New cruise control get flaky with time/miles

[Last Chance]

Almost makes me glad I spent the $600 on a McCruise... :clapping: ..Of course I haven't installed it yet. :dribble:

LC B)

 

[chornbe]

This is a major problem since everything works so well when I test at home. The problem only shows after a while on the road at speed.
HELP!!! I am lost with this one. I did an Audiovox install on my Concours last year without any of this grief.

Ross

Sounds like you're losing vacuum or you've got a leak. Go back over things, and consider a bigger can. Remember, as the throttle opens, the usable vacuum goes down. In your case, it sounds like the can isn't buffering properly. You should have a larger-diameter/volume hose on the engine side of the can.

 

[rfulcher]

Chornbe stated,

"Sounds like you're losing vacuum or you've got a leak. Go back over things, and consider a bigger can. Remember, as the throttle opens, the usable vacuum goes down. In your case, it sounds like the can isn't buffering properly. You should have a larger-diameter/volume hose on the engine side of the can. "

I agree that it looks like vacuum leak might be the problem. However I don't know if I can fix it with reasonable measures. I have tried 4 ports with 4 check valves and a check valve on the can. With the same results My guess is that the servo itself is marginal as normal steps to supply vacuum are inadequate. However I will repeat my test from above at interstate speeds.

I am now using 2 ports with only only the check valve built in to the Audiovox vacuum can. I wonder how it would effect the engine to use 4 ports with only one check valve?

 

[ionbeam]

I think Constant Mesh and I are about to have overlapping posts here.

You can try using 4 ports with one check valve for testing purposes but this is tantamount to having all 4 TBs sharing the same vacuum level. If you can beg, borrow or buy a vacuum gauge it will put this issue to bed. You need to tee the vacuum gauge into the vacuum line going to the servo unit, run the gauge hose up to someplace around the speedo area and tape the gauge such that you can glance at it as you ride. I've done this while troubleshooting a TPS problem.

I'm sure you have this under control but I will mention that the throttle cable needs at least 1 5/8 inch travel; 1/16 slack and have 3 beads minimum.

 

[rfulcher]

Has anybody ever had problems using the blue connector under the left fairing as a power source. I don't see how this could be it but it is about the only thing not addressed so far.

Has anybody with this specific problem with these exact symptoms tried to replace just the AVCC servo unit to determine if this is the source of the problem? At this point I think that might be the next step. I would really hate to replace the servo just to find out it was somthing else.

 

[BuilderBob]

Are you sure that you have the tach signal connected to the correct wire on the coil? The instructions I referred to here said to connect to the grey with red tracer wire on the coil.

I haven tested my CC for any length of time yet, but it worked OK for the short time I tested it.

 

[Wicked Webby]

Fellas, I dont like the sound of all the problems with that system. Think I will just stick with the throttlemiester....Maybe basic, but seems to work without the headaches. Hope ye'all get er figured out. Good luck.

Ride um safe.

 

[ionbeam]

Has anybody ever had problems using the blue connector under the left fairing as a power source.

Which wire from the AVCC is being connected to the Blue wire? [guess] The AVCC manual is very clear about what kind of power source the AVCC Brown wire may be connected to. [/guess] The AVCC manual says that the Brown wire must not be connected to anything but a steady, stable +12 volt source -- no motors, no blinkers & no possibly electrically noisy sources. The only wires that that are a solid blue (L) on the Gen II bikes are signal or +5 VDC reference wires. More info please

Grey/red wire or solid orange wire are both acceptable taps for the tach signal.

 

[rfulcher]

Sorry guys, my question must have been unclear.

I was asking about the blue connector under the left fairing, I was not asking about the blue wire. I was asking about the blue connector connected to the bikes wiring harness. I have heard that this is the heated grip plug. The hot wire on this connector is connected to the red fused wire that powers the control pad. T

The blue wire on my AVCC is connected to the grey with red tracer wire on the coil.

