Cruise Control

This project was motivated by our frequent trips from Utah to Northern California. Our 94 Civic DX didn't come with cruise control or the factory wiring for cruise control so I decided to add an aftermarket cruise control system. Since most 94 Civics came with factory cruise control my first idea was simply to get a cruise control module from a wrecked civic and slap it in. However I discovered that this is nearly impossible because it would require replacing the ECM of my vehicle as well as completely rewiring my Civic with the wiring harness from the donor Civic. Not to be discouraged I soon discovered that there are aftermarket cruise control units that can be installed in virtually any vehicle. I got a basic idea of how to complete the job by studying a detailed description of how someone added cruise control to their Honda Insight. I found the job to be straight forward and simple for the most part. However, I wouldn't recommend the job to anyone not familiar with the basics of how cruise control works and basic electrical knowledge.

Rostra Part Numbers and Prices:

Cruise Control Module - 250-1223 $149.99

RF Transmitter - 250-1483 $57.99

Civic 92-95 Gas Pedal Adapter - 250-4304 $37.99

The basic steps for this project are as follows:

1. 1.Purchase an aftermarket cruise control kit, the best equipment is made by Rostra Inc. I tried to order directly from Rostra Inc. but they don't sell to the public. Rostra referred me to Brandon distribution (1-877-402-3944), who's prices were good but the staff and service was sub-par. I paid $253.00 for the cruise control, RF transmitter, and civic adapter kit. Because the Rostra cruise control module comes with various throttle linkage adapters most vehicles DON’T require a throttle adapter kit, therefore you only need to buy the cruise control module and the wired or wireless transmitter, however the 92-95 Civics are much easier to install using the adapter kit. My main complaint with Brandon Dist. is that they didn't tell me about the Civic specific throttle adapter that Rostra makes. I specifically asked if such a kit existed and they told me that Rostra had discontinued it. So after struggling for quite some time with the the throttle linkage portion of the install I called Rostra to see what to do, they told me I needed the civic install kit and to call Brandon again, so after I forced the idiots at Brandon Dist. to call Rostra and order the kit they finally did. Using the civic install kit made the install a breeze, read on for photos and pictures of the project.
   

2. 2.Mount the cruise control module under the hood and connect the electrical wires from the module to the tachometer signal, brake switch, speed pickup, and power/ground.
   

3. 3.Connect the cruise control cable to the gas pedal or throttle of the car (this required a Civic specific mounting kit from Rostra).
   

4. 4.Mount the wireless control module on the steering wheel and connect the accompanying receiver to the cruise control module.