faulty cruise control

[Mike5]

I know there have been several treads about cruise control in the past, but. My 140 bhp TDI had to have a new stalk within the first year because the cruise control kept cutting out. 2 years plus later and out of warranty, it is doing it again. same symptoms, cuts out, will not respond. Leave it over night it works again for a while.

Would seem to be the same problem. Question, are the stalk's switches that poor that they only last a couple of years? Does anyone know if they can be cleaned with switch cleaner without messing something else up.

Would be greatful for some feedback before feeding mr Seat more of my hard earned cash.

I don't fancy messing around with the steering wheel air bag to gain access to fit a new switch.

 

[m0rk]

I'd stick diagnostics into the car... it will probably flag a brake pedal sensor fault

 

[klawit]

... Question, are the stalk's switches that poor that they only last a couple of years? Does anyone know if they can be cleaned with switch cleaner without messing something else up.

Would be greatful for some feedback before feeding mr Seat more of my hard earned cash.

I don't fancy messing around with the steering wheel air bag to gain access to fit a new switch.

Hello Mike5,

your assumption is right: most of the stalks are definitely poor and nevertheless there seems to be no radical enhancement change in production

So you have to do-it-yourself ...

We (german board members) tried out the solution presented both in french- and italy-board ... and it worked even that well, that a SEAT-mechanic is offering those repaired stalks to his customers, telling them, that "new" replacements might fail more frequent than the "patched" ones.

Here you go ... sorry, translation is not included, but I hope you'll find your way through the pictures.

=> http://www.autotitre.com/forum/FORUM-Seat-Altea-Seat-Alte-25020p1125.htm#r1
=> http://www.seat-altea.it/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1403 (not about the same problem, but it shows, that you don't need to remove the cc-stalk)
=> http://www.seatforum.de/forum/showthread.php?p=261435#post261435 (just the german explanation of what I'm posting right here )

It's pretty easy, as you only have to open the stalk carefully, clean & tighten the contacts a little and put it back in ... done.

greets ... Klaus

EDIT ... just to make sure, here's my guess on the translation:

For those who want to solve the CC problem, which occasionally turns off and/or cannot be activated any longer.

Contrary to the photos showing a removed stalk, you only need to to dismantle the plastic cover on the back with a screwdriver and open it to grab the control unit.

Unplug the unit and unscrew the two torxes to free the circuit board.

Next, carefully raise/bend the contact blades a little, since they're causing the "lost contact problem" ... additionally you should clean the switch.

All this should take approx. 5 min. ...

 

[Tell]

I was going to mention that on one of those 'treads' Klawit published how to do it yourself, scrolled down and here he is telling us again. I'm not too sure whether I printed this one out for when mine goes next... better do that. Again it's been the two years since it went last time and no problems touch wood.

I reckon if it is contacts then you could also give it a spray of switch cleaner which you can buy from electric shops, possibly Maplins these days in the UK, that I suspect would help if it's contacts.

 

[klawit]

Hi Tell,

did a search on my posts yesterday and I was a little confused about not having found my former posted DIY ... hmmm

but then, could it be, that I published it in the adjoining board? seatf0rum.net ?

whatever ... greets, Klaus

EDIT:
Ha ... gotcha
=>Cruise Control Intermittent Fault

 

[Tell]

Klawit you did publish here that people were cleaning the switch themselves. I don't think you translated it, but you gave the links.

 

[Mike5]

Thanks all for the advise. I will give the stalk a quick strip down and clean and see if that sorts out things. I suspect it could be the problem as I indicated to overtake yesterday and as soon as I touched the stalk the CC cut out.

 

[klawit]

@Tell

absolutely correct ... see EDIT in my former post.

