OBS cruise control quit

[saburai]

Thanks for the input guys! I've got a couple of rainy days ahead, but the cruise control is on the list. Right after rear brakes and swapping the air bags from Diego.

Is your cats name Toonces?

 

[BeastMaster]

I just call her "LadyCat". Small lean solid black kittycat. Bright yellow eyes.

Ten years ago, a stray momma cat kittened in my yard.

Momma cat is long gone, but her little kitten has been with me ever since.

And is now the source of about half the cats in my neighborhood.

I had her on one short trip in my old Toyota, and noted how much she wanted to claim the pedal area as her spot.

So, it was a very careful drive straight back home.

The beer thing was also a close one...it sure came close to actually happening.

The can was already in place...just waiting for the jerk, to set the whole comedy in motion. It would have made a helluva smelly mess.

 

[saburai]

I finally got around to doing a proper check with a multimeter at the plug as per the diagnostic protocol that @chillman88 linked to. When I got to the part where you check Ohms, the protocol was telling me that the brake switch was bad or a bulb was out, I thought something was wrong with the protocol since I'd confirmed that the switch was good and *all* of the brake lights were working...
And then I had an Aaha! moment, I realized that I wasn't even considering the the cab mounted third brake light. Raylan came with a cap and Diego didn't have the cab mounted brake light, so it was "out of sight, out of mind" for me. I'm assuming that I've found the root of my cruise control problem and if I'm correct, I'm happy that I've found it even if I do feel a little dumb. However, I'm facing another problem with changing out the bulb. The clearance between the cab and the cap is so tight that there is no room to remove the screws, not even enough room to get a small flat ratcheting screwdriver in there. I've recently resealed and screwed the cap down, I would really rather not pull it up as I'm working alone, and due to some orthopedic issues I'm quite lame at the moment. Is it possible to access the circuit from inside by pulling the headliner? Ideally I would like to eliminate the third brake light, do I need to put a resistor in line in order for the cruise control to work properly? Alternatively, I could cut an access hole in the cap and make up a cover plate to caulk and screw on when I was finished...

 

[saburai]

Hi Gang! Just wanted to bring this to the top in case sombody had definite answers on if I could access the third brake light from inside the cab if I pulled the headliner and that it would in fact cause the cruise control to malfunction...

 

[chillman88]

I have a feeling it won't be accessible, but no truck here new enough to confirm. If it were my truck, I'd try to find the wires going to it in the cab and just bypass it before they get to the light since you have no plans to remove the cap.

 

[saburai]

I have a feeling it won't be accessible, but no truck here new enough to confirm. If it were my truck, I'd try to find the wires going to it in the cab and just bypass it before they get to the light since you have no plans to remove the cap.

Morning Chris! Yeah, that's what I ment. Do you think that I'll need to add a resistor to keep it kosher for the cruise to work?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

You could always just twist the wires together and try it before putting everything back together. I have no experience with this, but I'm leaning toward you may not have to do anything other than connect the wires.

 

[saburai]

You could always just twist the wires together and try it before putting everything back together. I have no experience with this, but I'm leaning toward you may not have to do anything other than connect the wires.

Sounds reasonable. Got side tracked - my wife Marketa came in and informed me that the XJ front end was shaking, took a look, gotta get some stabilizer bushings...

 

[Selahdoor]

Yep. You've got three choices.
1Tie the wires together and insulate.
2. Leave the wires apart, and insulate.
3. Determine the right resistor. Tie that between the wires and insulate.

My gut says just put the wires straight together, to complete the circuit. Since what happens when the bulb is blown? No circuit. It's the no circuit condition that messes with things.

Second most likely is needing a resistor. But I don't think that is going to be the case.

 

[chillman88]

Yessir, like everyone else said, I'd try just tying them together first and go from there.

As for the Jeep, that can be fun

 

[IDIBRONCO]

My gut says just put the wires straight together, to complete the circuit. Since what happens when the bulb is blown? No circuit. It's the no circuit condition that messes with things.

Second most likely is needing a resistor. But I don't think that is going to be the case.

Exactly my thinking too.

 

[ifrythings]

Just stick a resistor off the brake switch to ground (make sure to NOT to get the hot side of the switch) any resistor 20 ohms to 8 ohms will work, heck you could even stick a small 194 bulb under the dash if you didn’t want to spend any money.

 

[ifrythings]

You could always just twist the wires together and try it before putting everything back together. I have no experience with this, but I'm leaning toward you may not have to do anything other than connect the wires.

I hope your not saying to take the 3rd brake light wires and tie them together as that will short out your brake lights and blow the fuse every time you press the brakes.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That was my thought, but I have no experience with doing that. I had no idea. Thanks for sharing that important bit of information.

 

[Selahdoor]

I hope your not saying to take the 3rd brake light wires and tie them together as that will short out your brake lights and blow the fuse every time you press the brakes.

How so?

Assuming the two wires are positive and negative...

All it does is complete the circuit.

If you do have a bulb in there, it's not like it "protects" the circuit. It either completes the circuit, or it doesn't.

If you have a light bulb in there, it completes the circuit. If the bulb is burned out, the circuit doesn't get completed.

If you tie the wires together it completes the circuit. If you cut them and don't tie them together, the circuit doesn't get completed.


We aren't talking about some uber sensitive computer controlled circuit here... It's an OLD truck. No computer involved. Nary a logic circuit to confuse or short out...

On or off. Completed circuit, or non completed circuit. That's it.