Florin Andrei

2002 Honda Civic LX

A while ago I started having problems with cruise control. If the weather is hot, or if the engine is hot, it disengages itself and the car starts slowing down gradually. If I try to re-engage CC, it won't work. If I reach to the CC master switch, turn that one off, then back on again, then try CC again - then it works fine for a while.

This doesn't happen too often if it's cold outside, or if the engine is cold. But when temperature rises (due to weather, or engine, or both), it happens more often.

Sometimes it disengages when hitting a bump in the road, other times even when the road is flat and smooth.

The problem is getting gradually worse. At first it would only happen in the summer. Nowadays it happens even in winter.

Is this something I could fix myself? What part should I investigate first?

Thanks!

ezone

You kinda described 2 different situations.

Does the indicator light in the cluster (the one that comes on as soon as you activate the cruise, not the light in the main switch) stay on or go off when the cruise shuts down?

Florin Andrei

It's a bit random.

Often the light will stay on while the speed of the vehicle decreases - at least for a while. It slows down a bit, sometimes it would buck like a wild horse, slow down, jump ahead, slow down again, etc, a few times, until at the end it settles into a slow deceleration - and only then would the green light turn off.

Other times it just begins to slow down and it decelerates smoothly - but even then the green light stays on for a few seconds, and then it turns off.

I forgot to say - there's another factor that seems to trigger this issue: it also tends to disengage when the road goes uphill, even if it's not too steep of a climb.

ezone

I know that is out of context.
I don't think this is documented in print, but I believe these units will shut off if it cannot maintain speed, such as going up a mountain and the vehicle speed drops more than (guess)5-7MPH below set speed.
So I'm thinking that since your cruise can't maintain the target (set) speed, it cancels itself after it drops so far below the set speed.





With the rest of your description, and since you say the light stays on for a while while it acts up........
I'd probably want to swipe a "known good" cruise control unit from an identical car, see if that cures it before buying one.

The cruise control unit is under the dash on a 4 door (sedan)..... and it's in the engine compartment on a coupe. (I'm guessing you have a sedan?)

Glancing through the different part numbers on the units, it seems that "Identical car" looks like it will be 01 thru 05, but the rest must be identical to yours: If yours is a 4 door automatic, then you need to find one from a 4 door automatic car 01-05. Got it?
But if you have a coupe, you can try one from an EX or LX, manual or automatic.

You should look up part numbers on your own car and the car you want to try from to make sure they are the same.

HTH

Techguy

My 2001 Civic had the same cruise control problem when it was warmer outside. With the cruise control set and going down the road it would all of the sudden start slowing down and eventually the cruise would just quit working. The cruise light by the speedometer would turn off, but the power light on the on/off switch on the left side of the dash would always stay on. You could try and engage the cruise again but it won't work unless you use the main power switch to turn it off then back on again. It will work again at that point. I replaced the cruise control module under the dash and it has been working fine ever since.