Hi KWTOML. There are two things you need to be concerned with: first, determine if the cruise is causing your problem; and second, working with a potentially
problematic (for lack of a better word) dealership. Your best thing in both cases is to use clear logic and sound reasoning and I'll help you with that.
So, is it possible for the cruise control to be causing your problems? YES! You installed a piece of electronics between your pedal and your car's computer, and now you're having problem with your pedal... it is not at all unreasonable for your dealer to suspect that the new part (or installation there of) is a
potential cause of the problem. However, simply
blaming that part (or installation) without proper deductive reasoning is improper and well,
problematic. So of course it is
possible for the cruise to be the cause, but it is also possible that any of the following are instead:
- A faulty pedal
- A faulty wiring harness
- A faulty ECU
It could be something else, but it is likely one of those four scenarios.
When you take it to the dealer first though, you open yourself up to trouble because they're going to want to blame what isn't in their control (the cruise in this case). It is the easy answer, but its also really their only option because they
can't properly diagnose any of the other three without first ruling out the foreign item (the cruise). They have a reasonable expectation that when you bring your car in for warranty repair that you provide them with the same car they provided you, and not a modified one. Even if it turns out they're wrong and it had nothing to do with the cruise, they probably should be able to not cover the work, at least partially, under warranty because of the extra diagnostics involved by the presence of the foreign item.
An overwhelming truth/lesson here: Always remove
any aftermarket part that
may be causing your problem
before bringing the car in for warranty repair!
Even though you really should have done this before taking it to them in the first place, ruling out the cruise is still is going to be your best move going forward. Here are the steps I suggest you take:
- Install the jumper plug. It is cheap and easy and will very quickly tell you if it is the cruise control. If you install the jumper and if the problem goes away, then it is either:
- A poor connection (ie. make sure it wasn't just not plugged in all the way)
- A faulty cruise control (it would be only the 2nd ever, but it is possible)
But installing the jumper can really only rule IN the cruise. It can't rule it out completely so if the problem did not go away then I would suggest continuing.
- Check all the wires that you swapped for the installation. If any are loose at all then try to reseat them and test again. If the problem went away, then you have your answer. If not, continue
- Completely remove the wiring harness and put the ECU area entirely back to stock. If the problem goes away, then either you missed a loose connect or one or more cruise harness wires are damaged or possibly it was assembled poorly in the first place and you should get a replacement. If the problem does not go away then logically you have now ruled out the cruise control and its installation as being the problem. It is at this point that I would recommend booking a warranty repair with the dealership, keeping in mind these notes:
- If you're feeling paranoid about the dealer visit, you may want to reverse the switch installation as well. However, electrically they should be able to see it isn't plugged into anything and can't be contributing to the problem, but it can't hurt to remove it from their thought process completely. Not everyone is as logical as yours truly.
- Since you've already taken the car in and they're aware you had the cruise installed and are already inclined to blame it, they might pull the "well you/it damaged the ecu or pedal already and that's why the problem hasn't gone away" game. Frankly, it is difficult to argue that point! I know for a certainty that unless the cruise control was also defective (and we can test that easily) and somehow behaved entirely erratically, that the assertion is impossible. A complete mess of an installation could do the trick, but then its unlikely the cruise would have worked at all and your problems would likely be more numerous, but of course I haven't seen the installation result. Regardless, if you think you may not get a fair shake at your dealer, perhaps consider going to a different one?
From your description, I would actually have to say the most likely cause of your problem is a defective cruise control. I hate to say that for obvious reasons, but being objective I would say that is, at least narrowly, the most probable scenario. Like I said, we have had only 1 defect in the cruise electronics to date - and in that case the cruise would not function at all - but that's a phenomenal defect rate so a 2nd is probably inevitable and this initially sounds like a good candidate. A close second most-likely problem is that you have a defective accelerator pedal. A distant third most likely option (in my opinion) is that something is wrong with your car's ecu. Unfortunately, there have been several cases where they've been trashing (probably) perfectly good ecus in attempts to resolve much simpler (and cheaper) issues, but I digress.
If the problem does lie with the cruise, then there's no need to get the dealership involved at all and if you do you'll rightly be on the hook for whatever bill they come up with. No, in this case you simply need to make a warranty claim with us - which is pain free I assure you. But if the cruise is not the problem, then you need to tread assertively yet carefully with your dealer to get satisfaction. Taking the logical steps described above to rule out the cruise
should be good enough for them, but its an unfortunate reality that dealerships (like many things in business and nature) take the path of least resistance and will look for a way to not pay for your troubles under warranty. I wish you luck and of course we're here to provide any assistance we can, but ultimately it would be between you and your dealership to resolve.
Art
