cruise control problem, 84 TC signature please help

[over2tonsofFun]

I am trying to get the cruise working again in my 84 Town car. It hasn't worked since it was pulled from the field in May 14. At first I thought it was the switches, but those seem to work. I traced the switch signal to the cruise control module(?) under the dash, by the steering shaft. It is getting the signal. Now I am at a stand still. Could it be the module or something else? Do the 84s use a VSS for the cruise? If so where does it pick up the signal? I would like to get it working again. We took it to a show in Denver a couple weeks ago. I would have been nice to have cruise control.

Tim

PS: The only wiring that was chewed? Was the one containing the neutral safety switch, above the trans. I had to bypass it to get it to start with the key.

[gadget73]

There is a VSS, and it does use it. If you have a digital dash, the VSS output is from the cluster itself. If its analog, the VSS is between the end of the speedo cable and the transmission,, right at the side of the trans. Wiring does share a harness with the NSS, so if the NSS wiring was messed up, I'd give the VSS wiring a second look.


Before getting too far into the electrics, make sure the cable isn't broken. Unhook it at the throttle body and see if it just pulls out of the jacket. If it does, thats why it doesn't work.

[86VickyLX]

Make sure your brake lights work as well. The cruise won't work with nonfunctional brake lights.

[sly]

Some of the older panthers used that stupid VSS behind the cluster in-line on the speedo cable. It may have just been the Lincolns, but if you can't find one on the trans, check for a round thing with 2 wires coming from it just behind the speedo.

[gadget73]

They also don't work with LED's in the brake lights unless you use the CANBUS ones.

[86VickyLX]

Some of the older panthers used that stupid VSS behind the cluster in-line on the speedo cable. It may have just been the Lincolns, but if you can't find one on the trans, check for a round thing with 2 wires coming from it just behind the speedo.

I think that was only for digital dash Lincolns. As the output for the speedo head was actually the vss driven odometer assembly.

[sly]

I think that was only for digital dash Lincolns. As the output for the speedo head was actually the vss driven odometer assembly.

the analog cluster had the short 6 inch speedo cable out the back of the speedo to a VSS then the speedo cable down to the trans. At least that's the way the Mark VI was set up. And it may have been the redneck HO conversion gone wrong that used that to get the cruise to work. I'm not sure, but it was there. Those in-line VSS are getting really hard to find too.