ECM necessary for cruise control? '87

[deesandvees]

Is the ECM necessary for the cruise control to work? I know there's a speed sensor that attaches to the back of the speedometer but then where's it go from there? And of course the throttle control diaphragm thingy up by the vacuum storage canister (front left behind headlight).

[Blue Bowtie]

If this is for a 1987, the ECM is not necessary for cruise function. The VSS signal should route to a yellow plastic buffer box. The VSS signal is split from there to the ECM, speedo, and cruise control module.

[deesandvees]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

If this is for a 1987, the ECM is not necessary for cruise function. The VSS signal should route to a yellow plastic buffer box. The VSS signal is split from there to the ECM, speedo, and cruise control module.

Okay so I'm revisiting my cruise control issue (well the issue is that I took it all out when I removed ECM and did the motor swap)...
I would like to understand how the cruise control system works. From the speed sensor on the back of the speedometer, to the diaphragm thingy that attaches to the throttle linkage etc.
When you activate the cruise control via the switch on the turn signal switch what exactly happens? A signal goes to the yellow plastic buffer box? I'm hoping to understand all this so I know what's going on as I put this system back into action under the hood of this annoying to drive on the freeway for long trips Caprice of mine

[deesandvees]

These pics are of my buddies Caprice with the cc as is from the factory:




My driveway how I like it:


Not sure what the little sorta clear plastic hoses do or if they're even involved but I thought maybe they had something to do with the switch on the turn signal?



Not sure what vacuum hoses are necessary here:


Here's the little sphere vaccuum canister...don't know if I need the cylindrical vaccum canister also...


And the linkage I'm using is the factory linkage bolted up to my Power Plus intake manifold and Edlebrock carb. Just had to bend the linkage sideways to get it to line up with the carb for this. Haven't hooked up cc yet though obviously.


And this little guy needs to go back on the back of the speedo:

[bhw33191]

Your driveway is SO COOL!!

[deesandvees]

Originally Posted by bhw33191

Your driveway is SO COOL!!

Except for those damn pine needles!

[deesandvees]

Originally Posted by bhw33191

Off topic but are those wheels 5x5 or 5x4.75 (or whatever it is that these civie Caprices came with)? If the smaller of the two please let me know info on them because these are the exact wheels I want.

[deesandvees]

Does anybody with the factory cruise control hooked up have pictures of the throttle linkage? I also can't figure out what the connector on the cruise control diaphragm thingy (pictured below) connects to under the dash near the steering column.

[bhw33191]

Originally Posted by deesandvees

Does anybody with the factory cruise control hooked up have pictures of the throttle linkage? I also can't figure out what the connector on the cruise control diaphragm thingy (pictured below) connects to under the dash near the steering column.

I'll get you some pics when i get home today.

[deesandvees]

Thanks! Seems like even though I took pics of everything on here before it all came out, I never have the angle I need to see what I'm trying to do next

[bhw33191]

Now that i look at your pics i'm not sure if mine will be much help because my cruise control thing looks different. Mine mounts right on the engine directly in line with the throttle. Yours looks like it mounts on the firewall somewhere not too far. So what i'd do is hook up the throttle linkage and then just move the vacuum module around wherever it reaches and you'll have to look for the bolt hole. But i'll put the pics up anyway.

And one more thing, i still haven't gotten to looking at my rim size..mainly because i don't know where to look or if it even says on the rims at all.

[deesandvees]

Originally Posted by bhw33191

Now that i look at your pics i'm not sure if mine will be much help because my cruise control thing looks different.

Thanks for the pics. I would think the only difference would be linkage which should be easy to figure out. Pulled the speedo out today and hooked the Speed Sensor/Speed Sensor Buffer (lt. green little box) up and plugged it back into the Cruise Control Module (black box attached to left side of dash frame that wraps up and over steering column). Not sure where the wiring from the Cruise Control Module goes to, but it supposedly exits through the firewall near the fusebox. I think from there it goes to the Cruise Control Servo but I'm not sure.
The 2 vacuum ports in the Cruise Control Servo are also a mystery to me as far as where they go to...I know 1 of them must go to the sphere shaped vacuum reservoir, which only has the one port on it.

Cruise Control Servo and sphere shaped vacuum reservoir:


Same as above, alternate view:


Haven't hooked up the linkage yet but it should be pretty easy once I see a similiar linkage hooked up since I used the factory linkage bracket on the aftermarket intake manifold.


This was the only thing labeled "cruise control" that I had in my pile of goodies :

[bhw33191]

I'll take some more pics tomorrow of where my vacuum lines go so maybe thatd help.

[deesandvees]

Thanks!
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[deesandvees]

I'm really struggling to figure out where this (the small black end) plugs into..under the dash somewhere I'm told and apparently the vacuum line goes under there somewhere too and another line to the intake manifold or equivalent.