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In older cars, having your cruise control engaged on a wet or icy road could allow the vehicle to accelerate or experience wheelspin when driven wheels encounter a low-traction surface. Here, the cruise control system maintains throttle pressure, even in situations where it should be released instead. In other cars with a manual transmission, pressing the clutch pedal simply pauses the cruise control system a moment, allowing drivers to complete their gearshift. When they’ve released the clutch, the cruise control picks up where it left off — no additional button press required.
Using Cruise Control Safely and Efficiently
First, let's start with one of the most basic control systems you could have -- a proportional control. The brain of a cruise control system is a small computer that is normally found under the hood or behind the dashboard. It connects to the throttle control seen in the previous section, as well as several sensors. The diagram below shows the inputs and outputs of a typical cruise control system.
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For a given position of the accelerator pedal, the engine will generate a certain amount of torque which will be applied to the wheels. If the road is straight (no gradient) the vehicle speed will stabilize at a constant value. Using the input from the radar sensors, the computer unit measures the distance of the car ahead and calculates the speed relative to it. If there are multiple vehicles in the sensor’s field of coverage at the same time, it automatically selects which of the vehicles the system should track. They’re generally on the left-hand steering wheel spoke or a stalk below the indicators. There’s a button to engage the system, another that activates it and plus/minus keys or a toggle switch to adjust the speed.
How Does Cruise Control Function?
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Ensuring that you use it for its intended purpose is the key to best taking advantage of it. After turning on cruise control, you’ll need to set your desired speed. Many systems set the cruise control at the current speed, while others require you to manually set one. You can increase and decrease this speed as needed without interrupting the mechanism. Accelerate to your desired speed as you prepare to activate cruise control.
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This means that the vehicle will have to maintain this speed setpoint regardless of the road conditions (disturbances). The traction force will be maintained by the cruise control function which is represented by a PID controller. Function of the speed error the PID controller will adjust the traction force in order to maintain the set speed.
You’ll see a green mark on the speedo and/or a message saying the system is active. Cruise control offers several benefits to drivers, especially during long road trips or highway driving. One minute you’re driving your car and everything seems fine, and the next moment you hear a strange noise coming from your car as you accelerate. As you’re learning how to operate a vehicle, understanding cruise control will help increase your comfort behind the wheel and knowledge of driving.
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When the cruise control is engaged, the throttle can still accelerate the car, but once the pedal is released, it will slow down the vehicle until it reaches the previously set speed. The invention of cruise control can be traced back to the late 1940s and early 1950s, when engineer Ralph Teetor developed the first-speed control system. This innovative feature was designed to help drivers maintain a steady speed, reduce fatigue while driving, and improve fuel efficiency. Over the years, cruise control technology has undergone significant advancements, leading to the development of sophisticated systems like adaptive cruise control. Cruise control, also known as speed control, is an electronic system that allows you to maintain a specific speed without manually controlling the accelerator pedal.
The system tends to err on the side of efficiency when accelerating, as well. How much an improvement it brings in extra miles-per-gallon over the course of a long journey varies from car to car, but the savings can be significant. Similarly, a car tends to speed up going downhill unless you press the brake pedal or change down a gear or two to use engine braking. Cruise control also detects when an engine starts to run faster on a downward slope and applies engine braking by closing the throttle – and/or changing down in cars with an automatic gearbox – to maintain speed. You’ll know that a car tends to slow down going uphill unless you press the throttle pedal down to compensate. When cruise control is active, sensors almost immediately detect the engine labouring under the strain of a hill and open the throttle to maintain speed.
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The positive road gradient causes an additional opposing force on the vehicle which should cause vehicle slowdown. The cruise control function reads the current vehicle speed and increases the engine torque in order to compensate for the road gradient. This way the vehicle speed is kept constant regardless of the disturbance.
Older cable-based cruise control systems seem more prone to this rare problem, in which the cable can slip or bind, making the throttle stick into position. More modern vehicles with electronic throttle and monitoring systems make this problem even less likely. By maintaining a steady speed, it reduces the likelihood of erratic driving behavior and potential accidents. However, it is important to note that cruise control shouldn't be used in certain conditions, such as heavy traffic or slippery roads.
The driver sets a maximum speed similar to what one would do with normal cruise control. A radar sensor located in the front end of the car locates traffic ahead of it and locks on to the car ahead. This sensor then controls the speed of your car so that it always stays 2-3 seconds behind the car in front. If the road surface is snowy, icy, slushy or very wet, you’ll want to think twice about switching your cruise control on.
Go back to the 2010s and earlier, and you’ll generally only find cruise control on high-spec models. When cruise control is no longer needed, or you need to quickly make a maneuver, simply apply pressure to the brakes to disengage the system. Once deactivated, you will be in full control of your vehicle once again. First we’ll describe the forces acting on the vehicle driving on a road with gradient. In an open loop control system the input (control action) doesn’t depend on the output of the system.
In order to achieve a constant vehicle output speed, the initial condition of the integrator block is set at 15.28 m/s (55 kph). On its exterior side, the car has a rear-mounted aerial antenna that receives geolocation information from GPS satellites, and an ultrasonic sensor on one of the rear wheels that monitors the car’s movements. The interior of the car has altimeters, gyroscopes and a tachometer to produce even finer measurements on the car’s position. All these sensors act perfectly in unison and obtain accurate data of the car’s location, thus providing additional safety.
Cruise control is a valuable feature that can enhance your driving experience by providing comfort, convenience, and fuel efficiency. Remember to use it safely and appropriately based on driving conditions, and always stay attentive while on the road. Occasionally, you may encounter issues with your cruise control systems. Common problems include cruise control not engaging or disengaging unexpectedly. Possible causes may include a faulty brake light switch, malfunctioning sensors, or issues with the control module. If you experience any problems with your cruise control, it's best to have a qualified technician diagnose and repair the issue for you.
Cruise control is a clever system that allows you to set a speed your car will maintain without you, the driver, having to press the throttle pedal. It’s most useful on motorways and other roads where you travel for long stretches at more-or-less the same speed. You’ll find it fitted as standard to pretty much every new car that’s currently available in the UK, and many older ones, too.
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