Cruise/brake install questions.

InfernoSR · 11-01-2009, 11:06 AM

Ok... question time again...

1. When i researched on how to install my cruise control (factory), it was noted its easiest to remove the Brake master cylinder... now, does that also include the brake booster too?

2. Would installing mt AUII XR8 Brake Master Cylinder and Booster help my AUI brakes? (not sure if i'll upgrade the rest to AUII/III spec yet)

3. Can someone provide me a pic of where the cruise control unit actually sits?

4. Can someone provide a few pics of removing the Airbag system, what bolts to look for, and what it looks like from the inside?... just so i can compaire it to my current setup.

5. Are there any traps for "young" players who havent done this before?

6. Is there a near step by step guide on fitting an AUI Factory cruise control system? as I'd like to know what part to start with and go from there, 1 step at a time.

Note: I wanted to put this in my own build thread, but due to lack of traffic in there, i wouldnt get the exposure i'd like... that being said, once i get enough info, i would then like it merged into my build thread...

bodes-sh · 11-01-2009, 11:32 AM

it is so easy... i have done it to my au1. don't have any pictures though. i don't know why they suggested to remove the master cylinder, i didn't, i just had to bleed it a bit after putting the pressure switch in. as for the control unit, it sits to the right of the engine bay (looking from the front) up near the coolant bottle. there is an oblong hole and 3 small holes up there, the small holes are where the studs from the unit come through and the nuts go on top, the oblong one is where the bonnet release cable comes through, it's fairly straight forward just looking at it. I WILL ADD HERE, DO THE WIRING BEFORE INSTALLING THE MODULE, OTHERWISE YOU WILL NEVER GET YOUR HAND IN THERE TO FIT IT.

as for the airbag, there are 2, 5 point torx bolts, one on either side. to undo these you can either get the proper tool, i think they are available on ebay i think, or just die grind or file a small section out of the middle of a flat head screwdriver (i just filed mine). i used one of those t handle screwdriver bits and the handle for it, found it much easier to undo as you can put more force on it.

as for removing the airbag, people say to disconnect the battery, but i personally didn't bother. i just left the key out of the ignition and didn't sit right in front of it, i had no problems though. i haven't got any pictures, but basically, once you have the screws out, there is a yellow plug from the clockspring to the airbag (it is attached to the airbag, plugs into the clockspring) just unplug this and remove the airbag from the car, i just put mine face up on the ground out of the way, i also had to drive to work the next day with the airbag removed because i didn't have a torx bit big enough for the steering wheel bolt (it's a T50 torx bolt, standard 6 sided).

the wiring loom to under the dash i found was the hardest part, but looking at it now, i did it backwards. there is a big rubber bung with a wiring loom going through the firewall which has a big orange plug under the dash. i found it easier to get out by removing the screws holding the fuse box in and lowering it out of the way, you can look straight through there and you will see it. as for removing the loom, you have to unplug the oxygen sensor and the wiper motor inside the engine bay, then reach up under the dash and poke the bung out, but instead of doing what i did and trying to get the big orange plug out through that hole, and the new one in, rotate the bung and pull that and the small wiring through into the cabin. the feed the new one through the same way. oh, you also need to unplug the brake pedal switch.

the new loom will have oxygen sensor, wiper motor, brake pressure and cruise module plugs on the end of it. put the bung back in the hole and that's done. plug the big orange plug in, you will see how they work looking at the other one, it's pretty simple. as for the brake pressure switch, your current master cylinder should have a plug in the port on the side, closest to the front i think. remove this and screw the pressure switch it, now to bleed it, all i did was get someone to put a small amount of pressure on the pedal, then i very slowly undid the switch, some are came out then a small (very small) amount of brake fluid, then tightened back up, just be careful as there is an o-ring on the switch, you can slightly loosen the switch a bit to let the o-ring re-seat before you tighten it back up, just don't unscrew it all the way out or you will have to do that again. then plug all the looms back in under the bonnet.

