Conference terri::cars_uk

    Anyone have a name and address for the suppliers of Econocruise, or
    similar devices?
    
    Did .0 get one in the end?
    
    John (who'd like to order one on his new car)

    < Did .0 get one in the end?
    
    I didn't bother.............
    
    -Dave.
    
    

            <<< MARVIN::DISK$TOOLS:[NOTES$LIBRARY]CARS_UK.NOTE;1 >>>
                            -< CARS_UK conference >-
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Note 1198.0                 Cruise control revisited                     1 reply
SOS6::LECORE "Guy, Database Country Support France"  20 lines  21-AUG-1990 16:48
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    Bonjour,
    
    	I found a dusty old copy of CAR MECHANICS which described the
    installation of the ECONOCRUISE cruise control unit (discussed in note
    103) which I really fancy for my recently purchased Ford Sierra
    Automatic. The problem is that the CM dates back to OCT 1980 (!!!) and
    the telephone number is no longer valid (and does the company still
    exist ???). AS I am located in Paris, I dont have the relevant
    telephone books at hand... SO, does anyone have any idea how to get
    hold of the ECONOCRUISE people ?? I have :
    
    ECONOCRUISE ltd,
    180 Wood Street,
    Rugby CV21 2NP
    Tel 0788 74431
    
    Any idea of the price ranges would be handy too !
    
    Merci,
    Guy

    I finally tracked down Econocruise......
    
    [If you have a lorry or bus, then the Rugby location is the one, but the
    phone number is 0788-546333]
    
    If you want one for a car, then the name and address is:
    
    Cruise UK,
    Sherborne Garage,
    Town Lane,
    Idle,
    Bradford BD10 AN1
    
    Tel: 0734 758311
    
    Mr. Roy Atkinson is the man to ask for.
    
    They still provide the units previously described, but only a vacuum
    driven variety (they used to supply a motor driven one, but have dropped
    this).
    
    I checked two vehicles and they were both suitable for fitment. These
    were the Ford Sierra Sapphire and the Rover 400 series models.
    
    Professional fitting is required and a number of UK agents can do the
    work. Cost depends on where you get it fitted (the man said London man
    rates are extortionate!), but should be between �200-350.
    
    More details available direct.....
    
    JK

.17�Tel: 0734 758311

    ... isn't "0734" the STD code for Reading???

    Martin.

    Whoops!!!!
    
    
    You're right, the 0734 codes isn't correct. But I've thrown the piece
    of paper away now, so don't know the correct one. In my directory is
    0274, and I think that sounds right.
    
    JK
    
    p.s. For those of you interested, I'd had no luck finding Econocruise
    until I was at my Ten-year weekend in York. Parked in the Hotel Car
    Park was a Coach with a sticker in the drivers window saying "I <heart>
    Econocruise". On return to Reading I phoned Horseman coaches, and they
    had some of their coaches fitted with the device and gave me the Rugby
    address and phone number. The phone number turned out to be wrong
    again, but eventually I got a new one, and they in turn put me onto the
    Bradford number. Funny old world, innit?

    An update.....
    
    I'vew just ordered my new leasemobile with the 3rd party cruise control
    as an option.
    
    Interestingly, Hertz refused to quote for it, but PHH were happy to!
    
    The difference in lease cost is �11, which works out at �330 over 30
    months, which is pretty close to the top figure I got for the
    installation mentioned in the previous note.
    
    JK
    

Just in case you're interested, you can buy cruise controls over here from
around $85 upwards - thats less than 45 smackers at today's exchange rate.
A good quality one can be had for $120-140.  They usually come for automatics,
but it's a simple modification to add a second microswitch to the clutch pedal.
Mine has a vacuum detector which will shut the thing off in case of sudden
changes in manifold vacuum - as when you depress the clutch pedal and lose
drive, for example.

Wonder what the shipping and duty costs would be?  They weigh about 1.5 Kg.

Brian

    
    The number seems to have changed for Cruise UK
    
    It's now 0274 618756, the man is still Roy Atkinson.
    
    Closest installer to Reading is in Langley nr. Slough. They are Loon
    Electric. Price for a manual Econocruise is �250 + VAT incl. fitting.
    
    Geoff

    The one in my leasemobile was fitted by Alpinair, who got it to work on
    the third attempt, after replacing the control box twice and then
    calling in a technician from Econoncruise!
    
    Works like a dream now though!
    
    JK

    John,
    
    Are Alpinair local to Reading?
    
    Ta,
    Geoff

I've got cruise control fitted to my 2.5 Omega. 

It has appalling fuel consumption anyway, but it _seems_ worse if I'm using cruise control. I can get 
circa 10% better consumption if I don't engage it.

Anyone else got any experience of fuel efficiency and cruise control?

Rupert

    I have CC on my 2.0 Omega and haven't noticed a drop in fuel
    efficiency. Logic says that CC should be better than a manual right
    foot.
    Do you have auto or manual gearbox and diesel or petrol?
    
    Andrew

    I agree with logic :-) But humans aren't logical.
    
    I can see there might be a difference if you are one of those people
    that tends to slow down going up a hill and speed up going down a hill. 
    (Not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just something that
    people do.)  This would probably take less petrol than maintaining a
    constant speed. 
    
