What is Cruise Control? A Comprehensive Guide
When the system is set, cruise control will maintain a steady speed for your vehicle
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Your vehicle’s cruise control system unlocks numerous benefits at the touch of a button — but according to web search data, drivers still have plenty of questions about what it is, what it does, and how it works.
Below, we’ll answer some of the most popular Internet search questions about cruise control, so you can make the best use of this important system.
What is Cruise Control?
With cruise control, your vehicle will maintain a steady speed when the system is set.
What is adaptive cruise control?
With adaptive cruise control, the vehicle will also automatically slow down and speed up to maintain a safe position in traffic.
How does cruise control work?
Cruise control work with a manual transmission just the same way it does with an automatic. Drivers set their cruising speed with a button press, and the system works the throttle automatically to maintain the desired cruising speed as evenly as possible. In some vehicles with a manual transmission, pressing the clutch pedal to shift gears turns the cruise control off, requiring an additional button press to reengage it after a gear change.
In other cars with a manual transmission, pressing the clutch pedal simply pauses the cruise control system a moment, allowing drivers to complete their gearshift. When they’ve released the clutch, the cruise control picks up where it left off — no additional button press required.
Is cruise control more fuel efficient?
Yes. Increasing your vehicle’s speed uses fuel. While cruising, even a highly competent driver who isn’t using cruise control will tend to slow down and speed up in a repeated cycle, possibly several times per minute. Though fluctuations in speed may be slight, they do cause your engine to use more fuel than required. Point is, the more time you spend at a steady speed, the less fuel your engine needs.
For most drivers, using cruise control on the highway at 80 km/h can reduce fuel consumption by about 20 per cent. For drivers who find difficulty in maintaining a steady speed and frequently experience big fluctuations, using cruise control can cut fuel use by over 40 per cent.
Depending on what you drive and how fast you drive it, using cruise control could save you between $4 and $20 per hour — based on information from Natural Resources Canada that shows most drivers who don’t use cruise control on the highway will tend to experience a 10 km/h speed fluctuation about three times per minute.
Drivers who have the most difficulty managing their cruising speed could be using 60 per cent more fuel than they need to.
Is cruise control bad for your transmission?
No. Your vehicle’s engine, transmission and other components are designed to work hand-in-hand with its cruise control system and are extensively tested and integrated with one another for trouble-free performance.
Using cruise control also reduces wear and tear on both your engine and transmission by running things more smoothly and steadily, and reducing workload on both components.
Can you add cruise control to a car?
Yes. Depending on the year, make and model, cruise control may be available for add-on or retrofit. Professional installation is recommended, and you’ll want to talk to a professional about the specific availability of parts and integration for your vehicle.
In many cases with modern cars, it’s generally easier and more cost effective to just opt for a unit equipped with cruise control from the factory. Cruise control is widely available as standard equipment on most modern vehicles.
Can cruise control get stuck?
Yes, but it’s extremely rare. Older cable-based cruise control systems seem more prone to this rare problem, in which the cable can slip or bind, making the throttle stick into position. More modern vehicles with electronic throttle and monitoring systems make this problem even less likely.
If the cruise control on your car fails to disengage when you want to slow down, slip the vehicle into neutral to disconnect drive power from the wheels, pull over, and address the situation.
However, chances are, you’ll never experience this problem.
When should cruise control be used?
Any time you’re trying to drive at a constant speed. Whether around town at 60 km/h, in a residential area at 40 km/h, or out on the highway at 105 km/h, switching the cruise control on makes for a smoother and more fuel efficient drive that’s easier on your engine and transmission. it can also help you do your part to maintain the steady and efficient flow of traffic.
Most cruise control systems can be engaged at speeds above 30 km/h.
When should cruise control not be used?
Any time you can’t safely drive at a steady speed. If the road surface is snowy, icy, slushy or very wet, you’ll want to think twice about switching your cruise control on.
In older cars, having your cruise control engaged on a wet or icy road could allow the vehicle to accelerate or experience wheelspin when driven wheels encounter a low-traction surface. Here, the cruise control system maintains throttle pressure, even in situations where it should be released instead. This could lead to a loss of control.
In more modern vehicles, electronic monitoring is used to automatically disengage cruise control when one of the following happens:
- one or more wheels slip
- one or more wheels leave the surface of the road after a major bump or dip
- the wipers are set to the maximum speed setting in heavy rain
Use your judgement. Safely navigating certain slippery or dangerous driving conditions requires careful manual control of your vehicle’s throttle, and in these situations, you’re best to leave the cruise control off.
What causes cruise control to kick off?
If the cruise control in your vehicle suddenly kicks off, a few things may be to blame.
Sometimes, cruise control disengages automatically when the vehicle’s automatic wipers detect heavy rainfall, or when a wheel spins or (briefly) leaves the surface of the road after a big bump or dip. In other situations, there may be a problem with one or more sensors or switches, including the brake pedal switch, throttle position sensor, or one or more wheel speed sensors.
Your modern cruise control system relies on various sensors and switches to do its job properly. As a failsafe, any problem with these sensors can cause the cruise control system to go offline. If you notice this happening regularly, have your vehicle diagnosed by a professional.
Will the cruise control work with an ABS light on?
Probably not. Your car’s Antilock Braking System works hand-in-hand with your cruise control system, and any fault with the ABS system will typically take your cruise control offline until it’s fixed.
An ABS warning light in your instrument cluster can indicate one of several major problems or malfunctions, so be sure to have a professional investigate as quickly as possible.
Will cruise control apply the brakes?
No, but adaptive cruise control will. Standard cruise control (simply called cruise control) holds your vehicle’s speed as constant as possible once set. More advanced adaptive cruise control systems use camera or radar-based sensing to determine the traffic situation in front of your vehicle, and can automatically apply the brakes to maintain a pre-set following distance.
With cruise control, drivers need to brake to slow down as they close in on a slower vehicle in traffic. With adaptive cruise control, the system makes these braking inputs automatically, and the vehicle speeds back up to its pre-set cruising speed once traffic clears.
Before you buy, be sure to determine which type of cruise control system is fitted to the car you’re considering.
What is Super Cruise?
Super Cruise is a next-level driver assistance feature available on certain GM vehicles.
With Super Cruise, the vehicle uses special GPS hardware and sensors to accurately compare its position to a 3D map of pre-qualified highways.
On these pre-qualified highways, Super Cruise allows drivers to go hands-free for extended periods as the vehicle automatically maintains its cruising speed, adjusts that speed for changing traffic conditions, and even precisely follows the curves in the road. It can even make hands-free lane changes.
Super Cruise is not an autonomous system, and in order for it to work, drivers need to keep their eyes on the road — there’s even a camera that monitors the position of the driver’s eyes to make sure they’re focused on the road ahead.
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