Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 09:52:49 -0700
Reply-To: Richard Koerner <RKoerner@AVANTMEDICAL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Richard Koerner <RKoerner@AVANTMEDICAL.COM>
Subject: Re: I Love My New Cruise Control (Long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Loren,
I installed the Audiovox CCS100 about 6 months ago (replaced an old Dana
cruise control from Sears that I installed 15 years earlier). Nice
unit, clean installation, but took all day to take out the old one and
do a neat job of installing the new one. Works OK, but I'm not sure I
have the DIP switches set exactly right, because my unit drifts around
more than I'd like, about plus or minus 5 MPH. I have a manual
transmission, and am using the magnets (no VSS speed sensor); is yours
an auto or manual?
Was wondering if you (or anybody) knows the switch settings for optimum
performance? Especially Switch #1 (PPM--pulses per mile they call it)
and Switches #4 & #5 (Sensitivity). Or maybe I should give a call to
Steve at that audio shop in Oregon to see if he'd be willing to
volunteer the information.
But yes, cruise control is almost a MUST for those long drives
especially in a Vanagon; there's something about the "ankle angle" that
just causes aches after a few hours of holding the pedal in one spot,
and it's not just because I'm getting older, because that was my
immediate sensation 15 years ago which led to the installation of the
original cruise control!
Rich
San Diego
85 GL
-----Original Message-----
From: Loren Busch [mailto:starwagen@GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2006 4:50 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: I Love My New Cruise Control (Long)
One of the features that prompted me to buy the Starwagen (my '90 Westy)
was
the fact that it had a cruise control. Although it was an aftermarket
add
on, not factory, I really wanted a cruise control. In the past, in my
'85
Westy, I had made several long trips from Seattle to Big Bear in
California
and back, mostly time constrained so I spent a lot of time on I-5
getting
there and back. Each time I swore I'd never make the trip again without
air
conditioning and cruise control. Starwagen had both and both worked.
Well,
kinda. The cruise control was flakey as hell, very slow to engage and
erratic in its so called control. I even added a vacuum accumulator in
the
line to try to help it but no help. But when working it was great on the
long haul. About 18 months ago it finally gave up the ghost for good.
I had looked into the possibility of a complete new cruise control but
really didn't know what make or model to order. More important, I had
no
one to put it in. Several times on the WetWesties list Julianna
Theonnes
had mentioned that her brother Steve was an expert on putting cruise
controls into Vanagons. But he was in Albany Oregon, a long haul from
my
home in Lynnwood, just North of Seattle. Then opportunity knocked.
There
was a WetWesties event (Tax Relief Campout now know as the Mud Fest)
scheduled just outside of Corvalis (next to Albany) for one weekend and
a
second event, the Stretch Party, scheduled in Albany the next weekend.
I
was going to be traveling with Phil Zimmerman to both events, hanging
around
in the area for the week, as we wound our way to Hollister California
for
Syncro de Mayo. So I contacted Steve Hiltbrunn, Juianna's brother, at
the
business where he is Shop Manager, Class A Audio, in Albany. He agreed
to
look at my existing cruise control to determine if it could be fixed.
After
replacing a missing magnet on the pickup, no joy. Then he carefully
checked
all the wiring and switches, no problem there. Conclusion: the old
servo
was toast. And no replacements available, to old a model. But wait,
there's more! Just up the street from Steve's shop, at the local Shucks,
sat
two of the exact model Audiovox cruise control that we needed for a new
installation! I snatched one up (Schucks insisted that I pay for it)
and
made an appointment for Steve to install it on Monday. Spent the
weekend at
the Stretch Party (in the driveway of Steve's home) and delivered
Starwagen
to Steve at his shop on Monday morning. Four hours later the old system
was
pulled and the new in. Steve handed me the keys and I took it for a
test
drive. Fantastic! Worked perfect, absolutely beautiful.
And it got a good workout over the next three weeks down to California
and
back to Lynnwood. Not a hiccup, exactly what I had wanted.
The bottom line here is this. If you live in the NW, especially in
Oregon,
and want to add a cruise control to your Vanagon, contact Steve
Hiltbrunn at
Class A Audio in Albany, Or. Phone 541-928-2207. Be sure to talk to
Steve
ahead of time. He will explain why you may be better off buying the
cruise
control yourself and having him install it. The model number is
Audiovox
CCS100 *http://tinyurl.com/ycbs *and may be available off the shelf at
you
local FLAPS. If you want to spend more money, and complicate the
installation a little, Audiovox has a variety of options that can be
used
with this setup including an RF module that mounts on the steering wheel
and
eliminates the little box on the dash. I'm pleased to say I have not
found
the controls on the dash to be no problem at all, in fact I like it
better
there than the old stalk control that was on the steering column.
One last note. If you are having problems with your original VW cruise
control, Steve probably is not interested in seeing it. He has, from
past
experience, formed a firm opinion on that piece of equipment.
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