cruise control in The VE Likes Speeding

[BlackCalaisVVE]

When driving the other day was going under one of sydneys many tunnels as there are always heaps of speed cameras in these tunnels. I decided to try the Cruise control out set it at about 81km/h was fine for about 30 secs then when i looked at the speedo again i was in shock to see it making its way to 91km/h.
It is my first car with cruise control but this cant be normal. Although i read an article on the VE and the person writing the article had also mentioned the cruise control going from 100km/h to 110km/h is holden going to pay for my speeding fines i dont think so.

[ITROCS]

Mine varies by 1 or 2kms when on cruise but not by as much as 10kms, may need to get it checked out..

[AussieTone]

Mine doesn't vary on flat road but can creap about 4 - 5 kmph on a down hill incline (VE SS Auto)

[SV8er]

Only have a variance of 1kph on flat road with mine

[BlackCalaisVVE]

I dont think wheel size should have anything to do with it or maybe

[vyssbeast]

It should only creap up on a downhill ... In that case you have to apply the brakes, it wont do it for you. Or you can downshift the auto (if that doesnt disengage the CC, i know it doesnt with the A4) so alittle engine braking will keep the speed correct.

[VX-300]

It is my first car with cruise control

Might well be that you just need more practice. I had trouble getting it right in first C/C car too. It might well be that the car is accelerating or de-celerating when you engage and you are getting an "over-run" thing happening.
Practice on a flat bit of freeway. Engage when the speedo needle and your right foot are both static.

[KingClifton]

On the topic of speed, anyone else noticing occasional discrepancies between the digital readout and the needle? With my R8 I'm finding sometimes it's spot on, other times the needle is indicating say 1-2km/h less, other times as high as 3 km/h less (eg. needle at about 82, digital readout saying 79).

[BlackCalaisVVE]

Well i have had a fare few hire cars with cruise control and had no problem so i cant say its not being use to it.
Might take it for a run on the highway and try it again see if it still does it but im sure im not the only one with this problem


On the topic of speed, anyone else noticing occasional discrepancies between the digital readout and the needle? With my R8 I'm finding sometimes it's spot on, other times the needle is indicating say 1-2km/h less, other times as high as 3 km/h less (eg. needle at about 82, digital readout saying 79).

This is proabably normal the speedo on the VE sits at 97km/h when showing 100km/h according to wheels magazine

[VZGEN4]

Is this happening on a flat road or when you're going up an incline? I ask this because my thunder overshoots something fierce when the cruise is set and I go up an incline. Probably does this in the vacinity of 10 -15 km/h

[BlackCalaisVVE]

well the first i noticed it it was on a straight then a slight incline

[VZGEN4]

Does it come back to the set speed or does it stay on a higher speed?

Mine comes back to the original set speed after it works out it's gone a bit overboard! It may need to go in to be recalibrated, I haven't got around to getting mine checked out yet.

[LSavvy]

Could you be pressing "resume" that is set at 90 rather than "set" at the speed you want, going down hill will increase speed. Prpbably dont use the cruise in the camera infested tunnels and is not safe in busy times.

[mickeyVX350]

Mine runs over by up to 20 KM/h on a downhill

[V-Car]

When driving the other day was going under one of sydneys many tunnels

Some of those roads in the tunnels are quite steep, so speed will increase.
CC maintains speed on flat or up inclines, but doesnt apply brakes going downhill.
Some cars have more engine braking than others like the Commodore.
Pull the lever back to 3rd or turn overdrive off if you dont want to apply the brakes going downhill which disengages the CC.
You just need to get used to it and understand how they work.

[blackduck]

4th V8 with CC. None have maintained the speed going downhill! Worst case has been to accel from 100 to 120.

On the 'flat' it is very steady. When going up hill, she holds the speed well in 6th, but will overspeed over the crest by up to 10kph, depending on how steep the hill was.

can't say I've bothered using CC when <100kph. From my limited trips through the harbour tunnel, I'd say that accelerating from 80 to 90 would be quite normal.

[BlackCalaisVVE]

Does it come back to the set speed or does it stay on a higher speed?

Mine comes back to the original set speed after it works out it's gone a bit overboard! It may need to go in to be recalibrated, I haven't got around to getting mine checked out yet.

Not quite sure because i hit the brakes which stops CC and have not really had the chance to try it again.

