McCruise control not engaging...

[stude31]

Hey fellas,

I just wanted to post this in case anyone else ran into this problem with their mccruise control.  Here is the email I sent to McCruise....:
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"Hello,

James Lynch from Lawton, Ok and I bought two cruise controls for our 99 I/S in late 08 but I didn't install mine until March 2009.  Everything worked just fine until this year.  It would engage when it wanted to.  All lights operated correctly.  I would be going 70mph red light on led then I would hit the set button and then it would turn orange but when i let off the throttle it would not engage the cruise control.   Then other times it would work.  I would increase or decrease and it would operate correctly when it was working but as soon as I would cancel the cruise and then hit resume or if I shut the bike off and started and took off it would not work.   The other day I decided to start looking into the problem.  I put it in diagnostic mode and all lights worked when I hit the hand brake and foot brake, and the increase button would turn green.  I then started the bike and I did the accelerate up procedure and if I remember correctly that when I installed it in 2009 I had to hit the accl button 20-30 times and then the engine would speed up.  Well, nothing I pushed it 50 times and nothing.  So... I took the tank and airbox off and looked at everything.  I removed the actuator and the cable (thought maybe the cable was in a bind, no), I grounded the three wires and put the red to positive and it didn't pull the cable back at all.  So I am at a loss... I don't know what else it could be all lights on the computer operate.  I do hear a click from the actuator when i do that test.  I haven't checked the volts yet... 

I talked to a gentlemen from www.spoiledbiker.com and he wasn't sure what it could be.  I was hoping you could shed some light on this problem.  I love your product and everyone else that has rode my bike loves it.  I just want it to work.... I am getting ready to head on a 2500 mile ride and was hoping to get this thing to work.

Thank you,

Joe"


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I will post back once the problem is identified and things are working... If you have an opinion of the problem please share...

Thanks

Stude31

[Garland]

I have not had a problem like that myself, nor have I heard of anyone having a similar issue. McCruise has a reputation for excellent customer service, so I am sure they will offer suggestions. Post your results, please...

[petevenne]

Check Clutch bushing or clutch switch and listen for the clutch switch to click.. Also read to installation manual about programming clutch type.. My battery went dead one time and I had to reprogram the clutch setting back in.. Have had great luck with Mc Control...

Thanks, Pete

[stude31]

I haven't dug into the problem just yet but will do some work on it tonight.  Here is what McCruise has replied with...
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Hi Joe,

 

This sounds like a mechanical problem.  Bad fuel in the USA has been causing some problems lately, so perhaps the vacuum check valve has stuck – it is a rubber flap in the valve and this is causing a lack of vacuum.  Alternatively, fumes may have gotten through to the solenoids in the actuator.  These can be removed and cleaned relatively easily if you can get the actuator out of its position far enough.  I have attached the instruction manual for this job.

In diagnostic mode, 10-12 presses of the SET key should start to lift the engine off idle.  If this isn’t right the performance of the cruise suffers greatly because it is forever having to compensate for freeplay before it starts to act on the throttle.

 

I would check the valve first as it is relatively easy to get at, then the actuator, then when you have it working, try to get at the CIU and fix the freeplay in the carb cable.  Don’t forget to put lots of freeplay in the throttle grip first before doing the carb cable.  Once it is right, then adjust the throttle grip freeplay to suit yourself, but make sure you leave 1/16” of freeplay as binding cables will degrade the cruise performance too.

Best regards,

Tony Guymer

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I will update later... 

[R J]

In 240,000 miles, my Cruise Control has only failed twice.   Both times the contacts in the set/resume switch on the handlebars was tarnished up pretty bad.

Took a pencil eraser, rubbed it several times, put some derelict grease on the contacts, just a tiny dab, and snapped it back together.  Still sets, and hold 1-2 + or - on hills.

[Sambo21]

I installed mine in 1998 and it worked flawlessly until a month ago.  It intermittently engaged then disengaged, finally not engaging at all.  I finally traced the problem to the sender unit on the front wheel.  The female spade lugs had become loose and disconnected.  I gently pinched them with pliers and reconnected them and that fixed the problem.  Works great now.

Hope that helps.

Sam

[stude31]

I installed mine in 1998 and it worked flawlessly until a month ago.  It intermittently engaged then disengaged, finally not engaging at all.  I finally traced the problem to the sender unit on the front wheel.  The female spade lugs had become loose and disconnected.  I gently pinched them with pliers and reconnected them and that fixed the problem.  Works great now.

Hope that helps.

Sam

interesting... thanks Sam I will check that out as well...