[DeTomaso] More cruise control issues

Thu Sep 10 12:13:25 EDT 2009

From: cdifani at comcast.net
To: chrisvkimball at msn.com; sobill at aol.com; detomaso at realbig.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] More cruise control issues
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 23:15:51 -0700

Chris:

I'm nowhere near the techie level of our resident wizard, EWSOBill, but I've got a feeling that there's an intermittent something going on.  Like the ground isn't "solid" all the time.  Did you do the direct-to-ground relay when the brake lights are triggered?

I did use the relay, and the ground is directly to the car body using special contact enhancer stuff.

  Secondly, you have a Dakota Digital cruise control system.  What happened to the 'earlier' system?  Did you try it with the "new and improved" ground-trigger-LED brake lights relay?  

I tried the relay with the old cruise control, but in retrospect I think the reason it didn't work was that the vss wire wasn't connected.  Of course, it wasn't connected before when the old cruise control was working (until I added the LED brake lights).

Somewhere in my mind is the idea that all of these cruise controls are made by one company (Audiovox I think), and other companies, Dakota for one, buy the basic system from Audiovox, and then add their particular touches, tweaks, and customizations to the basic Audiovox.  

The dash switch is the same, but there are more dip switches on the new unit than the old.

Since you are in the kinda unique position of having two cruise systems designed for the same application (that's if you still have the first system), can you look at both systems and determine what is common, and what is unique?  Also can you compare the two manuals against each other, and see if you can meld one successful "set of settings" out of two systems, and two manuals.

As I mentioned, the dash switch is the same, but the instruction for the Dakota Digital unit are far better than the lame instructions that came with the Audiovox unit.

Also you might think about calling the 'first' support people (the support for your 'first' cruise system), and ask for their recommendations.  Who knows, you might finally get lucky!  Find a tech that actually knows what he's talking about!

That's a good idea.

Otherwise, you may have to finally revert to the Mark I Cruise Control, and get that big rock back into the passenger foot well.  Or wait a minute!  You've got an L, so you probably have the Mark 1A Cruise Control instead (the stick)?

Actually, my car is a '72 pre-L so I think the appropriate version of the Mark I is a brick instead of the later version of a rock or the even more advanced stick... 

Anyway, keep us "up to speed" with your travails...  And besides, as the rest of us 'watch' you, and your adventures, we all feel better about our adventures!  You're performing an extremely valuable service for the Pantera community!

I'll keep y'all in the loop.  Today the tech with whom I spoke was rather taken aback when I told him the kind of car I have and the horsepower to weight ratio.  He said that could also be part of the problem and recommended I build a bracket for the throttle that would allow the cruise control more travel.  That actually sounds like a good idea which I'm going to tackle tonight.

Chris

Chris Difani
'73 L #5829 "LITNNG"
The Electric Pantera
Sacramento, CA
Email: cdifani at comcast.net 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher Kimball" <chrisvkimball at msn.com>
To: <sobill at aol.com>; "Pantera List Serve" <detomaso at realbig.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 9:09 PM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] More cruise control issues

> 
> Right now I think I'm pretty annoyed with the folks at Dakota Digital.  The cruise control I'm trying to install was surging badly so I called them a third time and spoke to yet another tech who said my switch positions were all wrong (despite they were in the position the last guy recommended which was different than what the first guy recommended...)
> 
> I made the changes and also tightened up the cruise control cable to the throttle (which he also said I "must do.")
> 
> The thing works, but still is completely ridiculous since it drops speed, then gains speed, then drops it again, then gains it again; it's enough to cause whiplash!  Not really, but it is pretty awful.
> 
> I'm going to call one more time tomorrow to see if a fourth tech knows what he's doing.  I've checked all the diagnostics, put the pull-up resistor in place on the speed sending unit, tried different vss speed positions (this last tech told me to put it on 16,800 pulses per mile after I told him the sending unit I had put out 12,000 pulses per mile), and tried different locations for the cc unit's tach wire, including running it to ground (one of the tests the instructions mention to see if there is tach interference--there apparently isn't).
> 
> Any more suggestions?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> 
> From: SOBill at aol.com
> Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 00:51:16 -0400
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] More cruise control issues
> To: chrisvkimball at msn.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My VSS sender puts out  square wave.
> 
> The ZF speedo cable on my '74 turns 1 rev for each rev of the rear 
> tire.
> 
> With a nominal 27 inch diameter tire, my VSS sender will 
> produce about 12,000 pulses per mile.
> 
> Have fun,
> 
> SOBill 
> Taylor
> sobill at aol.com 
> 
> 
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