i think mine must have been missing a plug or it came out of a manual because there was an extra 2 pin plug with nothing in it, it sits down near the corner of the carpet near the accelerator pedal, if this plug is open (nothing plugged into it) you will need to bridge it out (i just poked a piece of wire into it) as this is for the clutch switch, and if you leave it open cruise won't engage as it thinks the clutch is depressed.

steering wheel buttons simply screw into the steering wheel and the new plug goes into the wheel and the clockspring, you need to remove the current radio buttons, so you will see how they attach. you do need to remove the steering wheel though to change the backing plate over (it has extra cutouts) as well as the wiper/indicator switch assembly, this also has a plug at the bottom of the steering column that simply unplugs and plugs back in. as for removing the steering wheel, leave the bolt in a couple of turns (maybe 4 or 5) so it doesn't smack you in the face (i'm not sure if you've removed one before or not) but sometimes they take a bit of effort. mine wasn't too bad, just try and lock the steering wheel if you can, because the bolt is fairly tight. the wheel can't be put back on the wrong way either (unless it's 90 deg out) because it's a square shaft, so you don't have to make sure the column is pointing up or anything. the clockspring unclips from the old combination switch (wipers/indicators) and clips onto the new one, it can only go one way, but be careful with it because they are fairly fragile.

put the wheel back on and that's it. there's no fuses or anything to put in, just flick the cruise switch with the ignition on and cruise comes up on the dash display. then set speeds, etc.

hope that helps a bit, good luck and have fun

InfernoSR · 11-01-2009, 02:09 PM

Thanks Bodes... now to decipher it into an understandable set of instructions... lol...

Anyone else got any answers for my other questions??

bodes-sh · 11-01-2009, 02:11 PM

lol, yeah, sorry about that, i was reading through it and i realised it didn't really have any order to it... i will make up a guide though, and try and get some pics

InfernoSR · 11-01-2009, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodes-sh

lol, yeah, sorry about that, i was reading through it and i realised it didn't really have any order to it... i will make up a guide though, and try and get some pics

Thanks for that... any idea's about the Master Cylinder suggestion of mine?

bodes-sh · 11-01-2009, 02:57 PM

you could i guess, but from what i understand you need to redrill the firewall for the au2 booster, but it is probably a good idea if you are going to upgrade the rest at a later stage anyway

bodes-sh · 11-01-2009, 03:27 PM

alright, i have finished doing a write up, it is in word format so i can repost it here if you like? i have put it in order too, so it should be better

i will try and get some pics tonight of it, the car isn't here at the moment

bodes-sh · 11-01-2009, 03:27 PM

Installing cruise control, AU1 6 cyl.

First, make sure you have all the parts, you should have
Wiring loom to suit cruise control,
Cruise buttons and rear trim for steering wheel,
Combination switch,
Brake master cylinder pressure switch,
Cruise control module (big thing with throttle cable hanging out of it),
Assorted nuts, bolts and screws.

Tools needed,
10mm socket and spanner,
5 point torx bit (or a flat head screwdriver),
8mm socket (for the bolt that goes into the rocker cover to hold the cable on),
T50 torx bit (standard 6 sided) for the bolt that holds the steering wheel on, and preferable a breaker bar to crack it with,
Philips head screwdriver,
Flat head screwdriver.

Disconnect battery (I didn’t, but you are better off doing this just to be safe),

On either side of the steering wheel are 2 plastic plugs, behind these are the 5 sided torx bits. There are 2 options here, if you haven’t managed to get hold of the required torx bit, you can modify a flad headed screw driver (or screw driver bit to go into a t handle driver) I also found with using a t handle driver that you don’t really even need to cut the middle out of it (although I did anyway) because you can get enough force on it to turn them. Undo the bolts, and the airbag assembly will come out of the wheel. On the back there is a yellow wire coming out of the airbag that is attached to the clock spring, unplug this and remove the airbag from the car.

