Retroanaconda Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I've been pondering the idea of fitting some form of cruise control to my 90 for a while to make long motorway journeys a little easier on my right foot, well last week I found a system on eBay for not big money and took a punt on it. Now it's arrived and I'm looking at fitting it. It's a Waeco MagicSpeed MS-700 and consists of a control unit, an electric servo actuator (can also get vacuum ones) and then a choice of different in-cab control interfaces. A dash mount control, a steering column lever, and a wireless unit which clamps to the steering wheel. Mine came second hand off eBay as above and has the lever style one, which I have fitted to the steering column as such: The available space is tight, if it is any further toward the driver it interferes with indicating while on full beam, and any further backwards and it will inhibit access to the fan speed lever even further. I have chosen to have it closer to the latter as I intend to replace the fan speed control with a separate switch in the future and so the binnacle lever will just control air flow, which I very rarely adjust. Though to be honest in its current position it doesn't really stop you using the fan lever, you just have to use a different hand position. The servo unit has a bowden cable on it and looks like this: My current thinking is to mount it somewhere about here: I will need to make up a bracket and mechanism for the throttle lever to enable the cruise actuator to apply throttle but not inhibit the foot throttle in any way. To do this I will have the bowden cable inner pass loose through the lever bracket and then have a ferrule or something on the end so that when pulled it moves the bracket but when the bracket moves through use of the normal throttle pedal it moves along the wire without affecting it. The system requires a few inputs from the car. Obviously it needs a speed signal, this can be generated using a sensor on a propshaft etc. but since I have a Td5 speedo fitted I have a ready-to-use signal already present which I can tap into. The speedo head transmits the signal (modified slightly) it receives from the transducer in the transfer box to the engine ECU in Td5 vehicles, so this is what I will use. The Waeco unit accepts a wide range of signals in terms of voltage/frequency. There is also a requirement for brake and clutch inputs, the former is fairly simple to do by hooking up to the brake switch. For the clutch Waeco supply a reed switch and magnet for fitting to the pedal, but I will use a Td5 clutch pedal switch which fits to the top of the master cylinder with a banjo bolt and (I presume) is switched by the hydraulic pressure. The clutch input is there to protect the engine from over-revving and is only necessary on vehicles with manual transmission. You can if you like instead supply the unit with a signal from a coil or alternator for example to monitor engine revs, but for now I am planning to go with the clutch solution. It will be interesting if nothing else. This Waeco system is very similar to the factory system in 300Tdi Discovery vehicles, so no doubt if you got all the right bits out of a scrap Disco you could do it with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 interesting find, look forward to your fitting & in use notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibex94 Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 MMM like that idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Today I made up a couple of brackets, one to extend the throttle lever and provide somewhere for the bowden cable to pull on and another to mount the cable outer in the appropriate location. I made both out of a piece of scrap steel. The throttle arm bracket simply bolts to it with two M5 screws, and has a right angle section at the end with a hole in it. This will slide along the bowden cable inner when in normal pedal operation, but will enable the servo to pull the throttle when it needs to. The mounting bracket for the bowden cable outer mounts to the top of the injection pump using two handy tapped M6 holes. I've only got a bolt in one at the moment as the throttle stop screw prevents a normal hex-head set screw going in - so I'm going to have to source some M6 cap-head screws. Need to find out what the thread is on the cable end as well, it is 10mm in size or thereabouts but a "standard" (if there is such a thing) M10 nut does not fit on - too course. So I suspect it is M10 fine, some nut purchasing will be necessary next week I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 Well it works! Not got any more photos as it's mostly just wiring and the like. So to round off the story so to speak: After a bit of measuring and what not I found that the thread on the cable end is M10x1.25mm, which is one of two fine thread pitches available for M10 (the other being 1mm). So got a pair of those and the cable is mounted in the bracket. For terminating the cable I have ordered some solderless nipple trunnion things (like this), though for now I have fitted an electrical chocolate block connection which seems to do the job admirably actually. The wiring is fairly straightforward - the unit required a 15A fused ignition switched supply & ground, then there are pre-fitted multiplugs that go to the servo unit and the control stalk. Then you have a pair of wires which go to the brake and clutch switches to enable it to shut off if either is activated. And then you have a choice of inputs, in my case a single feed from the speedo head's ECU output signal (pin 1 of connector C1060 - yellow/pink wire). You can also take a feed from a sensor/magnet on a prop shaft somewhere, and it can monitor engine RPMs via a coil or alternator signal to prevent engine overspeed in the case where a clutch switch can not be fitted. Once everything is set then there is a procedure involving combinations of inputs etc. to test the system and then you drive to a certain speed and press a button to calibrate it. Luckily for me the automatic mode seems to have got it about right, though if you need to you can go deeper and adjust things like the harshness of how it applies/releases the throttle etc. I'm heading down the motorway at the end of the month so it will get a proper test then. So far I have run up and down the local roads and it seems to work quite well - does all the normal cruise control things like remember your set speed and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Cruise control is the Devil's Work. Unless of course driving a truck or in a country with big long roads - then it's still the Devil's Work but in a useful way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 If you leave out the clutch switch then you can change gear with the cruise control in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boydie Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I