    Cruise control should win if you're driving style consists of lots of
    unnecessary speeding up and slowing down (e.g. when overtaking on the
    motorway).  
    
    Personally I use it a lot just so that I know I'm within the speed
    limits without having to check the speedo every few seconds.
    
    tmp
                    

Ref last two.

It's a petrol/manual - should have mentioned that.

My normal motorway driving style emulates cruise control!

I drive at a constant speed (+/- 2mph) whenever possible (traffic etc).

I hate peope who cannot maintain their speed and you have this irritation of perpetually re-overtaking them.

Drving back from Nottingham I got 26.5 mpg - not using cruise and drving at 90mph. Using cruise it's down 
to circa 24mpg.

Rupert

    I hate people who wont adjust their speed on a motorway when performing
    an overtaking manouvre. This means that they sit in the outside lane
    for 5 minutes passing two cars travelling at s-2 where s is the cruise
    control speed, and consequently cause dangerous bunching and delay.
    
    I have got cruise control on my current car and believe it to be
    dangerous. I cannot conveive how anyone can feel safe driving using it.
    
    Derek

    
    I'm just about to lose my Mazda and the real sad thing is no cruise
    control on its replacement.
    
    My views are:
    
    FOR: Keeps my speed down. I don't 'creep' up over a period. Relaxing so
    I am less tired on long journeys. This has been really notcieable.
    Probably a combination of lower speed and less effort. I am probably
    MORE alert because I know I am on cruise control.
    
    AGAINST: Open to abuse. There is MOST definitely a wrong time and place
    for CC. Tendency to avoid dropping out of cruise control until the
    last minute. 
    
    Richard
    

    ref -29
    
    Yes I agree, nothing more frustrating than sitting behind someone who
    insists on sticking to "their" speed with the world and his wife backed
    up behind his - a quick dab on the accelerator, indicate right and pull
    in would be so helpful!
    
    Rupert
    
    ps I hasten to add that I do not impede faster traffic - crusie or no
    cruise! 

    re -30
    
    I am struggling to understand how being more alert and less tired are
    synonomous. I would have thought more alert and more concentration =
    more tired, therefore the speed reduction must be the reason for less
    fatigue??
    
    I agree that use of CC increases alertness as I couldn't go to sleep
    while riding on the Corkscrew at Alton Towers for similar reasons, high
    speed and no control.
    
    Aboslutely agree that use of CC means that decisions to reduce spedd,
    back off etc. are left to last minute, but that may be my inability to
    use CC properly.
    
    
    re -31  ??Signal right and pull in?? You're on Chefs. I'm confused.
    
    Derek

>    re -31  ??Signal right and pull in?? You're on Chefs. I'm confused.
    
I think he meant, signal right and overtake, then pull back in straight away.  
That's how I read it, anyway...

Chris.

    No - I just can't tell my right from left! I meant left.
    
    Sorry Gents for the confusion.
    
    Rupert

    	I don't know about your form of CC, but with mine, to safely
    overtake, I press the throttle to accelerate past whoever, then pull in
    after overtaking and take my foot off the throttle and the CC takes me
    back to the cruising speed - it does undershoot by about 4/5 MPH, so I
    have to go well past someone before taking my foot off though.  CC
    doesn't deselect in this manoevre.
    
    				Malcolm.

    During a visit to the US, AVIS presented me with a nice little motor
    complete with Cruise Control.  This had a nice memory feature, so that
    whenever I got back on to the Interstate, I just flicked the lever and
    there I was back at 55.  Flick the lever in a different direction and
    it 'learned' the current speed.
    
    This was great until I attempted to 'teach' it 25 mph whilst driving
    down town.  I flicked the lever the wrong way, and the car leapt
    towards 55mph in what appeared to be a millisecond.  That certainly made 
    me more alert when using CC!
    
    Chris
       

    My Mazda used to have all this functionality. Only I seem to remember 
    it 'forgot' these settings if you went very slow or stopped.
    
    Richard

    Vauxhall CC does this but it is not retained over a reboot.
    
    Andrew

 >>   Vauxhall CC does this but it is not retained over a reboot.
                                                          ^^^^^^
    ... damn cars get more sophisticated every year %^)
    
    

    re .38
    
    what does changing the tyres have to do with the cruise control?
    
    :)
    
    C

    Changes the diameter of the wheels!
    
    Andrew

    I've got cruise control on my Saab and it is great. I've noticed an
    improvement in fuel consumption on cruise versus manual, but only if I
    don't let cruise bring me back upto speed after a momentary dab on the
    brakes (those darn slow drivers in the right lane again!). If cruise
    does any accelerating it gets a bit 'Brutal' and seems to demand to do
    it as quickly as possible. A bit nerve racking at first!
    
    Cheers,
    
    Alastair
    

    >don't let cruise bring me back upto speed after a momentary dab on the
    >brakes
    
    I thought a dab on the brakes turned off the cruise control ?
    Or are there different CC's with different functionality.
    
    Royston

     
    >I thought a dab on the brakes turned off the cruise control ?
    >Or are there different CC's with different functionality.
    
    Some cruise controls have a lever or a button that you use to tell the
    cruise control to go back to the previous setting before the braking
    action.. As the earlier note mentioned, it can be quite brutal at 
    times!!!!
    
    POL