Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 01:19:05 EDT
Reply-To: FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Rostra All-Electronic Cruise Control
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Gentlemen and Ladies,
I'm currently in the wilds of Pennsylvania thinking vacation like thoughts.
Noneless, I offer a few responses to the questions raised here. See the $$
marks.
In a message dated 7/11/02 5:55:16 PM, rayreinhard@SBCGLOBAL.NET writes:
<< I would be interested in putting one of these cruise control units in my
'86 TiiCo Westy. Being a total novice at such things, however, I found some
of Frank G.'s description of the installation procedure to be a bit too
cryptic for me to follow.
$$ True, he was trying to be terse but indicate that it can be done at
several levels ranging from the quickie to the anal retentative. I just don't
have time to document everything for the novice. Not a negative statement,
just a fact.
Specific questions:
· Frank G. states that one needs to cannibalize a "Hall pickup" from
a Golf/Jetta instrument cluster. Does one have to replace the entire
Vanagon speedo with the one from the Golf/Jetta? Or does the Hall pickup
attach to the existing speedo? Any particular Golf/Jetta model year?
$$ False. Never said have to. Said I did, and you could. As I think I said,
there is a black molded plastic cover on the back of the vanagon speedo case.
Has to be broken out. If broken out, you will see the magnetic drum hub
below. By inspection of any G/J cluster with speed control, you will see that
it will mount right up. Same gap as the G/J and same screw points. You will
need the Hall sender and the foil. Don't know the years, but any of the A2
cars use the same Hall sensor. All cars with factory speed control include (I
think) the tach and the MFA. Never said replace speedo. Never! But you could
use a speedo from a vanagon junker with cruise if you prefer. If these
comments are confusing, go to the standard magnets on CV joint approach
utilized by all universal cruise control kits.
· He also says that he was able to wire the Rostra unit up to the
Vanagon cruise control/turn signal switch. Can one retrofit an OEM VW
cruise control/turn signal switch to a van that did not already have
one? (I'd like to do so, if possible...)
$$ The answer is yes. Beyond the question asked. The bolt (screw) circle for
the turn signal and ww switches are common to a wide range of VWs. The
switches for the cruise stalk or the MFA come to unused areas of the switch
connector block or are separate wires. The angle and length of the cc and MFA
stalks from the G/J group are slightly different from the regular vanagon
commodity. I like them better than the vanagon au regular, so I use them on
my system. Swap these things around to your pleasure at least for the
vanagons and the A2 cars.
· I'd also be interested in hooking up the MFA features as he did.
Can we get any more detail on exactly how he did so (and modified the
Vanagon clock)? Again, any particular model year for the Jetta components?
$$ Now this is a bit trickier. Involves good knowledge of the vanagon and G/J
Bentley wiring diagrams, a bit of fearlessness, some experience with kludging
PC boards and soldering experience. During my Saturday morning
constitutionals at the local pick-a-part yard, I have accumulated more than 5
foils and clusters from all the victims here noted. I worked with a spare
vanagon unit a spare G/J unit and a rainy weekend. PITA but worked as
described.
Good Luck,
Frank Grunthaner
