Cruise Control in a VAG

AvonEnniskerry

Hey, Just wondering has anybody used Cruisecontrol.ie? They seem good value for supply and fit. But you know what they say, if something seems to good to be true...!
So has anyone any experience good, bad or indifferent!?

king_of_inismac

Hi,

He fitted mine last year. It's a one-man operation but he did a very quick and professional job. No complaints (uses genuine parts) and he seemed like a nice guy.

I'd have no hesitation recommending him.

pippip

king_of_inismac wrote: »

Hi,

He fitted mine last year. It's a one-man operation but he did a very quick and professional job. No complaints (uses genuine parts) and he seemed like a nice guy.

I'd have no hesitation recommending him.

Did the final price match the site?

king_of_inismac

pippip wrote: »

king_of_inismac wrote: »

Hi,

He fitted mine last year. It's a one-man operation but he did a very quick and professional job. No complaints (uses genuine parts) and he seemed like a nice guy.

I'd have no hesitation recommending him.

Did the final price match the site?

Oh yea absolutely. He showed me the parts were genuine beforehand and had everything fitted within 90 minutes.

Edit: he works on his own out of small premises (and only does CC) so I guess he has low overheads. Think he's a former mechanic.

pippip

sounds very tempting then....€135 of their site.... looked before for my audi and was coming in about €350 up north.

darragh o meara

If you know somebody with vagcom you could buy the kit and fit it yourself. Most vw's are already wired for cruise control so fitting it is a simple half hour job.

Jimbob 83

I prefer to manually control my VAG speed

/Runs away giggling

mickdw

darragh o meara wrote: »

If you know somebody with vagcom you could buy the kit and fit it yourself. Most vw's are already wired for cruise control so fitting it is a simple half hour job.

yes, there is not alot to this when you buy the genuine kit. Its just fit the kit and tick the cruise control box via vagcom.

Drummerboy08

I'll probably end up getting it done sooner rather than later........it's part of a long list of things to do!

MuppetCheck

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Runs away giggling

You're probably the only one:p

GTE

It is easy to do, I did it myself but there are things to note.

You need Vagcom,
You need an odd shaped bit to get the steering wheel off
You have to be very careful of an airbag component from moving when you take it out
The kit cost me 100 a couple of years ago, I guess he can get the parts cheaper but 135 is a mighty fine price to just get it done by someone else.

With that said, if you are a keen newbie DIYer it is a great project =D

delly

Would I be right in thinking you'd have to give your insurance company a nod, just to cover the bases if fitted?

MugMugs

delly wrote: »

Would I be right in thinking you'd have to give your insurance company a nod, just to cover the bases if fitted?

There's no real increased risk so it wouldn't be an indemnity issue however its a remap and as such a modification so it could be argued that you should.

GTE

MugMugs wrote: »

There's no real increased risk so it wouldn't be an indemnity issue however its a remap and as such a modification so it could be argued that you should.

Given it is controlling the engine there could be some argument. Even with the fail-safes that are there such as brake and clutch activation killing the system I would be surprised if insurance companies didn't mind if it was fitted yourself without a check by a main dealer.

They wanted me to get a written confirmation that I had screwed the 4 bolts correctly when I swapped my seats out so I would say they would like to hear you have been messing with the ECU and its been given the all clear etc. That said, I told them I had it fitted but they didnt ask me who did it so I left it at that.

MugMugs

bbk wrote: »

MugMugs wrote: »

There's no real increased risk so it wouldn't be an indemnity issue however its a remap and as such a modification so it could be argued that you should.

Given it is controlling the engine there could be some argument. Even with the fail-safes that are there such as brake and clutch activation killing the system I would be surprised if insurance companies didn't mind if it was fitted yourself without a check by a main dealer.

They wanted me to get a written confirmation that I had screwed the 4 bolts correctly when I swapped my seats out so I would say they would like to hear you have been messing with the ECU and its been given the all clear etc. That said, I told them I had it fitted but they didnt ask me who did it so I left it at that.

Forgive my ignorance but is it not as simple as installing the CC stalk and modifying the ECU to activate a system that was more or less already present on the vehicle anyway? Not sure how the fail safes would then be relevant. Anyway, like I said, it could be argued that it should be disclosed.

bf

Try George Dalton in Portlaoise (regular contributor here) he knows his VAGs

GTE

MugMugs wrote: »

bbk wrote: »

MugMugs wrote: »

There's no real increased risk so it wouldn't be an indemnity issue however its a remap and as such a modification so it could be argued that you should.

Given it is controlling the engine there could be some argument. Even with the fail-safes that are there such as brake and clutch activation killing the system I would be surprised if insurance companies didn't mind if it was fitted yourself without a check by a main dealer.

They wanted me to get a written confirmation that I had screwed the 4 bolts correctly when I swapped my seats out so I would say they would like to hear you have been messing with the ECU and its been given the all clear etc. That said, I told them I had it fitted but they didnt ask me who did it so I left it at that.

Forgive my ignorance but is it not as simple as installing the CC stalk and modifying the ECU to activate a system that was more or less already present on the vehicle anyway? Not sure how the fail safes would then be relevant. Anyway, like I said, it could be argued that it should be disclosed.

To replace the stalk the steering wheel, airbag and sensitive airbag system component needs talking out.

Im saying it should be disclosed too. Even with the pre installed kill switches in the brake and clutch the fact you are modifying the ECU (even if slightly), taking out sensitive airbag components could land people in trouble come a major claim.

Anyway, declaring it should be a thing to do despite anything said here

The OEM point doesn't work for me as you can change OEM injectors, turbos and I'd imagine declaring those is a necessity?

