6 of the Most Common Reasons Your Cruise Control Isn’t Working
If your daily commute doesn’t take you far from home, or you take shorter drives with lots of stops, you may never have a need to use your cruise control except for a rare occurrence. But if you find yourself on the highway, this feature can be super handy to help keep you from getting fatigued on longer drives. When your cruise control isn’t working your drive can be less convenient, and if you drive a Subaru it could signal other underlying issues that should be addressed. Check out these six possible reasons below why your cruise control might be acting up.
6. Dirty or Malfunctioning Cameras (Adaptive Cruise Control)
If your daily commute doesn’t take you far from home, or you take shorter drives with lots of stops, you may never have a need to use your cruise control except for a rare occurrence. But if you find yourself on the highway, this feature can be super handy to help keep you from getting fatigued on longer drives. When your cruise control isn’t working your drive can be less convenient, and if you drive a Subaru it could signal other underlying issues that should be addressed. Check out these six possible reasons below why your cruise control might be acting up.
5. Blown Fuse
Fuses help to protect the wiring and electrical components inside your vehicle’s electrical system, and you’ll notice issues if a fuse gets blown. If there’s a sudden surge in energy it could cause damage to your electrical system. Blowing a fuse will break the circuit to help prevent further damage to your vehicle. You can check to see if a fuse is blown by checking the fuse box and locate the fuse that corresponds to your cruise control. You’ll need to remove the fuse and perform a visual inspection to see if a filament on the inside is broken, indicating that the fuse is bad. If the filament is intact it’s most likely fine. When a fuse blows, you can replace it with a new fuse of the same amperage pretty easily. However we still recommend having you stop in for an inspection if you think something is amiss, so you can get the work done right the first time around.
4. See if You Have a Malfunctioning Brake Pedal Switch
If your cruise control is operating as it should, when you tap on your brake pedal the system should immediately turn off and you can resume driving normally. If you’re driving a vehicle with a manual transmission, the same principle applies when you step on the clutch pedal. If the clutch sensor or brake pedal is malfunctioning, it should send signals to your Subaru to let you know that you’re continuously stepping on your clutch pedal or brake - even though you aren’t. This will make it impossible to turn on cruise control and let you know that something is wrong. If your brake pedal is having problems, this could lead to larger issues as well, such as your brake lights not working. This is a problem you’ll want to address right away to stay safe out on the road.
3. Physical Damage to Components
The type of cruise control in your ride varies greatly depending on how old your vehicle is. Older vehicles have a cruise control that is purely mechanical, with a cable connecting the throttle on one end to the vacuum actuator on the other. Electro-mechanical cruise control originated with the next wave of vehicles, utilizing a servo to control adjusting the throttle. Newer vehicles have a TAC motor in place of these older cruise control models. No matter what era your Subaru was born in, there’s a key component throughout: each model has physical components that can undergo damage. Damage to any of these components could result in your cruise control malfunctioning.
2. Issues with the Computer
Nowadays modern vehicles have a computer to help them perform at their best, and they are often called control modules. Sometimes to regulate cruise control there is an Engine Control Module, though some models have a cruise control system that has their own control modules. The cruise control might be affected if one of the computers is malfunctioning. It’s always helpful to check with the dealership to make sure there’s nothing technical that’s going on with the computer side of your vehicle, and replacing the control module might fix the issue, but you can have extra peace of mind when a Subaru technician handles the repair for you.
1. Issues with the Speed Sensor
Typically, your vehicle is equipped with two different types of speed sensors. To monitor the crankshaft and see how quickly it’s spinning, your engine has speed sensor monitors. Some vehicles display this information on a tachometer. A speedometer displays who quickly your vehicle is moving down the road and is monitored by a transmission speed sensor. You’ll notice cruise control issues if there is a problem with either of these sensors. You may also notice issues with your transmission, speedometer and other components if something is amiss with the cruise control system.
