mysterious cruise control

A good (read 'very expensive') scan tool should be able to read the computer inputs that all the switches are connected to. iirc you should be able to enter a mode where you can press each switch - one at a time and see the result in the scanner.

btw- the Ion as I recall has an electrically assisted steering. What happens with your front end alignment 'drifting' if you pull the fuse for the steering?

Oppie

Had both the shop and OnStar scan for codes(a nice feature) , none. Just brought the car in to the shop they said the cruise needed a software update, there is a TSB on it. I'll try it for a few days and let ya know.

I haven't tried pulling the steering fuse. I attribute the drifting to the overly sensitive electronic steering and the condition of the crummy roads here. On a smooth road, my car will stay relatively straight. Never seen an ION that held a hands-free straight line for as long as an S-series, something to say about plain ol power fluid assisted steering.

It's either the brake or clutch switch. There is a separate set of contacts for the cruise control on the brake switch. There is also a switch on the clutch to kill the starter and disengage cruise. If the contacts in either one of these are bad it will produce the random symptoms you describe.

thanks Gyz, I will bring it to the attention to my techs to check these things out.

Follow up to those following this post: Finally go the shop manager to ride in the car with me and watch the TechII OBD reader as I tried the cruise control. He found that the clutch switch was faulty and was causing the cruise to not stay set or reject the code to stay on. They have ordered the part, should get it Friday. All I could tell them was "told you so".

Just a follow up to my orig. post. Yesterday they finally (been waiting since my O.P. date of 02/03 for part, then the labor) changed out the upper clutch pedal switch in my ION and the cruise control. Seems to have fixed not only that problem, but the hard jerk I was experiencing when the CC button set was pressed. They also took out some of the play from the clutch pedal and it shifts much smoother now.

Wish I had my own personal mechanic, these guys suck and are not your typical Saturn techs. At least "that's" over with and hopefully fixed. I cringe at the thought of having to bring my car in again,a friggen oil change may take them a week.