Cruise Control Install

Okiedokie · September 03, 2011, 10:58:12 AM

I am installing a Dakota Digital [Rostra] unit on my 53 F100. Pretty well have it done except for brake light switch hook up. Instructions say to use a relay if brake lights are LED. I have LED and filiment [bed roll lights], wonder if the filiment lights are enough to power the cruise switch? Anyone have any knowledge of this? Thanks.

Leon · September 03, 2011, 12:38:40 PM

The filament lights you have should be enough to operate it. If it isn't you won't hurt anything, it just will think you have your foot on the brake. I'd hook it upwithout the relay, it should work.

Okiedokie · September 03, 2011, 12:52:55 PM

Thanks Leon, those were my thoughts, but good to have anothers thoughts. Joe

Okiedokie · September 09, 2011, 11:25:48 PM

An update. I did end up installing a relay for the tailights. One thing I learned due to my supplier paying no attention when I told him I had a Ford tranny and I received the GM VSS sender for a cable speedometer. When I called Dakota Digital to see if a Ford unit was available, I found out there is not but the tech suggested I might use the sender at the speedometer instead of at the tranny as designed. I tried it twice with poor results untill I realized that I should measure the depth of the threads on the original cable and also how much farther the shaft protuded. I then went back and recalculated the VSS sender pieces and shortened the " driveshaft" supplied to that measurement and it works fine now. Just FYI.

41woodie · September 12, 2011, 02:25:05 PM

Quote from: "Okiedokie"I am installing a Dakota Digital [Rostra] unit on my 53 F100. Pretty well have it done except for brake light switch hook up. Instructions say to use a relay if brake lights are LED. I have LED and filiment [bed roll lights], wonder if the filiment lights are enough to power the cruise switch? Anyone have any knowledge of this? Thanks.

I have a Rostra unit on the woodie. I added it when we lived in Tahlequah and it worked perfectly on the first try. Now that the woodie is alive again I've tried using it and it seems to be really touchy. If I go over a bump or a big expansion joint it wants to accelerate a bit. Not going to mess with it right now, it'll be something to diddle with over the winter.
As far as the LED and the off function I can't think of why it would matter, you connect the CC wire to the dead side of the switch and when you step on the brake the current passes through and should switch off the CC. Can't think of any reason for it not to work.
I started to call you a sissy for having CC but then remembered I had it on the woodie first.

Okiedokie · September 12, 2011, 06:50:40 PM

Ok sissie #1, without the relay the brakelights stay on all the time, and the CC will not function. Maybe the termites have attacked the CC now that they are through with the wood.

41woodie · September 12, 2011, 10:27:52 PM

Quote from: "Okiedokie"Ok sissie #1, without the relay the brakelights stay on all the time, and the CC will not function. Maybe the termites have attacked the CC now that they are through with the wood.

I'm confused, on my setup the only connection to the brakelights is a connection to the "cold" side of the brake light switch and disengages the unit when the brakes are applied.
Are you using the brake light circuit to provide power for the CC? If you've connected your brake lights and CC to the hot side of the brake light switch the brake lights would stay on and the CC would not function.

Okiedokie · September 12, 2011, 11:09:28 PM

I have made all connections according to the instructions supplied by Dakota Digital [Rostra basic unit]. If you take a look at their website you can view them. Once the relay was installed [per their instructions] the system works perfectly.

41woodie · September 13, 2011, 12:03:48 AM

Quote from: "Okiedokie"I have made all connections according to the instructions supplied by Dakota Digital [Rostra basic unit]. If you take a look at their website you can view them. Once the relay was installed [per their instructions] the system works perfectly.

You read the instructions?!! That hardly seems fair.

I went to their website and read through the instructions. It explains why LED lights effect the circuit. The wiring diagram is different than mine in several ways. I'll get mine out tomorrow and compare the differences so I can at least discuss it intelligently.

348tripower · September 13, 2011, 06:34:59 AM

I have the same unit on my Coe. And like is discussed here I had to wire a relay in for the LED lighting.
Don