Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > DIY / How-to
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 12-20-2012, 07:49 PM   #1 (permalink)
Eco Storm Chaser
 
Stacygifford's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Lubbock
Posts: 174

Nemo - '87 Ford Mustang GT
90 day: 27.26 mpg (US)

K-sight - '02 Honda Insight
90 day: 39.24 mpg (US)
Thanks: 20
Thanked 73 Times in 38 Posts
$15 ECO Friendly Cruise Control in 30 min.

OK, judging by the title you can see where this is going.
Before we start let me say that this may be illegal an I am not responsible for your actions! I have seen people talk about this on forums, and seen it used in off-road trucks, but never a wright up on how to actually install one. Technically this is a throttle lock and while it may work on automatic cars it will be much more effective on cars with a manual trans.

What in needed:
-1 universal choke cable $7.99 (or 9.99 for one with extra mounting hardware) at Autozone
-1 package of 3/32" cable ties (contains 3) $1.98 at Home Depot
-A few zip ties I used 7 (will vary from application to application)

Tools:
Wire cutters
Flat blade screwdriver
Drill with bit
Razor blade or die-grinder (A.K.A. drimmel tool)


My car is a 1994 Honda civic dx without factory cruse control.

First I removed the little switch panel that has a blank spot for a button and and the rear defrost button.

Second I separated the blank panel form the defrost switch (it un-clips).

Third I drilled out the center of the blank panel and removed one of the 4 sides on it so that I could tighten the nut that holds on the choke cable.

4 Install the cable through the previously discussed hole.

5 I fed the cable through factory holes in the dash and firewall.

6 Re-install the panel and your new curse control nob.

7 Route the cable to your throttle cable and throttle body .
(For me I ran it along side the factory throttle cable and zip tied it in 7 places to keep it from moving.)

The next part is very subjective to application, what i did was wedge a bottle in my floor bored to hold it at W.O.T. (to make sure were I placed the cable clamp it would not bind at any throttle position.

8 Attach the clamp as a shown using a second clamp so that the choke cable only will act in one direction and can be overridden by normal throttle control.

9 From here on out how long to cut everything will be all up to your discretion and application.

Lastly install a small clamp or choke cable retainer so that it will not pull through the other clamp on the factory throttle cable, And cut off any excess!

Take a look at my pictures, let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Side notes:

~You WILL need to set the throttle with your foot. The spring is too hard to overcome by hand.
~ Also, for me the spring is just slightly to strong to just pull the lever out, and let off the gas. If I keep just one finger on it (almost no preasure) the friction from the cable and its sheath will hold the throttle where I set it. still trying to figure out how to fix this "safely".

Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	398392_570334719659075_687900970_n.jpg
Views:	208
Size:	50.5 KB
ID:	12082   Click image for larger version

Name:	63233_570334706325743_1643134907_n.jpg
Views:	187
Size:	52.7 KB
ID:	12083   Click image for larger version

Name:	262653_570334699659077_639563101_n.jpg
Views:	214
Size:	51.0 KB
ID:	12084   Click image for larger version

Name:	230248_570334679659079_1551145192_n.jpg
Views:	191
Size:	44.4 KB
ID:	12085   Click image for larger version

Name:	603263_570334669659080_1636068576_n.jpg
Views:	184
Size:	38.9 KB
ID:	12086  

Click image for larger version

Name:	63231_570334652992415_1052982399_n.jpg
Views:	191
Size:	25.3 KB
ID:	12087   Click image for larger version

Name:	61847_570334602992420_2147318140_n.jpg
Views:	184
Size:	64.0 KB
ID:	12088   Click image for larger version

Name:	398521_570334622992418_528672959_n.jpg
Views:	198
Size:	34.4 KB
ID:	12089   Click image for larger version

Name:	68806_570334582992422_74837181_n.jpg
Views:	233
Size:	51.9 KB
ID:	12090   Click image for larger version

Name:	181850_570334572992423_578765000_n.jpg
Views:	187
Size:	38.1 KB
ID:	12091  

Click image for larger version

Name:	380043_570334549659092_870516671_n.jpg
Views:	170
Size:	50.9 KB
ID:	12092   Click image for larger version

Name:	62454_570334532992427_1161075255_n.jpg
Views:	213
Size:	50.5 KB
ID:	12093   Click image for larger version

Name:	67333_570334529659094_2024192268_n.jpg
Views:	172
Size:	64.8 KB
ID:	12094   Click image for larger version

Name:	393072_570334526325761_1150418855_n.jpg
Views:	207
Size:	57.4 KB
ID:	12095  
  Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Stacygifford For This Useful Post:
cfg83 (01-23-2013), christofoo (12-21-2012), mcrews (12-20-2012), myrefugeisintheLord (01-03-2013), user removed (12-20-2012)
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 12-20-2012, 08:33 PM   #2 (permalink)
Eco Storm Chaser
 
