How do you fit cruise control?

Post Sat Feb 19, 2005 4:01 pm

Hi, Can any one give me any advice on fitting cruise control to my 325, I have just got all the bits but I didn't remove then from the car so I don't know where things go.
Thanks Ed

Post Sat Feb 19, 2005 4:59 pm

Right where to begin?:D

I did this a couple of weeks ago.

1. You have to make a bracket to go in the engine bay (breakers never seem to remove this with the actuator) and hold the actuator, if you need pointing in the right direction IM me and I email you some photos. Then connect the cable thingy to the throttle ( you should have a bracket with it or on the car already) and find the grommet below the servo where the cable to the cruise control unit will go in to the car. Phew, thats the easy bit!

2. Now I assume you have a right hooker, and you will prob have a LH loom (ignore this if your loom is RH), what I did is remove all the tape from the loom and lay it on the bonnet of my brothers E30 cab (he he it's scratched to shit any way). There should be a stalk, put that to the right side of the bonnet/bench etc and with that there should be the green thingy which will go into the instrument panel and the clutch switch (which you may not have if like me yours came off an auto). You will find the cables on some of these will need extending. The extemly cool unit will go above the glove box with the other connectors for brake switch and to the actuator so you can rewrap the loom. Dont thing I have missed any thing. Ah there is a brown??(dunno I'll have to look if there isn't one) wire that needs to be earthed in the glove box.

3. Right take the wheel off and the cowl round the steering column and take out the instrument panel (bit of a bitch) and remove the glove box and cover above. The stalk just bolts on with a longer bolt than the one that goes throught th wipers stalk. It may be easier to remove the radio too so you can thread the loom through. The clutch switch can just be cable tied to the steering column, may need ajusting to get it to work right but basically the complex bracket is surplus. Ok plug the big green one in to the instrument panel, It goes in upwards not that obvious just look. and all the drives side stuff is done. But don't reassemble till you have tried it.

4. Above the glove box to the left of the big shiny aluminium box which I thought was for the central locking(dunno??) ther is a plastic panel which will be obscure by wires. It has lots of plug holes in it, the brake switch will only go it to one. Earth the brown one to the metal inside the dash, plug the actuator in and stuff the control unit in there some where.

Now at this stage I took the car for a drive and tried it a 40mph, it didn't work but after fiddling with the clutch switch and earthing the brown one and reading the manual so I knew how it was supposed to work I went for another drive and it WORKED

Then its just a case of putting every thing back togeather.
Phew off for a cuppa now
May be I should write a tech article for this-any one know how I go about it???

Post Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:34 pm

Hi, Thanks for that, It is from a rh drive car so it should be easyer.

Post Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:50 pm

Hi, Just got the cruise control kit. what I would like to know is I have a single blue/yellow wire with black single connector on the end is this the one that goes to the instrument panel?
On the other end is the connector for the actuator - Where do the following go? Brown. Brown/blue. and a double connector with Red/green and purple/white wires.
There is only one connection for a switch is his going to be the brake or clutch switch?
Thanks ED

Post Fri Feb 25, 2005 5:01 pm

Bugger I can't remember that much detail.
I tell you what if you have a digi camera send me a photo of the loom and I can tell you what all the wires do.

Post Fri Feb 25, 2005 5:14 pm

Widge wrote:Bugger I can't remember that much detail.
I tell you what if you have a digi camera send me a photo of the loom and I can tell you what all the wires do.

Hi, If you tell me your e-mail adderss I can send a pic. I don't know how to put pics on here.
Thanks ED

Post Fri Feb 25, 2005 5:49 pm

widget@blueyonder.co.uk

Post Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:19 pm

hi, ive been triying to fit mine , and i cant find where all the wires go...i get the one in the cluster , i didn't even have to take it out to fit it, i got the on for the little leaver on the column, so as the easy one for the engine side...but i cant find where to plus the 2 ; 2 wires plugs ( they are related ) and the earth i just earth it loool but i still a few probs , if you guys could send me a few pics please

gstevens@free.fr

thx guys

Post Thu Mar 17, 2005 7:24 pm

greg325 wrote:hi, ive been triying to fit mine , and i cant find where all the wires go...i get the one in the cluster , i didn't even have to take it out to fit it, i got the on for the little leaver on the column, so as the easy one for the engine side...but i cant find where to plus the 2 ; 2 wires plugs ( they are related ) and the earth i just earth it loool but i still a few probs , if you guys could send me a few pics please

gstevens@free.fr

thx guys

Hi, If you take the glove box down and the cover above it so you can see the looms, there is a white conector right at the back, one plugs in there can't remember the colour. (Well its not the blue and its not the brown) The blue is not used and the brown is ground. I hope this helps you.
ED

Post Thu Mar 17, 2005 7:39 pm

the prob is i got a LHD

so i have a slight prob finding that plug with your descriptions and there none left under my stering ( lhd lol )

Post Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:08 pm

greg325 wrote:the prob is i got a LHD so i have a slight prob finding that plug with your descriptions and there none left under my stering ( lhd lol )

Hi, It is the feed for the brake lights so you can just wire it up to the brake light swtch. You should have the white plug on yours have a look above the glove box right at the back in the right hand corner, It took me a long time to find it.

Post Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:26 pm

thanx that what i thought it was, but i have a diferent modele brake switch than the one i got the stuff from as he told me just now , so that why i couldnt find it ..

so just going to do a little electrics and should be all fine....

Post Thu Mar 17, 2005 9:40 pm

ok so ive found the plug you were talking about , in the back of the firewall , i pluged the one of the conectors in , but the other plug deosn't seem to fit anywhere , it the Green/red ( purple ish maybe) do i think its the brake plus ive got to fit and modifie cause not the same to mine , or if its , another stupid plug ive not seen

thx i don't want to blow all the electrics in my car

Post Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:51 am

it works great

and i 'm now back to a fuel consumption about rthe same as before the camshaft

Post Sun Mar 20, 2005 11:22 am

greg325 wrote:it works great and i 'm now back to a fuel consumption about rthe same as before the camshaft

Hi, Its good you got it sorted

ED

Post Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:05 pm

ed325i wrote:
greg325 wrote:it works great and i 'm now back to a fuel consumption about rthe same as before the camshaft
Hi, Its good you got it sorted
ED

yep ; thx