My cruise control does not work and the mechanic has diganosed the cruise control servo as the problem. The shop gave me an estimate of $700 (parts & labor) to replace it. Given the age of the car and the cost of repair, I am leaning towards doing it myself. I am handy with tools but have not done this type of repair before.
My question: Is there a downside to doing this repair myself. If I elect to do it myself, what do I need to watch for?
Thank you in advance for all help/suggestions.
I have done this sort of repair before, on a Dodge Neon. It was a straightforward job, but time-consuming because I had to remove the battery box to get to it. The bolts were in hard-to-reach places.
The downside? After doing the job, the cruise control still didn’t work! The trouble was actually in the car’s computer. I verified the cause by temporarily swapping in a computer from a similar car. After making a permanent replacement the CC worked just fine.
The factory service manual can tell you how to diagnose cruise control problems. I suggest you get yourself a copy and verify the shop’s verdict.
Have you had any brake work done lately, especially if the brake light switch or brake power booster or master cylinder were involved? The adjustment of the brake light switch is critical and the tolerance in near zero.
keith - The brakes were adjusted but the clutch master cylinder was replaced. I asked the mechanic to check the adjustment and he said it was fine.
SteveF - Good suggestion on testing the actuator. I am taking the mechanic’s word but it will not hurt for me to test it. The actuator is relatively easy to get to.
I will report back after I have tested (maybe more than a few days…)
Thanks for your suggestions
I replaced the master cylinder on my Accord and it threw off the adjustment on my brake light switch just enough that the cruise control would not engage. When I replaced the master cylinder, I had to adjust the piston on the power booster, which, on a Honda, is done under the dash and that is why the brake light switch was affected.
cont.
The brake light switch seemed to be OK as far as the brake lights were concerned, but it kept the cruise control from engaging. I made a tiny adjustment to the brake light switch and now the cruise control works again. BTW, Honda does not make it easy to adjust either of these, really bad design IMO.