Moving away from performance parts, like I said, the insurance company wanted in writing that I had seats swapped properly.

sean1141

darragh o meara wrote: »

If you know somebody with vagcom you could buy the kit and fit it yourself. Most vw's are already wired for cruise control so fitting it is a simple half hour job.

depends on the car really

Chimaera

Even with the pre installed kill switches in the brake and clutch the fact you are modifying the ECU

No you are not _modifying_ the ECU, you are enabling functionality that is already programmed in to the ECU via an adaptation channel.

GTE

Chimaera wrote: »

Even with the pre installed kill switches instead the brake and clutch the fact you are modifying the ECU

No you are not _modifying_ the ECU, you are enabling functionality that is already programmed in to the ECU via an adaptation channel.

I agree with that, it is only a setting but the point is which you are missing and which begins to derail which stems from the original question, insurance company would probably like to know about it. Adapt and modify are synonyms so pointing out use of words like that just doesn't matter :-P . What matters to them are some ignorant numpty installed something, didn't declare so no pay out or something cheeky.

Now, probably not all down to modifying the settings it came out of factory with but indeed the other steps involved in the installation would have the insurance companies interest.

The toss can be argued on here about this and that but if they told me I had to declare with a supporting written confirmation that I swapped OEM seats requiring 4 bolts and two airbag plugs fiddled with then, the latter point, disassembling a section of the drivers airbag is a biggie.

Declare it, even if they end up wanting it or not. A very simple and rewarding first step into DIY and something that can transform motorway travel.
Simples :-)

Chimaera

If you think the fitting of an OEM part to a car is something to disclose to the insurance company every time, then any repair to the car involving replacement of an OEM part would have to be disclosed. Slightly absurd IMO

The insurance company is only interested in modifications that increase the risk: performance or theft.

JoseJones

This is a stupid question but what is a VAG?

Edit: And not that type of VAG :rolleyes:

Chimaera

VAG = Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft

The parent company of VW, Skoda, etc.

JoseJones

So when people say VAG they mean a VW or a skoda? Last question, sorry for hijacking the thread

sean1141

JoseJones wrote: »

So when people say VAG they mean a VW or a skoda? Last question, sorry for hijacking the thread

yup

vw, seat, skoda and audi

murphaph

bbk wrote: »

It is easy to do, I did it myself but there are things to note.

You need Vagcom,
You need an odd shaped bit to get the steering wheel off
You have to be very careful of an airbag component from moving when you take it out
The kit cost me 100 a couple of years ago, I guess he can get the parts cheaper but 135 is a mighty fine price to just get it done by someone else.

With that said, if you are a keen newbie DIYer it is a great project =D

Indeed. I fitted it myself to a Passat a few years back when VAG-COM was still really new. It was a good while ago now but there's no way I had it done in half an hour as a DIYer (more like 2 hours) and it's not for the faint of heart as the airbag has to come out etc.

I also remember I had to carefully scalpel off the insulation from the wiring to the ECU to get a good solder joint and you had to be careful because cutting through the wire could destroy the ECU (IIRC).

Having said all that, it's still working in that same car 10 years later! €145 in 2012 for the same job is great value IMO and I wouldn't dream of doing it myself at that price.

Quick question: does he only do the diesels? I seem to recall the petrol VAGs weren't such an easy job as there were other components that needed fitting, or did I have that wrong?

GTE

Chimaera wrote: »

If you think the fitting of an OEM part to a car is something to disclose to the insurance company every time, then any repair to the car involving replacement of an OEM part would have to be disclosed. Slightly absurd IMO .

Again, point missed, I don't think that but it is quite absurd if it ever was the case.

murphaph wrote: »

I also remember I had to carefully scalpel off the insulation from the wiring to the ECU to get a good solder joint and you had to be careful because cutting through the wire could destroy the ECU (IIRC).

Having said all that, it's still working in that same car 10 years later! €145 in 2012 for the same job is great value IMO and I wouldn't dream of doing it myself at that price.

Quick question: does he only do the diesels? I seem to recall the petrol VAGs weren't such an easy job as there were other components that needed fitting, or did I have that wrong?

I'm not too sure if the kit has changed from when we did ours but when I did it all you had to do was slot wires into the block plugs which reside behind the dash.

The ease of the TDI (maybe SDI) cruise control installation is that they have an electronic accelerator pedal rather than a direct connection which I think the petrols may do.

145 is a great price.

murphaph

I remember when I did it the cable was not available from VW or somesuch, only the stalk. I had to modify a 10 pin ribbon cable connector block (had to file it dow a bit) to mate with the socket in the new stalk. It certainly wasn't a plug and play job anyway.

GTE

murphaph wrote: »

I remember when I did it the cable was not available from VW or somesuch, only the stalk. I had to modify a 10 pin ribbon cable connector block (had to file it dow a bit) to mate with the socket in the new stalk. It certainly wasn't a plug and play job anyway.

Certainly sounds like a tougher job for you. Is your Passat a year 2000 generation or earlier? Though, the kit with the looms needed could just be a newish thing. 8 years the difference between our installations.

murphaph

bbk wrote: »

Certainly sounds like a tougher job for you. Is your Passat a year 2000 generation or earlier? Though, the kit with the looms needed could just be a newish thing. 8 years the difference between our installations.

She was a '98 TDI, B5 chassis. I don't have the car anymore, but I know she's still going with well over 250k on the clock now. I think they must have brought out a new kit by the sounds of it, perhaps it is a lot more DIY friendly on some models these days.

I don't live in Ireland anymore but I'd say CC is a lot more useful these days with the much longer motorway network. Having said that, the way so many idiots in Ireland sit in lane 2 or 3 of a DC/Motorway probably ruins the usefulness of CC to a large extent.