Does any one know the answer to this question please. When driving my other car on cruise control I can make the car go faster or slower using the control switch on the steering column. When using the control switch to slow the car down do the rear stopping lights come on or not?
I would say not with standard cruise control as its the same effect as easing off the accelerator albeit the car gradually slows to a specific speed.
…short answer, no. Not sure why they would?..its only the same as “backing off” on the accelerator…ie you are not actually braking…?
In reply to the original question, the answer is ‘NO’. Cruise control on MX5 and most others merely sets the minimum speed when locked in.
It senses the wheel speed via the ABS sensors, and applies more or less fuel until the speed is achieved.
It does NOT apply the brakes, as witnessed by the fact that the car may speed up going downhill - even with CC applied. Hence no brake lights…
It usually holds the set speed within about 2mph.
While on the subject, does anyone here know if my NC1 sport can be readily adapted to cruise control (which it lacks from new), without major mods to the wiring loom and/or ECU?
I’m told that the loom is already equipped to take it, and it would need either a new steering wheel or some auxiliary switchgear
Has anyone done it?
BR
Aldi
You could try a local auto-electrician. I got my Mk.3.5 in 2016 and although I wanted Cruise Control it was just an SE model so not fitted. It met my requirements in every other way so I went ahead and bought it which is a decision I’ve never regretted. After a few months I investigated the possibility of retro fitting CC which would have been way too expensive to acquire an exact Mazda spec because a new steering wheel would have been needed (for controls). My (highly regarded) local auto-electrician called Autosparxx supplied and fitted a CC unit with a neat control stalk fitted to the steering column. They came to me and completed an excellent job in about an hour. It works perfectly and has all the features you would expect from CC. Downside? Not cheap at, from memory, about £525.
Hi P, my other car is a 2013 BMW One series. Under some conditions my brakes are automatically applied and the brake lights do come on if the ‘set’ cruise control is exceeded. If, for example, c.c. is set at 60 mph and travelling down a substantial descent, as the speed increases due to gravity I can physically feel the brakes activating when the speed reaches about 65 mph. I can also see the glow of the high-level brake light on the glass of the rear window, so I know that’s working as well. Regarding decreasing c.c. speed using the incremental switch on the steering wheel on more level roads, if only decreasing by a few mph then the car just slows gradually, as if lifting off the normal accelerator pedal. However, if I rapidly reduce the c.c. speed by quickly flicking the steering wheel switch to reduce by about 10mph or more, one can physically feel the brakes being applied, along with the deployment of brake lights. I’ll just confirm that the BMW is only fitted with cruise control, it doesn’t have the ‘speed limiter’ function, as on our MX5 30AE. I’ve not had the opportunity yet to check the brake light(s) activation on the MX5 during speed reduction using the steering wheel switch in the cruise control setting, but I would expect that if there is the feeling of any automated brake application by the system, then the brake lights will show.