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Does your cruise control work?

Started by raueda1, 21 October 2022, 11:29 AM

How well does your cruise control / "tempomat" work?

Not at all, 100% dead, does nothing
2 (28.6%)
Doesn't work but not 100% dead, e.g., speeds up when activated but doesn't hold speed at all
1 (14.3%)
Kind of works, but imperfectly (speed varies, drops off, surges, etc)
3 (42.9%)
Works perfectly!
1 (14.3%)

Total Members Voted: 7

Voting closed: 04 November 2022, 11:29 AM

raueda1

Just curious how many of our cars actually have working cruise control.  My guess is not many.  But as a German scientist friend used to shout at his ever-optimistic colleagues in sales, "I vill see zee data!  You vill show me zee data!"  The results will guide me, and perhaps others, in how much effort to put into it.
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

ptashek

From own experience, I think the best you can get is "somewhat works". Even with a perfectly working control box, the system is just inaccurate by design - vacuum controlled, no throttle position feedback loop etc.

Mine works, but drops of the speed after a few km and needs a top-up. But it's good enough to be usable on the Autobahn.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

revilla

Mine still works just fine. Though I admit it's a delicate agglomeration of different devices (vacuum, electric, electronics, software, mechanical, sensor, etc) destined to fail one day. The system won't win a contest on reliability.
But fun to have it functional.

ptashek

No software to deal with in this system. It's all analogue.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

raueda1

Thanks to those who participated.  The results speak for themselves, as do the other comments - only 1 respondent with fully working CC. Yikes! Doesn't give me much optimism for joining that elite "works perfectly" club.  Still, a useful exercise for calibrating expectations IMO.  So I'm not going to spend more time sweating this one and it's crossed off my winter project list.  Thanks again to all and cheers,
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0