My Jeep Compass is about 3 years old and has about 25,000+ km in usage. My last trip out on the highway I could not seem to get my cruise control to work.
I use this vehicle about 95% for to and from work (about 15 km each way); the rest is for out of town pleasure trips which include highway travel.
My last trip to the mountains, I realized that I could not use the cruise control. Just to make sure I was not being a dolt, I stopped in a rest area to review from the manual how to set it and then travelled on. But, cruise control still not working.
Is there something I am maybe doing wrong - I did follow the instructions as best I could, but maybe am still having “blonde” moments.
If indeed the cruise control is bollixed - is it an expensive fix.
There is likely no way I can fix anything myself. If and when I take it to the dealers, what should I ask* and also anyone have any idea about the cost of a fix?
Thanks in advance.
will they want to know last time it worked or something as I have no idea.
What you say to the shop “My cruise control doesn’t work. It will not set.”
As far as the cost impossible to tell over the 'net. Depending on the system it could be a loose / broken vacuum hose, burnt out brake light bulbs, or a mis adjusted brake switch all of which are cheap on the parts side but do involve some labor.
Or it could be a switch or control module which are spendy.
Good luck keep us posted.
I agree with Rick. It’s like going to a physician – the most helpful thing you can do is describe the symptoms. “My cruise control doesn’t work” is sufficient.
While there are some car problems where we can suggest a most likely cause, this isn’t one of them. Cruise systems fail in a variety of ways, most of which are neither particularly common nor particularly uncommon. Whatever the cause, the symptom is virtually always the same, and testing is necessary to determine where the problem lies. Some faults are quite inexpensive to fix, some rather expensive.
The best thing you can do is take it to a shop whose competence and integrity you have confidence in.
Is it possible that it is just a simple fuse or something similar. When the cruise control went out, it was while I was on the highway and I did not notice any change immediately. However, my wipers failed about the same time; it was raining hard; I later had them replaced. but did not notice a problem with the cruise control.
Totally confused about the wipers thing. What did you have replaced? When I talk of replacing wipers it’s just the blades…
Ok, about the cruise fuse. Have you got the owner’s manual? If so, somewhere in it will be a diagram of the fusebox. You’ll have to locate that and then find the fuse that’s for the cruise control (as identified in the manual). Fastest test is to pull and replace that fuse with one of the same value.
If you don’t have the manual but can locate the fusebox anyway, there might be a diagram there that will tell you which fuse it is. (Sorry, never worked on a Jeep.) If there’s still no diagram, you might be able to tell which fuse–if any–is blown (open) just by looking at them. Again, sorry, I have no idea which of the types of fuses are used in your vehicle. There have only been a few types of automotive fuses in the history of Jeeps, you could probably Google/images “blown fuses” to see what they look like when they’ve gone.
Of course, if the fuse blew for a reason, then additional troubleshooting will be required but it is not unusual for a fuse to–once in a while–fail just to mess with you.
More than likely your problem is a loose or disconnected vacuum line. This problem has happened quite often on my (and many others) Jeep Grand Cherokee. We not only loose our cruise control, but also the ability to direct air through the dash, the air will only come out the defroster vents.
I am not familiar with the engine that the Compass is using. But if you are using the tried and true Jeep straight 6 you will find the vacuum line attaches to the engine on the passengers side of the engine block. You will see 3 or 4 (I don’t remember off hand) small rubber hoses attached to the side of the engine, they slide onto “nipples” coming from the block. The hose that controls the cruise control is the one closest to the firewall. See if it is loose, if so just push it back onto the nipple.
However this may not be where you are having vacuum issues. The cruise on the Grand Cherokee is located at the front of the engine bay under the front body work. Find the vacuum line at the engine and follow it as far as you can. Check for leaks, cracks and such. Or even a disconnect where it terminates in to the control unit for the cruise. If it is loose, push it on. If it is cracked or broken, head to Auto Zone and buy a new hose.
It is a very simple repair. I don’t have the time now, but I am positive that you aren’t the only one that has this problem. Vacuum lines seem to be a weak spot when it comes to Jeeps. Do a Google search of your problem including the year of your Compass. You might have to search a bit, but I am positive you will find the solution described in detail. It is such a simple problem, but can be very confusing if you are unfamiliar with how vacuum lines work. The dealer will be more than happy to fix it and probably charge you two hours labor in the process. That is what they wanted to charge me, but a little research and I had the problem cleared up in less than 10 minutes including the time it took me to Google it. Good Luck.
Oh, one more thing. The way to tell if your vacuum hose has a leak in it (cracks in the hose can be difficult to see as the rubber contracts and hides the crack) is to follow the hose to the end and disconnect it. Turn the car on (watch your fingers!) and place your thumb over the end of the hose. You should feel the vacuum on your thumb. If you don’t the line is holed somewhere and needs to be replaced.