@Mike5

another 2 members of our board reported in the last couple of days, that the DIY helped perfectly ... just to encourage you a little ...

greets ... Klaus

 

[Mike5]

Thanks everyone for the info. Took out switch unit from stalk, took apart and cleaned with fine wet & dry and cleaned with meths. Works fine now, or at least has not dropped out yet. It makes you wonder why the switches are not sold seperate. It would save us and seat a fortune on warranty payments. Also why does the dealer go to the bother to change the whole stalk when they could take out the new switch and swap them over? Perhaps they have never thought of it.

 

[Tell]

I'm sure I'll be asking how to unscrew it when the time comes up since it didn't spring out at me how to take it apart... [see I'll have to ask Klawit for photos] Mike oh how Weymouth parties at the weekends... was there this weekend doing some coastal walking, don't think too many other people were who were out on Saturday night.....

 

[loadswine]

Just want to say thanks for this thread and the info. Looks like I'm going to need to do this on mine. It was replaced after about a year and now operating intermittently again.
When i get a few moments, I'll have a go at this and report back.
Happy New Year to all!

 

[Tell]

Loadswine... take some pictures as well since that bit didn't seem to clear when I had a quick look at it when the thread was posted up as to which bits came apart. Mines still working fine after being replaced like yours within the first year.

Radio switching on mind you as per the other thread but that's sorted, least since the 26th or so but I'm not holding my breath. It did occur to me whether it was a short due to the speaker change over and me throwing the crossovers in the wet interior of the door skins, but I doubt it's that.

 

[PhilOfCas]

Just thought i'd add my two penneth, had my stalk changed over a year ago due to intermittent fault, since new one installed i've had no problems what-so-ever, maybe this is down to the way i use it ?, i used to turn it on, then was up and down with the + and - buttons adjusting my speed quite often, don't quite know why but i've changed from that and now simply get to my chosen speed then if i need to slow i knock it off then when needed again i hit the reset, if i need to speed up i use the accelerator, basically i'm using the cruise as often as i previously did but don't use the buttons half as much, this may result in more life from the stalk before malfunction again ??

 

[loadswine]

I don't think its the buttons that are the source of the problem or the way its actually used.
I originally thought it was a cable that broke inside due to movement in the cable itself, but , if I read the earlier bits correctly, its the control box contacts.
When I get time to investigate, yes, I'll certainly post up some pics, as we need to bring this into the DIY domain now, with cars outside warranty.
Not had chance to do much on the Altea as I've been tweaking bits on my other car.

 

[Tell]

Good to see the pics since I expect mine will get the problem again if it's a contacts issue.

So far so good with the headend and the weather is cold tonight so I won't be happy if I find the problem returned in the morning, if it hasn't I'm going to put it down to the garage messing up how the headend and changer interfaced by powering it down or something.

 

[robint]

Cruise control gave up yesterday. Quick search, printed off the pictures on the French site and ten minutes later all sorted - excellent

Looks basically as if the carbon on the circuit board contacts transfers to the switch contacts and could then act as either a spacer or higher resistance point preventing the proper contact being made. Certainly an easy - (so long as you have a small Torx screwdriver - Maplins or similar sell sets) but delicate job.

 

[monkeytennis]

Thanks for all the help on this post. Mine kept cutting out and two dealers couldn't work it out, said that if there was a fault it would be logged on the computer but nothing. Of course the fault didn't emerge when they test drove it. Mysteriously it has cleared up with no intervention by anyone. I'll be sure to take the stalk apart if it happens again.

 

[pdh 14a]

Well true to Altea form!One week out of warranty to the day and my Cruise control has packed up
Oh well out with the meths and wet and dry it is then

 

[loadswine]

I suppose I had better put up some pics of when I did mine earlier this year. It may be of use to some people.

 

[Tell]

Thanks for that Loadswine [Nigel] since I've got to do mine. I'm putting it off till the Xmas break when I'll enlist my brother who's into cars if there are difficult bits too remove. I'm a bit worried about stranding myself away from home having taken it apart.

The contacts that need cleaning feature at the bottom of those two pictures ?, or is it that it stops making contact via the edge connectors ? or a bit of both ?. I reckon switch cleaner myself.