Audiovox CCS-100 Cruise Control Owners -- Problem Solved

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TonyC
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Audiovox CCS-100 Cruise Control Owners -- Problem Solved

Post by TonyC »

Hi, all,

I'm posing this question with hopes that I'm not the only one who installed an Audiovox CCS-100 cruise control (or the Rostra or Murphs' equivalents) on his car. Frankenstein's suddenly went inoperative over a month ago, and I've spent that whole time trying to trace the failure. Searches for the system itself only turned up motorcycle installations, as though motorcycles or crotch-rockets are the only vehicles this system was ever used on. :smt019 So, I went through just about everything the hard way. I did a check of the dash-mounted switch, and I came across something: On the switch, with everything connected, the key on, and the system on, the green wire that feeds the SET/COAST button is supposed to have full voltage when the SET button is pressed, and nothing when it's released. Also, the yellow wire that feeds the RESUME/ACCELERATE button is also supposed to have full voltage when it's pressed and nothing when released. But, when I press either of those buttons, the voltage is barely at 2 volts, if that (and dead when released, like they should be). I determined that there aren't faults in the wiring harness, having fed full power through the green and yellow wires through a jumper and checking the voltage at the ends; both wires have full juice going through them, so there is no break in either of them. And both ground wires are properly grounded. The owner's manual isn't helpful in its diagnostics, showing only what is supposed to happen with the push of each button, but not anything about what to do when what is supposed to happen doesn't.

Right now, I'm wild-guessing that the cause is a defective switch. Has anyone else had such experience and figured out the cause? And if so, is my guess right? I'm hoping so, since I just put in $25 for a new switch. Thanks in advance.

---Tony

UPDATE: I got the new switch, but the mystery continues. When I plugged it in, it had exactly the same symptoms that the old switch had. So that tells me the problem is not in the switch; it's elsewhere--possibly improper connections to the new brake-light relay, or a defective servo. Good thing I didn't take out the old switch; but it's also good to have a brand-new spare just in case. But the mystery continues to frustrate me...and having only references to motorcycle/crotch-rocket applications adds to the frustration.

UPDATE 2, 29 December 2017: I just came a big step closer to isolating the problem. On a hunch, based on what I saw in a motorbike forum regarding this system, I decided to ground the purple wire (the disengage circuit) and see what happened. The cruise control engaged and held--it did not disengage with the brake pedal, naturally, but it did work. That tells me that the system is still sound (good--no need to buy a new system), but either the disengage wire is attached to the wrong terminal on the new brake-light relay, or it simply isn't compatible with the new relay. Next step is to try moving the wire to a different terminal one by one and see which terminal will allow the system to work properly. If none of the terminals will make it work, then I'll have to discard the relay (which I know many here would recommend anyway) and splice the cruise wires into the jumper wire I have for the brake-light circuit. Next update will be what I end up doing.

UPDATE 3, 30 December 2017: :smt115 The problem has been resolved, for the most part. But before I explain it in detail, I need to borrow a post from a fellow veteran regarding how to connect the old relay harness to a new relay:

Your Black = #86
Your Green = #87
Your Green/white Stripe = #85
Your Red = #30

That is how the harness will route in order for the lights to operate properly; I know that this must be exactly right, because deviating from that setup will not allow the brake lights to operate. This is for a four-prong relay, which is what the original was; you can use a five-prong relay, the routing will still work the same way--the fifth prong (#87a) will not be used.

As I suspected in the last update, I had placed the disengage wire on the wrong terminal of the new relay--I spliced it to the green-white wire at #85. Moving it to the other green wire at #87 cured the problem; now the system operates like it should. There is still one quirk in the system, though: When I press the brake pedal, the system, if it's off, will turn itself on. At least it will not engage without pressing the SET button, just the system turning itself on. I do have a theory as to the cause and a possible solution: During all my wild-goose chases, I moved the red wire from the brake switch to the relay, splicing it to the red wire at #30, which may be the reason for that quirk. Fortunately, it's not a dangerous quirk and something I can accept for now, until the weather warms up enough for me to move the red wire back to the brake switch. So, the lesson learned from this is, when it becomes necessary to replace the old factory brake-light relay with a new aftermarket one, install the disengage wire (purple wire) to the green wire that will go to Terminal #87 in order to make the system operate properly.



And then, yet another update today, so you can disregard everything I stated above.
........ :smt120 ..................

FINAL UPDATE, 4 October 2018: Well, everybody in the Forum was right; I was wrong. The brake-light relay used in '66 is not necessary, even with the fitting of this model of cruise control. After several months of dealing with sporadic failures of the system with none of the typical side-symptoms manifesting, I decided to see what would happen if I removed the aftermarket relay and spliced the disengage wire into the jumper wire the Forum has recommended. I also came across a gaffe in my routing of the vacuum lines: The HVAC and the rest of the vacuum systems (auxiliary wipe power, power locks, etc.) are supposed to be completely separate, not tied in at any spot except at the main vacuum supply. Well, I learned that somehow I spliced the two systems together, so both systems were interfering with one another; that explaines why this cruise control would lose power every time I turned the vent or heater on. I rerouted the plumbing so they would be separated; and *BAM* the system works normally, without any oddball side-effects. So, that cinches it: The thought I had for ten years that I needed a brake-light relay for the cruise control to work was debunked.

I may be the only one who has a CCS-100 cruise control in his Suicide; but, if down the road someone doesn't have cruise control and decides he/she wants one, this is the system I recommend. And hopefully, this write-up will help diagnose and cure any problems the installation instructions don't cover.
"Don't believe everything you read on the Internet, just because there is a picture with a quote next to it." (Abraham Lincoln, 1866)
"Question Authority!"

1966 Continental Sedan, affectionately known as "Frankenstein" until body restoration is done (to be renamed "General Sherman" on that event)
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