[VX2VESS]

seem the older cars go better on cruise non DBW...

mine will not vary at all unless on a quite steep downhill you would need to brake to maintian speed for.

[GRMJ]

The CC on my old VS 5 Litre Calais never varied more than 1 or 2 kph up or down, however, the CC on my 5.7 litre Monaro which replaced it loses or gains up to 5 kph - very frustrating. The CC on my 6 litre Statesman is not as bad as the Monaro - the 6 litre has more bottom end to boot me up hills without losing pace, but it will gain up to 3 or 4 kph going down hills - always goes back to the desired setting on the flat

[blackbettyhsv]

my VX clubby held better down hill than my VE R8, but I aint complaining, I use cruise quite a lot until I come across a fo&d

[_MetalliX_]

My VY's cruise control is pretty hopeless at maintaining legal speed. It will never go below what I set it to, but depending on the gradient it will speed up without hesitation. Although I suppose the trip down to the Gong does have some pretty mean hills, but if I get a speeding fine because the cruise can't keep its speed, I don't think Holden will pay it.

[Rad Kane]

More than likely you had it previously set at 91 and when you accidently pressed 'resume' instead of 'set' it automatically climbed to the previous setting.

[vyssbeast]

i think its SIMPLE

Downhill, if too steep, USE YOUR FOOT TO BRAKE

Uphill, it'll accelerate for you, and if its TOO steep, push it bak a gear

Dont expect the car to hold speed downhill, its physically impossibly without using the brakes or engine braking.

[_MetalliX_]

Obviously I slow down manually, I'm just saying that cruise control is by no means a set and forget luxury, which I think it should be. If traction control can apply brake pressure and stop a car from spinning out, then surely it isn't a big ask to use the same mechanics to stop a car from exceeding the cruise control setting by more than around 10km. It would make long trips so much easier.

[BlackCalaisVVE]

More than likely you had it previously set at 91 and when you accidently pressed 'resume' instead of 'set' it automatically climbed to the previous setting.

Nah have not used it before this so cant be that but thanks for trying to help


Obviously I slow down manually, I'm just saying that cruise control is by no means a set and forget luxury, which I think it should be. If traction control can apply brake pressure and stop a car from spinning out, then surely it isn't a big ask to use the same mechanics to stop a car from exceeding the cruise control setting by more than around 10km. It would make long trips so much easier.

Yeah i totally agree with the technology of today dont tell me they cant do something to slow the car downhill. Its a bit of a joke really.
I dont really use cc anyway but if i did it would be annoying having to reset it after every downhill.

[NefariousLS1]

And whenu all get too comfortable havint the trac brake for u and it fails and you get busted for going to fast will u blame the car? Its as easy as keeping an eye on it and knowing what your car is doing around you i use cruse everyday at all kinds of speeds from 40 in scool zones (some may say this is stupid but IMO it lets me look for hazards rather that worring about loosing my licence for 3km over th limit) up to 110 on the freway and its the same as driving the car yourself u have to keep an eye on it because in the end technology, as helpfull as it is, is still no match for the reaction and judgement of the individual driving the veichle when assesing the speed of the car in relation to the legal limit.

Well thats my 2c of rant for the day

[BlackCalaisVVE]

well after spending the long weekend in a X trail i found that its cruise control was whole lot better than in my holden it held at its speed and when going down hills large or small the most it increased was 1-2 Kph up hill was fine as well. So I think its something holden need to look at if nissan can get it right so can holden. As i said before its no big deal for me as i rarley use it though every little helps and there things you would expect that they would of got right by now.

[Boom]

You really need to be aware od the gearing in the new commodores. The M6 has 5th and 6th as overdrives. I think the A6 would be similar. You cant expect much engine braking assistance going downhill with such high overdrives. Same thing going uphill. You cant expect much acceleration in 6th going up hills. My car will drop about 5km/h below set point going up some hills then go to 20km/h over set point going down the other side. Is it a problem for me? No. I am a driver and I am aware of what my vehicle is doing, and take appropriate action when it is required.

[SupremeVT98]

I've never tried cruise control so I will try it tonight on the way home. Would it work in an 80km/h zone??

[Drewie]

seem the older cars go better on cruise non DBW...

mine will not vary at all unless on a quite steep downhill you would need to brake to maintian speed for.

My VX SS is good at holding the speed, it accelerates and holds the speed going up hill and seems to maintain it going downhill, I never have to brake to keep the set speed, I have never tried it on a very steep downhill run but on a moderate to gentle slope the speed seems to stay the same.