Next is the steering wheel. With the key out of the ignition, turn the wheel until the steering lock activates. Then get the T50 torx bit and breaker bar and loosen the bolt off (you may not need a breaker, but it’s up to you). Unscrew the bolt most of the way, leaving it in a few turns so the wheel doesn’t come flying off the steering column and smack you in the face. To get the wheel off you may have to give it a few smacks from behind, some of them take a bit of effort, also it seems to help if you pull towards you from the bottom of the wheel.

Once you have the wheel off, you will see the clock spring, there is a wire coming from this to the steering wheel that you will need to unplug (probably before you remove the wheel). You need to remove the shroud surrounding the column next. It should have 3 philips head screws in the bottom section and 2 in the top section. The combination switch has 3 10mm bolts holding it to the steering column, remove these and unplug the wiring loom from the bottom of the column. You can then remove the combination switch and clock spring together as one unit.

Once off the car, you can remove the clock spring from the old combination switch and attach it to the new one, it only has clips holding it on, no tools needed. Once you have the clock spring attached, you can reinstall the new combination switch. Install is just the reverse of removal. Once you get to the steering wheel, before re attaching it to the car, remove the 3 screws holding the backing piece to the wheel. You can then remove this, but before putting the new one on, remove the screws holding the old volume control buttons to the wheel and remove them. Then fit the new volume and cruise control buttons, the wiring goes around the back of the wheel, that’s why you have to wait to put the new cover back on. The volume buttons screw back into the holes they came out of, but the cruise ones are a bit harder as they have no thread in yet. The alloy of the wheel is soft enough so as you screw the screws in, it taps a thread itself. You can then attach the new backing piece to the wheel and re install the wheel to the car.

Installing the airbag is simply the reverse of removing it, when I did mine, I made sure I wasn’t sitting in front of it at any time, but I didn’t have the battery disconnected. If you like you can replace the torx bits with normal allen key or even 6 sided torx bolts, I didn’t bother, but it’s up to you if you would like to.

Now for the module and wiring loom. The easiest way to remove the large orange plug from under the dash is to drop the fuse panel out of the way. Remove the fuse cover and undo the 2 screws holding it in, then unclip the bottom of the fuse box and pull it forward and down. If you then look straight in, you will see the big orange plug. This has a small tab on top of it holding it into the car, slide the flat head screwdriver slightly under this tab and slide the whole plug off the car. The grey clip unclips from the top of the plug, I think you need the screwdriver for this too and it raises up as you remove the plugs from each other. Unplug the plug from the brake pedal switch too.

You can then push the big rubber bung out from the firewall, just follow the wiring from the orange plug to where the bung is and push around the edges first. Under the bonnet you need to unplug the low brake fluid level switch, the wiper motor and the oxygen sensor. You can then feed the whole loom back into the cabin and remove it from the car. Feed the new loom in the way you removed the old loom and plug the oxygen sensor, wiper motor, brake fluid level switch and put the brake pressure into the master cylinder. When you remove the plug in the master cylinder you will need to bleed the master, to do this, I got someone to sit in the car, with the pressure switch in, but not done up tight I got them to press on the brake pedal very slowly until a small amount of fluid came out the thread where the pressure switch goes, this was enough to get rid of the small amount of air in there. You can then plug the pressure switch wiring plug in.

Then press the big rubber bung back into the hole in the firewall, this is done from the engine bay side. You can then install the cruise control module. To the rear of the coolant header tank, where the bonnet release cable comes out of the panel, there are 3 small round holes and a larger oblong hole. The 3 round holes are where the cruise module attaches. Feed it in between the strut tower and the brake booster, you may need to move it around to get it in there, it is sometimes a bit fiddly. Once in, put the 3 10mm nuts that should have come with it on and tighten them up.

