More and more conversations about modern cars are turning toward the controversial self-driving systems that are being tested on the roads as we speak. However, many people don’t realize that the basis for this technology has been around for over 80 years. Cruise control is a form of “self-driving” technology that is being adapted today in modern cars. But you may be wondering what exactly cruise control is and how it works. Well, here’s everything you need to know.
Cruise control is a vehicle system that maintains a certain speed without the driver’s assistance on the pedal. This is done electronically on modern cars and with cables on older cars. Adaptive cruise control, the next evolution in cruise control, is fast becoming a popular feature on cars.
How Does Cruise Control Work?
Cruise control works in a couple of different ways, depending on the system. Older cars utilize cables that are attached to the gas pedal and an actuator at a pivot. When you engage the cruise control on one of these older cars, the two cables work together to maintain your set speed by adjusting the throttle — just as would happen if you pressed on the pedal.
You can tell if your car uses a cable system if the gas pedal moves when cruise control is engaged.
Newer cars use an updated electronic system that essentially does the same thing in a different way. These systems control the throttle valve with an electronically controlled vacuum actuator. Since there are no cables in this system, it means the gas pedal doesn’t move when cruise control is engaged.
Most cruise control systems also allow you to adjust the speed with the press of a button or the toggle of a switch. Doing this adjusts the throttle to increase or decrease the speed by one mile per hour for every press of the button, then maintains that speed. Pressing cancel or touching the brake disengages the cruise control system to allow the driver to resume control of the throttle.
Types of Cruise Control Available
There are two main types of cruise control available today: Standard and Adaptive. Standard cruise control has been around since 1950, but adaptive cruise control is a fairly recent invention and is known by many different names. We’ll briefly explain both types below.
Standard Cruise Control
Standard cruise control is the system we’ve covered above. When engaged, it maintains the set speed of the vehicle. It can be adjusted by one mile per hour by the driver with the press of a button. Pressing the up button three times in quick succession will increase the speed by three miles per hour. Pressing the down button will result in a decreased speed.
Most systems allow the driver to resume their previous speed with the press of a button if they disengage the cruise control by tapping the brake pedal.
Adaptive cruise control expands on this, adding convenience and safety.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) does everything standard cruise control does and more. Using a series of sensors (laser, radar, or cameras), adaptive systems can tell when the vehicle is approaching a car in the lane and slow down accordingly to maintain a set distance between the two vehicles. Most ACC systems allow the driver to adjust the set distance, usually between one and four car lengths. This helps make sure you don’t get too close to a car ahead of you when cruise control is enabled.
Other ACC systems have stop-and-go features that allow the vehicle to move on its own at slow speeds, stopping and accelerating as traffic allows.
Does Cruise Control Save Gas?
It’s clear that any kind of cruise control can help prevent driver fatigue on long road trips, but do these systems have any other perks? For instance, can cruise control help you save gas?
The answer is “yes” — and “no.” There have been many studies performed that aimed to answer this question. And what these studies tell us is that cruise control does save gas when used in certain conditions.
On relatively straight roads without a lot of stop lights or slow-downs, cruise control can save a significant amount of gas. Some estimates put this at nearly 20% while others say only a few percentage points. Still, saving gas is saving gas.
But when you start using cruise control on hills, you could end up wasting gas. This is because cruise control will try to maintain the car’s speed no matter what. So if you’re climbing hills with cruise control engaged, your vehicle’s engine will work hard to maintain your set speed, which will burn gas. It’s better for your gas mileage to slow down on the uphill and allow inertia to speed you up on the downhill, which you can do if you take control of the throttle.
Is Cruise Control Bad For Your Car?
When used appropriately, cruise control is not bad for your car. In fact, it can be good for your car by preventing the wear-and-tear that comes from constant changes in speed.
Most people won’t outdo a machine in maintaining a set speed of a car. We get distracted or we simply don’t realize that we’re no longer putting the same amount of pressure on the gas pedal. And when we do realize it, we speed back up. This happens over and over when we drive, which can cause the driveline to wear.
On the other hand, cruise control helps us maintain the speed and avoid undue wear from slowing and speeding up as we drive.
How to Use Cruise Control
Learning to use cruise control is pretty easy, and once you have the hang of it, it’s even easier.
Here’s a breakdown of how to use cruise control.
- Find the on/off button. This may actually say “on/off” or it may say something like “Cruise” or “Cruise Control.” Press it to turn the function on. On most cars, a symbol will light up on the dashboard, often under or near the speedometer. Turning the cruise control on doesn’t mean that it will engage right away. You’ll press another button to set your speed.
- Once you are at your desired speed, find and press the “Set” button. This often doubles as a deceleration button, which means it may look something like this: “Set/Decel,” or “Set/Coast.” Once you press the button, cruise control should engage and you should be able to take your foot off the gas.
- Locate the accelerate and decelerate buttons. Sometimes these are simple plus and minus signs, but on some cars they may be the same as “Acc/Res” (+) and “Set/Decel” (-). Pressing these buttons will allow you to adjust your speed by one mile per hour while the cruise control is engaged.
- To resume control of the throttle, you have a few options. You can press the brake, or you can hit the “On/Off” or “Cancel” button. If your vehicle has a “Coast” button, pressing it should disengage the cruise control.
- Provided you haven’t completely turned off cruise control, you can hit the “Resume” or “Acc/Res” button and your vehicle will automatically accelerate to your previously set speed. If you’ve turned the cruise control completely off and back on, you’ll have to find your ideal speed and engage the cruise control again.
When You Should and Shouldn’t Use Cruise Control
Cruise control is definitely a big help, particularly on long road trips. However, there are times when to use and not use cruise control. Keep the following in mind any time you’re using cruise control:
- Bad Weather
- Whether it’s rain, snow, ice, sleet, or heavy winds, you shouldn’t use cruise control in bad weather. Some adaptive cruise control functions don’t work well in poor weather. Plus, there’s something to be said for having complete control of the car when the risk of an accident is higher than normal.
- On Hills
- We mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating here. If you’re going up and down hills, cruise control will likely waste gas and produce undue wear on your driveline.
- Around Bad Drivers
- We’ve all experienced poor drivers on the road. And having our cruise control engaged when around these unpredictable drivers simply puts an extra second or two of reaction time into our driving processes. This can mean the difference between an accident and a near-miss. So if you notice someone driving erratically near you, shut off the cruise control and stay vigilant until the danger has passed.
With a little common sense, you can and should use cruise control at all other times on the road. Just make sure to stay alert and be ready for anything!
Do Manual Cars Have Cruise Control?
Some manual cars do have cruise control. The big difference between cruise control on a manual transmission and an automatic is that it will disengage whenever you press the clutch or the brake. So if you need to change gears, you’ll have to re-engage the cruise control after you’re at your desired speed in the new gear. But for highway driving, when the car is in one gear anyway, cruise control is just as effective and efficient on a manual as it is on an automatic.
In Conclusion
Cruise control gives your driving leg a break during and helps you save gas in certain conditions. It’s ideal for use on long road trips and on relatively flat roads. However, adaptive cruise control is coming standard on more and more cars. Some types of adaptive cruise control allow for use at slow speeds and in stop-and-go traffic while others help you keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the one ahead.
Not matter the type of cruise control you have, it’s a great tool that can help you get from point A to point B safely and efficiently when used properly. But, it’s never a substitute for an alert driver!