[BlackCalaisVVE]

I've never tried cruise control so I will try it tonight on the way home. Would it work in an 80km/h zone??

Yeah will work fine should even works at 60km/h

[Tyre biter]

I think it is (at times) rubbish.

I went down to Melbourne and back on the Hume just last week and couldn't rely on it if the road wasn't flat. I mean it held it's own when accending a hill but upon cresting it, the thing just ran away on the decent, gaining at least 10km/h before I'd shut it off - god knows what it would have run to had I not killed it?

I agree with the threads about limiting speed creep, if the device is to control speed, as opposed to rpm, why can't the whole ESP system do exactly that? I'd ask the Holden lads on the Holden part of this forum but;

1. They are still on their hiatus, and
2. I suspects we'd only get the old corporate reponse as opposed to a full and proper explanation of the why's and why not's.

Having said that, I did average 28mpg (10.2l/100km) and so there are some very good attributes to the system. But a fix and forget ability would be nice.

Cheers

[V-Car]

Guys, no offense, but you really need to learn what the limits of these things are, and how to use them.
They are not a whiz bang, you beat 'adaptive cruise control' which cost thousands, but rather a very basic automatic speed control for use on mainly flat roads.
All they do is apply accelerator to maintain speed on the flat or up slight hills, but cant apply braking going down hill.
If you could see the throttle angle going down a hill with CC engaged, youd see that the throttle would be closed, just as it would be if your foot was completely off the gas.
For what they are, they work great.
Its just a Holden, as many keep reminding us, so if you want a proper adaptive cruise control, you need to spend alot more money on something from Europe or Japan.
Check out the Lexus LS460 radar based cruise control which incorporates collision avioidance, and lane departure technology as well as parallel self parking.
You get what you pay for.

[mac06]

If you apply the brakes the cruise is deactivated. Therefore if the system applies the brakes, guess what? You got it, the cruise is deactivated.

It's as been mentioned before, a simple system that's not infallible, but will keep you from more speeding tickets than if you didn't have cruise at all. Whenever I get in a car without cruise now I find my speed either tends to drop below the speed limit or creep above. The cruise works for me.

[BlackCalaisVVE]

Guys, no offense, but you really need to learn what the limits of these things are, and how to use them.
They are not a whiz bang, you beat 'adaptive cruise control' which cost thousands, but rather a very basic automatic speed control for use on mainly flat roads.
All they do is apply accelerator to maintain speed on the flat or up slight hills, but cant apply braking going down hill.
If you could see the throttle angle going down a hill with CC engaged, youd see that the throttle would be closed, just as it would be if your foot was completely off the gas.
For what they are, they work great.
Its just a Holden, as many keep reminding us, so if you want a proper adaptive cruise control, you need to spend alot more money on something from Europe or Japan.
Check out the Lexus LS460 radar based cruise control which incorporates collision avioidance, and lane departure technology as well as parallel self parking.
You get what you pay for.


I was in a $35000 car the other day and its cruise was perfect so its got nothing to do with price
some Good points guys on it being harder to brake down hill because of the overdrive make sense.
But still not good enough should be something they can do to fix that

[V-Car]

I reckon that the $35000 car had a lower final drive ratio as well. More engine braking.
Our cars are hardly more than idling at 100kms in 6th.
As an experiment, try it up and down hills in 4th or 5th which would make the engine speed more like it would be in top in a smaller engined car, and id say that youll find it will hold its speed alot better.
The more RPM, the more engine braking on closed throttle.

[Mikey]

I've been using cruise control since the early 90's when I first got my VR. Since then I have had 4 more Holdens with primarily the same style of cruise control system. I have had no problem operating this system and can't understand what all the fuss is about.

When going up really steep hills (such as Willunga hill in S.A.) on cruise the car just kicks back a cog (auto) if need be but maintains the set speed. When going down hills, I just knock it back a cog or two myself, and the car still maintains the set speed.

A good example is the S.E. freeway down the through the tunnels. I go down at 100 k/ph but in 3rd using cruise (six speed auto) never needing to use the brakes at all (except for avoiding slower traffic) and the car maintains the set speed. You can feel the engine introduce a little power when needed but you can also feel it when the throttle body closes as well. Works fine.

The only pain in the rear is that ridiculous 90 K/ph through the tunnels itself. Am I the only one that slows down there?