Then plug the module plug from the wiring loom into it. Then, to attach the cable to the rocker cover it’s easiest to remove the last section of the intake pipe. You can remove the whole thing if you like. To the rear of where the throttle cable attaches to the rocker cover is another plain hole. This is for the cruise cable holder. Hopefully whoever you got the kit from has included the 8mm bolt that screws into this hole to attach the cable. If they have, simply hold the cable there and with the bolt straight, screw it into the rocker cover, keeping as straight as possible. Once again, this bolt will cut its own thread as you screw it in. When you have the bolt in tight, clip the grey end of the cable onto the attachment on the throttle body, then reinstall the intake piping.

Ok, now for the orange plug. Plug it in the same way you removed the other one, and make sure it’s attached securely. Then slide it back onto the tab to hold it in its position. You can also plug the brake pedal switch back in. On mine I had an extra plug near the accelerator pedal for a clutch pedal switch, this should have a plug in it, closing the circuit. If not, simply use a piece of wire (speaker wire will be fine) to bridge it out, if you don’t do this, the cruise won’t engage as it thinks the clutch pedal is depressed. You can then reinstall the fuse panel and replace the cover.

Reconnect the battery and do the relearn procedure, I will include it anyway,

Start the car,
Idle 2 min in park a/c off,
Idle 2 min in D a/c off,
Idle 2 min in D a/c on,
Idle 2 min in Park a/c on,
Drive under various throttle conditions and test out your cruise control if you like.

Enjoy.

bodes-sh · 11-01-2009, 04:50 PM

i also need to add in there, the loom has the power steering pressure switch also, which needs to be un plugged and replugged.

InfernoSR · 11-01-2009, 10:08 PM

So basically, start from the inside and work out then?

bodes-sh · 12-01-2009, 09:27 PM

yeah, that's probably the easiest way, the inside is probably harder than the outside, so it depends how much time you have / how hot it is...

InfernoSR · 12-01-2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodes-sh

yeah, that's probably the easiest way, the inside is probably harder than the outside, so it depends how much time you have / how hot it is...

I hear you there... i just gott be careful as its the only car i have (working)...

bodes-sh · 12-01-2009, 11:39 PM

haha, fair enough. i put the under bonnet stuff in the night before, and actually ended up spending about 2 days doing it, but only a couple of hours work all up, i had to get more tools to finish it..

InfernoSR · 14-01-2009, 07:56 AM

Anyone got pics of the acuator location? so i can compair brackets and such...

a1k3m1 · 04-02-2009, 02:03 AM

good as instruction piece dude! .. Does anyone have any ideas where to acturally get a cruise control system from? .. Coz ive looked everywhere and i cant find one :( ...

Do they make the systems specifically for Ford or can i buy any sorta one and it will work? Cheers dudes!

lofty · 06-10-2009, 10:20 PM

I'd like to add a couple of points to this. Firstly, under 'disconnect airbag from clockspring', read: '... at the airbag end.' It's not actually obvious and I damaged my clockspring pulling on it. If you were looking at the back of the airbag, you'd pull the big yellow plug towards you. Also, you may have to modify the plastic shroud on the back of the steering wheel to make room for the extra buttons. I did. Finally, if you have a column shift, with no adjustment, you'll have to at least loosen and possibly remove the two mount bolts so you can drop the column enough to free the top cover. I hope this helps some future traveller.

berg_racer_x · 05-11-2009, 10:57 AM

Would this be the same for a ef falcon..?
I have searched and searched there is no guide for installing cruise in any car this is the best one i could find

CHeers Doug

falcontonner · 25-04-2010, 11:57 AM

hey guys just been fitting cruise to my au11 ute and the new wiring loom that i got was out of a v8 and doesnt have the plug for the power steering switch. what difference will this make if its not plugged in?

falconnut · 27-06-2011, 04:06 PM

Awesome guide, hopefully someday ill have the money and balls to attempt it.