2004 Echo RS - Cruise Control problem

Good morning Forumz-ers

I have recently purchased a previously-loved 2004 Toyota Echo RS Hatchback from a Mercedes Dealer. It came with cruise control, however, I did not test this when buying.

Now it seems it does not function. When parked, I push the on/off button on the end of the controller stick and the little green light goes on and off. However, when moving, the light only comes on and will not go off when pushed again. Also, even when the light is on and I am doing 33mph+, the cruise will not engage, nor will the ?Set/Coast? or ?Resume/Accel? buttons do anything.

I found this forum by google-ing ?cruise control, Form#2961", as I have a bookmark sized instruction card for the cruise control with this designation. Unfortunately, I have no owners manual at this time. My card is form number "Form#2961 Rev. B 07/01" if that is significant.

It is under warrantee, so I brought it in for service, however Toyota insists it is an aftermarket unit, Their telephone Customer Service records show the VIN being listed as having the ?5094 A/T? which indicates the vehicle HAS Cruise Control. However, no-one can tell me the significance of the ?A/T? suffix.

The Sales Manager of the original dealer tell me that it may have been installed by an authorized third party at the port of entry (likely Vancouver Canada, and maybe the meaning of ?A/T?), and that could make it look like an aftermarket unit. If this were the case, it would still be covered by the warrantee, but who would actually service it?.who knows.

I am hoping it is merely a functionality issue, like I?m pushing the wrong buttons or something.

Any advice you folks could offer would help.

Regards Bill, Toronto (bollockchops)

Reply to
bollockchops
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"bollockchops" wrote: > Good morning Forumz-ers > > I have recently purchased a previously-loved 2004 Toyota Echo > RS Hatchback from a Mercedes Dealer. It came with cruise > control, however, I did not test this when buying. > > Now it seems it does not function. When parked, I push the > on/off button on the end of the controller stick and the > little green light goes on and off. However, when moving, the > light only comes on and will not go off when pushed again. > Also, even when the light is on and I am doing 33mph+, the > cruise will not engage, nor will the ?Set/Coast? or > ?Resume/Accel? buttons do anything. > > I found this forum by google-ing ?cruise control, Form#2961", > as I have a bookmark sized instruction card for the cruise > control with this designation. Unfortunately, I have no > owners manual at this time. My card is form number "Form#2961 > Rev. B 07/01" if that is significant. > > It is under warrantee, so I brought it in for service, however > Toyota insists it is an aftermarket unit, Their telephone > Customer Service records show the VIN being listed as having > the ?5094 A/T? which indicates the vehicle HAS Cruise > Control. However, no-one can tell me the significance of the > ?A/T? suffix. > > The Sales Manager of the original dealer tell me that it may > have been installed by an authorized third party at the port > of entry (likely Vancouver Canada, and maybe the meaning of > ?A/T?), and that could make it look like an aftermarket unit. > If this were the case, it would still be covered by the > warrantee, but who would actually service it?.who knows. > > I am hoping it is merely a functionality issue, like I?m > pushing the wrong buttons or something. > > Any advice you folks could offer would help. > > Regards > Bill, Toronto > (bollockchops)

Upon secong thought....the "A/T" likely means "Automatic Transmission" as it often does. And this would make sense, as Manual and Automatic cruises function differently.

Does that sound about right???

Bill

Reply to
bollockchops

You mentioned that you tried to engage the cruise control "at 33+ MPH"...I believe that that's just about the speed that they cut out at (30 - 35). Try going up to 50 MPH or so and see if it'll engage there. Good luck...

Reply to
Gord Beaman

5094 is the model number, A/T is automatic transmission.

Someone at Toyota Canada Inc. should be able to look up the factory and port-installed accessories. If the dealer has the original factory invoice, it will appear on there as well.

I don't know if the port operator at Vancouver is Toyota-owned or an independent contractor. If it is an independent contractor, they can install aftermarket accessories that do not show up on the factory invoice but would show up on the original customer's invoice. If the green light is on the cruise control stalk, it is more likely to be an aftermarket unit. If the cruise control is with the rest of the indicator lights in the instrument cluster, then it is more likely to be a factory unit.

As Gord mentioned, cruise controls generally need to have a road speed above

25 or 30 MPH to engage. Try it at higher speeds to see if it engages.

If the cruise control does not function at higher speeds and it is not covered by the factory warranty becasue it is aftermarket, you can try to get the Mercedes dealer to fix it under their warranty.

If the Mercedes dealer won't fix it, then report back and we'll give you some steps on what to check.

Reply to
Ray O

The port-installed options are repaired by the dealership, any dealership.

The system is enabled (green light ON) but not engaged. You have to get to a high enough speed then use the Set switch to engage the system. The system goes into Standy -- disengages -- when the brakes are used, then can be Resumed if you do not go below the speed threshold of about 35 mph, or whatever.

If you use the Set switch and the system fails to engage, I'd be looking to the brake switch to be trying to put the system in Standby as the source of why it seems to not be turning on. Having said that, I don't know why the green light can come on and not go off. That could be a clue, but I don't think so. If the light was going to be a clue, I'd expect it to fail to light, not fail to go out.

On my cars, not Toyotas by the way, the Accelerate direction of the switch will engage the Cruise, then administer healthy doses of gas on subseqent movements in that direction and hold the new speed when released, and the Decellerate direction of the switch will cause the car to coast, then engage at the new speed when it is released. The Brake pedal disengages the system, allowing me to slow as I approach traffic ahead, then I can use the Accellerate/Resume direction of the switch to return to the previously selected speed. If I drop below the speed threshold of about 35 mph, the system drops out (green light remains lit but Resume feature is gone) and I have to build up a whole new head of steam and start the system all over again.

Reply to
J Strickland

Yep...that's as I understand it also...

Reply to
Gord Beaman

"" wrote: > bollockchops wrote: > > >Good morning Forumz-ers > >

Thanks for the reply Gord. I mentioned 33mph+ as that was the indicated minimum speed on the bookmark style instruction tag I have. However I have tried it all the way up the speed range...40-50-60, even 70mpg, with no luck.

Reply to
bollockchops

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