Guy's Cruise Control Stuck On 80 Km/h

[paulR32gtr]

Ford Exploder I believe the dealerships refer to them as.

Assuming there is a fuse box in the drivers footwell, kick the crap out of it until you cut the fuel pump, ecu etc... then sue ford.

[some_cs_student]

Cruise control is designed to maintain speed. If you go up a hill it accelerates to keep the speed. So if you apply the brakes and cruise control is stuck on it will simply open the throttle more. Engines are more powerful than brakes so that part makes sense.

Actually my old Ford '96 model, when you brake cruise control is de-activated automatically, you can accelerate but braking manually causes cruise control to back down....

Did some quick research, the newer Ford's often have issues with this deactivation mechanism.

The other thing that would be interesting, the Ford's usually have On/Off and +/- on cruise control, could he have slowed down the cruise control until it stopped accelerating?

That and the drop it into neutral....but I thought police would have suggested that anyway...

[Sheriff Wan]

+1 for just putting it into neutral...

He could have just shifted it in and the car would have rolled to a stop?

Unless im missing something?

sounds a little sus to me - maybe he is trying a stunt like that family in the states balloon boy all over again!!!

[CrispyFries]

I'd say it was an auto, otherwise you just put your foot on the clutch.

These days most auto levers aren't mechanically connected to the box, only electrically, so if the computer didn't think it was a good idea to move to neutral it probably wouldn't.

I'm not even sure ignition keys actually form a circuit with the starter anymore?

[Birds]

Gone are the days when you could just remove the centre pin from your horse saddle and let the wagon roll to a stop just shy of a cliff edge.

[Phatboy]

Maybe they should test this guy for smoking pot that morning or something

LOL

Ford Exploder I believe the dealerships refer to them as.

ROFL

Gone are the days when you could just remove the centre pin from your horse saddle and let the wagon roll to a stop just shy of a cliff edge.

You sound like you're old enough to remember that

[Phatboy]

Hey, what would happen if you managed to put it into neutral with a stuck cruise control? Would it still rev the shit out of that engine?

Would this be a different situation on manual cars with cruise control? As these systems can't change gears for you like the auto ones can?

Just trying to figure out what the best thing to do if we found ourselves in that situation is. So I guess it should be (trying one after the other):

1. Try braking

2. Turn key to "acc" position as Ash suggested - engine off but no steering wheel lock

3. Try to decelerate on the cruise control setting +/- setting

4. Put car in neutral

[r32line]

if you turn the key off, and then just back to accessories, the car should not still be running - and without a wheel lock

Yes, but when going to "off" the wheel could still temporarily lock... it is still a far more dangerous option than neutral. Plus when you go back to "Acc" you still have no power steering which in heavy cars can make steering seriously difficult.

Actually my old Ford '96 model, when you brake cruise control is de-activated automatically, you can accelerate but braking manually causes cruise control to back down....

That is not unique to your car. Every car fitted with cruise control when you brake it should automatically disengage cruise control.... This obviously was not happening for this guy.

[r32line]

Just trying to figure out what the best thing to do if we found ourselves in that situation is. So I guess it should be (trying one after the other):

1. Try braking

2. Turn key to "acc" position as Ash suggested - engine off but no steering wheel lock

3. Try to decelerate on the cruise control setting +/- setting

4. Put car in neutral

If turning cruise off doesn't work, and a quick touch of the brakes doesn't disengage it either then always always go to neutral... if the throttle became stuck open which has happened to some people also, again go to neutral... Then stop the car and turn it off.

Traveling in a moving car and turning the engine off is HIGHLY unwise.

[adznight]

lol how does putting it in neutral not stop the car... you take away the transmission, there is no more power being transferred

story sounds like a load of shit.

I agree mate!

[UnCo]

Hey, what would happen if you managed to put it into neutral with a stuck cruise control? Would it still rev the shit out of that engine?

I decided to quickly try this in a VX Commodore, cruise control set to 60km/h, shifted to neutral, instant redline LOL

The car did slow down however.. and I didn't find myself on the wrong side of the road in Frankston.

[_Ryan_]

Plus when you go back to "Acc" you still have no power steering which in heavy cars can make steering seriously difficult.

at 80km/h power steering does fk all...

i spoke to an ex ford mechanic, tapping brakes wouldn't of stopped the cruise control is this situation, couldn't of put that model auto in neutral, but he could of decreased the speed of the cruise control then stomped on the brake and applied the handbrake...

[Rekin]

haha i would have just ripped out all the fuses. Pull out the fuel pump fuse and car will stop, easy.

Here's a pic for any r32 auto's with cruise control to stop them ending up in frankston

[iseekool]

http://www.theage.com.au/national/cruise-c...91215-ktxn.html

Holy crap! Did anyone see this? Surely a massive Ford Explorer doing 80 km/h down the wrong side of the road while tooting its horn, with a police escort, would have been quite a sight. Apparently a "known" problem on Ford Explorers !!!!

Why the hell would anyone spend all that extra money to import a second-rate American SUV is beyond me. I have rellies and friends in the US, and none of them own US made vehicles as they are generally so crap/unreliable, not to mention potentially lethal!

Jap for me please.

I smell some attention seeking kid. Don't believe that his cruise got stuck...

My "theory" - He probably got busted speeding or doing something illegal and to cover it up faking his cruise control screwing up.... as a bonus he would make the evening news, and how would you get whiplash from hard braking....

Sounds way too sus....

[iseekool]

at 80km/h power steering does fk all...

i spoke to an ex ford mechanic, tapping brakes wouldn't of stopped the cruise control is this situation, couldn't of put that model auto in neutral, but he could of decreased the speed of the cruise control then stomped on the brake and applied the handbrake...

Just a thought - assuming his car was NOT drive-by-wire.

1. Try to lift the throttle from behind, if that fails...

2. Give the throttle, a fast hard jab to break the cruise control/throttle linkage.

[_Ryan_]

Pulling fuses would be the way to go, a lean out and death of motor is better than an accident IMO. Unless it is an engine bay fuse.

[Russman]

I think he's chasing money...

Doesn't add up.

My mums EL falcon goes through brake switch's every 2-3 years. Just after 12 warranty on the part. Takes 5 mins to replace and the first time I notice it is when cruise doesn't disengage however it still turns off if you brake hard enough. I often see EF-EL fords with no brake lights for the same reason.

[Ruffels]

Guys, Guys guys....... it's not the car..... he's from Brisbane!

[VB-]

Engines are more powerful than brakes so that part makes sense.

what makes you say that? i was always lead to believe even average breaks on a povopack commodore were the equivelant of like 400+rwkw.

i've never tried it at speed, let alone in a ford explorer, but if u just mashed both brake and accelerator at once, wouldnt the car slow? i've been in a few shitboxes trying to do skids and got it going at a slow speed then mashed both pedals (weight transfer helps get the rears spinning haha) and most times if they dont start spinning the car will just stop. obviously there is more work in slowing a heavy car at speed, but theres also alot less torque acting on the wheels.

am i the only one who would try and scando flick it and throw it into a hoop? just to do skids on a packed freeway as much as stop the car

[Jack-]

So is he still driving around in circles or did they stop it somehow?