road...

I put my jacket back on and looked at the space between the clutch lever perch and the control panel on left grip and to my surprise I hadn't plugged the 4-5 wire white plug into the bottom of the clutch perch.

 

Well... needless to say now my cruise control is working perfectly...

 

Check and double check those connections ! Make sure they snap in and don't pull out.

[IdahoRon]

A little more on the history of the bike.

I bought the bike used last summer.

The guy I bought the bike from had it for 2 months, and put less than 200 miles on it.

The person he bought it from told him the only problems was the cruise and the horn didn't work. He said the cruise worked for him. And it work for me until now I put 4,500 miles on it last year, and it work flawlessly. The horn was fixed soon as I got it home, the wire connections on the relay were bad.

Could the cruise problem be the same problem and not show up again for 4500 miles and a year later?

 

A friend that I ride has had a first gen venture and and now ride a second gen venture. Yesterday while on our ride, he thought the problem was in the handle bar switches. That's, why I took them apart first. Unless you have to Don't take the handlebar switches apart. What pain to get them back together right.

[IdahoRon]

I thinks that's whats wrong with mine also . Either the switches on the levers or the cable is to tight.

I got this problem shortly after lowering my my bike one inch in the triple clamps. I took everything off the handlebars and now the only light that comes on is the cruise light when I first turn it on. None of the other lights work at all.

Will let you know, I'm getting caught up in the garage now and should be able to work on her today,,,

 

As i have carpal tunnel in my righ hand only ...cruise control is not an option...

 

I also have carpal tunnel syndrome in my hands that is why I'm trying to get it fixed as quick as I can.

 

You might want check the throttle cable tension, even if you got it working.

While checking everything I found mine was tighter than it should be. Probably the reason for that is, last year I rolled the bar higher to fit me better. I have the 1 1/2" extensions on the bars (they were on the bike when i got it) when rolled the bars up I must have put cables in a little bit of a bind. At full lock with the bars to the right the throttle would bind. That is fixed now. I don't think that is the problem with the cruise, but one less problem to give me grief later.

[CaptainJoe]

mine are definately... snug... will adjust this week.

 

 

Sorry, don't know where the speed sensor is... someone will jump in on that one...

[Freebird]

The speed sensor is on the rear end. It is plugged into a machined hole with one screw that secures it. You can't miss it, it's the only thing on the rear end with a black cable going into it.

[CaptainJoe]

Just a passing thought but you do know your bike has to be in fourth going at least 45 mph or fifth going ? mph for the cruise control to work... It will not engage in every gear.

[OutKast]

Joe- don't know about the gearing, but the fact it will not engage below 45 or above 85 is documented in the second gen owners manual.

[IdahoRon]

Just a passing thought but you do know your bike has to be in fourth going at least 45 mph or fifth going ? mph for the cruise control to work... It will not engage in every gear.

 

Yes, I knew that.

Pouring down rain today. I won't be doing any test rides today.

 

Thanks for the input

 

It's working now, I just don't know how well until I can get out for a real shakedown ride. Maybe next weekend. Suppose to rain & snow this week.

[IdahoRon]

Got a chance to take the bike out again this afternoon. Every thing seemed to be working just as it should going out. But on the trip home it stopped working once. when stopped working the SET & RES was flashing together, they would flash twice then pause and flash twice again continuing this until I shut the Cruise switch to off and turned it back on. Then it worked fine again after that.

Other than that one time everything seems to be working as it should now. With the exception of the response time is faster since I adjusted the slack out of the actuator cable.

I read in the other thread about the cruise flashing trouble codes does anyone know what the codes are?

 

Thanks

[CaptainJoe]

See jugglers post to download service manual...

sorry i couldnt copy pages 447-470?.. its an adobe pdf

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1828

Edited April 17, 2011 by CaptainJoe

[V7Goose]

Got a chance to take the bike out again this afternoon. Every thing seemed to be working just as it should going out. But on the trip home it stopped working once. when stopped working the SET & RES was flashing together, they would flash twice then pause and flash twice again continuing this until I shut the Cruise switch to off and turned it back on. Then it worked fine again after that.

Other than that one time everything seems to be working as it should now. With the exception of the response time is faster since I adjusted the slack out of the actuator cable.

I read in the other thread about the cruise flashing trouble codes does anyone know what the codes are?

 

Thanks

That fault code is a bad vacuum pump. I do not know if it actually tests the pump, or just senses that there is no vacuum at the motor. I'd check the connections to the pump as well as the vacuum line for leaks.

Goose

[CaptainJoe]

just for future reference V7goose, what pages of the service manual did you use to determine it was the vacum pump.

Edited April 17, 2011 by CaptainJoe

[V7Goose]

just for future reference V7goose, what pages of the service manual did you use to determine it was the vacume pump.

8-85 (PDF page 469)

[CaptainJoe]

Hey V7Goose,

You da Man...

I didn't look far enough...

Thanks Joe

[Yammy]

The switches on the brake & clutch levers are good. I tried holding them out, while on the ride yesterday. That was my first thought. Rechecked them in the shop last night. Brake light functions off the switch fine. The start function on clutch switch works fine. With bike in gear bike starts with clutch engaged, bike won't start with clutch disengaged.

 

I will check under the front lower fairings today when I get home from church.

I read in other cruise control thread about the cable and vacuum pump. I had them off while working on the air filters.

 

Thanks,

Ron

 

Is it a double switch on the clutch?

[IdahoRon]

No, it is a single switch.

4 wires, must be 2 position switch.

It disengages the cruise when the clutch is pulled in about 1/3 of the way. Let's you start the bike (while in gear) when clutch is fully pulled in.

[rstacy]

I want to thank you guys for this thread. I was having a problem with my cruise not engaging. I was getting ready to dig in to it but decided to search here first.

I took it for a ride at lunch and sure enough it was the clutch lever.

Push out on the lever and the problem is solved.

Thanks guys!

[Bobby G]

My cruise has also be intermittent over the last few years. The lights all worked, but it would just crap out for no apparent reason. I never used it much, so I never tried to do anything about it.

 

But last week, when my rectifier blew while on a long trip, I had it replaced along with getting a new battery (needed one anyway), and low and behold now my cruise works great. Used it all the way home from West Virginia without one single issue.

 

No idea if a new rectifier impacts the cruise mechanism or not, but that was the only thing that got changed out or looked at by the dealer.

 

Maybe it was just coincidence, but that's my story and I'm stickin to it!

[jay6138]

87 venture royale. Cruise shows no error codes when powered on. Get a green lite after self test but will not set. Have checked the usual suspects but found nothing amiss. Actuater holds vaccum and vaccum motor spins freely. Checked the control unit plugs as shown in manuel but get no power sweep when moving the set/decel switch. Manuel states the control unit is bad if this happens. Any ideas? If unit is indeed bad is there a way to repair it or get another one somewhere? I also just started getting an E4 code on CLASS today. Any help on either of these problems would be great.