Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Cruise Control Operation
The cruise control functions include:
- Turning on the cruise control system.
- Setting and maintaining the desired vehicle speed.
- Accelerating the vehicle speed.
- Coasting down to a lower speed.
- Resuming the prior vehicle speed.
- Turning off the cruise control system.
The cruise control system maintains a selected vehicle speed within a range between 32 kmh (20 mph) or 30 kmh (18 mph) if equipped with a metric cluster and the maximum limited vehicle speed. When a MyKey® restricted key is in use, the vehicle speed will not exceed the MyKey® maximum limited speed. During normal driving conditions, the vehicle speed can fluctuate slightly from the selected set speed due to road conditions. The vehicle speed can fluctuate more noticeably when driving up and down steep hills.
Certain conditions cause the cruise control system to deactivate:
- Application of the parking brake.
- Transmission gear selector is placed into a position other than D.
- Clutch pedal is applied (if equipped)
- Cruise control set speed is overridden with the accelerator pedal for a period longer than 5 minutes.
- Cruise control switch is pressed or stuck longer than 2 minutes.
- Vehicle speed decreases more than 16 kmh (10 mph) below the set speed.
- ABS fault.
Vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine, the brake switch assembly (contains the stoplamp switch and cruise control deactivator switch) and APP sensor are direct inputs to the PCM.
Vehicles equipped with the 2.7L engine, the EBB (contains the stoplamp switch and cruise control deactivator switch). For additional information, Refer to: Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) and Stability Control - System Operation and Component Description .
Electronic Throttle Body (ETB) command is an output of the PCM.
Vehicle speed is controlled by the PCM through the ETB subsystem.
The cruise control system provides self-diagnostics. Cruise control is disabled when an error is detected in the system. No IPC indicator or message center messages are displayed when faults occur. Fault codes are logged by the PCM or SCCM.
An ETB system fault also causes the cruise control system to be disabled. In this case, an ETB system powertrain malfunction (wrench) warning indicator is displayed.
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.
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