Cruise Control stopped working.

2004 with 6speed conversion and malone 1.5 with cruise control fix.

Cruise control stopped working. I did a lot of searching but did not find a solid thread to work through it with.
So far I have seen the suggestion to check fuse number 5. It's fine.
I have also seen mention that the switch on the clutch fails. I pulled it out and didn't see a way to disassemble the switch without risking breaking it so I just greased the shaft and put it back. If the clutch switch works like it should when starting the car (will not allow start unless clutch pressed in) this would eliminate the switch a a problem area right?

Then on to VCDS. It is frustrating people mention testing in VCDS but do not say where to go in the software. I floundered around for a long time and came back in and with some more searching I found this article at ross-tech that went through.
It is in group 1 for engine, then to measuring blocks and go to block 6. The second and fourth fields will indicate with 1's and 0's what switches the computer is seeing.

After fiddling around with it a bit it seems that it is reacting to the cruise switch being toggled, as well as the resume button and pressing the brake pedal.
What do I test next?

I am unsure with the VW, however, I had a Tacoma and the cruise wouldn't work if a tail light was out.

Worth a look anyhow.

X2 Old school would be the brake switch. Check it that is working when you press the brake pedal and the light goes off when you let off. Also check your bulbs and their sockets for anything strange causing feed back.

I fixed my cruise switch, then did a write up on how to fix it, try this:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=476946

cooter2 said:

I fixed my cruise switch, then did a write up on how to fix it, try this:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=476946

Click to expand...

Perfect. That write-up is what I was hoping existed out there somewhere.
After reading that I went back into to VCDS and looked specifically at the row that indicates if the clutch is pressed or not. It was not changing values when you pressed the clutch so I pulled the switch out and used your walk-through pics to get it apart.

I have been trying to put the switch back together for 45 minutes. I can't figure it out. I think the way it works is that the metal arm is making contact at rest and when you push the plunger in it breaks the connection? Or is it the other way around? Either way I am having a hard time figuring out how the white sliding part activates the switch. I think I bent the arm too much when I bent it up to clean under it.

I had a bad headlight multi switch.
I replaced the entire switch and now when the cruise is on and you turn on the left turn signal it goes off( the cruise), right turn signal does nothing!

Angst said:

Perfect. That write-up is what I was hoping existed out there somewhere.
After reading that I went back into to VCDS and looked specifically at the row that indicates if the clutch is pressed or not. It was not changing values when you pressed the clutch so I pulled the switch out and used your walk-through pics to get it apart.

I have been trying to put the switch back together for 45 minutes. I can't figure it out. I think the way it works is that the metal arm is making contact at rest and when you push the plunger in it breaks the connection? Or is it the other way around? Either way I am having a hard time figuring out how the white sliding part activates the switch. I think I bent the arm too much when I bent it up to clean under it.

Click to expand...

The arm should rest on the contact when it is at rest out of the switch.

There is good thread to troubleshooting cruise:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=88148


See my post(most recent post) for video on clutch switch

cooter2 said:

The arm should rest on the contact when it is at rest out of the switch.

Click to expand...

I think I got it back together correctly finally after a lot more fiddling tonight.

What a god awful design. That arm wont bend back and touch the contact if you lift it too high when you are cleaning it, and the black plastic nub on the arm won't push against the white piece unless the arm is straight too. It took bending the whole metal body aggressively with jewelers pliers to get it all to line up right and then bending the body back. Even still the contact is very precarious.

Now there is continuity on the pins when plunger is pressed (clutch at rest position) and when the arm is extended (clutch pedal pressed position) there is no continuity between the pins.


Update: tested it out. Pressing the clutch changes the corresponding field in VCDS. Cruise did not work on a test run in the neighborhood though. Unless the cruise is designed to only work above a certain speed I have the clutch pedal switch eliminated as the culpri,t but I don't have the problem licked yet.

Angst said:

I think I got it back together correctly finally after a lot more fiddling tonight.

What a god awful design. That arm wont bend back and touch the contact if you lift it too high when you are cleaning it, and the black plastic nub on the arm won't push against the white piece unless the arm is straight too. It took bending the whole metal body aggressively with jewelers pliers to get it all to line up right and then bending the body back. Even still the contact is very precarious.

Now there is continuity on the pins when plunger is pressed (clutch at rest position) and when the arm is extended (clutch pedal pressed position) there is no continuity between the pins.


Update: tested it out. Pressing the clutch changes the corresponding field in VCDS. Cruise did not work on a test run in the neighborhood though. Unless the cruise is designed to only work above a certain speed I have the clutch pedal switch eliminated as the culpri,t but I don't have the problem licked yet.

Click to expand...

Yes there is a minimum speed for cruise if I recall correctly. I forget what it is. I know it works at 35 mph, and might working down to about 25 mph?

KCCats said:

I had a bad headlight multi switch.
I replaced the entire switch and now when the cruise is on and you turn on the left turn signal it goes off( the cruise), right turn signal does nothing!

Click to expand...

Hmmm. I had given up on figuring it out after refurbishing the clutch switch, and VCDS showing everything as it should.
Then today some electrical weirdness became apparent. When I stopped in front of a door that had a reflection on it I realized that when the brake pedal is pushed the front left amber light lights up. This is with the car off.
Then I realized that I have some intermittent stuff going on with the left turn signal. It has started sometimes sticking on and not blinking.
When I checked things out in my driveway later all the exterior lights and blinkers were acting normal.

Does any of this point toward something in the left stalk being the issue?

I suppose it is relevant to mention that I have a euro headlight switch with the daytime running light pin flattened, and I have replaced the interior lights with led's.

Mine was the head light switch, itself.
I only had high beams!

Also check your bulb sockets (front and back) on that side for a short or carbon tracking. If it is feeding back, that could be your problem with the cruise.

I did the same thing trying to fix the clutch switch. I would get continuity, and then install and it would not work correctly.

I ended up buying a new one off idparts.com for less than $20, and it solved my problem! The old design is absolute crap.

I have a 2004 with a 5spd swap that the cruise will turn on but not let you set a speed. You can start the car without pushing the clutch in (swap was done by previous owner). I wonder if the switch is bad or wasn't brought over at all during the swap. I'll have to get up under the dash on Friday and give it a look.

Cptcrnch said:

I have a 2004 with a 5spd swap that the cruise will turn on but not let you set a speed. You can start the car without pushing the clutch in (swap was done by previous owner). I wonder if the switch is bad or wasn't brought over at all during the swap. I'll have to get up under the dash on Friday and give it a look.

Click to expand...

I'll guess the clutch switch was jumped instead of wiring it in.
You will have to look if its physically there.

I wonder if the plug for it is on the harness there or if there's a different harness.