Cruise Control Question

I don't think you'd want to. I've observed this with other types of cruise controls and I have no reason to expect that a Saturn CC would be any different. At low speed, the cruise control is erratic and doesn't regulate well. With a slight drop in speed, the throttle is pushed open too far and the engine roars to speed up. Then as the car over-speeds, the throttle is slammed shut and the car lurches as it slows down to below the set point. Lurching between fast and slow, the car never settles to a steady speed. It's like those TV comedy parodies you see of student drivers trying to learn to drive. That's why there's a lockout. Even slightly above the disable speed where the system can engage, the cruise control doesn't work as smoothly as it does at highway speed. It's worse when driving over irregular terrain where it has to compensate for hills. Add the hazards of automated driving in town where you should be paying closer attention to things like parked cars and kids running out into traffic and it's easy to see why they set an engagement lockout for low speed.

I observed this on an old Cadillac with an old-fashioned pneumatic servo cruise control when the lockout speed was set too low. I also saw it on an aftermarket Dana system while adjusting the trimmer that sets the minimum speed. Cruise control just doesn't work well slow.

Until someone invents a smarter cruise control that can look down the road and anticipate, like a human driver does, I'm afraid that's the way things will be.

RK Henry

You think wrong. Trust me. I want to.

CLIP

I should have mentioned that I have a stick so regulating the RPM's VS speed is no problem. Cruise works just fine at 26 MPH in 4th gear most of the time (sans hills) and 5th anytime above 30 without those same hills.

If I could get it to set below 25, I'd be using 3rd or maybe even 2nd... I can see how an automatic would have problems with this, but with a stick,