The cruise control on my 99 Honda Accord EX6 w/4 speed automatic, odometer 98,000, suddenly stopped functioning. The steering wheel controls turn the cluster light on and off, master switch turns cruise on/off and enables steering wheel controls to operate. Cluster light is controlled by steering wheel controls, but master switch turns it off. After master switch shutoff, steering wheel controls do not function until cruise control system is reactivated with master. Cluster light responds in normal way, but cruise does not operate.

I accelerated to the desired speed, 65-70 mph, and set cruise. Car did not hold speed. The "Cruise Control" light in the cluster came on when steering wheel switch was closed, but cruise did not take over. After the car slowed down 5mph plus/minus, the transmission downshifted (as it often does when maintaining speed on a hill, or resuming the previous setting after slowdown). rpm went up but car did not accelerate or maintain speed. When I shut cruise off car shifted back up to 4th and continued to run normally controlled by foot throttle. Any ideas?

 

Check that the cable is attached to the throttle body.

From there, do you have a volt meter to do some testing of connections?

 

Will check connection to throttle body. Have Multimeter, don't know what connections to check or what voltages should be. Thanks for your response.

 

Sorry, had to run to the store

Check the cable and be sure it is still attached to the throttle body - some of the sixth gens had issues with the "cable reel" breaking....thus the cable comes off.

I hate electrical issues so before we start down that path I want to rule out mechanical issues first.

Any work done on the car recently? Like brake light issues or anything else.

 

No work done since alternator replaced in 2010
Cable's attachment to throttle body looks ok. Everything seems to be in place. It occurs to me that the cluster light may be on a different circuit than the cruise control and may come on even though device is not on. I haven't yet checked that fuse. With cruise activated when the car slows down as reported above, it downshifts but throttle does not move. Possible failure of motor (or solenoid )that tensions the cables? Will check fuse and and actuator for continuity/high resistance later. Thanks again.

 

Fuse OK. Downshifting indicates speed sensor functioning correctly. Cant find any electrical connections to device that tensions the cable. Cables in races and taut.

 

Sounds strange but does the horn work......or try sounding the horn when setting the cruise.

Yes I'm trying to "back into" what might be wrong.

I'm a bit confused as the car is downshifting - trying to maintain speed - when you set the cruise.......so something, IMO is not giving gas or pulling on the cruise cable - thus giving gas.

 

You are correct, I'm certain, in assuming that the parts of the system that control the throttle are not working, but, apparently, the rest of it is. If it weren't sensing the dropping speed it would not shift down. Normally it does not shift down unless it senses that the maximum throttle setting that the system is capable of is insufficient to maintain the desired speed as, for example, when going up a fairly steep hill, or when the "resume" button on the steering wheel is pressed after speed has dropped more than about 5-7mph while cruise control was off.

The cable tensioning device looks almost like a vacuum booster, but I don't think it is because there is no visible connection to the intake manifold. That leaves either motor or solenoid. I'm inclined to think solenoid because it would be a simpler system and also because a motor would overheat if it remained under power while not turning.

I will try the horn trick and let you know how that comes out.

 

Horn sounds when called while switching on cruise.

 

When the cruise is set, the cruise cable to the tb takes over the "gas" to the engine. The PCM is "seeing" the speed decline and thinks it needs to shift to a lower gear to maintain speed......so why is the cruise cable not giving the engine "gas".....this is going to be fun

First thing you will want to do is test the resistance on the actuator......see if this pic comes thru.