Cruise Control

[Ron]

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">While I'm sure many would laugh at a cruise control for a Viper, I find myself with a stiff right knee after several hours on the interstate and eventually using my left foot for the accelerator as a relief. After looking around for a solution, I came across the Snake Oyl / Collectors Choice Viper Cruise Control kit and decided to try it out.

Installation was pretty straight forward, requiring 5 wire splices into the Viper harness, all in the engine compartment. Not a big deal if you're careful and not colorblind. A pair of drilled holes in the left front inner fender hold the actuator and two more holes on the throttle bracket hold the cable. The unit is controlled by a battery powered, remote radio transmitter, which I velcro'd to the steering wheel and via a receiver which is mounted under the lower windshield molding via double stick tape. I also sealed the receiver so car washing didn't short anything out.

It holds the speed very accurately and disconnects via the control switch, brake application or clutch depression (it senses an rpm increase without a corresponding speed increase and then disconnects). The unit needs 20 minutes are so to learn the engine's response time before accuracy is obtained.

The installation instructions are a bit weak, but if anyone wants to give it a go, let me know and I'll save you some time. Unit seems well designed and so far reliable. Removal would leave only the two inner fender holes as the throttle bracket could be easily replaced ($15.00 via Parts Rack) and the wiring just clipped and taped back up.

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[H8TOW8]

Thanks Ron! I have been considering this addition, and your insight helps a lot. Actually, I don't think cruise control on a Viper is silly at all. I need it! This car is very difficult to keep at speed on the highway. Mine is happiest above 80, and I can't afford a slew of tickets.

Post back after a week or so and let me know if you still like it.

Thanks!

 

[Ron]

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Mark,

You are right, maintaining reasonable distance above the posted limit is the other reason I installed the unit. I naturally gravitate considerably higher the any normal trooper would accept.

I used the cruise recently on a trip to CAAP from Indy, about 650 miles round trip. Worked perfectly. There were a few installation bugs in it initially, however once those were worked out pre-trip, all was well.

Some examples of the installation issues I experienced....

The receiver antenna must be external of the lower windshield molding as reception is not adequate otherwise.

You should mount the receiver on small blocks and weather seal (I used silicone seal) the housing so water from car washing or rain doesn't touch the internal circuit board. This is for the receiver only. The actuator is sealed very well. Note that the actuator heat shield in the picture is part of the kit.

One color is off on the wiring diagram, at least for a 1996 GTS. Be careful to use your shop manual for the correct wire function, rather than take the instruction's color coding as gospel.

The unit requires 20 minutes of use before the clutch cut out function operates. Testing before the computer learns the engine response time fools you into thinking something is wrong.

Mounting the actuator cable on the throttle bracket requires proper positioning for correct free play. This is not covered in the manual, so experimentation before drilling is required.

Probably more than most wanted to know....

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[slaughterj]

Hey, thanks for the info and pics, the cruise control is of interest to me given all my "meritorious citations" granted to me by the men in blue.

 

[ruckdr]

Ron,
Can you post where you bought the unit, i.e. website, phone number, part no., cost, etc. Your details are good.
Thanks much.

 

[Marv S]

It's ~$450.00 from Snake-Oyl Products, A Div. of Collectors Choice Ltd. PH: (608) 849-9878. Call for a Great catalog of Viper things but No web page yet.