Problem with cruise control installation

[slick50]

Hi all,

So I recently bought an 08 Mazda3 and was looking at adding cruise control using a guide I found on the net. I bought the brake switch from my local dealer and got a wheel with the cruise controls online. However after installing everything, the cruise light never actually comes on...

My brake lights still comes on, and my radio controls on the steering wheel still work. It is a manual transmission, but the car doesn't start when the pedal is down, indicating to me that the clutch switch still works.

I'm just wondering if you guys have any ideas on what might be wrong, or what I can try to nail down where the issue is. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
s50

[Reddie1337]

Are you sure the cruise buttons work? I had a problem with that, the button's I had gotten, actually were broken. and does the brake switch you got from the dealer have blue and black on it? or just black?

[slick50]

Are you sure the cruise buttons work? I had a problem with that, the button's I had gotten, actually were broken. and does the brake switch you got from the dealer have blue and black on it? or just black?

Thanks Reddie for the quick reply. The brake switch is blue, and has 4 contacts on the connection compared to the old one which only had 2.

For the cruise buttons, I'll need to take a look tomorrow. How were you able to diagnose that the buttons didn't work, was it just a matter of using a volt-meter?

Thanks again.

[Reddie1337]

Tried a different steering, and the switch has to be blue and black. The blue one is just stock, no cruise. Try that first.

I would totally do the brake switch first, that sounds like your problem. and I meant all blue in my earlier post.

[stevenma188]

Ya if the brake switch has 4 pins, it should work. Not sure how you would test the steering wheel switch unless you had another one.

[Reddie1337]

Ya if the brake switch has 4 pins, it should work. Not sure how you would test the steering wheel switch unless you had another one.

Steven, I have a bunch of experience with the cruise setup. Seeing as a lot of customers want it installed. Also, another issue could be you may be missing a piece off the clock spring. I have never had one work with all blue. It had to be blue & black. Unless Mazda just changed it recently. It's been blue and black for all the older years.

[stevenma188]

I don't remember what colour mine is, but I thought that as long as it had the 4 pins, it will work. Are there all blue ones with 4 pins? I know my old one (with 2 pins) was all blue.

[Reddie1337]

Not sure. I do know that if he is missing a piece from the clock spring, the cruise will also not engage. I have always had to change it from all blue to black and blue.

[slick50]

I double checked and it is the blue-black brake switch that I put in. I also took the steering switch off and took a closer look at the inside of the unit, I couldn't find anything obviously wrong.

While I continue to test it, can someone who has crusie control tell me if the cluster cruise light turns on with all the others before starting the car? Also, can you turn the cruise light on using the on/off button while the clutch is engaged, or with the brake engaged? I know you shouldn't be able to set the speed or resume with the clutch/brake engaged, I just wonder if that turns the cluster light off too?

Thanks again for all your help.

[Reddie1337]

I double checked and it is the blue-black brake switch that I put in. I also took the steering switch off and took a closer look at the inside of the unit, I couldn't find anything obviously wrong.

While I continue to test it, can someone who has crusie control tell me if the cluster cruise light turns on with all the others before starting the car? Also, can you turn the cruise light on using the on/off button while the clutch is engaged, or with the brake engaged? I know you shouldn't be able to set the speed or resume with the clutch/brake engaged, I just wonder if that turns the cluster light off too?

Thanks again for all your help.

The cruise light should come on and off with the switch. Don't remember seeing it when car starts. But I think the problem is with the clock spring. There is a part that clips on the back that has to be there as well. If that isn't there, then you have that problem.

[stevenma188]

The cluster light does NOT turn on when you start up the car (like when the CEL, airbag etc etc all light up).

[Reddie1337]

Where are you located slick? Anywhere near Cambridge? I wouldn't mind helping you out.

[TheMAN]

IIRC, the cruise light doesn't come on until you actually press the "set" button to set your cruise speed
I don't really remember because I hardly use mine :)

[Reddie1337]

Nah. The light comes on whenever you hit the on/off button. The light becomes orange, then when it's set it's green. I am really thinking its that piece on the back of the clock spring.

[slick50]

It would be so much easier if I had a Mazda enthusiast to lend a hand, but I'm actually from Edmonton, AB.

I took my brake switch off and took a closer look at it, and connected an ohm meter to it. The connectivity on the outer 2 contacts matches those of the inner two when I push the cylinder in. I think that's what it supposed to do? If the brake switch just completes a circuit when the cylinders is pushed in, what I might try tomorrow is to just manually cross the inner two contacts not using the switch. I figure this might help narrow it down to being the brake switch or the control panel.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted if I find anything out.

[Reddie1337]

It would be so much easier if I had a Mazda enthusiast to lend a hand, but I'm actually from Edmonton, AB.

I took my brake switch off and took a closer look at it, and connected an ohm meter to it. The connectivity on the outer 2 contacts matches those of the inner two when I push the cylinder in. I think that's what it supposed to do? If the brake switch just completes a circuit when the cylinders is pushed in, what I might try tomorrow is to just manually cross the inner two contacts not using the switch. I figure this might help narrow it down to being the brake switch or the control panel.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted if I find anything out.

Have you taken the steering wheel off before? If so, you should do that again, and try to see if their is an extra piece behind it, I will try to find one at work today to take a picture of it for you, because I don't really want to take my car apart to take a pic :P

Either way its a little extra ring behind the main clock spring. I do not recommend taking the clock spring out yourself if you have never done it before, also, never NEVER EVER, spin the clock spring from the position you take the steering wheel off of. That could result in you breaking it, and I wouldn't want to be the cause of that.

Want to give me the VIN of your vehicle in a PM? I could call the dealer for you and see if your car came with that, or if you would have to order it. This is probably the easiest way.

[slick50]

I did see the clockspring behind the steering wheel, though I'm not really sure how to test it. What I did based off another article on the web was turned it gently to the stop in one direction, and turned it back 2 3/4 turns in the opposite direction to re-centre it. These instructions were also printed on a label on the unit itself. Still no luck on the cruise though.

[ahmed.elrayess]

i was wondering were you able to fix the issue, as i have the same on my mazda 3 automatic.
mine has a 1.6L z6 engine
these were the part numbers that i got from mazdastuff.com
BN8P/BS3E-66-4M0
BN7N-66-490

after installing them and switching the car on i can see that the back leds in the controller itself coming on, but nothing happens when i press any of the cruise control buttons.
the radio control is working fine with no issues at all

[TheMAN]

cruise control wasn't available outside north america until the 2nd gen came out, so I think there's no programming in the ECU to do this