Ross

 

[Lake Powell]

All the leads seem to point to a lack of vacuum, the suggestion of getting a vacuum gauge in line would be the easiest way to rule atleast that argument out.

Also I didn't see it mentioned but the throttle return spring should be loosened one round if not done so, IMO.

My CC install on my 07' was straight forward per the write up on this board and has worked great so far, not trying to make you feel bad.

 

[rfulcher]

For throttle linkage I have the very same setup as several posts show. 7 Beads on the chain, only about 0.2 inch of slack in the cable, etc.. It moves freely and I can not see any binding. The middle throttle return spring has been released one turn.

Just got back from a long interstate ride to test the idea that it is a vacuum issue.

The AVCC held 78-80 mph for 6.5 miles. After this it never would hold 80 mph. Over the next 25 miles it would hold 75 mph with occasional engine braking, maybe 3-4 random failures. However over the return trip, 30 more miles, it never would hold 80 mph and would only hold 75 mph if I pulled the clutch in to let it idle while coasting or used engine braking after a cut off. The stability of the system seemed to decrease with the miles. Over the last 10 miles it cut out every mile or so and only hold with engine braking or coast with the clutch pulled. If I did not take steps to increase the vacuum it would not hold and the hold speed would gradually drop. However using engine braking to pump up the vacuum did slow the degradation of functioning.

Just for giggles (yea, right) I may try my home made vacuum can with an external check valve. This will further rule out everything but the servo.

Has anybody ever had a proven defective servo?

I think I may start working on getting a another new AVCC tomorrow.

Ross

 

[bmwhd]

Hope you figure it out. I'm starting my install soon (since I can't get Smitty to come to Dallas )

I have the unit configured and control pad waterproofed. Just waiting on my place in the queue with Ian for my control pad mount and I'll be digging into it. Can't be any worse than my HID install.

 

[rfulcher]

The pi55er is that this is not that hard a thing to do. Getting the cable connected is a pain but after that it should be easy. The install on my Concours wsa trouble free, thats why I took this on without hesitation.

 

[Constant Mesh]

I made my vacuum canister from a 10-3/4 Oz. tomato soup can. It's about 3-1/2" long and has a diameter of 2-1/2" and a volume of 17 cubic inches. My check valve has one inlet port and two outlet ports. The inlet goes to the engine. One outlet goes to the canister and the other to the servo.

The servo has two possibly three solenoid operated air valves. One valve controls air flow between the servo and the atmosphere -- if you're going too fast this valve lets air enter the servo. Another valves controls air flow between the servo and the vacuum source -- if you're going too slow this valve lets air flow from the servo to the vacuum source. A final optional valve, sometimes called a dump or shutoff valve, allows for a complete servo shutdown by letting atmospheric air flood the servo.

 

[Pjturbo]

I hope you find out what is wrong and post it. I just completed an install on my 05 with ABS and it won't engage. We now have three installs with trouble. Let's work together to find out what we did wrong. I start my troubleshooting routine today. Load up the VOM.

Phil

 

[Inlaw1]

It's almost as if the servo/controller was temperature sensitive and got flaky as it was used (warmed up). I haven't found any correlation to road conditions (flat/climbing) or speed. When this has happened, I've stopped for a bit, got back out on the highway and it will work again for awhile and then start acting up again.

I'm wondering the same thing with my problem. I've had an erratic cut out for a while now. I thought it the control pad, but after replacing it and water proofing it (thanks v65 and kaitsdad) I still have the same problem. I began to notice it always happened after stopping for a short break and getting back on the bike. I will assume yours is mounted the same place mine is, up under the tank, under the water cross over pipe (06 model). Which means it's right next to a heat source. After parking and sitting a bit the temps will rise under the tank of course.

