Woops. Parking brake override vs. Rostra cruise control

[Kar98]

Suddenly, the dealer installed Rostra cruise control quit working. Not that I'm using it very often, so I only noticed when I first wanted to use it this weekend, two weeks after I installed the new Pioneer head unit. I think I know what happened.

Both ends of the yellow parking brake cable I was supposed to tap into for the green parking brake sensor cable coming from the stereo were rather short, so I said screw it, I'll just get one of those Micro Bypass parking brake overrides instead of breaking out the microscope to try and tap into those tiny bits of cable. Easier to do and the benefit of full menus whiles driving. Really have no intention to watch my one DVD while driving ;)

This weekend I tried to activate the cruise control, the light never came on and neither did the cruise control engage. Obvious conclusion, the car's ECU thinks the parking brake is engaged because of the installed override, hence the cruise control won't engage.

But now that I think about it, wouldn't at least the green cruise control light come on? Also, obviously the parking brake indicator in the dash only lights up when the parking brake is actually engaged.

Soooo... did I correctly identify cause and effect, or is it a coincidence? Thoughts?

[CTScott]

Cruise control should have no connection to the parking brake - Only to the brake pedal.

With the Rostra this should be the case as well. I would check the wiring from the Rostra module out to make sure something else did not get knocked loose when you were doing your HU install.

[Kar98]

Alright, I'll have a look around. Thanks!

[Kar98]

You're right, CT. (I know, duh). I checked the wiring behind the wallet box, wiggled some wires around to see which one might be loose. None of them was entirely loose, but right after that, the cruise control worked... until I hit the next pothole. Now I just need to find out which one of these it was.

http://i.imgur.com/yKrLG54.jpg

[CTScott]

Wow! I can't believe the dealer installed system used tap splices.

[Kar98]

It's giving me anxiety just to look at them. You should see the mess behind the door cards, for the power locks.