have a similar as in almost identical locally made (Australian) unit on my Disco 300Tdi, - its vacuum operated - interesting that you attached the control cable to the FIP as its supposed to loop over the trottle cable at the peddle, mine came with a bracket that attached to the underside of the dash just above where the fuse box used to be and has an adjuster nut and locknut so that when the cruise control was off you could adjust the cable to be just slack, the loop that was at the end of the cable where yours has been cut went over the throttle cable under the dash (there is not enough room at the clevis pin to accomodate both the trottle cable and cruise control cable) and when I had the automatic ZF4HP22 fitted it worked fine, now I have converted to the manual R380 its not so good as it never had a clutch control switch supplied with it so it causes the engine to rev when changing gear so it may well get "binned". One complaint/problem/observation with it is that being vacuum operated it isnt instant and when you push the cruise button on the end of the column it can take a few seconds for the unit to pull the peddle back to settle on the speed you are travelling at. The other down-side it gives a far heavier throttle peddle under normal use as you are effectively pushing and operating two cables, the FIP as well as overcoming the return spring of the cruise control, other than that for an after-market unit it was/is great for 5th gear highway cruising - which I dont do a lot of - but not much good for nornal day to day driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 If you leave out the clutch switch then you can change gear with the cruise control in. Indeed, and in fact this is how mine is currently set up as the Td5 clutch pedal wotsit I have is at the other end of the country. I'm only ever going to be using the cruise on a clear motorway/dual carriageway anyway in which case one would be in fifth gear all the way so it won't be an issue in the short term - I'm just pleased it all works OK. I've not done it but I suspect if you had it cruising at 60 and put your foot on the clutch it would be bouncing off the limiter fairly sharpish, so not wise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 I have a similar as in almost identical locally made (Australian) unit on my Disco 300Tdi, - its vacuum operated - interesting that you attached the control cable to the FIP as its supposed to loop over the trottle cable at the peddle, mine came with a bracket that attached to the underside of the dash just above where the fuse box used to be and has an adjuster nut and locknut so that when the cruise control was off you could adjust the cable to be just slack, the loop that was at the end of the cable where yours has been cut went over the throttle cable under the dash (there is not enough room at the clevis pin to accomodate both the trottle cable and cruise control cable) and when I had the automatic ZF4HP22 fitted it worked fine, now I have converted to the manual R380 its not so good as it never had a clutch control switch supplied with it so it causes the engine to rev when changing gear so it may well get "binned". One complaint/problem/observation with it is that being vacuum operated it isnt instant and when you push the cruise button on the end of the column it can take a few seconds for the unit to pull the peddle back to settle on the speed you are travelling at. The other down-side it gives a far heavier throttle peddle under normal use as you are effectively pushing and operating two cables, the FIP as well as overcoming the return spring of the cruise control, other than that for an after-market unit it was/is great for 5th gear highway cruising - which I dont do a lot of - but not much good for nornal day to day driving. This kit also comes in a vacuum operated version, this is an electric servo which seems to be pretty responsive so far in picking up the speed. There is no noticeable drop or increase when you engage it at your desired speed - simply press the button and take your foot off the pedal and it carries on at the same speed. If you disengage it it's noticeable obviously, but no different than if you just took your foot off the throttle whilst cruising. The instructions give a number of suggestions on how to fix it to the vehicle, and one of them is to hook it to the pedal as you say. They also provide diagrams for mounting on throttle bodies etc. I chose the FIP option because A. it's an easier job as access is good and it takes a bracket easily and B. it allows me to mount the servo in the engine bay which keeps things tidy (and apparently they do produce a bit of noise when they are working). The bracket and cable design I've used means that normal throttle operation is unaffected as the cruise cable just slides through the hole freely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I'll look forward to having a look at the end of the month James Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boydie Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 All the same, I'm glad you like it but I think I'll "bin" mine and look around for a decent hand throttle, which will be far more usefull to me given the type of low speed (0-20kph) cross country driving I do. Incidentally my vacuum unit is also mounted in the engine bay next to the brake servo -- so appart from the electronic control unit (and I hate electronics with a passion) only the throttle cable enters the cabin so there is no operating no noise at all, not that you would ever hear it anyway over the 300Tdi gearbox and off road tyres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourekiddingright Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 On 15/03/2014 at 9:02 PM, Retroanaconda said: the Td5 clutch pedal wotsit Don't happen to have a part number for this do you? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share Posted February 23, 2017 Not to hand no, but it should be listed on the various parts catalogues available online. I can have a look at the weekend and see if it's got any markings if necessary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I thought 200TDi cruise control was a house brick on the accelerator pedal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Just depends what gear you are in, the governor does the rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 The OP should have used the hand throttle linkage at the injection pump. It is not costly and is better designed to have two things pulling on the throttle at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share Posted February 23, 2017 Yeah, but the home-made brackets were free... and do the job perfectly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 It is just two pieces you need for the throttle and it prevents the one throttle pushing the cable of the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.