When starting out from these short breaks the thing will want to cut out... sometimes after one second, sometimes after a half a minute. It varies wildly. But it will cut out. After riding it a bit and letting air blow under the tank and cool things off it works much better, sometime not cutting out at all, other times cutting out at random times. On the way home from AR Sunday it worked great all morning. But when the ambient temps started climbing to the mid and upper 80's it started to cut out randomly. Sometimes every 5 minutes sometimes it would work for 15-30. But it would cut out and I noticed the warmer it got outside the more frequent it cut out. Yesterday on my ride down from Waco it was mid 60's and rain and the thing never cut out.

I also noticed the warmer it got outside, the lower the speed was I could set speed at. By the warm afternoon on Sunday I couldn't get it to hold a set speed anything over 90 and hitting the Accel button would get it to accelerate to about 90, stop accelerating and then eventually cut out. But on Sunday (once on dry road out of the rain) I got it to set and hold at 110. Hit the Accel button and it wanted to accelerate for as long as I held the button.

I'm going to find some heat wrap for the servo and see what that does. Anybody have a source for some good heat wrap?

rfulcher: Check your slack in the cable. When I first had the unit installed it acted very similar to yours. It didn't want to hold speed on hills or against strong winds and would eventually cut out when it wouldn't hold speed. I installed my own vacuum cannister and connected to four ports using check valves on the ports and cannister. This made a huge difference in holding speed and climbing.

I made the vacuum cannister out of 1 1/2" PVC pipe about 5" long capping both ends. Then mounted it down in front of the shock by the swing arm pivot on the right side (as per Smitty's set up). There is an opening on the right side to slide it in, you can secure it with a chain link fence poll clamp from Home Depot using one of the swing arm pinch bolts.

My unit also took a second to two to engage and I took the slack out of the line and this helped a LOT. It now engages immediately and will set and hold higher speeds than when there was slack. And I think this also helps the unit sense it's working correctly. The vacuum source and removing slack helped with the cut outs. They just never really went completely away though and now that 'dtyo' is talking heat that's making me look that direction a bit more with my problem.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[v65]

Phil,

Yours will not engage at all? Is this on the centerstand or on the highway? It sounds like you have a very different problem, and fortunately for you it probably has a simple solution. If you can't get it sorted out you might want to start a different thread.

 

[Alex]

I hope you find out what is wrong and post it. I just completed an install on my 05 with ABS and it won't engage. We now have three installs with trouble. Let's work together to find out what we did wrong. I start my troubleshooting routine today. Load up the VOM.
Phil

Did you make sure to remove the jumper on the servo? The one for the manual tranny option? I forgot that step and had similar issues. Also, my grey/red wire was on the opposite side of the coil pack shown in some install instructions on the forum. All 4 wires from both coil pack gave off 12V+ and my cruise work on either one.

BUT, I have the same issue as you guys are mentioning. Below 65, it is flawless, above 70; it will cut out after 20-25 miles.

I even temporally took the brake circuit and grounded it (safety risk) to make sure it wasn't my break circuit giving some voltage while riding.

I'll hook up a vacuum gauge to it to monitor while cruising at 70+

Alex

 

[Inlaw1]

BUT, I have the same issue as you guys are mentioning. Below 65, it is flawless, above 70; it will cut out after 20-25 miles.

Is your's mounted under the tank? Or under the seat?

 

[Alex]

BUT, I have the same issue as you guys are mentioning. Below 65, it is flawless, above 70; it will cut out after 20-25 miles.

Is your's mounted under the tank? Or under the seat?

Under the tank, and I wrapped it with the best heat wrap on the market, knowing it was going to get warm.

I don't notice a different with temps, it works great at 80 degrees at 65mph, and crappy at 43 degrees at 78mph this last week when I was on the interstate.

I found a way to get the servo cable on the same cam as the stock cable. Works like it came from the factory. I hated the beads and drilling solution, it just felt unreliable. I feel it is trying too hard to keep the throttle at the correct position. Sounds to me like I need to unwind the center spring, but some say even that doesn't help.... I'm lost.

Alex