today i was jus testing my cruise control on the freeway and found out that it wasnt engaging...its not working at all ...when ever i hit the set accel. button the "cruise" light would come up but after a while it would go off without me toching any thing else ..anyone know whats the problem or anyone had this before.

 

Check the vaccum hoses in the engine bay...one of them might have a crack or be broken/disconnected...

 

this happened to mine.. well sort of .. when i press nothing hpapens.. then when i hold the set butotn while turning on the crusie it would blink... so what ever all said and done.. i had a blown fuse .. a 7.5A i belive fuse the only one in the car.. i think.. and after replacing that.. it seemed to be okay.. just turn off the car.. then start run and try engaging at like 60mph...

 

i check all the vaccum hoses no cracks or disconnection..n also chekd the fuse its hasnt blown out. and the same thing happend, when i hold the set button while turning on the crusie it would blink. but still have no clue whats goin on

 

Have you got a Haynes manual? It should be required reading for all .orgers. Section 12-16 has a writeup on the cruise control system including troubleshooting. It cross references to a number of other sections in the manual.

Anyone seeking help should be severely reprimanded if they haven't gone the Haynes route first prior to soliciting feedback or advice from fellow .orgers, IMHO!

 

definatly going to get one today.

 

If it is a manual trans you may check the switch on the clutch pedal that disengages the cruise when the clutch is pushed. Same applies for the brake pedal.

 

WTF are you talking about?

 

No need for that sort of tone. If I understand correctly, he's just suggesting that those microswitches that get you out of cruise mode when you press either the brake or the clutch might be stuck in the open position. I doubt that this is the problem though, because that just prevents you from staying at a cruise speed - it shouldn't prevent you from enabling cruise control (i.e. the green light) - which is what the OP's symptoms are.

 

I reserve that tone for when it is warranted. What I was getting at is there are no switches on either the clutch or brake pedal and the poster should be more specific in his explanation. If I have offended you then too bad.

 

Didn't offend me since the comment wasn't directed at me... but you've peaked my curiousity - so how is the car taken out of cruise mode when the brakes are pressed - what is the signal (if not a brake pedal based switch)?

 

The cruise control system maintains vehicle speed with a vacuum-actuated servo motor located on the firewall in the engine compartment, which is connected to the throttle linkage by a cable. The system consists of the servo motor, brake switch, vacuum pump, control switches, a relay and associated vacuum hoses. Some features of the system require special testers and diagnostic procedures that are beyond the scope of the home mechanic.

Procedures to locate common problems:
1. Check the fuse.
2. The brake pedal position switch or brake light switch deactivates the cruise control system. Have an assistant press the brake pedal while you check the brake light operation.
3. If the brake lights do not operate properly, correct the problem and retest the cruise control.
4 Check the control cable between the cruise control servo/amplifier and the throttle linkage and adjust/replace as necessary.
5. etc. etc. etc.

This is verbatim from the Haynes manual and goes on and on.

 

So the brake switch is used as part of the cruise control system after-all... which goes back to my original post - no need for that tone. We all make mistakes - and here you've done the same. Cheers.

 

just came back from driving for 30 minz on freeway...this time the "cruise" light stayed on but didnot engage into cruise. I still have no clue abt wats goin on.

 

the clutch also has a dump valve. which is connected to the brake light switch.
you say that it turned on green when you pressed the button, and then when you tried to use the set button the cruise just flashed at you? that just means your not using the cruise control right. look in your owners manual to find out how it works. oh and by the way, check if your horn works. the cruise and the horn share power at the relay.

 

I haven't made any mistake. The point I'm making is that the switches are not on the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, they are inside the engine bay as part of the cruise control system. What part of that don't you understand? Cheers and have a nice day.

 

are you sure? I'm not trying to be a pest but seriously, I swear the brake light switch is near the brake pedal... its a microswitch that gets activated (open) when you depress the brake pedal...

 

Well why don't you get a flashlight and turn yourself upside down and take a good look and report back to us. I haven't looked but I certainly haven't noticed anything. Brake pedals and clutches need to be pressed to operate. Intuitively, I would expect the switches to be at the receiving end, ie. as part of the cruise control system.

At any rate, I think the problem will have to be remedied by an expert in the field rather than the home mechanic as the Haynes manual suggests.

 

I'll save the trip to the car. Turning to page 9-19 in my Haynes, figure 16.1 shows me, quote: "The brake light switch is located on a bracket near the top of the brake pedal". Hmm... I guess I WAS right after all. There are 2 switches there - one for the brake lights and one for cruise control.

 

Good work! I still say that the problem would be best solved by someone who is totally familiar with the Maxima's cruise control system.

I haven't seen anyone solve the problem here yet.

 

rmurdoch;thats funny you just flamed for 3 or 4 posts and still won't admit you're wrong. You have a SE and you don't know this??? Any slight press of the clutch pedal or brake pedal and the cruise control disengages, there are two micro switches, one for the clutch, one for the brake and they are both right above the beam of the pedals. "I haven't looked but I certainly haven't noticed anything." why don't you look, or did you have that slight feeling that you were wrong and didn't want to admit it?

As to solving the problem, it sounds like the relay, all a relay is, is an electromagnet, once the coil loses the 12 volts the relay deenergizes. I've seen relays engergize and then automatically deengergize. It could also possibly be a malfunctioning microswitch for one of the pedals or you have a bad seal in your clutch cylinder or master cylinder it causes the pedal to droop thereby applying slight pressure to the switch and disengaging the system.

 

I admit I was wrong and stand corrected. I don't profess to be a mechanic and something as technical as this I would leave up to someone who is totally conversant with the cruise control system for fear of screwing something up.

I have owned my car since day 1 and the only problem I've ever had with it of any consequence is having to recently replace both rear brake calipers and pads at 58K because the right rear caliper piston was seized. I attribute that to my stupidity as I hadn't used the parking brake in years. Three brake shops have told me to use the parking brake routinely as it turns the caliper piston in further.

I haven't encountered the problems many have experienced with 4th Gens as my car is still virtually like new. I still have the original plugs and tires and have 50% left on the front brake pads to the wear bar.

 

i have an automatic trans. jus came bac from school.. gonna go on freeway ..mess around a lil and see wats up ....

 

Im not sure if this is normal but my cruise control stays on and engages like its suppose to but it isnt very smooth. For example, if i set it at 80 it will cruise at 80 for a while then drop to like 78 then imediately speed up to 80 then drop back to 78. is this normal and if not how can i fix it ?
thanks

 

just came back from driving on freeway ..now when ever i hit the cruise set accel. button the light comes on and stays for 5 seconds or so (still not engagin) and then all of sudden rpm drops from 2800 rpm to 2000rpm n then goes bac to 3000 rpm and the lcruise light turns off..it almost feels like as if i switch to 2 from D when goin 75 and then put it bac in D. any clue whats going on?

 

That's normal, that happens to mine every once in awhile, not much, sometimes on hills. I think I need to feed that little mouse in there a bigger piece of cheese to keep him motivated.

 

Sounds like ECU, see if there is anyway you can switch ECUs to troubleshoot, also do ECU diagnostic to see if maybe there is a code but no CEL.

 

the ecu code that i pulled out was 0505

 

That stands for "no codes identified."

 

yea so wat does this have to do with cruise control..

anyone else have any idea whats wrong. i still dont know y RPM drops while trying to engage it.