Stacygifford's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Lubbock
Posts: 174

Nemo - '87 Ford Mustang GT
90 day: 27.26 mpg (US)

K-sight - '02 Honda Insight
90 day: 39.24 mpg (US)
Thanks: 20
Thanked 73 Times in 38 Posts
Sorry, I could not figure out how to put the pictures in the post with the text...
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2012, 09:05 PM   #3 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
vskid3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 975

Civic DX (sold) - '97 Honda Civic DX
90 day: 34.15 mpg (US)

GTO (sold) - '04 Pontiac GTO
90 day: 22.62 mpg (US)

Green Brick (sold) - '06 Ford Escape Hybrid
90 day: 31.93 mpg (US)
Thanks: 193
Thanked 312 Times in 221 Posts
Nice write-up. I can't wait to have a manual car again so I can do this.

To anyone questioning the safety of this, your car's brakes should be able to overcome your engine at full throttle, this is barely any throttle. And there is the clutch in a manual and neutral in an automatic. I'm not saying I would trust the average driver with one of these, but if you have a plan and pay attention, it shouldn't be an issue.
Still probably illegal to get caught using, though. :P
__________________


Camry Thread
E-Bike Thread
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2012, 09:22 PM   #4 (permalink)
Eco Storm Chaser
 
Stacygifford's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Lubbock
Posts: 174

Nemo - '87 Ford Mustang GT
90 day: 27.26 mpg (US)

K-sight - '02 Honda Insight
90 day: 39.24 mpg (US)
Thanks: 20
Thanked 73 Times in 38 Posts
My first response in an emergency situation is the kit the breaks AND the clutch.. just makes it rev a little, no harm done.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2012, 11:35 AM   #5 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 2,643
Thanks: 1,502
Thanked 279 Times in 229 Posts
+1 for use of brakes and clutch. Some of the newer cars will let the gas override the brakes. Thats why we had quite a few runaway cars this past year in the news. I guess too many brake fires from people riding the brakes was the reason behind that?
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2012, 01:59 PM   #6 (permalink)
radioranger
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canton CT
Posts: 442
Thanks: 140
Thanked 44 Times in 33 Posts
personally I wouldn't do it ,asking for trouble , how about an electromagnet near the throttle linkage to hold it in position until you hit the brake shutting off the relay powering it, cant be a heck of a lot more, good your experimenting but seems unsafe to me.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2012, 02:04 PM   #7 (permalink)
EcoModding Smurfer
 
Smurf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LaX
Posts: 293

Dime - '95 Chevy S10 LS ExtCab RWD
Pickups
90 day: 18.23 mpg (US)

G/A - '96 Pontiac Grand Am
Team Pontiac
90 day: 32.74 mpg (US)
Thanks: 52
Thanked 35 Times in 29 Posts
I'm also not sure if this is worth the risk. I mean, unless you use your right foot for texting while driving, is there a true need for this that can outweigh the potential "what-if"s?
__________________

  Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2012, 03:04 PM   #8 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 2,643
Thanks: 1,502
Thanked 279 Times in 229 Posts
In all honestly I havent used the cruse control on either of my vehicles in the past 3 months. Traffic is soo heavy out any more and there are soo many crazy unsafe drivers around me when I am on the roads.

If I had a project regarding cruse control, it would be the radar one to track the rear of the vehicle in front of me and keep the distance to prevent people from cutting you off and aid in drafting/slip streaming.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2012, 04:08 PM   #9 (permalink)
Eco Storm Chaser
 
Stacygifford's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Lubbock
Posts: 174

Nemo - '87 Ford Mustang GT
90 day: 27.26 mpg (US)

K-sight - '02 Honda Insight
90 day: 39.24 mpg (US)
Thanks: 20
Thanked 73 Times in 38 Posts
Radar would be awesome. And yes there some shortcomings, but for me , I do almost 30k miles every spring time. A 15 hour drive (almost 98% highway) is horrable without cruse. I will look into the electromagnet idea.

Also cusecontrole in traffic is just asking for problems.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2012, 04:58 PM   #10 (permalink)
radioranger
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canton CT
Posts: 442
Thanks: 140
Thanked 44 Times in 33 Posts
you've got some pretty smart guys here, just remember run all the power through a fuse first, maybe somebody could draw a schematic to release the current when the brake lights activate. two relays should do it , if the current flows through the brake light it activates a relay the contact of which open to turn off your magnet till you re trigger it, on the magnet side of it you could even wind your own and maybe add a small steel plate on the throttle plate arm to mount it . Good luck.

  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to radioranger For This Useful Post:
Stacygifford (12-21-2012)
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com