CliveH Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I think happie chappy has hit the nail on the head, with his reference to Autogearboxes – apologies if this has been covered before but the way I see it when diving a manual gearbox you will need to change gear when going up a steep hill. The cruise control cannot do that for you and so it is my understanding that to stop the engine stalling there is a sensor that kicks out the CC if the engine is put under too much load. The same sensor and cut out is (usually) there on an Auto gearbox but hardly ever comes into play because the autobox downshifts when required. From a personal viewpoint having had both, for solo and when towing, an Autobox with cruise control just cannot be beaten. Takes away all the hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Champstar - 2007-12-05 1:36 PM Is it worth fitting cruise control on a 2l jtd as they often struggle come the hills....only asking as I am considering it as the long drive to Cornwall etc from Scotland can give the right leg a bit of pain (lol) (lol) In my view yes it is very well worth having as there are long stretches where the constant angle of one's ankle can become quite painful. It also helps fuel economy - supposedly although I see little evidence in practise - and it certainly is more relaxing with time to shift your feet about and generally have a look round, when the road is quiet, without having to worry about maintaining speed. It is a must have accessory as far as I am concerned and although I am not one for gadgets in general - this one I find a real benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Okay lets clarify things a bit. Richard I apologise for calling you a muppet but it wasn't meant offensively, more a gentle prod :-) . Cruise control systems are programmed to disengage if the road speed drops by more than (typically) 15% of the set speed. This is not done via any sensor on the engine, its simply in the programming of the cruise control unit. My point to Pete Daniel is that without knowing what his vehicle is or what cruise system is fitted I cannot (and I doubt if anybody could) give accurate and meaningful advice. If the van is a non turbo diesel then it may well be simply a lack of power and everything is perfectly fine. If however, manually applying the throttle maintains speed to the point that the cruise does not disengage (you would know because most modern after market systems have an indicator light to show wheher the cruise is engaged or not) then the throttle connection needs some attention. It might be that there is too much slack in the cable or the attachment has been made with the wrong operating stroke measurements. Alternatively if it is a more modern system with plenty of calibration adjustment it might just need re-calibrating. Without knowing more about Pete Daniel's installation and vehicle I can't offer any meaningful advice. If the cruise is set up properly the nit should react to speed variations of less than 2MPH and preferably lwess than 1MPH. Where it has been set up like this there should be hardly any discernible drop off of speed before the cruise applies more throttle and under normal conditions there should be no need to manually apply the throttle. Factory fitted cruise systems may well have different percentage limits to the drop out speed but they all usually have it, it is a feature not a fault and is designed to prevent full throttle being held on a labouring engine. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 No offence taken Dave as I know you mean well! But the fact remains that the van cruise control does need some help on gradients to maintain momentum whereas my car cruise control does not - due entirely to the extra power available. That said - even the car runs out of grunt on steep hills and application of right foot before too much momentum is lost can eliminate sudden power loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4petedaniel Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Hi Dave Thanks for your reply on my cruise control or lack of it. cant give you any details at the moment as I am in the UK and my camper is in Spain. but I will be going back next week can I contact you later with the info? Petedaniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Cetainly Pete, you can either PM me directly or post on this thread, either way I'm sure I'll get it. Richard, the fact that it is lack of power menas that its not the cruise control that can't maintain the speed but the 'van. I believe that what you are doing is when you see a hill approaching that you anticipate would cause the cruise to drop out is applying the throttle manually to increase your speed slightly and thereby give the 'van a better chance of making it up the hill before it reaches the 15% drop out point. Of course cruise is reactive and therefore can't apply the throttle until a drop in speed is detected but on all but the really steep hills it should cope, even with a 2.0 litre JTD. Mine is on an asthmatic 2.0 litre petrol and doesn't drop out that often. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 That's exactly right Dave! The thing about these modern hdi motors is that they are higher geared than the older diesel and petrol motors and whilst they do pull well on the level, given their power to weight ratio they do lose momentum on gradients. After many years of Peugeot petrol engines - both the older 1971cc (I think) and the later 1998cc (I think) I do recall being quite disappointed in the lack of grunt in my first 2.0 hdi. It's not a criticism - more a fact of life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I've been following this thread and I don't have the problems that are being reported. I do have a bit more driving experience than most on this forum so that might account for it. :-D :-D I did have my 3500 kg Ducato's 127 bhp uprated to 147 by having a Van Aaken Smart Box fitted. It now purrs along at 2000rpm at 90 kph up hill and down dale at a weight of about 3300kg :-D I do have to change down for the real steep ones but that is to be expected. A pal has got the 2.0 HDI and I better his MPG by at least 4 or 5 MPG. :-D Safe travelling Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P E Jennings Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 This is the female half of the duo & I've just read all the emotive comments that I've generated by asking about Cruise Control. Oops! However,I'm now more confused but will take the your advice & get in touch with Dave Newell. You all sound a great bunch & I will be asking more questions, particularly about U.S.A. so be warned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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